White Wings Read online

  She looked at the picture on the ground and remembered her friends. She also remembered how Benjamin had been ignoring her until tonight. She threw his hand off her.

  “Like you care,” Millie said, trying to stand up. She lost her balance again and was about to fall on the glass, but Benjamin caught her. Millie shrugged him off and sat on the bed.

  “Just let me fall. You don’t even care about me,” she said angrily.

  “Of course I care about you,” he said, sitting next to her.

  “Then why did you all of a sudden ignore me? I told you some personal stuff that I hadn’t told anyone. Do you know how that made me feel?”

  “I’m sorry, Millie,” Benjamin said. Millie closed her eyes again and listened to the sound of his beautiful voice saying her name.

  “I couldn’t talk to you. I wanted to, but I just couldn’t.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Millie said, looking at Benjamin.

  At that, his face twisted. “I can’t explain,” he said, looking away.

  “Try to explain it to me,” Millie pressed, grabbing his hand. Benjamin looked down and clenched her hand tightly in return.

  “You don’t know how good your touch is,” he said.

  Millie felt something churn in her stomach. “I think I’m gonna be sick,” she said, climbing across the bed and into the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom, where she lifted up the toilet seat and vomited.

  Benjamin went over and held her hair up. “I’m sorry that my touch repulses you,” he said with a smile.

  “Go away,” Millie said after she was done.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Benjamin said, grabbing onto her shoulder. Millie’s heart jumped. Those words rang through her ear. Even though she hated how he had ignored her for no reason, she felt like he wasn’t going anywhere this time.

  Benjamin stayed there for several minutes and then asked where the vacuum cleaner was. He let her hair gently down on her back. He stroked her back and told her that he would be back soon. Benjamin went out to the hallway and opened up a cupboard. He grabbed the vacuum cleaner and walked back to Millie’s bedroom. He plugged it into the wall and started to vacuum up the shattered glass on the carpet. He looked at the photo of Millie and her friends and started to feel sad.

  When the glass was all gone, he turned off the vacuum and unplugged it. Benjamin returned the vacuum to the place he found it, bumping into some drunken guy who shouted something rude at him. He ignored him and returned to Millie, closing the bedroom door behind him.

  The bathroom door was now closed. Benjamin knocked, but there was no answer. He opened up the door slowly and realised the shower was on. He went into the bathroom anyway, silently closing the door. There were no clothes to be seen on the bathroom floor.

  “You okay?” Benjamin asked in a concerned voice.

  There was no answer. In a state of panic, Benjamin opened up the shower door. Millie was sitting down against the wall, still fully clothed. Her hair and clothes were drenched, her makeup running down her face. Millie looked at him. They were staring at each other, not blinking. Benjamin bent down and took her high heels off and placed them next to the shower. He crawled into the shower next to Millie. Without talking, they stared at each other for a while. Memorising each other. Studying each other.

  Benjamin moved closer to Millie and took her hand. He gently pulled her towards him. Millie looked at his lips, desperately wanting to kiss him, but then she remembered that her breath smelt like vomit. She pulled back, instead laying her head on his shoulder. He placed his arm tightly around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He pulled her legs across so they were draped across his waist. Her face was gently resting on his chest now, and he stroked her legs ever so gently. Warm volts were going through Millie. She loved that feeling--the feeling when Benjamin touched her. Benjamin looked down and ever so softly pressed his sensuous lips against her forehead.

  * * * * *

  Millie woke up with a throbbing headache the next day. Her temples ached as she rubbed them, and her stomach was sore. She hopped up suddenly as she realised she was wearing a short purple nightie.

  What happened last night? she asked herself.

  She remembered most of what had happened. She remembered the bonfire in the backyard, dancing, David . . . she threw herself back on the bed and clenched her forehead, her cheeks flushing red.

  “I can’t believe I nearly kissed David,” she said, rolling around in bed. “Ahhh!”

