CHAPTER 9
It had been two weeks since Avan and I had made our little day trip to Bridgepoint, and no one had seemed to notice. I was very careful not to let on that I had found anything out. I did not even think about the trip unless I was inside my room, feeling safe under the protection of the angel my mother had left me. Lena had come home acting as if nothing had happened with Ian, making me wonder if she was still leading him to believe that something could come out of nothing when it came to him and me. I just chose to go on about my business.
Lena had to know it was obvious that I found ways to stop hanging around with her as much, unless it was because we were both at home, but she pretended not to care, even though I could tell my new posse that I started hanging around was not of her approval. Every time Avan would come get me in the morning, I would look up to see Lena’s face staring out her window with a look that I was afraid might just melt his pretty car into a puddle on the driveway. She had stopped going to Spirits at all. I guess she wanted to stay away from having to see with her own eyes that all the staff members treated me as if I was part of the crew.
Over the last month they had all started to look at me as a sister since I was with Avan. In fact, I was so close to all of them now that I never felt threatened if any of them were close by. I knew they would protect me without a second thought. I even started learning how to make things on the menu at Spirits and helped out when things got busy. I still had not made an effort to go on a Saturday night for the concert because now that I fit in as part of the Spirits family, I really did not want them to try to drag me on stage. I actually never even tried to sing, aside from the times alone in my car, but I definitely had no desire to debut myself in a room full of people.
School was an obvious change for Lena as well when she came back. When she left she had been the center of attention with all eyes on her. Not that we gave a rip, but now every eye was on me and Avan. All eyes were on us because Avan was always seen as unattainable and I was the girl who got him. Not to mention, everyone had noticed the way my appearance had gone from being pretty (what I heard rumored in the hallways) to stunning since I received the gift my mom had left for me. Lena became the backup conversation to me, which was something she was never going to get used to. Like every other girl who had ever tried to get Avan’s attention, her desperate attempts had failed time and time again.
She could never even get any of his friends and coworkers to glance at her. I was still in shock to know that anyone, especially Avan Rork, would choose me over the girl that most guys doted on as being some kind of goddess. I really was not used to all the attention it drew from others yet. I knew people talked about me all the time for being Lena’s best friend and living in her house, but this was a completely new level of news coverage. It was as though I had gone from being the run-of-the-mill actress in Hollywood to getting the lead role in the biggest box-office hit of the year!
I could care less that people had moved me into the number-one spot. I had no intentions of being the royalty of Oceanview High School to begin with, but it just happened without me trying. Lena reacted completely different than I thought she would. Rather than trying to get closer to me, I felt like she was just standing off to the side unnoticed and watching from a distance, strategizing.
This behavior was totally out of character for Lena, considering she despised losing, even if it was a game I really was never even playing. I felt like she was waiting for me to mess up somehow or get obsessed with the feeling that she fed from when she was in the limelight. The problem is that I had no feeling at all. I was never trying to be noticed or gain self-empowerment, so I had no idea what she felt when she was on top, per se. All I knew was that her unusual behavior made me nervous. She had resorted to not coming into my room since she returned home, and though she pretended all was well, I could tell something was different about her.
I hated it when my birthday fell on a school day just as much as I hated when it fell on a Saturday. February 14 on a school day served one of two purposes. (1) It caused people to spend every red cent they had on delivered presents to their significant others. (2) It made single people feel unwanted and sad that they wished all day there would be a delivery for them. Even though it was my birthday, for the past three years it had made me feel lonely and alone. Sure Lena and her dad had always bought me a gift and I always ended up going out to dinner with her, but it would never replace my parents.
Up until now, I had always known just what to expect on this day. When my parents were alive, we always celebrated as a family. My dad and I would take a special trip to the jewelry store, where I would get an addition to my charm bracelet before meeting my mom at my choice of restaurants for a birthday dinner. When we got home, my mom would always have a homemade strawberry birthday cake with strawberry icing and Happy Birthday, Mattie written on top.
When I would go to blow out the candles, they would always relight! I could always count on Dad to buy trick candles! After singing “Happy Birthday,” they would give me my gift, but it never compared to the celebration itself.
Once I moved in with Damien and Lena, my birthday lost the special feeling. Dinner and a material gift that had both Lena and Damien’s name on it, though he was usually away for work, followed by a cake Lorenzo made. The cake from Lorenzo was the part I enjoyed most. Though he could make everything under the sun, he always made sure to make my cake just like my mom had. He even put on the trick candles my dad had bought every year. This year I would be missing Lorenzo to add the special touch to my birthday that I used to fill the hole in my heart left on my birthday every year from the absence from my parents.
I also no longer had my charm bracelet to remind me of the tradition of going to the jewelry store. The one thing that was very different this year, besides the fact that Lorenzo would be absent, was that Avan would be right by my side. On the way to school this morning, he told me that today was going to be very special for a special angel. I liked the way he used the nickname my parents had for me. It made me feel like their memory remained alive. I had no idea what Avan was up to, but I had a feeling he had something up his sleeve.
