The Old Tuck Shop

FIVE

I abruptly awoke to the sudden buzzing of Ton yelling into my ears. It was piercing me. "It's eleven! Get up!" he yelled, throwing a pillow at me.

I grunted and pushed the pillow to the floor.

"Finn, I'm being serious," he puffed.

I turned around to face the wall and tried to fall back asleep to annoy him.

"What time did you fall asleep last night?" he chuckled.

"I'm asleep. Can't hear you," I joked.

"Oh, also what the hell were you doing last night?" he laughed.

"What do you mean?" I groaned, pretending to be half asleep.

"Well, you were stood by the window for a long time...at first I thought you were sleepwalking...but you were awake."

"I really can't remember...maybe you're just seeing things, Ton," I grunted.

"Yeah, well, whatever you were doing, it was pretty weird. Agatha will be properly pissed off if you don't come downstairs for...well...brunch?

"Ugh, just leave me alone," I repeated, throwing my pillow aggressively at him. He puffed before heading downstairs.

I groggily got out of bed and opened the curtains, forgetting everything Ton said. Perhaps it was just one big, pointless dream. I almost believed myself until I opened the window and spotted her from the corner of the garden.

In full brightness. Stamping her feet in the elderly leaves. In the daylight, her angel wings glowed. Her hair blew in the wind. Her green eyes glistened. But beneath her beautiful, I could see that something was eating her alive. And then I realised. Every angel needs to learn how to fly and how to land. And then it hit me. She had landed so much. With so much force. That she forgot how to fly again.

A few weeks later I finally brought up the courage to ask Ton if he knew who she was. "Hey...Ton?..." I said timidly. He was listening to music and he hated it when people interrupted him.

"Yeah?..." he grunted, clearly irritated.

I gestured him to come to the window, which he eventually did.

"So, what's up, then?" he said, clearly annoyed.

I pointed at the girl in the garden, which, looking back at now, probably was a very stupid idea considering she could've seen me.

"What about her?...Oh...Oh...You fancy her!" he exclaimed.

I placed my hand over his mouth, "Shush."

"No need to be so touchy. Just talk to her," he chuckled, "it's better than creeping on her from the window, anyway."

"I'm not creeping on her..."

"You've spent the past three weeks staring at her from the window..." He narrowed his eyes, and I sighed, sinking my face into my hands.

"Young love is a killer," he sighed, placing his headphones back on.

That same night, I heard the noise of an engine warming up. I instantly jumped from my sleep and dashed towards the window. I didn't take the time to peer through the curtains. I ripped through them like wrapping paper and tried to work out what I was seeing.

It was silent for a moment. For too long. I eventually heard the sound of footsteps crunching the gravel below me. I hid in the curtains, hoping no-one would see me, whether that be Ton or whoever was outside. I then saw a woman dragging along a suitcase. I dreaded the worst.

My fears came true and eventually I saw the girl.

I completely ignored my policy of keeping myself camouflaged and started waving my hands frantically, hoping it would get her attention. Any kind of reaction from her. She slowly turned around and looked up at me.

And this time. The moon didn't have to compete with her smile. Or the sun with her eyes. Because I'd never seen an angel, so lost, so close until tonight.