Test The Waters

Chapter Four: Guardian Human

Coralia had begun to think of Kira as her guardian angel. This was a thing humans had, she understood. Miranda's husband Jean Manuel spoke often of his, who he called Steebeth after his deceased sister. As Coralia understood it, a guardian angel was someone who was always around someone and saved them from awkward situations. Kira fit that description just fine. Sure, she was annoying and didn't quite understand what was and wasn't appropriate based on the situation, but according to Jean Manuel, Steebeth, too could be a total witch. Maybe that was normal for guardian angels.

"Hey, Coralia," she said now. Coralia didn't have another class until 4:00 PM, and she was on her way to her room to rest and read In Another Place, Not Here by Dionne Brand (assigned by Professor Aristide for Afro-Caribbean Lit). "The gang and I are throwing a party tonight." 

"The gang" was a group of Kira's friends who seemed to not realize that they were not living in the 1920's. Coralia tried to stay away from them; their behavior could not be dissected and laid out on a table for her to analyze, and she didn't know how to act around people she did not understand.

Seeing Coralia's scared expression, Kira hastily added, "It's a classy party. We're celebrating some comet or other. I'm not the astronomy major."

"I see," Coralia said. She didn't see. From what she had read, college parties were filled with crackly liquid that made your brain numb. She remembered seeing some people last Carnival, stumbling down the street with their arms around one another. She didn't see how Kira's party, classy as it may be, would be any different.

"At Aria's place. You know Aria," Kira pressed.

"Um...yes?"

"The barista at the Starbucks," Kira sighed. "Metallic pink hair? You got all weird and quiet and couldn't order your coffee?"

Coralia felt her face heating up. She remembered now. Aria seemed fairly nice, and Coralia was pretty sure she had been flirting. Coralia, though, couldn't even get her own name out, much less her order. Then Kira (guardian angel moment!) came up, ordered a gingerbread latte even though it was apparently out of season. Aria had said as much, but Kira asked if Aria would save her from a burning building. When Aria had hesitantly said yes, Kira responded with her 100-watt smile, "Then making an out-of-season latte should be no trouble."

She then introduced Coralia as her friend, and Coralia finally said something. It was "hi." She had felt so proud afterward that she ordered a venti cappuccino instead of a tall. Living on the edge.

"Yes," Coralia decided. "I do know Aria."

"She speaks!" Kira grinned. "Okay, the party's at Aria's place. Super-classy; no booze. Just some kids eating, dancing, and watching movies. Oh, and the best punch you ever tasted. You can bring your roommate."

"Zahra hasn't arrived yet."

"Okay...any friends?"

Coralia's mind went briefly to the desi girl with the blue-dyed undercut in her dormitory, who sang "Under the Sea" every time Coralia dragged herself to her first class of the day, still soaked from the bath she slept in and still hauling her tail. That wasn't exactly what you'd call a friend, although Coralia and her had shared a polite conversation about sparing Coralia from her atrocious voice.

"I have many, many friends," Coralia said cautiously. "Many of them just...have other plans."

"On a Wednesday night?"

"Wednesday night is party night," Coralia mumbled, in an 'honestly, Kira, everyone knows that' tone.

"Does this mean you're coming to the party?"