Angel Kisses (story)

[th3face0fdeath]

(prelude/prologue/chapters 1-2)

1. First and foremost, I am here to protect you.
2. I am not human, but I am not a ghost.
3. I can only save you if it is not your time.
4. However, I cannot intervene if you take your life.
5. I cannot see the future, but I always know where you are what is happening.
6. You must NEVER reveal me to others, not even your family.
7. Only I can make myself seen to others.
8. Just because you do not see me does not mean I am not there.
9. You must trust me completely, otherwise I cannot help you.
10. I will never hurt you or anyone else.
11. I am always here, and I will never leave you.



Prologue
The greatest piece of advice anyone has ever given to me was “People in your life come and go. The ones that go were called to do great things elsewhere. The ones that come back were called to do greater things in your life.”
Very good point there. It takes someone with courage and knowledge to feel the absence of a loved one, and to see it as a triumph and not a tragedy. It takes an inexplicable amount of strength to believe someone’s death can be a good thing. Death isn’t as horrible as it seems; it’s an adventure, a quest for greater things.
It took me the longest time to fully comprehend that. At seventeen, I was a young man just trying to figure things out. All that mattered to me was school, grades, going to college, and achieving academic perfection. The tragedies I endured didn’t really help me at the beginning. I lost a lot, a lot that was dear to me. Some days I felt fine, and some days the pain made me feel like I was losing my marbles. Just like any other human being, the easiest thing I could have done was lie in bed and pine for my loved ones, pretending it would all be okay that way.
But I’m not like any other human being. Not anymore.
The most efficient reality check is your whole world crashing down on you. Nothing else puts life into perspective quite like that. Life is a fragile, irreplaceable weight placed upon us. It’s too short to waste, and too precious to take for granted. It took the death of nearly all who were close to me to figure that out.
The greatest piece of advice anyone has given me was that people in your life come and go. But the greatest ones, I learned by life experience.
My fear of the dark was the most irrational of all the things I feared. The only thing that could have hurt me was myself, and all I had to do was turn on the light. I made a terrible habit of fearing the unknown, when there were simple solutions all around me.
Abandoning faith and hope because everything is going wrong is foolish. If anything, hope is what keeps you going. Where would we be if we refused to believe we wouldn’t make it out alive? If we keep telling ourselves nothing will be okay, guess what: it won’t.
Oh, and don’t be afraid when an angel wraps her arms around you; it just might be her way of saying goodnight.



Chapter 1
When you live in Teranova Springs, summer really is everything it’s made out to be. Your cities have beaches, clubs, malls, skate parks and public pools. Teranova Springs, California, has a lake right in the middle of the city. There’s an unspoken tradition between 14-18 year olds that the lake is the hangout. The lake, fondly titled Lake Supernova, is where all the girls go to get their tan, and the guys go to get the girls.
For me, though, it’s where I go to wreak absolute havoc with the best friends I could ask for.
The lake was walking distance from my house, and I set out early, planning to return late, tired, and more than happy to do it all again the next day. The bright sun and blue sky gave me the thumbs up, and I sent the text I knew three people were waiting for:
“I’m on my way.”
Teranova Springs is a small town in California that specializes in fun, food and Fourth of July fireworks. I’ve grown up here, and have no complaints. It’s never too hot or too cold, never too dry or too humid, and never, ever boring. As far as I’m concerned, this city is the best in the world.
“Josh!”
I turned around and saw a thin girl with wavy chestnut hair running toward me, and I turned to catch her in my arms. “Hello, Elizabeth, crazy as ever.”
She let go and smiled breathlessly, and yelled over her shoulder, “Scarlett! Ben! Time is of the essence!”
“Liz, it’s like 11:30.” I said, noticing the blue streaks in Liz’s hair.
“Yeah, but I’d like to get there before the hoes, okay? Scarlett! Benjamin!” She called, walking in the direction I was. I lingered behind and waited for the others. Scarlett’s vibrant red hair (how convenient) shined brilliantly in the sun, and Ben walked slowly beside her, basking in the comfortable heat.
“Don’t look so excited, you two,” I joked, walking with outstretched arms toward Lety, and I hugged her tight. “It’s the summer before senior year, turn that frown upside down!”
Lety squinted in the sunlight and said dully, “I’m tired.”
I laughed and nodded at Ben, who nodded back. “Don’t tell me you’re tired, too.”
“Nah, bro, wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Ben smiled, and we went on our way. “Summer before senior year.” Ben sighed and looked at us. “We’re old.”
Lety laughed. “It’s gonna be weird, not doing this next year.”
“You think they’d let us in? You know, cause of Liz?” I motioned to the girl a ways ahead of us. “She’s gonna be a junior next year.” There was an unspoken rule that no college kids were allowed.
“Still can’t believe she’s a whole year younger,” Ben chimed in.
“I don’t know,” Lety answered my question. “What’s she gonna do without us?”
“Figure out a way to wreak havoc on her own?” I queried. Lety hummed in agreement. “We should take her with us.” In truth, I was only half-heartedly joking. I met Liz her freshman year, and she’d been a staple part of my life ever since. My parents went to school with Lety’s parents, so we basically grew up together. She introduced me to Ben in 8th grade, and he’d been the brother I never had. Together, we were the four musketeers. Even one year without one of them was unbearable to think about.
“Josh. Liz wouldn’t survive college.” Lety laughed, and I silently agreed. Oh, she could handle it; the question was, could college handle her?
“You know her parents aren’t making her go,” Ben mumbled dejectedly.
“What?!” Lety and I said at the same time, our heads snapping towards Ben.
Ben opened his mouth to answer, but a voice in the distance yelled, “Hey!” We all looked at Liz, probably 50 feet ahead of us, waving her arms in the air. “Move yo’ damn legs!”
The three of us shook the weight of education off our shoulders, and walked a little faster. When we caught up to her, she sighed in dramatic exasperation. “Finally,” she laughed, pushing me to the side. She walked to a beat, and hummed almost silently to a song inside her head. The sun shone on her curls, and turned her sapphire eyes into clear oceans. I looked at her, and truly wondered what would become of her over the next year. What would become of her personality? What would become of our friendship? Of hers and Lety’s? And Ben’s? What would become of us? We weren’t happy-go-lucky teenagers anymore. We’d go to college, and leave Liz behind. I couldn’t let that go, even for the sake of having fun.
We reached Lake Supernova to find it the same as last year: packed and busy. The water was crystal clear, the girls were stretched out, tanning, and the guys desperately sought their attention. The lines at the concession stands were ridiculously long, and for this reason, many teenagers held cold beer bottles in their hands. Everyone knew kids brought alcohol to the lake, but no one seemed to care. By evening, the clear blue sky would be painted with pinks, oranges and navy blues, and it would fog up with cigarette smoke. More people would come with more beer, and the party would really get started. That’s the thing about Teranova Springs; the point is the fun.
I just hope I’m not the only kid who sees it as a mask, and I hope I’m not the only one who feels the pressure.



