Guardian Angel II
By Morpheus
Marcus smiled to himself as he stared down at the ground far
below him, thrilled beyond belief with the knowledge that he was
actually flying. Him, flying.... If anyone had told him a week earlier
that he would have been able to fly, Marcus would have told them that
they were nuts. But then again, he knew that if anyone had told him a
week earlier that he would have been in the body of a gorgeous angel....a
real one, he would have laughed in their face.
As Marcus swooped down towards the ground below, loving the
strange sensation of his new wings stretched out behind him, he
marveled that even though he was right above the campus, no one could
see him. Even if someone looked directly at him they wouldn't have seen
any hint of his presence, all thanks to his new ability to shift. The ability
to shift out of phase with reality, becoming both invisible and intangible.
An ability which along with his power to fly had come with his new
body.
When Marcus spotted one of his classmates, Tony Stevens down
below him, he smirked, filled with the sudden temptation to see if it
could hit the guy with a lugie. Or at least do a quick flyby and swipe the
guys hat. But after only a moment's consideration, he realized that Angel
would definitely not be pleased with that. And with a shudder, Marcus
realized that the big guy that had made them change bodies might not
like him using an angels powers to cause mischief either. Who knew
what kind of trouble he'd get into then, and Marcus definitely didn't want
to find out.
With a sigh, Marcus turned away from Tony, deciding that he'd
just have to make due with the thrill from flying. He smiled again, flying
even higher then turning around and dive-bombing back towards the
ground, loving the thrill. "Even better than bungee jumping." he said
aloud. He stopped himself just feet before impact, swooping back up
and deciding to head back home.
Moments later Marcus spotted his dorm building and quickly
dropped towards it. The smile on his face stretched wider as he swooped
towards the window, still shifted so that no one could see him. As he
slipped through the window, he chuckled to himself, realizing that he
could have just flown right through the wall, though that still seemed a
little too odd for him.
Inside the dorm room, Marcus looked around, grinning when he
saw Angel at the desk, looking over some school work. The very idea
that his former guardian angel was sitting in his body, doing his
homework seemed almost preposterous, but Marcus had almost begun to
get used to the idea. After all, it wasn't nearly as strange as the fact that
he was stuck as a chick, and an angel to boot. Still smiling to himself,
Marcus started creeping towards Angel, planning on surprising her.
Suddenly Angel snapped around, a smile on her face. "I'm glad
you're back." She said.
Marcus gasped in surprise. "How did you know I was there?" He
asked when he shifted back to normal.
Angel just smiled, her eyes twinkling somewhat. "I may be in
your mortal shell, but I am still an angel inside. Such tricks as those can
never work on me."
Shaking his head in disappointment, Marcus asked, "Why didn't
you tell me this before?" Angel just continued to smile, looking rather
smug though she didn't bother to answer.
After a moment, Angel got up from the desk and walked over to
Marcus, gently rubbing one hand along his softly feathered wings,
looking just a little sad as she did so. Marcus felt a little bad,
remembering that they were really her wings after all, and he was the one
out having fun with them. Then Angel forced a smile, pulling her hand
back and looking Marcus in the eye. Almost immediately they were lost
in each other's eyes, which happened almost every time. Marcus was
immediately reminded of the old proverb that the eyes were the windows
to the soul, and every day he was beginning to believe it more and more.
When they finally broke eye contact, it was only so that they
could lock in a passionate kiss. Marcus wasn't sure how long they kissed
each other, only that when they broke apart again he was gasping for
breath. "Wow." he said, still amazed at the fact that he was kissing a
male body, his former body, and enjoying it. However, he knew very
well that it was only because of the person inside the body. He hadn't had
the least interest in any other guys since his transformation, for which he
was very relieved. But still, even though he and Angel had kissed many
times since their body exchange nearly a week earlier, that had been all
that they'd done. Neither was ready for the next step.
Several minutes later, Angel and Marcus sat down on the couch,
looking at each other a little uncomfortably. Though they had both been
trying to get used to their new lives, it hadn't been easy and neither could
forget what the other was. That one had once been a guardian angel and
the other had been her charge. But 'once' had been the operative word.
"So," Marcus asked nervously, "How are you doing?" Angel
looked at him oddly, reminding Marcus that it was a stupid question.
Deciding to try a different route, Marcus said, "You miss it don't you?
The flying."
Angel nodded slightly. "Yes I do. But I try not to think of it."
She smiled, "Eventually I will be able to again, so I'll just try to exist day
by day. After all, how many angels get to see what life is like as a
mortal?"
