CHAPTER 6

“Hey, hello, Monica. I’m glad to see you again!” Mr Parker greeted the Irish angel with a friendly smile, and was a bit surprised to see the young woman back at school. The last time he’d seen her, she and Andrew had probably had a serious argument as she left the school building in tears. And that fact had made him change his mind about the blond teacher drastically – if before Andrew seemed a very nice and considerate man, now Mr Parker found him extremely rude and unkind, especially to such a lovely person like Monica.

“Hullo, Mr Park,” she greeted him, with her usual friendliness, but the man could also notice the nervousness in her doe like eyes, “Is Andrew still in there?”

Frowning a little, as he didn’t seem very enthusiastic about the idea of her seeing Andrew again, he nodded, “Well... yes, he... he’s the only teacher who hasn’t left the building yet...”

Hearing that made her heart ten times heavier with anguish, “Oh, I see... I really need to talk to him, it’s very important...”

“It’s alright but-”

In a hurry, she crossed the gates and headed to inside the building, praying that she wouldn’t get lost in the corridors before finding her dearest friend. An eerie, awful sensation was taking control of her soul and made her feel like crying with sadness, “Father, please, let him be alright... I don’t mind if he doesn’t want to see me... please, let him be alright...” walking along the deserted corridors, she prayed.

Not far from where she was, inside Andrew’s room, Roy continued to hold a gun at his direction. In the boy’s eyes there was a mix of confusion, hate and other evil feelings that were culminating in that very room, with all his anger turned to the one angel who had been trying to help him and bring God’s love to his life. Roy was trembling and on the verge of committing something he would certainly regret for the rest of his life.

“I told you I want the money! I’m tired of you trying to interfere with my life! I didn’t ask you anything, why don’t you stop with this nonsense? I should solve this now and get rid of you forever!” he shouted, with a very angry tone of voice.

“What kind of human being would you become if you did what you’re saying, Roy? You weren’t born like this... There was good in you once, I know that!” Andrew replied, staring him in the eyes and trying desperately to make the boy listen to him. “And I know that this feeling is still there, somewhere...”

“You know nothing about me, dude! I hate this air of superiority that makes you act like ‘mister know-it-all’! You’re such an idiot!” he shouted back, so rudely that Andrew decided to act quickly.

“You’re right, I don’t know everything... In fact, I made many mistakes in my existence too, Roy. But do you know what made me pick up the pieces and start again? The certainty that there’s one loving Father Who is always willing to forgive and give me a new chance. And you know why? Because I’m His child, just like you are.”

“You’re wrong again. I have no father, I have nobody in this damn life other than myself!”

“You have God... And He sent me to you, with a message...” suddenly a beautiful bright glow surrounded the blond angel, causing Roy to back off from him in surprise and amazement. “Don’t be afraid... I’m an angel and I’m here because God loves you, Roy. He sent me here to tell you that no matter how many mistakes you’ve made in your life, He’s ready to hold you in the palm of His hand and heal your soul, if you’re truly sorry for them.”

Frowning with disbelief and even angrier, the guy continued to point the gun at him, although always with a little uncertainty. “An angel? I don’t believe in angels! And you better stop doing this before I shoot you!”

“Don’t you see what’s right in front of you - ”

“Shut your mouth up! Damn it, I don’t care about Who sent you here or what kind of freak you are, I’m not interested in hearing what you have to say!”

Andrew was afraid: for many times he feared failing the assignment and now he was almost sure that evil had won the battle, judging by the look in the boy’s eyes. But nothing could’ve caused more panic than the soothing, familiar voice that reached his ears at that very moment.

“Andrew...”

He and Roy turned their heads to face Monica standing by the door, with a haunted, terrified expression on her face at the scene right in front of her: her dearest friend was under the target of a gun, and Roy seemed ready to pull the trigger at any moment.

“Monica!” the blond angel spoke, with his heart pounding erratically in his chest. He wasn’t in his angelic form any longer and the glow that involved him at the revelation moment had disappeared, once Roy didn’t accept what being offered him. Twice nervous, the boy aimed the gun at the young woman standing at the door, fidgeting with the trigger and holding onto the last sense of conscience that remained in his troubled mind. “Stop where you are! Don’t move or I’ll shoot you dead before you can even start speaking!” he said, alternating the targets between Monica and Andrew. “What the hell is happening here? Huh? Did you guys think you could just come in here and try to convince me to give myself in to the police? You’re both wrong!”

“We’re here to help you,” Monica replied, trying to keep her breathing normal despite the tense situation. “Evelyn asked us to help you...”

Andrew’s eyes were alternating between Monica and Roy, and he noticed that hearing Evelyn’s name caused a small change in the young man’s face. “She did?”

“Yes... You have no idea how much she wanted you to get out of the streets... Of how much she cares about you... Evelyn left this city praying for you, Roy. Praying that you could find peace in life like she did!” Monica continued to speak. But the boy’s thoughts were confused and suddenly he shook his head, refusing to listen to the angel’s words. “You shut up too, woman! C’mon, move! Stay where I can see you two!” he shouted, pointing to the place next to Andrew.