I was sitting in Ms. Greer’s class behind Bradley, copying the notes off the board, when I noticed he could not manage to keep a straight face. Bradley was smiling as he chewed on a piece of gum while he kept turning around looking at me. I just knew Ms. Greer was going to tell us to gather our things and leave any second. My first attempt to thump him in the back of the head and telling him to stop only made him laugh harder, so I was not about to try that again. He obviously found this all very amusing, because the more flustered I got, the more it seemed to inspire him to continue the behavior. Everyone knew Bradley was a class clown, so no one else paid much attention to him, aside from the teacher, who kept looking up from her desk, giving us the evil eye.
“What did you smoke before class?” I asked in an irritated whisper as I tried to copy the notes word for word.
“Not a thing. Today is just an exciting day,” he replied through a snicker.
“Bradley, you are going to get me kicked out of class if you do not turn around and stop!”
“Nah.”
Without another word, the classroom door opened and my jaw hit the floor. Declan, Trev, Alex, and Dorian all walked into the room wearing tuxedos. Alex winked at me with a huge smile. I felt myself sliding down into my chair, wishing I could disappear under my desk, while Ms. Greer looked up and took off her glasses. I knew whatever they were doing here had something to do with Bradley’s over-the-top snickering and distracting behavior this morning.
“Hello, ma’am. We are here to deliver a singing telegram. Is Mattie Holland in class today?” Alex asked, addressing Ms. Greer as if he had not seen me when he walked in.
Everyone turned to look at me and then back to the quartet in tuxedos standing beside Ms. Greer’s desk. They all knew them from Spirits being the most popular place in town. It was not hard to spot a staff member from Spirits, even if you had never been there, due to the way they looked. I felt my face turn red as Bradley laughed out loud, popping his gum behind his teeth.
“I’m going to kill you for not warning me about this!” I whispered to Bradley, who just winked and smiled in return.
“Why yes, Mattie is here. Mattie, raise your hand please,” Ms. Greer said in a tone that said her icy heart was melting.
Within seconds all four of them had strategically placed themselves around me. Trev pulled me out of my desk and onto his knee, where he knelt beside me.
“Mattie Holland, this is a singing telegram from Avan Rork to his special angel!” Declan announced loudly enough for everyone to hear, causing the guys to snicker and the girls to grab their heart in a collective “Aww!” that filled the room.
With that they performed an acapella version of “Hooked on a Feeling” in perfect harmony, ending with all four of them presenting me with a red rose and a kiss on the cheek. I could have died! The idea was one of the sweetest I’ve ever heard, but being embarrassed easily, I would be a permanent shade of red today.
“That is the sweetest thing I have ever seen! Mattie, you are such a lucky girl!” Ms. Greer said, wiping happy tears from her eyes when they were finished with their presentation.
“Thank you. Happy Valentine’s Day!” Dorian said as they exited.
The rest of the class period was pointless, as Ms. Greer joined in conversation with all the other girls in class, asking me if Avan was always this charming or if this was a first. I had no idea how to answer or comment as they all started talking about how good he looked and how dating him must make me feel like a princess in a fairytale. Stealing a look at Bradley, I noticed he was laughing so hard he was shaking. I wanted to punch him in the arm, but I controlled myself. The rest of the guys in class were busy defending themselves as some of the other girls in class were accusing them of being unromantic turds because all they bothered to get their girlfriends was a teddy bear. I was just counting down the minutes to the bell.
After leaving Ms. Greer’s class and walking to second period, the red on my cheeks did not get much better. Every girl from first period hit the hallway in a frenzy, telling everyone about the singing telegram Avan had sent me, which spread like wildfire! All eyes were on me before too long as Bradley escorted me to my next class. I threatened him the entire way for not warning me about that little surprise while he laughed with amusement.
Bradley was the guy who loved every second of his high school experience. He was never stressed about tests or assignments that were late. He could care less who he got as a lab partner, if he got detention, suspension, or anything else. He was the class clown in every class he had and lived up to the reputation.
Another thing Bradley could care less about was how girls drooled over him. He just walked down the hall as if he never even noticed that girls were commenting on his sea-green eyes and light blond hair, which he kept short and parted on the right side. Unlike Avan, Bradley preferred athletic wind pants and tennis shoes with his white t-shirt for comfort measures, throwing a pair of jeans on at Spirits before his shifts.
Though Bradley was not involved in any of the sports teams at school—due to the way he dressed and how he drove a Jeep with a soft top that removed easily for a day at the beach—nearly everyone in school assumed he was really into sports in his free time. I knew better but left everyone to his or her speculations that were way off.
When we got to my second-period class Bradley gave me a smile and waved with a couple of fingers as he walked on down the hallway, his hands grasping the straps of his bag that were on his shoulders. Walking into second period, I made my way to my seat and took out a notebook and a pen. Another lecture on geometry had started, and I was listening intently while people in class whispered about my singing telegram during first period. I tried to ignore the whispers and pretend that they were talking about someone else. We had just gotten our assignment when I heard the door open. I did not intend to look up since students would probably be receiving flowers and balloons from their parents all day. I wanted to get all my work done in class today so that I could at least have the evening free of homework on my birthday.
“Mattie Holland?” my geometry teacher called out.
“Yes sir?” I said, directing my attention to his desk. Then my eyes nearly popped out of my skull.
“I believe these belong to you!” he said with a smile from ear to ear.