"And how many mortals get to look like an angel?" Marcus gave
a slight smile, extending his wings a little as he did so. Giving a wry
grin, he added, "They are kind of interesting at least, though they tickle."
Angel smiled faintly at that.
Marcus nodded at Angel, then got up and started towards the
bathroom. He stopped in front of the mirror, frowning slightly as he
stared at his reflection. The face that looked back was a gorgeous woman
with long brown hair. A woman more beautiful than any woman had a
right to be. However, there were several things that spoiled the effect
some. For one, Marcus's hair wasn't done up quite as nicely as it could
be, and he didn't have any makeup on his face at all. Just because he'd
suddenly ended up in a female body didn't mean that he suddenly knew
how to put on makeup or choose women's clothes. Not in the least. And
Angel wasn't any help at all. As she'd pointed out earlier, "What use
does an angel have for makeup?" Marcus sighed. Even though Angel's
real face....the one looking back from the mirror didn't need any makeup
to make it look nice, it would have at least helped him fit in.
Letting out a sigh, Marcus turned his attention to the fluffy white
wings that stuck out from his back. The wings that truly marked his
body as that of an angel. He smiled, letting himself start to glow for a
moment to complete the effect, then deciding to be practical, he
dampened the glow and shifted his wings out, making them effectively
disappear. "That should do it." He said, pleased by what he saw, though
still wishing it had been his old body. It just didn't feel right to be a girl,
especially one as good looking as he now was.
Gently cupping his breasts in his hands, Marcus frowned. They
didn't feel quite as odd on him as they had a week earlier, but they still
didn't feel "normal" yet either. But then again, he knew that nothing
about his situation was normal. And what made it worse was the fact that
it was done on purpose, and by God at that. There wasn't much use in
whining either, especially not in front of Angel. Once again Marcus felt
a little sorry for her and what she had to have lost. Even more than him.
At least he had gained some pretty cool powers, and he even felt really
good. Really alive, just because it was an angels body he was in.
"I guess it could be worse." Marcus reminded himself. A lot
worse. Then forcing a smile he turned around and gave a good look over
his apartment. Marcus's apartment. He frowned slightly, remembering
that he wasn't supposed to even be living there anymore. Angel Celeste,
the name he was going by now, had her own dorm room in the next
building over. And though Marcus slept there, he couldn't help but
spending most of his time in his old room. With Angel.
With a shrug, Marcus finished his business in the bathroom,
wondering as he did so how women could stand having that mess every
time they had to take a leak. It was much simpler to just aim and let go,
but that wasn't possible for him anymore. Just one more thing to get
used to, Marcus knew.
Returning to where Angel was still sitting, Marcus stood back
and watched her for a moment, smiling in admiration of her. Not her
body which had been his, but the person inside of it. Just watching her,
he could feel their connection. He could feel the strong pull that he felt
towards her. The strange love that he'd felt since they'd first looked each
other in the eyes. Even the fact that she was in a male body hadn't done
anything to dampen it.
Angel looked at Marcus and frowned. "Are you still planning on
going bungee jumping with Stu and Buzz next weekend?" She sounded
annoyed. "You know how dangerous that is and I won't be able to protect
you anymore." At that Angel sounded a little sad.
"Don't worry." Marcus told her, gently putting his hand on her
shoulder. "I'll be careful. I promise." Then grinning, he added, "Besides,
since I can fly and shift now, I don't have much to worry about."
"Marcus..." She said in an almost threatening voice.
"I know, I know," He held his hands up in surrender. "I can't let
anyone see me using any of that stuff." Then Marcus got serious for a
moment, "If HE got that mad at you showing me, I don't wanna know
what would happen if I showed someone else." Marcus gave an
exaggerated shudder at that.
Angel nodded, still looking rather serious. "Just promise me that
you won't do anything stupid again. I'm not going to just let you die,
even if I have to tie you up so that you can't go." That last part was said
only half jokingly, and Marcus saw from the look in her eye that she
would too.
"I'll be careful." He promised again. "Besides, you have to come
and watch out for me." Then grinning almost smugly, Marcus added,
"And you'll have to jump yourself if you don't want the guys to get
suspicious." The look on Angel's face was enough to make Marcus start
chuckling. "Don't worry. You'll love it. Besides," Marcus winked at her,
"I'll be watching out for YOU."
Angel just groaned. "From someone as near suicidal as you were,
I'm not sure that's a good thing." Then she smiled to show that she didn't
really mean it.
After they'd talked for awhile longer, Marcus glanced at the clock
on the wall and frowned. "I guess I'd better get going." With a groan,
Marcus stood up, stretching himself as he did so, amazed at just how
good it felt. At how alive he felt. Whatever else their exchange had done,
Marcus certainly couldn't complain about feeling bad. Uncomfortable
yes, but bad no.
