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It was David, of course

Gillian turned around and stared at hi just inside the doorway, his jacket

slung over one shoulder, the other hand in his pocket His jaas tight, his eyes dark He was looking at

Tanya

There was a silence

(How long? How long has he been there, Angel?)

(Uhhh, I’d say since round about the beginning)

(Oh, my) So that’s why Gillian had been so low key and noble and let Tanya do all the yelling and

threatening They must have come off like Dorothy and the Wicked Witch

A sense of justice stirred inside Gillian She made a hesitant move toward David

"David-you don’t understand-"

David shook his head "I understand just fine Don’t try to cover for her It’s better for me to find out"

(Yeah, shut up, uess they want to be

"Uh, I guess you guys want to be alone now"

(Anyway, you have to hurry to get your ride)

"Anyway, I have to hurry to getfor)

"These aren’t-" (I’el!) Flustered, Gillian y and

alel!)

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist But look at you, kid! Do you knohat you’ve done?)

(I guessI got rid of Tanya) As the adrenaline of battle faded, the truth of this was slowly beginning to

dawn on her It brought a hint of glorious war promise of future happiness

(Smart kid!)

(And-I did it fairly It was all true, wasn’t it, Angel? She’s really beenaround with Bruce Yes, it was all true)

(And what about Kim? Is she the one who spreads ruos)

(I just-she seemed so sweet When we talked about rumors in the cafeteria she patted my hand)

(Sure, she’s sweet-to your face Turn left here)

Gillian found herself e As she went down the steps she saw three or

four cars parked casually in the roundabout Macon’s BMW convertible was one He looked up at her

and gave an inviting nod toward the car

Other people shouted "Hey, Jill, need a ride?" "We wouldn’t want you to get lost in the woods again!"

Gillian stood, feeling like a southern belle So randly indifferent (Pick anybody!) and she could see Aene

were standing by it, looking up at her But getting in a car with Eugene Elfred would be disastrous to her

new status

She picked Cory the Party Guy, and the ride home was filled with his nonstop talk about Macon’s party

on Saturday She had trouble getting rid of him at the door Once she did, she walked up to her bedroo

(Phew!)

It had been the most incredible day of her life

She lay and listened to the quiet house and tried to gather her thoughts

The warh it was mixed with a certain aain She wanted to kno things had turned out with Tanya

She couldn’t let herself feel happy until she was sure

"Relax, would you?"

Gillian sat up The voice wasn’t in her ear, it was beside the bed Angel was sitting there

The sight hit her like a physical blow

She hadn’t seen hiotten how beautiful he was

His hair was dark golden with paler gold lights shi in it His face ell-classic perfection

Absolutely pure, denned like a sculpture in lorious it actually hurt to

look at it His expression was rapt and uplifted until he winked Then it dissolved into mischief

"Uh, hi," Gillian whispered huskily

"Hi, kid Tired?"

"Yeah I feel used up"

"Well, take a nap, why don’t you? I’ve got places to go anyway"

Gillian blinked Places? "Angel I never asked you What’s heaven like? I ot to be different from most people’s idea That meadow I saw-that wasn’t it, was it?"

"No, that wasn’t it Heaven-well, it’s hard to explain It’s all in the oscillation of the spatial-temporal

harmonics, you knohat you’d call the inherent vibration of the plane At a higher

vibration everything assumes athis up,

aren’t you?" "Yeah Actually it’s classified Why don’t you get some sleep?" Gillian already had her eyes

shut

She was happy when she woke up to sot downstairs, she found only her

mother

"Dad’s not hoe for you He’ll be out of town on business for a while"

"But he’ll be back for Christmas Won’t he?"

"I’ else She ate the haer casserole her mother served-and noticed that her

mother didn’t eat Afterward, she sat in the kitchen and played with a fork

(You okay?)

The voice in her ear was a welcoht I was just thinking about how

everything started with Mom It wasn’t always like this She was a teacher at the junior college)

(I know)

(And then-I think it was about five years ago- things just started happening She started acting crazy

And then she was seeing things-what did I know about drinking then? I just thought she

was nuts It wasn’t until Dad started finding es could be different) A pause (Angel? Do you think el’s voice was quiet (I’ll work on it, kid But, yeah, I think maybe they could

Gillian shut her eyes

After a el-how can I thank you? The things you’re doing for me

I can’t even start to tell you )

(Don’t mention it And don’t cry A cheery face is worth triple A bonds Besides, you have to answer the

(What phone?)

The phone rang

(That phone)

Gillian blew her nose and said a practice "Hello" to make sure her voice wasn’t shaky Then she took a

deep breath and picked up the receiver

"Gillian?"

Her fingers clenched on the phone "Hi, David"

"Look, I just wanted to make , sure you were okay I didn’t even ask you that when-you know, this

afternoon"

"Sure, I’el to tell her what to say to this "I can handle myself, you

know"

"Yeah But Tanya can be pretty intense soet that"

He doesn’t want to say anything bad about her, Gillian thought She said, "I’m fine"

"It’s just-" She could al on the other side of the line And then David

burst out as if so had snapped, "I didn’t know!"

"What?"

"I didn’t know she was-like that! I mean, she runs the teen helpline and she’s on the Centralia relief

coht she was different A good

person"

Conscience twinged "David, I think she is soht She’s brave When that

-"

"Quit it, Gillian You’re those things You’re brave and funny and-well, too honorable for your own

good You tried to give Tanya another chance" He let out a breath "But, anyway; you uessed, we’re finished I told Tanya that And now" His voice changed Suddenly he laughed,

sounding as if some burden had fallen off him "Well, would you like hed, too "I’d like it I’d love it" (Oh, Angel-thank you!)

She was very happy

The rest of the onderful Every day she wore soed

froet more popular People looked up when she

walked into a roo to catch her eye They waved to her from a

distance They said hello up and down the halls Everyone seelad to talk to her, and pleased if she

wanted to talk to theher

And, always, her guide and protector ith her Angel had coenious part He provided quips, save advice about

who to tolerate and who to snub Gillian was developing an instinct for this, too She was gaining

confidence in herself, finding new skills every day She was literally beco a new person

She didn’t see ene, after all And Gillian was so busy that she never