Standing in the front of the room was Dorian in his tuxedo. He held a vase with a bouquet of more than three dozen roses with little white accents of baby’s breath through them. As they had before, my cheeks started feeling warm. Before I could open my mouth, Dorian walked to my desk, presenting me with a card. Everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing, and every eye was locked onto me in anticipation. As Dorian peeked around the roses, he flashed a smile that exposed his perfectly shaped, white teeth.
“You should open it,” Dorian said, enjoying every minute of his escapade at my school.
“I’m going to kill you!” I mouthed with a smile.
Not to my surprise, he just smiled more as he placed the card in my hand. I slowly opened the card, scared of what I might find as I slid it out of the pink envelope. The card was silver with two red hearts on the front. Inside there was a message inscribed in what I could tell was Avan’s handwriting.
Mattie,
I know how easily embarrassed you get, but you’ll just have to bear with me today. The first thing I want to say is happy birthday! I know I told you this morning, but I want you to know how happy I am that you were born! You are amazing! I thank God every day for allowing me to be a part of your life! The second thing I want to tell you is that I’m making you a promise that I will never leave you. I will be here with you forever, and trust me, that’s a long time…I know! But with that promise it also means that I will protect you from anything that ever threatens to harm you. I want you to know that when I make a promise it is impossible for me to break. I am so in love with you that words cannot be used to describe my feelings. I can tell you feel the same every time you are near. I also wanted to let you know I intend to make this the most memorable and best Valentine’s birthday you have ever had.
I love you with all my heart and soul,
Avan
Everyone in class was staring as though they thought I might read the card aloud. I smiled while the tears rolled down my cheeks; I felt so overwhelmed with emotion. Dorian looked at me with a smile and a wink as I smiled back. I knew he could tell the tears were because I felt so loved. No one had ever gone to this much effort for me before. I was having a hard time believing anyone could care for me this much! I was so touched and moved by how much Avan obviously cared. I moved back into my seat, still feeling everyone’s eyes on me.
“It’s a good thing, guys. They’re happy tears. Get back to your assignment,” I snapped, hating all the unwanted attention.
“Miss Holland, would you like me to have these delivered to your home for you?” Dorian asked professionally.
“Yes, I would. Thank you very much,” I said, acting just as proper as he had.
Giving me a nod and a wink, Dorian exited the classroom as everyone else still stared at me from every direction, making me more and more uncomfortable by the second. I put my card under my book and finished my assignment with ten minutes still left in class. Pulling the card back out, I read it over and over again, falling more in love with Avan each time I read the words he had written inside.
I really felt as if I found Mr. Perfect, even though I had just turned seventeen. I was always told when you find “the one” you just know. As of today, I was beginning to think I understood the feeling that phrase described. I could not wait to see Avan during my next class period to thank him for everything.
Once the bell rang, I exited the classroom to find Bradley waiting to walk me to third period, as usual. Sometimes with all the escorts and doors being opened all the time it made me feel like the president or something. I pretty much had my own private security detail with me most of the time, unless I went home or snuck to the mall while Avan was busy with work, but that was not a very common occurrence. Making our way to my third-period class, Bradley still had that look on his face that told me he had a secret that he had no intention of sharing.
I finally decided after reading Avan’s card that I was going to stop trying to figure this day out. I was just going to enjoy every minute of today without analyzing it. As we walked Bradley seemed less talkative than he was earlier this morning, I figured his caffeine buzz from all the espresso he drank was finally wearing off, causing him to act a little less like a third grader with severe ADHD.
Stopping outside of class we usually met Avan in the hallway, but I did not see him anywhere. I made my way into class to avoid the tardy bell, when I looked up to find Avan already sitting in his seat, which was right behind mine. On my desk was a red, shiny box with a gold ribbon tied into a beautiful bow around it. Seeing Avan brought a huge smile to my face as I moved through the desks to get to him as quickly as I could. It seemed like there were more desks than usual in my way today, even though I knew it was just my mind playing tricks on me because I wanted to be near him so badly.
As I made my way to Avan’s desk, he stood up to receive my hug as I wrapped my arms around him, never wanting to let go.
“Happy birthday!” Avan said low into my ear.
“Thank you so much!”
“Have you had a good day so far?”
“The best, thanks to you. Avan, you didn’t have to send me all of that. Being with you today was all I needed. Thank you for making it so special.”
“I know I didn’t have to, but I plan on making every birthday amazing for my special angel, and the day isn’t even close to being over yet, so I want you to enjoy it,” Avan said, bending down to kiss me as the bell rang.
“Ugh. Here we go again! Get ready for your girlfriends to hate you!” said a guy from my first-period class who had gotten raked over the coals by his girlfriend when she caught wind of my singing telegram.
“Go ahead and open it,” Avan told me as we slid into our seats.
I pulled the sides of the ribbon, untying the bow on top. As I took the top of the small red box, I unfolded the red tissue paper inside that was wrapped around something inside. The first thing I found was two small silver keys attached to a little piece of paper that read keep digging. I dug further into the paper to pull out a small book with a lock on it. The book was purple and had the words The Intriguing Life Story of Matalyn Holland across the front in black lettering. I slid the key into the lock to find a piece of paper in the cover.
Knowing it was from Avan, I could not wait to see what it said! As I unfolded it, I could feel through the paper that every word it contained was written with immeasurable love and thoughtfulness.