Chapter 2
Teranova Springs is a very successful city when it comes to the students. From kindergarten to twelfth grade, the same message is ingrained into our heads: succeed. Don’t do drugs, don’t drink, don’t be lazy, and above all, succeed. We are all trained to get straight A’s, graduate on time, go to college, get our degrees, and start families in Teranova Springs. What they hope to create are success stories. What they’re really creating are kids who can’t take anymore.
Take Ben for example. His mom’s a lawyer with more degrees than a thermometer. His older brother, twice his age, is a surgeon somewhere on the East coast. His dad’s not in the picture, and his mom expects nothing but perfection out of him. She doesn’t round up, so if he gets an 89.9% on anything, he’s grounded. All his life he’s been told he wants to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a government official. Something to make his family proud. I know it’s not what he wants; I’m in the same boat, and we’ve had that conversation over the years. But you can’t say no to education in this city.
My father is a chef, and my mother is a principal. (There are some stories better left untold.) I don’t have siblings. Both of them come from small families. Why they moved to Teranova Springs, I may never know, but the pressure to succeed never ends. My mother’s nickname for me when I was growing up was Joshua Alvarez, Ph.D. My mother actually refuses to speak to me if I bring home B’s. All of my classes are advanced, but it’s not enough. I can speak two languages, but she’s not impressed. I win awards for academics and sports, but if I get one B, it’s like none of it ever happened. The only person who has ever showed me a loophole is my father.
The conversation always starts out the same. Of course he wants the best for me; what kind of father doesn’t want his kid to succeed? The point is not to impress, the point is to be happy in the long run. 40 years from now, I’m gonna look back on my life and be glad I didn’t throw my grades away and do drugs and ruin my life. High school and college are only a small part of life, and because of them, I will lead a good life. In the front of my father’s mind, he wants me to be the best. But in the back of his mind, he’s on my side. It may not be exactly what I want, or what I need, but it gets me by.
Ben doesn’t have that. I’ve seen Ben come to school with a fake smile on his face, ‘ready to learn’. He can get past everyone else but me, because I can see he’s gotten no sleep and the side of his left hand is streaked silver because he was doing homework all night. He has to remind himself to keep his back straight because he’s so exhausted, he’s slouching over. Slouches don’t thrive at Teranova High. What’s worse is his mom has the same mindset. I know she doesn’t care if he stays up all night. I know she could care less about his social life. She expects A’s.
There are some kids who don’t have to try and have all the support in the world. Come to Teranova Springs and you’ll see that. But look a little closer, and you’ll see that some of these kids are falling apart.

[Apple Of Your Eye]

Oh gosh this is mind blowing!
You sound like a professional author and the way you have written the prologue, you don't sound 15 at all. To me it sounded like something that a very old person would say.

I am interested in knowing what happens next, what is the story of Josh and all these kids. So post quickly!

[th3face0fdeath]

Currently working on chapter 3.

[Cataclysmic]

This is really good, you're a good writer.