  She sat up again, calming down. Her memory was coming back. How she nearly fell over and Benjamin came to her rescue. How he carefully walked her to her bedroom. How they sat down in the shower. How his soft lips delicately kissed her forehead. Then . . . blank.

  What happened? she asked herself, hopping out of bed once more.

  In amazement, she walked out of her bedroom door and found the hallway clean, with no empty bottles to be found. She made her way downstairs. Her eyes widened in disbelief. The kitchen was spotless. There were no spilled chips or chocolate to be found on the ground, and all the bowls had been put away. The living room was immaculate; all the chairs had been put back in their rightful place. There was simply no mess to be found. She walked outside to find that the bonfire had been cleaned up as well. The spa looked like it had been refilled with water. The whole house was spick-and-span—spotless. It almost looked perfect.

  For the rest of the day, she thought about Benjamin. His soft lips kissing her forehead. How his touch felt. How he pulled her close to him. How he had stopped ignoring her. However, one thing bothered her: when he said, “I couldn’t talk to you. I wanted to, but I just couldn’t.” What did that mean?

  Millie looked at her finger and saw that her cut was healed. There had been a gash when she cut her finger, but it had vanished. She remembered the stinging sensation when blood was pouring out of it. Then, when Benjamin put his hand over it, the pain had gone. Millie’s eyes widened with astonishment. Had Benjamin somehow healed me?

  Five

  The Kiss

  Millie woke up Monday morning and noticed that sunlight was streaming through her blinds. She looked at the clock and realised her alarm did not go off and school was starting in five minutes. She jumped from her bed as fast as she could. The shower was off minutes after it was turned on. Millie pulled her hair in a ponytail and put on a white singlet top and a pair of short, Daisy Duke light blue shorts. She placed her feet into some black slip-on shoes, grabbed her bag, and started jogging to school.

  As she finally got to school, her hand wiped the sweat off her brow. She sprayed deodourant under her arms and kept on jogging. The school hallway was empty. All of the students were in class. She ran to her locker, unlocked the lock, and shoved her books into her bag.

  She closed and locked her locker and turned, and she dropped her bag in shock. Benjamin was standing behind a small brick wall separating the lockers from a classroom. He had been standing there that whole time. Their eyes looked at each other. He was wearing a short-sleeve grey shirt with dark blue jeans. They had rips around his knees. His muscles flexed.

  “Y-you scared me,” Millie stuttered, breaking the silence.

  “I’m sorry,” Benjamin said, walking over to her.

  “What happened on Saturday night?” Millie asked, looking into his brilliant eyes.

  “You don’t remember?”

  “I remember most things, but my mind is blank as to what happened after the shower,” Millie said, openly staring at his luscious lips. How soft they looked.

  “You passed out in the shower,” he said with a smirk. “I woke you up and handed you a towel.” He stroked her cheek.

  Millie’s cheeks went pink. His touch was so soft. Warmth filled Millie’s whole body. She tried to concentrate on what Benjamin was saying.

  “I gave you a purple nightie from your dresser and you got changed. Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything.” He began stroking Millie’s arm. “Then you just hopped in
to bed.”

  Millie felt like she could faint at any minute. Benjamin’s touch felt like a soft feather rubbing up and down her arm but with heat. The temperature of his hands was perfect: not too hot, not too cold.

  “I took the bloody tissue off your finger before you went to bed,” he said with anxious eyes. He reached for her hand and entwined his with hers “Don’t worry, at about 1:00 a.m. I ordered everyone out of the house and helped out by cleaning up a little.”

  “A little?” Millie said, looking at their hands. “My house has never looked cleaner.”

  Benjamin brought her hand to his soft lips. As he kissed her hand, Millie found that she wanted to be closer to Benjamin. She wanted to embrace him, press her lips against his.

  “How did the cut on my finger disappear, Benjamin?” Millie asked, stepping closer to him.

  He took a deep breath as Millie said his name. “I have so much to tell you,” he said, letting her hand drop. “You should get to class.” He backed away.