"Maybe I should come along." Angel suggested, beginning to get
up as well.
"There's no need for that." Marcus sighed, feeling slightly
annoyed. It was one thing when Angel had been following him around
invisibly, protecting him without his even knowing it, but now.... now it
seemed almost insulting. Especially since he was the one that had most
of her old powers. "I'll be fine." He said a little quickly. "I'll see you
later." Then with that Marcus gave her a quick kiss before hurrying out
of his old room, this time on foot.
As Marcus slowly walked across campus, he felt embarrassed by
all the looks that people were giving him, even though he'd been
receiving them for almost a week. Women looked at him in envy and
jealousy, a few even almost hatefully. But the men.... All the men he
passed stared at him with undisguised lust, though most of them at least
had the decency to leave him alone. However, not all of them did. More
than once Marcus had to fend off unwanted suitors as he made his way
towards his new dorm room.
Marcus stopped with a frown as he noticed a pair of guys from
the football team walking toward him, blocking the path so that he
couldn't go around them. He gulped, glancing around nervously,
suddenly more aware than even before that he no longer had all of his
old strength. In fact, for a moment he felt a surge of terror and
helplessness rush through him before he forced himself to calm down
and face the pair. They hadn't done anything yet, just looking
threatening.
"What do you want?" He demanded when the players stopped in
front of him. Marcus looked at the taller, more muscular one first.
Bobby "the Wall" Walker, one of the nastiest linebackers to ever grace
the schools team. The other one was somewhat shorter and a lot more
wiry in build. That was Eddie Banks, a wide receiver. And at the
moment, both of them were staring at Marcus with an odd mixture of
awe, nervousness and lust. Unfortunately the lust seemed to win.
"We want you." Bobby said with a cocky grin. "How about you
and I go over to my room and have some fun?"
Marcus sneered in disgust, wondering how real women could
stand having to put up with stuff like this. The only reason that he wasn't
about to panic was the knowledge that he could just shift out. Then he
remembered that the big guy would definitely not like him doing
something like that in front of others and he grew a little more nervous.
"I'd rather not." Marcus managed to say, "Now if you'll excuse me, I
have somewhere else to be." With that, Marcus went to step around the
two men, but Eddie stepped back in his path.
"I don't think so." Eddie said with a grin. "It's really rude to walk
away when someone's talking to you."
"Somehow," Marcus said, "I really don't think you're very
concerned with manners." He glanced at one and then the other, seeing
that they weren't going to be nice about this and get out of his way. With
a sigh, he took a step back and turned around, deciding that if they
followed him, all he had to do was dodge behind a tree or something
then shift out. Unfortunately though, they had a different idea and
Marcus felt a tight fist grasping his arm.
"We're not through talking to you." Bobby growled menacingly,
his hand still holding Marcus tight. "The least you could do is be nice to
us." Then he looked very suggestive and added, "We can really make it
worth your time."
"NO THANKS!" Marcus exclaimed emphatically, beginning to
get really, really worried. His heart was racing from what he was afraid
was about to happen. He may have liked adrenaline, but certainly not
this way. The sun had already begun to set and there weren't many
people in sight, so Marcus had a feeling that this was only going to get
worse. Who knew how far they were going to go.
Then suddenly Marcus heard "Stop!" He snapped his head
around, relieved to see Angel standing there in his old body, a very angry
look on her face. "Leave hi.....her alone!" She glared at Eddie and
Bobby, taking a step forward, her fists both clenched menacingly.
When Bobby let go of Marcus, he jumped forward, relieved that
Angel was there to save him once again. "Thanks." He told her.
Angel nodded, barely giving Marcus a glance. "You can go on
ahead." She stared at Marcus and Eddie, "I don't think they'll give you
any trouble right now. Not unless they want some witnesses." She smiled
wickedly, gesturing towards the small crowd of people that had gathered
a short distance away.
Bobby and Eddie glared at Angel and then at Marcus. They gave
a nervous glance towards the group of potential witnesses and then at
each other. Finally Eddie said, "It ain't over." Then they both turned and
walked away while Marcus sighed in relief.
After seeing that the football players were indeed leaving,
Marcus closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before
turning to Angel. "Thanks for the save, but you didn't have to come save
me." He frowned slightly, feeling both thankful and annoyed at the same
time. For once in his life, Marcus was not enjoying the rush from the
adrenaline.
