The Not So Perfect School For Perfect Children (#Wattys2016)

The Priorities We Share

Jack's POV

After some sleep it's clear that things will never be the same again. At 7am in the freaking morning Ma'am comes to my door and demands that I get my ass to the principal's office.

Which is why you're here figiting like a little girl.

It's uncomfortable you asshole. 

Keep telling yourself that sweetie.

Sweetie? What are you? A grandma?

Well, technically, I'm eons older than you, so respect your elders.

I can practically feel his smirk as the Principal comes into her office. She sits opposite me and has a worried smile on her face, looking down at my wrist. I was in such a hurry to get here that I had forgot to cover up the skymark. What if she thinks I'm against her or something? What if I'm now in deep shit?

I'll protect you, I always do.

Relief  fills my body but I can't help but think, cocky much?

It's not my fault you're always getting into trouble.

And the smirk is back.

"I take it Mallaurie is safe now, with her mate?" The principal looks at me expectantly but I am just to shocked.

"How do you...?" I can't finish before she waves her hand.

"This is my school Jackelynn." I scowl out of reflex of my full name. "And I know everything that goes on in it. I am glad that you are safe but you have now been noticed by bigger parties at play." She looks at me in a way that caused me to nod, signalling I was listening and he could go on with my full attention. "In your short time that you've been here you have caused nothing but tension and you haven't even been here half a term yet, quite a record. Angels haven't been the game for centuries but it seems you are important enough for Archangels to save from a game of ice hockey and risk all exposure to the ultimate threat, The Church. While your victory over Nicola is much to celebrate, you should think about leaving. You may have Archangels protecting you, but you are not as invincible as you seem to think you are, you're in over your head. I would go pack your things and leave here as soon as you can." Her eyes were filled with worry but how could I just abandon everyone? 

Suddenly, Uriel walks through the door, without opening it and scares me out of breath. "She is in no position to leave, you may be a Keeper but you have no right to deny her of her destiny." He is wearing a suit and quite frankly looks like an old school gangster or something. 

It's so weird. 

I'll be sure to give him your fashion advice, miss vogueless.

Oh my god! No!

Wait? Vogueless?

Honey, your fashion sense is terrible.

So you're gay now? 

Nah, just classier than you.

I shake my head, maybe that will get rid of him. 

"As Keeper I have the right to let her choose her path, I'm sure you're quite comfortable with sending her to her death but I, am not." Uriel's body stiffens and mine tenses, I look at him but he doesn't look back and that says it all for me. 

Anger burns my soul and I want to scream. Why are they talking about me and not to me? Like I'm it allowed to have a say in what I should and shouldn't do. 

Breath Jack, just stop and ask the question in the back of your mind.

Inhale. Exhale. 

Time appears to slow as I breathe. In and out. 

Ask.

"What destiny?" Everything goes quiet after the words cross the room. Even though I wasn't listening, I know the two have been bickering over what the other has said. "And what about sending me to my death?" They both stare at me and each looks as guilty as the other. 

"The angels have been looking over you because of a prophecy by the last Druid." Her voice was slow and calculating, maybe checking if I can take everything or not. 

"And what does it say?" I can't help but be curious. 

"She stated that a child born of fire and stone, would start the rise of the fallen but also end it for al eternity." The words felt rehearsed as they came out of her mouth.

"How does that lead to my death exactly?" My head is starting to spin.

"You will use the skymarks as guidance from The Lord but only when you meet him on the fields of Eden can you truly defeat your enemies. Only the dead can go to Eden, so therefore you must." This time it was Uriel who spoke and his face was stern but his voice was sincere, almost sorry, but maybe I'm imagining it. 

"So really you've gone all Harry Potter on me and made sure I was safe until the appropriate time for me to die." My mind swirls and so does the room around me, why on Earth am I this special person? What did I do to deserve this?

I'm gonna be sick. Before anyone can stop me I'm out of the room and running to the girls bathroom. Pushing the door, I just manage to make it as my stomach contents empties itself with the shock. 

I'm going to die. 

I'm going to die. 

As I'm hyperventilating, a comforting hand strokes my back and holds my hair. Tears fall as pain fills my body and tremors fuel my terror, my hands shake but my breathing is a little more even. 

"If you're done emptying your guts then flush the toilet cause that stuff is gross." Alice stands behind me, looking at me with concern. 

I stand up and stumble to the sinks, I wash my face with cold water and let the drops fall and rinse my mouth but the feeling in the pit of my bones doesn't leave. 

"Let me show what they're afraid of." She puts her thumb on my cheek and two fingers on my forehead while she mutters words I don't understand. 

I blink and we're not in the bathroom anymore, our surroundings look like a war zone, thankfully my stomach is empty because I gagged at the sight of all the bodies and blood that oozed from them. The sky was grey and rain was pouring but it only made the ground dirtier. Everything was rubble, broken or ablaze, nothing left intact and all left for waste. Tears form in my eyes once more and I turn to Alice who stands with a similar expression on her face. 

"This is what the world looks like in all the possibilities that you fail, whether it be you run, you get captured or whatever else and this is what happens, this is the knowledge that the angels carry with them. You cannot blame them for what they did. Now I don't know what you are but a coward is not one of them and I'm sure you don't want the world to look like this." She points in the distance and a creature stands there, it's huge, black and downright scary, it screeches at us, wincing is all I can think of doing right now. "It's the final experiment of The Church, I don't know how they make it but they only succeed when you don't make it to Eden. The worlds need you, both human and supernatural will suffer this fate." 

We return to the bathroom and Alice looks at me sincerely. "I understand if you want to run but you're not some rebel anymore Jack, you're THE rebel that is the only hope for us and as cheesy as that sounds you cannot underestimate how much The Church is willing to do to get their hands on you." 

I take a deep breath in and another out. 

I best go find Mallaurie.