  “I want to be here with you,” she said, stepping towards him and holding both of his hands.

  “Even after I hurt you?” Benjamin said with miserable eyes.

  “Well, you ignoring me did hurt me, but now I know there’s a reason behind that. You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” Millie said, squeezing his hands tighter.

  “I am hiding something from you—a secret.”

  “Can you tell me, please?” she pressed.

  “I wish I could, but it could put you in danger.” He brought his body closer to hers.

  “I don’t care,” Millie said, pleading.

  “No, I can’t,” he returned in a louder voice, tearing his hands away from hers. “I shouldn’t even be doing this,” he said with guilty eyes.

  “Then just go, Benjamin. Leave me alone. Ignore me for all I care,” Millie said with watery eyes.

  She turned around and was about to pick up her bag when Benjamin took her hand and pushed her against the lockers. His fingers were entwined with Millie’s. His other hand cupped her cheek. Their noses were nearly touching.

  “I never wanted to hurt you,” he said, kissing a tear that was rolling down her cheek. “I don’t want to ever hurt you again.”

  His other hand cradled Millie face now. Millie looked at Benjamin, breathless. His hands on her cheeks were so warm. Millie wanted to kiss him, to touch his body, to put her hands through his perfect dark brown hair. His face was breathtaking. His cheekbones were striking. His eyes were stunning. His milky skin was charming. His lips were luminous.

  His head tilted slightly to one side as his face came closer. His nose rubbed against hers. Then his lips gracefully touched Millie’s. His lips were soft. It was unbelievable. They were delicious. It reminded Millie of the sun. When she sunbathed, the sun felt so good on her body; it would send a tingly feeling through her, the warmth so soothing. The kiss was mind-blowing. Millie never wanted it to end.

  Benjamin pulled back. He licked his lips. They were both breathing loudly. Millie realised her hands weren’t beside her. They were on his hips. She squeezed him; they both wanted more. They both wanted to entwine their bodies with each other.

  Millie kissed him forcefully. Benjamin kissed her back, pressing his body against hers. Her ponytail was digging in the back of her head, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was Benjamin kissing her. Touching her. He pushed his body harder against hers. The locker was now digging into Millie’s back. It hurt, but Millie didn’t care. Her hands went through his shiny perfect hair. It felt so soft.

  He grabbed her hips and lifted her up against the locker so they were now eye level. Benjamin traced her neck with kisses as she looked down at the ground below. Her 5-foot, 6-inch stature was no match to his 6-foot, 2-inch body. As he kissed her cheeks, she noticed that the muscles in his arms weren’t even flexed. I couldn’t be that light, Millie thought. With one last passionate kiss, Benjamin placed Millie back on the ground. Their eyes were staring at each other in amazement. As he planted a last kiss on her forehead, the bell rang for the next class.

  As students left their classrooms, Benjamin grabbed Millie’s hand. They started walking to the front of the school. They left the school grounds without another word, stopping behind a huge tree.

  “You trust me?” Benjamin said outright.

  Millie couldn’t talk. She was speechless over what had just happened. She nodded.

  “Hold on,” he said, taking her by the waist.

  He placed her arms over his shoulder as he picked her up. “Hold on tightly.”

  She had no idea what was happening, but her mind, body, and soul trusted him.

  Something appeared behind him. They were large, white, and glowing. Before Millie could inspect closer, his legs bent at the knee, and with a whoosh of air, they left the ground. Millie closed her eyes. The wind was powerful against her face. She buried her face into his chest. She was cold, but he made her body warmer.

  Finally, the wind stopped blowing so hard against her face. “You can open your eyes now,” he said, brushing her cheek with his fingertips, holding her firmly with his other hand. She opened her eyes with difficulty, but when she did, Benjamin’s face was looking down at her. He realised this and picked her up so that their eyes were looking straight into each other.

  Millie jumped at the sight of the large, white, glowing objects behind him. “A-a-am I dreaming?” she stuttered.

