Read Beloved Purgatory (Fallen Angels, Book 2) for Free Online

shivered. The thought of anything
creeping up the pipes in this greasy, old bathroom was just too
depressing. Hell, even just the thought of anyone hanging out in
here was.
    So what are you doing here, then?
    Silence, except my uneven breath and the drip, drip, drip of the faucet that had leaked since my
freshman year.
    I pushed myself away from the double sinks.
"I'm going in now," I said.
    "Alright."
    I looked in the mirror once more. I couldn't
see his reflection and made no sound, but I knew he was there.
Watching.
    Suddenly, my grand idea of hiding in the
bathroom instead of walking into the principal's office with my mom
and Jasmine didn't seem so grand. I'd have to go in alone, now, and
everyone would be looking at me.
    "I thought you were leaving," the angel
said.
    Why did his voice sound so calculating? He
seemed worried. More likely he just didn't want to witness a
breakdown.
    "Right," I muttered. My words came out a
little harsher than I'd intended. So to make myself feel better I
kicked open the bathroom door.
    I got halfway down the hall before hearing
his annoying voice again. "You shouldn't go in there like
that."
    I shivered. It was creepy how he could move
right next to me without making a sound. "Like what?" I answered,
past caring how childish I sounded.
    "Like you're about to cry."
    "I'm not going to cry." I refused to look at
him, even when he brushed his thumbs underneath my eyes. His skin
was too soft--like feathers, almost.
    "You're lonely, aren't you?" He whispered
though we were alone and, even if we weren't, no one else would've
been able to hear him. "Why then did you make the others go in
ahead of you? Why don't you talk to anyone--"
    "Why do you care?" It came out shriller than
I'd intended.
    He stepped back. I really couldn't look at
him now. I didn't want to see his hurt face. But no, angels
couldn't get hurt by something like me, because they didn't care
about anything on this earth.
    I walked faster. "Sometimes I forget that you
don't feel anything, and I start treating you like you do. It's
kind of pathetic, isn't it?"
    The angel caught my wrist. "Is that really
what you think of me?"
    My heartbeat throbbed in my throat. It felt
like it would bruise if I spoke. How could an ethereal being make
me ache like this?
    "What am I supposed to think of you?" I was
out of breath. My body itched, wanting to rush forward, but he
still gripped me.
    It wasn't tight. I could slip out of it if I
wanted. But for some reason I couldn't move. "You follow me
everywhere," I whispered. "You've watched me for my entire life,
but you've never comforted me when I was sad or hurt. I don't
understand you. I hope I never do."
    He let go. I rubbed my wrist. It felt warm.
I'd forgotten how cold his hands were.
    Then I continued to the principal's office.
He didn't say anything more until we got to the door. "Are you sure
you don't want me to come with you?"
    Was he really surprised? Really? My
hand clutched the doorknob, but I didn't turn it. "Yes."
    I think he sighed. "I'll be here if you need
me."
    What did he expect me to do--bust down the
door and call out his name in the middle of the meeting? The
thought was so ridiculous and, because of that, so like him. I
tipped down my chin to hide my smile, even though he couldn't see
it.
    "I'll remember," I said, and pushed on the door.
    It swung open, right into the edge of James'
mom's chair. Her thin, red-painted lips slanted into a tight smile,
and she raised her left hand to pat my shoulder. "It's alright,"
she said.
    I rubbed my hands against my jeans. Alright,
she seemed pretty understanding. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
    Then I looked past her smiling face and saw
a 6'3" man glaring at me as if I were a gigantic wad of moist
bubblegum on the sole of his shoe.
    Never mind, I thought, this is
Hell .
    The principal's office
looked like a set from a low-budget, early 90's High School flick.
It had windows on one side of the room looking out at the parking
lot, and on