[colie18]

OMG... i need to know what happens next... HURRY!!! :P

[th3face0fdeath]

Chapter 3
“Oddly enough, I’d rather be at home than anywhere else, bro.” Ben leaned back in the computer chair and gulped his soda. “That’s how you know life is good.”
The days that followed found me crashed at Ben’s house. To be honest, it was easier to hang out with him now that school was out. He was more chill, more relaxed. His mom still worked, and I could see the stress melt away day by day. During the summer, we didn’t have to worry about grades, homework or studying. We could play video games and drink soda and sleep all day and no one would get on us. It was a good life. Even if it only lasted two months.
“Have you applied to any colleges yet?” I said, taking turns between looking at him and playing video games.
Ben laughed cynically. “Better believe it.”
“Which ones?” I asked.
“UCLA. USC. Berkeley. You know how hard my mom cried when she learned there’s no way I’d get accepted to like, Princeton? Or Yale?”
“Why?” I said. “Not that I care, bro, I knew you didn’t wanna go to any of those universities.”
“Uh, I’m not Christian, I’m not an athlete, and I don’t speak two languages. I’m not eligible for a scholarship and we can’t afford it.” Ben actually did look a little down, and I cringed. It showed just how tight his mother’s reins were on him. “Even Berkeley’s not good enough for my mom.”
“Benjamin.”
He looked up at me, and the inescapable weight of pressure showed in his cloudy green eyes. “What?”
I pointed a finger at him and said, “Shut up. Just shut your mouth.” My voice was serious, but the humor was written all over my face.
Ben laughed, but the darkness clouded his face again. “Still can’t believe Liz isn’t going.”
All exasperation aside, I paused my game and turned to him. “Yeah, expand on that. Why aren’t her parents making her go? They made Ethan go.” Ethan was Elizabeth’s older brother. He was five years older than her, and had been accepted to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and had met his wife Giabella there. They both worked as graphic designers, and lived well off in a different part of Teranova Springs. Ethan did have a passion for art, as far as Liz was concerned, but she had expressed that some of her worst memories were of her parents fighting with Ethan about school and getting good grades so he could go to a good university. To hear that they weren’t making Liz go was shocking.
“Beats me.” Ben resumed his computer game, munching on Sun Chips. “You’d have to ask her.”
“Mm,” I murmured. “Okay,” I said, turning off the game and looking at Ben intently. “Enough of this college talk. Speaking of Liz, why don’t we call her and Lety, and ask if they wanna hang out? Summer isn’t gonna last forever.”
Ben thought about it for a while, and nodded. “Sounds good. Looks like it’s gonna rain, though.”
“You know what that means,” I smiled, and both of us got up and got ready to leave. It hadn’t rained in a while, and I couldn’t wait to see Liz’s reaction.
Liz was born and raised in Seattle, and she moved to Teranova Springs when she was 11. Whenever it rained, everyone in Teranova Springs knew where to find Elizabeth.
I texted Lety, “It’s about to rain.”
“Oh lord. Have you told Liz?”
“I think she knows.”
“I bet. Whatcha up to?”
“Bout to go over to your house.”
“Oh. Okay. Yeah come on over.”
“Wanna go to Liz’s with us?”
“Sure.”
Lety and Liz live two streets away from each other, and as soon as we got to Lety’s house, it started to drizzle. Ben burst out laughing.
“Liz is probably freaking out,” Lety laughed, shaking her bone straight, vibrant red hair.
“Liz is probably outside right now, enjoying this,” I conjectured.
“Liz is probably dancing terribly because she has two left feet,” Ben laughed. “You know how often it rains here? Next to never, compared to Seattle.”
“Ben, you’re so mean to her,” Lety laughed, pushing him. He pushed back, and every second the rain intensified. By the time we turned onto Liz’s street, we were soaked. A ways ahead, we saw someone standing in the middle of the road, arms stretched out and head back. As we got closer, we saw a girl dressed in a gray t-shirt, black sweats and slippers, and a gray beanie on her head. Lety laughed loudly and ran towards the girl. Ben looked at me, and we both followed her. Liz was dancing in the rain.
Liz saw Lety coming, and braced herself for her attack. They pounced on each other, and hugged, vivacious smiles on their faces. Lety and Liz had been best friends from day one, so much that a blind person would think they were sisters. Liz was thin, short, and snow-white; Lety was curvaceous, dark-haired and dark-skinned. They were completely different in appearance, but they dressed the same, acted the same, had the same taste in music and art, and knew the best ways to cause total destruction. There were many differences between Elizabeth Watson and Scarlett Rodriguez, but if you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were separated at birth. Who cares if one’s a year and a half older than the other.
Liz reached into her pocket and turned her music up, so loud that we could hear it, and she leaned her head back and stuck her tongue out. Ben walked over, grabbed her hand and twirled her around. I looked at Lety and extended my hand. She smiled and took it, and I twirled her around. Her beautiful brown eyes glittered with gold flecks, and her flawless tan skin glowed even in the rain.
I looked over at Ben, and he had picked Liz up and was spinning around. She had her arms around his neck at first, then she extended them and laughed while Ben spun her. Lety and I smiled, and continued to dance.
“I’m gonna miss this,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” I whispered back. “Me too.”