  “No, you’re not, Millie,” Benjamin said with a calm face.

  “Are those wings?” she said, looking at them with astonishment.

  “Yes, they are.” There was relief in his eyes.

  “What are you?” Millie asked.

  “I am an Angel of the Lord,” Benjamin said.

  Millie’s face went white. “You’re an Angel?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Well, we are flying right now,” Benjamin said with a smirk.

  Millie had forgotten about the wind in her face when she saw his wings. She looked down at her feet. Phoenix was a speck in the distance. The sun felt hotter on her face. There was no breeze. Millie screamed and jumped farther into Benjamin’s arms.

  “You’re shaking,” he said, holding her tight.

  “Heights are a big no-no for me,” Millie said, her face buried in his chest.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall,” Benjamin said, prying Millie’s head off him.

  They looked into each other’s eyes. Millie turned her eyes away from his and looked at his wings. They were smaller than what she thought she saw at first, but they were still large. They were beautiful. The sunshine made them gleam. She wanted to touch them, but she was scared of falling.

  “They are beautiful,” Millie said, looking back into Benjamin’s eyes. “Just like you.”

  Benjamin laughed.

  “I mean it,” Millie interrupted his laughter.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, kissing her lips.

  His kiss sent her into a daze.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I am. Sorry,” she said, smiling. “Is this why you couldn’t talk to me?” she continued after a short silence.

  “Yes, it is. My task was just to watch you. Nothing more.”

  “Your task?” Millie asked in confusion.

  “Yes, my task. I am called a Protector Angel, and I was sent to Phoenix to protect you.”

  “Protect me?” Millie’s face went pale.

  “Yes, you,” he said, gently putting his forehead against hers. The warmth of his skin put the colour back into Millie’s face.

  “Remember when you were in the woods?” Benjamin boldly asked.

  Millie took her forehead from his. Her face went pale again. Glimpses of what happened came flashing back to her: all of her friends dead, the fire. She nodded in silence.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Benjamin said with heartbreaking eyes. “I can tell it’s too painful for you.”

  “Well, it is where all of my friends died,” Millie said har
shly. “Sorry,” she apologised after she heard her tone of voice.

  “Don’t say sorry. I understand.”

  Millie felt sad but a question came to her mind. “Can Angels die?”

  “Earthbound Angels can die when their heart stops beating. More powerful Angels are harder to kill.”

  “Earthbound?” Millie asked.

  Benjamin was about to explain, but Mille interrupted.

  “I want to talk about it, all of this, but how about on dry land?” Millie suggested.

  “Okay,” Benjamin said, laughing. “Hold on.”

  They landed on the ledge outside Millie’s bedroom window. His wings quickly retracted back into his shirt. Benjamin opened the window and they made their way into Millie’s bedroom. Millie stumbled to her bed. Benjamin grabbed her hand.

  “Not used to walking, are you?” he said with a cheeky smile.

  “Shut up,” Millie said as they sat on her bed.

  “Your mouth’s open,” Benjamin said, putting his finger underneath her chin and closing Millie’s mouth.

  “Sorry. Still can’t believe that you’re an Angel.”

  “It’s a lot to take in. I know.”

  “It sure is,” Millie agreed. “Can you continue what you were telling me up in the sky?”

  “You sure?” Benjamin asked.

  “It’s going to be hard, but I want to know,” she said, now holding both of his hands.

  “Do you remember what happened?” Benjamin asked cautiously.

  “I didn’t at first, but now I remember most of it.”

  “In your dreams?” he asked. “Like you told me?”

  “Yeah, in my dreams,” Millie said, squeezing his hands tighter. “I remember all of my friends dying, how there was fire.” Tears came into her eyes.

  “You and your friends were stuck in the middle of a battle: a battle between Angels and the Fallen.”

  “A battle?” Millie asked.

  “Yes, a battle. Heaven sensed there was a large gathering of the Fallen in the woods where you guys were. Heaven then ordered some Earthbound Angels to investigate it.”