Mattie,
There has never been anyone as amazing as you that ever set foot on this earth. You truly have no idea how important you are. Someone as unique as you should definitely be celebrated on such a wonderful day as a birthday on the day of love! This book is a journal for you to record your thoughts and feelings of your journey as you find out who you are in life. I hope I get to be one of the main characters in your book. Always remember that I am your biggest fan! There is nothing in heaven, earth, or hell that can ever take me from you. Never let anyone make you feel anything less than extraordinary. Every angel should keep a journal of their exceptional lives, but you, Mattie, will always be the most special angel of all. I love you with all of my heart and soul.
Avan
Every message and gift I got seemed to touch me more than the last. Knowing Avan had the ability to tell what I was thinking, I purposely thought about how much I loved him with everything I had. I never wanted to consider the possibility of living a day without him. I knew I was the luckiest girl in the world because I was loved by him. In response to my thoughts, he reached up from the side of his desk, taking my hand that was hanging on the side of my chair. Just touching him, I could feel how much he loved me too.
At moments like this I always wished I wasn’t the youngest person in twelfth grade. I felt older than I was in my whirlwind romance with Avan. I found it completely unfair that in three months everyone else was going to be free to do whatever he or she wanted with his or her lives while I was stuck for another year not being able to do much of anything but turn seventeen. I had tested out of eighth grade, which allowed me to start high school a year early.
At the time I wanted to test out of ninth grade as well, but I met Lena and enjoyed being able to get my assignments done quickly and easily, leaving me more than enough time to do what I wanted to do when I got home in the evenings. It usually resulted in reading a book or playing board games with my mom, but I never had to worry about loads of homework like most of the other kids in school. Even as a senior, I still had a better understanding of the curriculum than most.
Thinking about having only three months left of school, I could hardly resist wishing I could just graduate and find a way to be around Avan every day. Unfortunately, being seventeen in California meant I couldn’t legally move out without Sharon Mumford approving it since she was the person who was technically in charge of making decisions on my behalf. I was tired of living in the Montgomery house now that I had made several new friends and found out that Damien had tried to kidnap me as a baby.
I knew what Sharon would say if I voiced that I wanted to move out, though. She would be concerned that if I moved out on my own she would stop getting a check from Damien every month. Ugh, what was I talking about? Sharon was really Cheryl and Damien was actually Damron and these were the people who came close to ruining my life before it really got started! The whole situation was twisted beyond all belief, considering the fact that I had now ended up in the care of these people after the death of my parents. I had to get out of this situation when I graduated! It was no longer a matter of if I could get away from them legally or not! I was going to find a way. Without me noticing, Avan leaned up over his desk and whispered in my ear, saying not to worry, that we would fix everything.
I loved being able to count on Avan even when things got complicated. It was nice to know he was better than one of those guys who ran off when things got tough. The rest of the school day was awesome. Avan had some kind of gift delivered to me every hour on the hour to each of my classes. Right before lunch I got a note to report to the teacher’s lounge for lunch. I have no clue how he was able to pull it off, but when I entered the door I found a candlelit table for two with a catered lunch of steak, loaded sweet potatoes, salad, hot rolls, and my favorite sweet peach tea that Lorenzo used to make for me.
During fourth period Declan showed up, still wearing his tuxedo, delivering a bouquet of twenty-five balloons that had yet another beautiful card, which moved me to tears. When I got into fifth period, Alex showed up still wearing his tuxedo to deliver a decorative bag of six chocolate puzzle pieces that made an oversized puzzle that once the teacher insisted we put it together, looked like a bear that said “Avan loves Mattie” on its tummy. In sixth period I walked in to find a teddy bear half as big as I was sitting in my desk, holding another card reflecting how important I was.
Avan had not only won my heart through the course of the day, but left every girl and female school staff member pining for someone just like him to come find them in this world full of jerks while every other male on school property undeservingly got placed into the “jerk” category. When I got to my seventh-period class, I realized I had not seen or heard from Lena today. I normally saw her at lunch, but due to my special lunch from Avan, I never went to the cafeteria. We had not been talking nearly as much as we used to before Avan and I became an item, but we still associated. I slid into my seat for the next class, and as in every other class of the day, about five minutes after taking attendance, the classroom door opened. Used to the routine at this point, I looked up to see Trev enter, wearing his tuxedo and carrying a small envelope. After delivering it to me he kissed my cheek, wished me a happy birthday, and made his way out the door.
Before opening the envelope, I already knew there would be some kind of letter from Avan. I knew it was on something other than a card because it felt thinner. I could feel some little, hard things in the bottom of the envelope but could not make out what they were with my fingers. I reached inside to retrieve the little things I could feel in the bottom. Laying six little objects on my desk, there was no way I could hold back tears as I realized what they were.
On my desk lay six little golden charms, each a different unique little angel. I never told anyone the story of my dad and the charm bracelet, but Avan being able to know my thoughts knew the perfect gift? Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I pulled the piece of paper with Avan’s handwriting on it to read what it said.
Mattie,
I want you to know that your dad was right when he told you things show up when you least expect them to. When it comes back to you here are some new charms you can add to your collection. Then when your bracelet is full, you can go to the jewelry store at the mall and give them your name where they are holding a new bracelet for you to continue your collection. Always remember that just because someone isn’t with us physically doesn’t mean they aren’t with us at all. You must remember the love your parents shared for each other as well as for you. Don’t ever forget them, Mattie. I promise to help keep their memories alive for you. You truly are their special angel as well as mine, and I know you will see them again someday.
