The Fallen Angel

Chapter 19

  I was still on the float when it dawned on me. My parents may be watching this. I whispered harshly hoping my earpiece would pick it up.

  "You're going down with me. You better be on that float." I smiled and waved trying to look calm and watch for suspicious activity at the same time.

  "Calm your feathers Baby Bird. I'm on the float." I sighed. I hope they take it well. Rebel muttered in my ear.

  "If only my family could see me now." he said it longingly, like he was hoping for something.

  "What do you mean?" The woman, who had introduced herself as Janet and intially crowned me gave me a weird look.

  "Sorry, I'm talking to my partner. I have an earpiece." I motioned to my ear.

  "Oh, you have a girlfriend?" I choked. Rebel laughed in my ear.

  "No, no I don't. I meant Rebel. He's helping me do my job. Definitely do not have a girlfriend."

  "Well, do you want one?" She winked at me. I choked again and Rebel was laughing excessively. I cleared my throat.

  "Yeah, I'm a minor, sooooo no, sorry." She laughed.

  "For a superhero you're very awkward." She said it over giggles. I shrugged.

  "Well, I haven't exactly had much human contact since a few months ago." I knew I became defensive but it was true. She pulled out a marker. She motioned for me to hand her something.

  "Give me your arm."

  "Why?"

  "I'm going to write my number on your arm, in case you have questions about anything."

  "Won't people think we're flirting?" She shrugged.

  "I guess, but it's ok. If anyone asks I'll tell 'em the truth."

  "Ok, I guess." She smiled. Something caught my eye. A brawl was just starting out.

  I ripped off the rainbow cape and descended upon the crowd. It seemed that a protester had broken through the police barrier.

"THIS ISN'T NATURAL!" It was a man. He held himself high like he knew everything.

  "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down." He looked at me and swung a finger in my direction.

  "You lead these people. A monster leading misfits." That phrase rang through my head like a siren. A hand fell on my shoulder as the man was taken to a police cruiser. It was Rebel.

  "You're not a monster." He gave me sympathetic look. I nodded. It was all I could do at the moment.

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  The crowd dispersed later that afternoon, none of the participants discouraged. Rebel became worried for me and decided to take me home, which I pointed out was a waste of time since I could fly faster, but he called a cab anyway.

  "What's on your arm?" I looked down at smudged handwriting on my arm, still legible.

  "A woman on the float gave me her number when she realized how little I knew about the world today." He nodded. Then I remembered something he said over comms.

  "What did you mean when you said, 'If only my family could see me now.'?" I looked at him. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

  "My family doesn't know who I am or my bisexuality. They just think I'm a golden child."

  "Oh."

  "Yeah."

  "What about you. Are you out to your parents?"

  "It depends if they watched the news coverage of the parade."

  "Oh." The car parked and we payed the driver the fare. We had told him to stop a few blocks away so no one knew where I lived.

  "I'm going to have to carry you there rest of the way. I usually land in the backyard." He nodded and I picked him up bridal style.

  "Well, isn't this romantic." He pretended to swoon while I rolled my eyes.

  "Yeah, sure." I took off swiftly into the sky and I heard Rebel yelp. I chuckled. After breaching the clouds I leveled out and flew in a circle. I descended fast and landed in my backyard. Rebel fell out of my arms and laid on the ground.

  "I never want to do that again." I giggled and waited for him to catch his breath.

  Then my Mom came outside.