With a sigh, Angel looked down in embarrassment, then back
into Marcus's eyes. In spite of the sudden "contact" that they felt, Angel
didn't get distracted. "I may no longer possess my heavenly flesh or
powers, but I am still your guardian angel and will be so for as long as
you live." She looked away again, then added, "I couldn't avoid
helping."
Marcus gave her a thoughtful look, trying to let his annoyance
fade. It was hard to stay angry at her anymore, especially for helping
him. After a moment, Marcus nodded. "All right." he said quietly. "It's
just a little embarrassing is all." Angel nodded, then Marcus smiled
faintly. "Well that was kind of extreme." Then he surprised Angel by
giving her a quick kiss before he turned and hurried off again, back to
where he'd been going before being interrupted.
After Marcus was far enough away, he glanced back, seeing that
Angel had already gone. He smiled faintly, surprised that he was actually
beginning to feel happy that Angel had saved him. It gave him an odd
confidence to realize that he still had a guardian angel of sorts. That he
still had someone looking out for him. "I guess everyone needs someone
to watch out for them sometime." Marcus mused aloud, glancing around
just to make sure that there was no sign of Bobby or Eddie returning.
Fortunately there was none.
When the dorm building Marcus had been sleeping in the for last
few nights was in sight, he smiled faintly to himself, realizing that he
was almost there. There was nothing more to worry about. Then
suddenly Marcus realized that there was someone right behind him and
snapped around, his hands clenched into fists as he readied himself to hit
Eddie or Bobby. But much to his surprise, Marcus found himself face to
face with a girl. One who looked somewhat startled by Marcus's sudden
move.
"Who are you?" He asked her, relaxing his guard though just
barely. "Were you following me?"
"I...I...I'm sorry." The girl stuttered. She took a deep breath, then
gave a nervous smile which made her look more attractive. "My name's
Amy. Amy Mitchell." She held out her hand which Marcus accepted
and shook.
"M....Angel Celeste." Marcus told her, carefully looking Amy
over. She stood just a couple inches shorter than him, about 5 foot 6 or 7,
had shoulder length blonde hair and a rather attractive figure. Still,
Marcus felt somewhat embarrassed to realize that as good looking as she
was, she almost looked plain and ordinary compared to him.
"I saw what happened with those two jocks." She gave an ironic
smile. "I quit the cheerleading squad because of jerks like them." Then
Amy gave a more natural grin. "I really wasn't following you. I just
happen to live here too." She pointed up at the dorm building. "And
when I saw you standing there, I just figured I'd come over and introduce
myself."
"Sorry I scared you then." Marcus apologized. "I'm just a little
jumpy right now."
Amy nodded. "I can certainly see why. So, what are you
majoring in?"
Marcus frowned for a moment, half tempted to tell her
comparative religions or something, which in an odd way he was, but
instead he told her the truth. "I still haven't decided yet." Amy nodded
understandingly at that, telling him that she was in the same situation.
While they walked into the building together, Marcus and Amy
continued to talk. He felt kind of funny talking to her like that, knowing
that just a week earlier he would have been trying to get into her pants.
However, at the moment that wasn't very likely, and oddly enough, not
quite as interesting. After they'd gone up the first level of stairs, Amy
asked, "So, you wanna come into my room for a bit?" Marcus only
hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
Once inside Amy's room, Marcus glanced around somewhat
uncomfortably while he sat on her couch. Amy offered him a cup of
soda which he gladly accepted, only wishing that it wasn't diet. Marcus
winced as he took a sip, thinking "I hate this diet crap." However he
didn't let Amy know that.
After a few more minutes of talking about nothing in particular,
Amy started to look embarrassed and uncomfortable. "I know it's not any
of my business," she said nervously, "but I couldn't help noticing the way
you're dressed and all."
"The way I'm dressed?" Marcus frowned. "What's wrong with the
way I dress?"
Amy blushed. "Nothing." She said quickly. "It's just that you're
dressed so plain. It's obvious that you could easily be a model. I'd kill for
a body or face like yours. Hell, any girl would. But you're just sort of
hiding it." Then continuing to look a little embarrassed, Amy added,
"And though you certainly don't need any makeup, it might make you
look even better."
Marcus almost choked at what Amy had said. He glanced down
at himself, seeing that he looked more feminine than he was comfortable
with already. And though he could definitely look better, he hadn't really
been trying to. Then after a moments consideration, Marcus said, "I
don't know how to put on makeup." Amy looked shocked at this. It only
took Marcus a moment to give the excuse he'd already made up, "I was
raised in a real conservative home."
With a nod of understanding, Amy said, "So you're a country
bumpkin."
