chiaroscuro

6

I slump into my seat. It's almost the end of the day and I'm exhausted.

Just one more period, Chiro.

I didn't see Emery at the cafeteria today. There weren't any spots left either so I ate in the bathroom. Pathetic, I know.

I couldn't find Gray either. She told me earlier that she'd be at Science today, so I spent every single period (except the first) in Science.

Let's hope it's the last period, I think as angels start trailing in.

Camren starts talking about Hell, like I could give a shit.

Where the fuck is Gray?

"...and that brings me to important news," Camren says.

My ears perk up.

I hope it's a field trip to Earth.

The class is silent. Watching and waiting. It seems like we wait forever until Camren announces, "3 bodies were found yesterday."

I'm waiting for more info but Camren doesn't say anything else. They turn their back to us and say, "Partner up. Make a project about Hell. Same partners as yesterday."

I raise my hand.

Are we even supposed to raise our hands? I wonder, cuz it doesn't seem like anyone's paying attention to me. I must look like an idiot.

"Uh, my partner's not here," I say over the voices of the other angels. "Camren!"

They turn around and cock their head towards an angel with a black sweater and...

HEY...they look familiar....

I scooch closer to them, almost falling off my bean bag.

"Hey," they say. "Lev, he/him."

"Ok," I say slowly. "Chiro. He/him."

"I know, it's exhausting having to introduce ourselves every time. I just don't really remember who I've met and who I haven't met."

"LINE UP, MOTHERFUCKERS!" Camren shouts. Who pissed in their cornflakes?

"Where're we going?" I whisper. I bump into someone. "Shit, sorry."

"Library," he murmurs. "Research on Hell."

"Better than worksheets."

He rolls his eyes. "Earth's weird."

"Yeah."

Considering it's a big Academy, I thought the library would be massive. There's literally more angels than books. Tables are all around the room with computers on them. Good news is, it's quiet.

"Pick a computer," Camren whisper-yells. "No using the bathroom."

"What?" I almost yell.

"They think it'll waste our research time or some shit," Lev says.

"Damn it."

The research goes pretty well. We have about 2 pages–double sided–of info when we're done. But all period, there's something that I haven't gotten off my mind: the 3 bodies.

Who the hell could've killed them? This is fricking Heaven for goodness sake. HEAVEN. Maybe angels aren't as good as people say they are. Or maybe...

I frown.

No. Is that even possible?

"Are you coming?"

I blink. Lev's looking at me, 2 sheets of paper in his hands.

"Handing this in," he says.

"O-oh, yeah."

Maybe there's a demon in Heaven.