I love you more than you’ll ever know,
Avan
I thought back to the day at the mall, knowing I never mentioned my dad or the bracelet to Natasha when it hit me. I had not mentioned them verbally, but when I walked into the store she was in with all the beautiful angels, I had felt sad and overwhelmed. I remembered how when I walked in, all my feelings of sadness had faded and were replaced instantly with peace and tranquility. She must have taken that feeling away before she ever spoke to me. Avan had told me she would only come around when I needed her or when I was prepared to receive the information she had to give me.
I looked at Avan’s letter again, reading every line carefully. I noticed how this letter focused on my parents. He mentioned how he knew I would see them again one day. Then I remembered how Natasha had talked about my mom as if she was unaware she had died. I had no idea how to explain why, but I suddenly had a feeling of hope that I had not felt in a long time. I knew physically that my parents were dead. I knew—even though I had not been able to force myself to go see their headstones since the day I saw them buried—that their bodies were in caskets deep in the earth. What I never considered is where their spirits could be. I never considered it because I knew my mom walked into heaven’s gates without question, being the saint she was, reading her Bible and always professing Jesus to others. What I had no security of knowing was if my dad, who never talked much about God, had been able to join her. He always listened to her read her Bible, but he never talked about it like she had. It was not something he seemed openly comfortable with discussing, though.
I always considered that it had to do with his career. If he admitted to believing the Bible and the ways of a Christian lifestyle, my mom and I might have been subjected to being hypocrites and liars. Who knows, it may have had such an impact that he would have lost his practice altogether. I knew that neither circumstance was excusable, but it eased my mind to think he knew the truth and acknowledged it in his heart. I hated thinking that he could be destined for a life of torment in hell, but Avan’s words had given me hope that he and my mother were together.
I had no clue as to when I would get to see them again, but at least I could hold on to the thought, which was more than I had to hold on to in years. In just a few months it would be four years since their death and due to Avan’s letter, I was closer to accepting it now than I had ever been.
Looking at each of the little angel charms on my desk, I felt like there was something familiar about each one of them. There was no logical reason and I could not put my finger on it, but each one had a different but very familiar feeling about it. I never remembered feeling that way when I got a new charm in the past, but these definitely had some kind of energy to them. One of them reminded me of Avan. As I held each angel individually, for some reason each one left an image of a different person. I got images in my mind as I closed my eyes of Bradley, Declan, Trev, Dorian, and Alex as I held them in my hands. I still felt the strongest presence of the one that brought Avan’s image into my mind.
Looking at them lying there, I convinced myself it was just because there was the same number of golden angel charms as there were of them, and since I had been spending most of my time with them, I must have made some mental connection between the charms and the people.
By the time the bell rang, I felt relieved that my tuxedoed friends delivered each of my large gifts to my house. When I got to my locker, Avan was already standing in front of it, greeting me with a smile that had become so familiar I could tell you every detail of it. I still had a hard time stopping myself from the shock of how gorgeous he was. It was difficult for me to believe I was the only girl in school that he had found worthy enough to pay attention to, much less jump into a serious dating relationship. He was so perfect.
I still wondered what his parents must be like. The entire time we had been spending time together he never once mentioned his parents, his house, where they were from originally, or anything in regards to his home life at all. The only life I knew of his outside of school was his relationship with me, his friendships, and his job at Spirits. He had never even mentioned the date of his birthday. When I thought about not knowing his birthday, it made me feel incredibly guilty, considering how special he had made mine.
“Don’t dwell on things you will know the answers to in time,” Avan said, still smiling as I opened my locker.
“You know, eavesdropping just because you have the freaky talent to know what I’m thinking somehow isn’t very nice.”
“Actually, I find it quite beneficial. Besides, it helps me make things in life the way you deserve them to be.”
“But if I don’t know how to make life special for you, then it’s all one sided and that means I never give. I just take all the time.”
“That isn’t how it is at all. A real man makes sure the one he truly loves never has to question it. That’s all I’m doing. It’s called chivalry, and it’s been forgotten by most people these days. It’s sad to me that girls are told from the time they’re born that everything is a two-way street. They are taught how to keep a man instead of how they are supposed to be treated by one. Women were not just created to be silent servants for men who could serve physical purposes and have children without having opinions or decision-making skills. Women were made as a gift for men to cherish and love more than anything. She was made as his helpmate not as his slave,” Avan said with passion.
“I’m just glad I found a good one,” I noted as I shut my locker.
“I’m just glad I was created for you.” Avan smiled.
We made our way down the staircase and headed out of the main doors of the school building, heading for Avan’s sleek, white Mustang. After shutting the car door for me, he was in the car in record time today. He seemed really excited as he put the car in gear and headed out into the street from the parking lot. I was afraid to ask why, knowing he would just tell me it would no longer be a surprise if he told me anyway. I noticed we were headed in the opposite direction of Spirits, where I normally spent my afternoons with him while he and the rest of the crew worked and goofed off just as much.