"Hey...." Marcus protested with a grin.
"Just kidding." Amy grinned back. "But hey, you could be an
unbelievable knockout if you even half tried. I'm already jealous." She
let out an exaggerated sigh. "You want me to show you how?"
Marcus just stared at her for a moment in disbelief. Him wear
makeup? It was not something that he was interested in. Hell, he would
much rather be out rock climbing or sky diving. Or better yet, flying. The
very thought brought a smile to his face. Then focusing back on the
situation at hand, Marcus wondered if it might not at least be useful.
After all, he was going to be stuck as a girl for awhile, quite possibly a
very long while, so maybe it would be a good idea to learn some of that
girly stuff.
"All right." Marcus said somewhat hesitantly. "Can you?" Amy
just lit up in a big smile and a moment later they went at it.
Two hours later, Marcus sat back and stared at himself in the
mirror that Amy had provided. "What do you think?" she asked
hopefully.
Marcus stared at his reflection for a moment longer and gulped.
"Is that really me?" Then chuckling, he added, "Of course it is." But
still, Marcus could scarcely believe it. He'd seen Angel and then his own
face in the mirror many times before, but not after the "treatment" as
Amy had called it. She'd very patiently gone over Marcus's hair until it
looked rather nice, though she still mentioned that he could use a
professional stylist. And the makeup.... Amy had gone over the makeup
very slowly and very carefully, explaining what she was doing every step
of the way. Then after she'd finished, she'd wiped it all off of Marcus
then started again. Now with the final product, he looked absolutely
gorgeous.
"Angel," Amy said with a smug look, "You really do look like an
angel."
"You have no idea." Marcus thought to himself as he smiled
back, "You have absolutely no idea."
Getting up, Marcus still had a hard time tearing his eyes from the
mirror. "Wow." was all that he could think to say. Amy looked even
prouder at that.
"If you're willing..." Amy started, "Tomorrow after classes we
can go shopping. Get you some makeup of your own and I can show you
how to use it right, and maybe even some new clothes that don't hide
your figure so much."
"I don't know." Marcus frowned, feeling unsure of this though
not as much as he would have expected.
"Hey, maybe we can even get you into a stylist or something. Get
your hair and nails done up right."
Marcus groaned at that, feeling a little embarrassed to even
consider such a thing. However, he quickly reminded himself that this
was something he might need to learn. That rationalization helped him
deal with the fact that at the same time he was also curious about just
how nice he could get his new body to look.
"Maybe we can go out on a full shopping trip Saturday." Amy
suggested.
"Sounds good." Marcus said, then frowned. "But I can't. I've
already made plans for Saturday. Me and a couple friends are going
bungee jumping. Wanna come along. It will be totally extreme." He
grinned mischievously as he looked at Amy.
"Um....no thanks." Amy smiled nervously. "Jumping off of things
with just a rope tied to me doesn't sound very fun."
Marcus nodded. "Suit yourself. But you'll be the one missing
out on a killer rush."
Amy grinned back. "I think I'll manage."
After a couple more minutes of chatting, Marcus yawned and
excused himself. "I've gotta get to bed. I had been planning to study a
little tonight but since that's been blown, I might as well at least try
getting my sleep." Amy said goodbye, though only after making Marcus
promise that they'd go out shopping later, then he was gone.
Marcus groaned as he awoke to the sound of the alarm clock next
to his bed. Sitting up, he was almost startled to find himself immediately
wide awake. Quite a difference from a week earlier when it had taken
him two cups of coffee to wake up, but he was beginning to get used to
it. And oddly enough, Marcus was almost beginning to like it as well.
After taking a quick glance around the dorm room that was so
much like his old one but so much different at the same time, he climbed
out of bed and hurried to the bathroom that he shared with the girl next
door, wanting to get ready for his classes as quickly as he could. Once
the shower had been taken care of, Marcus stood in front of the mirror
staring at his naked body, his wings out and visible. It was the beginning
of a morning ritual that he'd begun to adopt in the days since he'd been
put into that body.
Slowly and with great care, Marcus gently ran a hand over one of
his soft white wings. He let out a soft sigh, still amazed at their softness
and the fact that they were indeed real each time that he touched them.
For several minutes Marcus continued to inspect his wings, though he
wasn't sure exactly why he was doing so. Once he was finished with the
wings, Marcus carefully ran his hands over the rest of his body,
marveling at the smooth flawless skin and hardly believing that it was
his. Especially when he looked at his breasts, his slender waist and the
very feminine opening between his legs.