“Roy, calm down, please. We’re not here to do anything against you. Please, be calm.” Andrew said, terrified to see him aiming a gun at Monica. Slowly, she gave a few steps and stood right next to her dearest friend. Their eyes met for a brief second and the blond angel could see all the pain he had inflicted on her written in those soft brown pools. It hurt deeply when she lowered her head, avoiding his gaze and visibly reluctant to stay so close to him.

“I need money!” Roy’s angry voice drew the angel’s attention back to him and Andrew shook his head. “I don’t have money here... Only a few dollars in my wallet...”

“Evelyn told me you took care of her once, when she was ill... She said she wanted to do the same for you now.”

“She’s such an idiot!” Roy replied, “And stop talking about her, woman! If you keep on speaking like you did this afternoon, I’ll make you shut your mouth up forever!”

It was then that Andrew gave a step closer, with his heart pounding erratically in his chest, terrified to see his dearest friend being threatened.

And that gesture only made the young man more nervous. “I told you to stay away!”

“No!” Monica’s frightened cry echoed through the empty corridors and everything happened very fast: Roy was so scared and threatened by Andrew’s unexpected movement that he aimed the gun at the blond angel, but before he pulled the trigger, Monica stood in front of Andrew and received the bullet intended to hit him. The impact of the projectile in the angel’s chest pushed her backwards, and she fell straight into her dearest friend’s arms.

“Angel? No! Angel!” he cried desperately. Holding her, Andrew knelt on the floor and lay his hand over her wound, trying in vain to stop the blood from flowing through her human body.

In shock, Roy gave a few steps back as the image of the young woman lying on the floor scared him deeply and caused a terrible sensation of guilt that would certainly remain in his heart forever. But at this very moment, another presence was felt in the room: smiling evilly, Gregory was standing behind Roy and started to whisper wicked words in his ear.

“Go ahead now, Roy. Shoot Andrew too! He made your life a real hell, teach him not to mess with you again!”

The conflict inside the boy’s heart lasted a few seconds and when he realised somebody was coming through the corridor he threw the gun on the floor, and ran away afterwards. He’d been wearing gloves all the time, leaving no imprints in the hot metal. But Andrew didn’t pay attention to Roy’s actions. No. With tears falling from his eyes, he held Monica close to him, his mind spinning as he didn’t know what to do, watching as his dearest, beloved friend fought to keep breathing.

“Monica... Angel, please, hold on... Please, baby, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Please, forgive me, please...”

“... Andrew...” her voice came out as a whisper and colour quickly disappeared from her face.

“Angel, please, hold on... Help! I need help here!” he shouted, wanting nothing but taking her away from that place. In a few seconds, he’d seen his greatest fear materialised right before his eyes and, besides all his pain and despair at seeing the little angel so badly hurt a wave of shame and guilt flooded the depths of his soul. More than once, he’d offended her with hurtful, mean words and broken her heart into pieces – that pure loving heart that was always open to him. And in reply, Monica protected him with her own body, receiving a bullet and putting her life at risk for him.

“Monica... Angel, please, don’t leave me... Please... Oh, Father please make her heal! Restore her human form with Your power! I know You can!” he pleaded, with tears pricking his eyes. But instead, he saw Monica’s eyes closing and felt her body going limp in his arms, “No! Monica! Don’t! Please, don’t! I’m here, angel! I’ll take care of you... I need you by my side...”

“Oh, my goodness...” Mr Parker’s stunned voice reached the angel’s ears at that very moment and the old man saw, in shock, as Andrew held Monica’s body covered with blood, crying helplessly, “Please, Mr Parker, we need help...”

Immediately, the old man ran to reach the telephone and some minutes later the noise of the sirens echoed through the neighbourhood. Quickly, Mr Parker guided the paramedics to Andrew’s room and the blond angel had to back off so that they started to provide the first aids.

“Her pulse is weak... C’mon, we have to remove her from here, she needs oxygen!” one of the doctors said, as Andrew watched them working to help his dearest friend. He was so miserable and his panic increased when he noticed his hands and clothes were also covered with her blood. “Oh, Father... Please, let her be alright. Please, don’t take her away from me...” he prayed.

The paramedics put her on a stretcher and took her away from the building to inside the ambulance that was parked in the school garden. Fiercely protective, as he would always feel about the little angel who definitely had a special place in his heart, Andrew went together with them but before he could get in the vehicle, he felt a hand over his shoulder and turned around: it was a police officer.

“Sorry, sir, but you’re coming with us.”

“Sorry?”

“Please, sir, turn around and place your hands behind your back. You have to come with us, you’re under arrest!”

Before the man could wrap the pair of handcuffs around his wrists, Andrew backed off and tried to get rid of them, “No! You don’t understand, I have to go with Monica, she’s hurt!” he shouted, fighting to escape from the officer’s grip, but it was useless. Two other men came to help their co-worker and using all their strength – as the suspect was determined to go to the city hospital together with the ambulance, they managed to hold Andrew and arrest him.

Crying helplessly and totally taken by despair, the blond angel was placed inside the police car and taken to the city prison. In his mind, the shooting scene was repeated over and over again. Although he hadn’t shot her, Andrew felt like that tragedy was certainly his fault. If he hadn’t sent her away, if he had told her from the start that Gregory was also threatening to take Roy’s soul all that would sure have been avoided. And if Monica didn’t resist the wounds, he was sure he’d never forgive himself.