As Avan pulled on to the highway I got a good idea of where we were going by the signs we were following. He took the exit for the beach a few minutes later, which made me wonder what we were possibly going to do at the beach in February. I kept myself from asking any questions and decided to go with it. I sat quietly, taking in the scenery as we got nearer. I could tell we were getting close, but before I could start guessing why we were headed to the beach, Avan turned right on to a road that had a sign for a small, local airport pointing in the same direction. I was really confused now! Why were we going to an airport?
Avan pulled in a parking space and came around to the passenger side to let me out. Giving him a confused look, he just smiled back, taking my hand and leading me into the small building in front of the airport. Inside, I could tell by the decorations alone it was run by a staff made up of all men who desperately needed a woman’s touch.
Walking up to the front desk that was old and scratched up, he signed a few papers, and the man who took them informed us he would be with us momentarily. We took a seat in the unmatched chairs by the window that was covered in old, faded, lace curtains that hardly served a purpose at all and waited patiently. I was still completely lost as to why we were here as Avan sat confidently, looking like he just discovered his rich uncle died, leaving him as the heir to his fortune. A few minutes later another man came out, telling us to follow him.
Leading us out the metal door at the back of the small building, we followed the man across an old, stained sidewalk through an open gate and behind a fuel pump where he directed us to wait. I had a funny feeling that Avan had to have paid a lot of money for whatever was coming next. He kept quiet, not saying a word and smiling at me with an unmistakable mischievous look on his face. I was more than cool being in the air, but I hoped with every part of me this was not going to end up as some tandem skydiving thing. Being in a plane was fine by me, but jumping out of one was a whole other story.
A few minutes later, the man who had led us out to the area where we waited taxied around the side of the hanger in a small, white Cessna 172 four with four seats where he stopped right in front of us as the propeller was still spinning rapidly. The pilot jumped out of the plane and opened the door to the small aircraft. Then he and Avan helped me climb into the backseat. Avan followed, taking the other seat beside me. The pilot offered us both a set of aviation headphones to cut down on the noise of the engine.
Once we were all buckled in, the pilot put the plane in gear and we were heading down the runway, slowly ascending into the air at an incline. As we ascended higher, I felt my ears pop right before we leveled off. Even with the aviation headphones on, I could still hear the loud hum of the engine. The cabin of the plane was very small, but it hardly mattered when you looked out the window, seeing the incredible view below. The only thing about the cabin that really bothered me was the front seats, which were the cockpit. Just looking at all the different gauges and controls made me nervous. I was really glad the pilot had his aviation degree and knew what he was doing.
Looking down over the areas we passed, I really had no idea how to tell where we were by landmarks. I loved looking at it all, though. I liked watching the cars traveling. They looked like Hot Wheels from this high up. Even large buildings and houses looked like toys. We flew through a cloud that turned into nothing more than a mist as we passed through it, and when we came out, we were flying over the ocean as the sun danced off of the waves. I knew the water was too cold for swimming and out this far it would have been way too deep, but it all looked so beautiful I just wished I could hang my hand out the window and have the pilot fly low enough to run it over the top of the waves. The water was a dark blue color that sparkled with the sun, kissing each and every wave.
We flew over the water for several minutes before I felt the tilt of the plane letting me know we were circling back around. Avan had been staring out his window just as I had been for most of the flight, taking in how beautiful everything looked from an aerial view. I reached over and took his hand in mine as he looked into my eyes and mouthed the words “I love you.” Every time he said those three words my heart skipped a beat. I knew he could feel my response just through the way our hands were touching. All of a sudden, Avan told me to look down through the window. As I peered through the window, I saw we were flying over the beach area, which was all but deserted in the winter months. As I kept looking down, I saw exactly what Avan had wanted me too.
In the sand, made of more black rocks than I could count, Avan’s message stretched along the length of the beach. It was so romantic and surprising. Looking down at the message spelled out with all the black rocks it read Be Mine Forever? I looked back at Avan with tears in my eyes, nodding as he grabbed me into a hug. We stayed that way until we made it back to the airport.
“Okay, there’s one more place we have to go,” Avan said, looking accomplished.
“Where is that?”
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it?”
“I think you have given more than enough surprises today.”
“Nope! I think there is still time for a few more.”
“You’re the driver!”
“Yes I am. Next stop…I’ll never tell!” he said.
Fifteen minutes later, we pulled into a parking spot in front of Spirits. Avan came around, letting me out of the car and taking my hand and escorting me to the front door. When we walked inside, the whole place seemed empty until all the lights came on. All of Avan’s friends and coworkers, who had become mine as well over the past month or so, yelled “Surprise!” at the top of their lungs as they jumped out of every unseen hiding spot in the place. I was in disbelief that anyone would think to have a party for me. For as long as I could remember, I had never had an actual party. I had to fight back the tears as I thought of all the wonderful things that Avan had done for me over the course of the day, making this my best birthday ever!
Walking past the entryway, everyone there greeted me with happy birthday wishes. Avan had made his way to the stage and announced the food was on its way. It was being catered in from a private chef, which would be followed by cake and ice cream. As he put the microphone back on the stand, he turned on some music to fill the air in the room as we all talked. I had never had this many people tell me happy birthday or even acknowledge that it was my birthday. I was so distracted I failed to notice that Avan had slipped out of the room. Glancing around while smiling and greeting everyone, I saw that Dorian, Trev, Alex, and Declan were still wearing their tuxedoes, as though it were just an everyday thing.