When his fingers moved to the empty spot between his legs,
Marcus winced. "No self pity." He told himself firmly. "It could have
been a lot worse." With a sigh, Marcus closed his eyes and pulled his
fingers away, taking several deep breaths while he thought about how
close he'd come to dying. He would have if it hadn't been for Angel. But
as exciting as that had been, it had also been a little bit of an eye opener.
Especially when Angel started chewing him out. It had been because of
that incident that he was in her body. Because she'd broken some angel
rules or something, and he had to pay the price. "Stop that." Marcus
growled to himself. "It wasn't her fault." Deciding that this wasn't a
good line of thought, Marcus got up and finished getting ready for class.
A short while later, Marcus left his new room and started off to
his first class of the day, pausing only for a moment to call give a quick
"Good morning." to Amy when they passed in the hall, and to assure her
that he hadn't forgotten about his agreement to go with her that
afternoon.
It didn't take Marcus very long to arrive at the classroom and take
his seat, though he was slightly disappointed that Angel hadn't arrived
yet. Fortunately though she showed up almost immediately after and
came hurrying over towards Marcus.
"Good morning." He said cheerfully. "I'm glad you got here."
Marcus was especially relieved once he glanced back towards several of
the boys who'd been staring at him and the empty seat. He wasn't sure
how much longer it would have been before they inevitably started
hitting on him. After all, he knew very well that he certainly wouldn't
have left a girl as good looking as he now was alone for very long.
Angel smiled back slightly. "Good morning to you too." She
looked a little weary still which only reminded Marcus how awake and
energetic he felt at the moment. That made him feel rather odd and self
conscious, though he quickly pushed it away, focusing instead on the
instructor who was beginning the lecture.
The class was over rather quickly and Marcus silently walked to
the next class with Angel while they held hands. He felt a little
embarrassed to be walking around, holding hands with a guy, but he just
smiled to himself as he reminded himself that holding hands wasn't
anything next to kissing. Besides, it was Angel in that body, and that
made all the difference. Once Marcus thought this through, he felt warm
and happy inside, comforted by being so close to Angel. He smiled even
more as he grasped her hand tighter.
--------------------
When lunch had finally come, Marcus found himself sitting at a
cafe table just off campus, along with Angel, Buzz and Stu. He absently
stirred at his coffee, staring at his half eaten tuna sandwich and lost in
thought.
"HEY ANGEL." Buzz said loudly, "Hello. Earth to Angel."
"What?" Marcus looked up, feeling embarrassed as he hadn't
heard them talking to him. Even though he'd mostly gotten used to being
called Angel, and even calling her by his name, every once in awhile he
still slipped out of it. And no matter how much time they spent as each
other, he knew that he'd always think of himself as Marcus. "Sorry, I
wasn't paying attention." Marcus apologized.
"S'all right." Buzz grinned, "But you're supposed to save that for
class."
"When he's right, he's right." Stu added in with a chuckle.
"What were you saying?" Marcus asked them, trying to stay
focused.
Buzz nodded, "I was just saying that I bet you're really looking
forward to jumping with us Saturday. I know you said that you've
jumped before, but never with us." Then Buzz grinned mischievously,
"And never with your crazy new boyfriend here." He slapped Angel on
the shoulder. "This guy is certified insane."
Marcus and Angel both glanced at each other in embarrassment,
Marcus remembering just how angry Angel had gotten with him over his
being "crazy." All he'd been doing was having fun, but how could he
know that he had a real guardian angel who'd been keeping him from
getting killed.
"Not anymore." Angel said firmly. Then with a slightly
mischievous grin herself, she added, "No crazy stuff for me. You could
say that this is an all new Marcus."
"We'll see." Stu said unconvinced, taking a slow sip of his coffee.
"But if you've really managed to tame him," Stu said to Marcus with a
cocky grin, "Then girl, you have really got him wrapped around your
finger." They all chuckled at that, though Marcus felt a little embarrassed
at the same time.
Suddenly, Buzz jumped out of his seat with a look of mock
horror on his face. "Coffee. Coffee. I'm out of coffee." Then yelling
across the cafe, much to everyone else's embarrassed amusement, Buzz
yelled, "Another espresso over here!" When Buzz had sat back down
with a shit eaten grin on his face, he looked at the others and asked
"What?"
"And you say Ma.....I'm the crazy one." Angel said with a smile
though Buzz just shrugged.
For the rest of the lunch they continued to talk, mostly of their
bungee jumping plans for the weekend. Marcus felt sort of odd being
with his friends and them not even knowing who he was. As far as they
were concerned, he was just Angel, their best friends new girlfriend who
just had the good taste to like the same kind of extreme sports as they
did. Marcus smiled faintly, feeling a little left out. They weren't treating
him at all like they used to, though they were still being very friendly.
They'd accepted him as Angel, at least tentatively until the jump, but it
still wasn't the same. There wasn't the same camaraderie, respect
or...male bonding. With a sigh, Marcus looked over at Angel, knowing
that he'd have to get used to it if he wanted to stay friends with them. It
was just one more adjustment that he'd have to make.
Lunch finished up rather quickly and they all broke away from
the cafe, heading back to campus and their next classes. "Mine's that
stupid religion class." Stu grumbled, while Angel just smiled and offered
to help him if he needed it. Stu smirked. "You're even worse about
religion than I am Marcus."
"You'd be surprised what sh...he knows." Marcus broke in with a
grin. "You'd be surprised." Stu shrugged, unconvinced though he didn't
say anything more except for "Goodbye." Marcus shook his head and
watched Angel in amusement, thinking that Stu and Buzz would be more
than just a little surprised to find out how much the new Marcus knew
about religions. The thought even made him chuckle as he started
towards the next class.
--------------------
Marcus sighed as he leaned back against the bench and looked
around. He'd just finished with his last class of the day, said goodbye to
Angel and promising that he'd see her again later, and then sat down for
a few minutes before going to Amy's like he promised. That was
something that he wasn't exactly sure about, but knew that he'd not only
promised, but would likely need her help and friendship. After all, there
was only so much that Angel could teach him about being a woman, and
as much as Marcus disliked the fact, he was one now.
"I guess I should get going." Marcus told himself, still not
bothering to get up from the bench. He looked at the people walking by
him, then at the two guys who were sitting by the tree just a short
distance away and talking. One of them was familiar to Marcus, though
the other one wasn't. In fact, the unfamiliar boy seemed rather odd, but
Marcus couldn't place why. Curious, he listened in to their conversation.
"Look," The new unfamiliar boy was saying to Tony Ellis, the
other one, "I'm telling you that he's a tyrant. I mean, look at all the things
in the Bible. God created Adam and Eve, then kept them in his own
personal petting zoo, no better than pets. In fact, if they hadn't eaten that
apple, or whatever the hell it was, humans would still be nothing more
than brainless animals without any real free will."
Tony started to argue, "I don't think so...."
"No you don't." The other boy sneered. "I mean, God is great at
destroying everything and punishing the innocent. When he caused the
Great Flood, think about all the innocent animals and all the children that
were killed. It was mass murder and near genocide if you go by the
Bible. Would a benevolent God do that?" Then before Tony could
answer, the boy continued, "And then there was Sodom and Gomorra.
How many innocent children do you think where in those places when he
killed them all off? Or what about ordering his followers to kill their
own children, just so that he can test their loyalty. I tell you man, God is
nothing more than a tyrant, a bully and a hypocrite. Common, having a
kid with another guy's wife..."
Tony started laughing at that. "Then I guess it's a good thing that
it's all stories. Man, I loved the look on the profs face when you argued
with him in class. I shoulda taken comparative religion before."
Marcus looked away from the two, gulping as he did so. What
that boy had said....It had definitely gotten to him. As Marcus thought
about it, he began to feel shivers creep along his spine. He couldn't help
thinking that from that point of view, that kid was right. After all, wasn't
he living proof of God's punishing the innocent. Just because Angel
broke some rule, he gets caught along with her.
"But she still trusts him." Marcus told himself half convinced,
remembering that Angel hadn't been angry at the "Big Guy" since he'd
changed them. Instead, she seemed to think that it was part of some
bigger plan or that he was wise in doing so. Marcus wasn't sure that he
believed that anymore. Especially not after having heard that convincing
argument.
Then Marcus sighed, pushing these thoughts out of his head for
the moment. "No good worrying about it." he told himself, remembering
that he still had to meet Amy. He glanced at his watch and then the two
boys who were still talking, though about something else now.
Frowning, Marcus stood up, stretching his shifted wings out behind him
and thinking how good they felt, even if he couldn't see them at the
moment. "I'd better hurry." He said, already looking for a place where
he could shift out without being seen so that he could fly over. "At least I
can have some fun on the way." Marcus smiled in anticipation as he
thought about how great it would be flying. "Amy won't mind my being
a few minutes late...."
As Marcus hurried away, he didn't notice that the boy he'd
overheard talking had stopped and was staring at him with a smirk on his
face. The boy started chuckling slightly and he whispered to himself,
"We'll talk soon pretty one." Then, as the boy continued to stare in the
direction Marcus had gone, for the faintest moment, his eyes almost
seemed to turn bright red before he once again returned his attention to
Tony.