As I took a seat in the chair designated for the birthday girl with a paper sign taped to the back, I thought to myself that for the first time in my life I felt like I had real friends. Friends that were not just hanging around me because I wore the same types of clothes they did or because they knew who my dad had been, but friends who would go out of their way to do something nice for me because they truly cared. Money was not able to buy real friendship, and I knew it.
I knew that mine and Lena’s friendship was a material friendship. It always revolved around her, and I was just there. The friends I had made since I got involved with Avan really cared about my feelings and making me feel like I was important enough to matter. I was so thankful and blessed to have these people in my life! Then the thought crept in that if I had been around people like this instead of Lena since my parents had died, I might have dealt with everything better than I had over the past few years. I knew it was very nice of her dad to let me stay with them, but if I had done things differently earlier in the game, maybe things could be different. I still did not have the slightest idea of how I was going to get out of there, but I refused to think about it anymore at my surprise party.
About fifteen minutes later, Avan came through the back door, recruiting four other people to come help bring the food in and set it up along the bar, buffet style. At one end there were already disposable plates, silverware, and napkins out and ready to go, while the other end was full of cups with ice waiting to be filled with everyone’s choice of soft drink, tea, or water. One by one they came back through, carrying covered silver catering dishes that made my mouth water when I caught the scent of them. Altogether there were five different dishes, and I could tell by the spices that they were all Italian.
Before Avan came in and closed the back door, I looked up to see Lorenzo holding a homemade strawberry cake with strawberry icing, as well as a package of trick candles peeking out of his shirt pocket. He barely had his hands off of the cake, which he put on the bar, when I flew right into his arms. I was so happy to see him that I started crying almost uncontrollably as I held onto him so tightly that his shirt gathered into my palms. I could hear him start to sniffle with his face by my ear as he hugged me just as hard. I could feel every eye in the room tear up as all attention was on us.
I knew we needed to get the party going, but there was no forcing myself to break away from Lorenzo, as I felt like my second father had finally returned to me. He did not seem to want to let go either, whispering in my ear as he cried that he was so sorry he had to leave me without saying good-bye, but that he had no choice and someday soon I would understand. I was clueless to why he had left me by myself in the Montgomery house, and I was still hurt and angry, but not enough to replace how much I missed him. Before we let go of each other he whispered in my ear again that he loved me and nothing would ever change that I was his daughter. I could hear others in the room sniffing and see them blotting and blinking the tears from their eyes as we let go of each other, with Lorenzo kissing me on the cheek and wiping my tears away with one hand as he wiped his own away with the other.
Without another second passing, Lorenzo asked what we were all waiting for as he told everyone to grab a plate before the food got cold. We all grabbed our plates and started filling them up. They were so full that we had to use another plate underneath it for support. The second the food hit my tongue I realized just how much I missed Lorenzo’s cooking! I ate out most of the time since he left, just stopping through drive-thru windows at fast food joints, so this was like having a celebration in my mouth. I ate slowly, savoring every bite, wishing I could get to enjoy this every day again. It was sad that I had taken his cooking for granted so much over the past few years. I wish there was something I could do to convince him to come back, but without knowing why he left, I knew it was hopeless.
When everyone was done eating Avan told everyone it was time to sing “Happy Birthday” and cut the cake. Lorenzo brought the cake over to the table where I was sitting and placed it right in front of me before putting seventeen candles on it that I already knew couldn’t be blown out.
After he lit each candle, everyone inside Spirits joined in singing “Happy Birthday” as they all harmonized, sounding as if someone had hired a choir to come sing the song. As it ended, I blew the candles repeatedly as they kept relighting over and over again while everyone erupted into laughter around me, making me smile as I became light headed from all the blowing. Lorenzo came to the table with a small glass of water and a hearty laugh as he began to help me remove the candles, extinguishing them in the water.
Once everyone took their seat with a bowl of cake and ice cream, the house lights went off and I found myself illuminated by a spotlight. Feeling a little awkward and not being able to see very well due to how bright the light was shining, I heard Avan’s unmistakable voice reverberating through the microphone, asking me to make my way to the stage. Knowing that I now had the attention of everyone for the millionth time today I rose from my chair. It made a funny noise when the legs scraped against the hardwood floor as it scooted back. I slowly walked to the stage to join Avan, not knowing what to expect next. He had already done everything I could think of and more today, so it was unimaginable what else he could possibly have planned.
Stepping on to the stage, I felt a little nervous as my feet moved across the black surface toward the center where Avan stood, smiling. Whatever he was about to do, I knew it would be big. The day was nearly over, and something told me he was going to make it go out with a bang.
“Mattie, I know technically we’ve only been involved for a short time, but I want you to know that you have always been the most important thing in my life. I made you a promise earlier today, and I want to turn the tables and ask for a promise from you now. I know Lorenzo has been your dad for a few years now, so I got his permission before doing this,” Avan said, looking me straight in the eyes as my heart started fluttering.
As I stood listening to the words Avan was saying, I had completely forgotten that we were standing in front of a room full of people.
“Mattie, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I want to be with you from now and for all eternity, and I’ve already promised that I will never leave you. If you accept this gift I have for you, it will symbolize that you accept my promise and that you promise to be with me for all eternity as well. It’s a true promise ring, but you have to know that this promise is one that once made, it cannot be broken,” he said, opening a little black velvet box that had two golden rings inside.
I looked at the rings and then back at Avan. Was he proposing? It sounded similar to a proposal, but he called it a promise ring and not an engagement ring, so it couldn’t have been right? I was shocked! I loved Avan more than anything, but I wasn’t even legal age yet. I had to answer him when he finished what he was saying, and I knew it. Thinking things through from every angle considering my living situation, age, my past, and my unplanned future, I knew the answer I had to give.
“Avan, with everything considered in my life, I want you to know that I love you with every fiber of my being,” I replied, choosing my words carefully so I did not give anyone the idea that I was just making a rash decision. “I promise you that I will never leave you and wish to be with you from now and for all eternity,” I ended with a smile, which was returned by Avan.
Just as I said it, the golden rings inside the little box began glowing brighter than the lights that shown upon Avan and me. They seemed to float into the air on their own, sliding onto both mine and Avan’s ring fingers on our left hands. As it slid on my finger it tingled, leaving a cold trail down my finger as it glowed with a bright white light. Before the glow stopped, I watched in awe as the two words Angel’s Promise etched themselves into the tops of our rings, appearing as though it was hot with fire. So immersed in what was happening right in front of my eyes, I had not even wondered why more people did not rush toward us, gasping and finding the whole experience impossible!
Once the glow had faded, the beautiful, shiny, ring rested on my finger as naturally as if I put it there myself. Looking over at Avan’s hand, I saw that his looked exactly like mine as he walked to me, embracing me in a hug, stroking the back of my hair with his hand. I breathed in deep, memorizing his scent as I did every time he came near me; I closed my eyes and wished I never had to leave his arms. Being right here made me feel safe and secure, like nothing in the world could get near me. I knew a feeling of love like the one I felt for Avan was the kind that could endure the worst of storms, the deepest of valleys, and whatever my unknown future might hold. As Avan gave me a squeeze, it reminded me that we were still on the stage at Spirits in front of all the people at my party. I separated from his hug as Bob told everyone there were a few other gifts to open.
I sat back down at the table where I had been as Bob came over with a large yellow envelope, putting it into my hands. Taking the envelope from him, I was thrilled that he would think to give me a gift after he had already shut down Spirits for regular business tonight, letting Avan hold my party here.
He was an entrepreneur who also owned real estate all over Oceanview, so he let the employees run Spirits and he would drop by certain days just to make sure all was going well. As an employer he seemed to have the upmost faith in everyone he had employed at Spirits. He never recounted the register to check if money was missing or recounted the inventory to see if anyone was using it for themselves. Instead he just trusted them.
I had no idea what to expect inside the envelope Bob handed me, but I could hear something jingling inside. The first thing I pulled out was a piece of paper that looked very official. Taking a closer look, I could not believe what I was holding in my hand! The paper had black lettering on a paper that was sort of yellowish with a green patterned trim. Across the top of the paper were the words Property Title stating that the property at 777 Golden Way Ste., 828 Oceanview, California, had been transferred to me! I studied the title, not knowing what to think; I noticed the empty line above my name on the bottom of the page that needed my signature to make the transfer complete. Raising my eyes from the paper, I saw that Bob was still smiling as he held out a heavy-barreled fountain pen in my direction.
“Bob, thank you so much. What is this place?”
“It’s the apartment your dad rented from me at Angel Towers to keep for you when you needed it someday. I believe he told you it was his office,” Bob said, still holding the pen.
My dad had always been so protective of me that I had never actually been to his office in Oceanview. He had always told me that with the clientele he represented, he was afraid someone who was against him for any reason might see me coming or going from his office and retaliate at him by harming me. Knowing that he was making plans for my future for all those years was really touching.
“You want me to have it?” It was beyond comprehension how he could just give me an apartment.
“Yes, Mattie. I know you need it. It is my job to help those in need whenever I am able to do so.”
“I don’t turn eighteen for another year, though. I don’t know how I’ll be able to move in or turn on any of the bills in my name.”
“The bills are taken care of, Mattie, and the judge here in town is a friend of mine. I think it’s safe to say that if you really want to accept my gift, there will be no problems getting emancipation due to the situation,” Bob added reassuringly.
“I don’t know how to thank you!”
“You can start by signing your name on the line and accepting my gift,” Bob said with a laugh.
I took the pen and signed my name on the line as an older man, who was one of his associates, signed as the notary after I added my signature. When he was done everyone clapped and whistled, shouting “happy birthday” again. I pulled the set of keys from the envelope, studying them in my hand. It was hard to think I just got handed my own apartment. Looking at the keys, I saw that on both sides of each one was a pair of wings engraved on the top part of the key. It struck me as a nice touch, seeing as how the apartment building was named Angel Towers.
With everything that had happened today I felt as though my life was about to evolve into something great. I intended to make a lot of changes that, to some, would seem very fast and not well thought through. For the first time in my life I knew that the pieces were all falling into place, allowing me the opportunity to turn into the person I was meant to be. A small part of me was going to miss some of the amenities I was used to, but given every detail that I recently discovered, I was convinced this was a much-needed blessing, even if it had been arranged by Avan.