---------------------
Marcus let out a screech of excitement as he dove down through
the clouds, plummeting towards the ground at incredible speed. He felt a
little guilty for not going straight to Amy's like he promised, but not
much. The thrill of the flight was just too much temptation for him to
resist. With a loud laugh, Marcus came closer and closer towards the
looming ground, marveling at how fantastic he felt. Every cell in his
body was alive and charged with adrenaline, and something more.
Finally, just as Marcus was nearing the ground, he stretched his
wings out behind him, swooping up and shooting back into the air,
loving the thrill...the excitement of the flying. That was the highest drop
he'd ever done. Higher than any of the bungee jumps that he'd ever
done, and even higher than the sky diving. And he loved it.
As Marcus remembered his purpose and reigned in his impulse to
try it again, he sighed and thought that the only thing missing.....the only
thing that could make it better....would be having Angel along with him.
The thought of her back in his dorm room, trapped in his powerless
mortal body and alone almost brought a tear to Marcus's eye.
"Stop that." He told himself, refusing to let himself cry. But even
though no tears came, Marcus still felt the same and couldn't wait to get
back to Angel.
Then Marcus once again returned his thoughts to the business at
hand, and the appointment he had with Amy. As soon as he saw the
dorm building, another trickle of guilt for keeping her waiting went
through him, making Marcus increase his speed as he dove straight for
the building wall. A moment later, Marcus had gone through the wall as
if it wasn't there, shivering at idea but wanting to get where he was
going.
Once Marcus was in the hall and saw that he was alone, he let
himself shift back into the "real" world, making sure to keep his wings
shifted out. "Wouldn't do to freak Amy out." Marcus grinned to himself,
wondering just how the pretty blonde would react to seeing him with
wings. For a split second he even considered trying to find out, then his
better sense got hold of him and Marcus quickly knocked on the door.
After half a minute, the door opened up and Amy stepped out,
frowning. "I wasn't sure you were coming." She sounded a little
annoyed at being kept waiting, but then she started to smile. "Well, never
mind."
"Sorry about that." Marcus told her as he went in, "I got
distracted by something on the way over."
Amy nodded understandingly. "Well, let's get going."
Without any hesitation, Marcus nodded agreement, wondering
though if perhaps he'd made a mistake in agreeing to go. However, he
remembered his earlier resolve to learn about being a woman and pushed
his doubts aside for the moment. "Too late now anyways." he thought as
he followed behind his new friend.
Marcus and Amy arrived at the mall a short time later and Amy
led them directly to one of the clothing stores. "Let's get you started here
right." She told Marcus. "Since you already have underwear we'll leave
off the lingerie for now...." She almost dragged him past the lingerie
department while Marcus half protested, wanting to go inside and try on
a few things to see how good he could look, though he wasn't about to
really admit it.
Once they were past the lingerie department, Marcus felt both
relieved and disappointed at the same time, which left him a little
confused. However, Marcus didn't have to dwell on that as Amy quickly
took him through the clothes, pulling things out with a critical practiced
eye and tossing them at Marcus. "These should be about your size and
look really hot on you." Amy told him as she tossed a pair of tight
looking pants into his arms. Finally, after a much shorter period than
Marcus would have expected, Amy said, "That should about do it for
now. Why don't you make sure that those things fit and then we can get
out of here."
"Aren't you going buy anything?" Marcus asked Amy, looking at
her empty hands curiously. "Or at least try something on?" He watched
Amy carefully, thoughts of seeing her in different sexy outfits filling his
head and beginning to excite him. He hadn't been that excited by anyone
but Angel since his transformation.
Amy shook her head. "Nah. I have plenty of clothes already."
Then she shrugged. "And anyways, I'm not really big on shopping for
myself."
Marcus shook his head in surprise. A woman who didn't like to
shop? What was the world coming to? Then he frowned, turning and
going towards the dressing room, wondering just how many more of the
stereotypes about women he'd see proven wrong. But still, after taking a
backwards glance towards Amy, Marcus started to chuckle, guessing that
did seem at least a little excited about shopping, but only for him.
A short while later, Marcus had tried on all the clothes that Amy
had selected for him, finding that only once piece didn't really fit him.
He shrugged, tossing that shirt off to the side and admiring the way the
tight fitting pants and new shirt showed off his body. Marcus smiled
faintly, muttering "Man, I look good." With that he sighed, thinking that
he would have much rather been dating a girl that looked like that than
having to be one. "At least I'm a good looking girl." He muttered
grudgingly, trying to follow Angel's example and remain positive.
For a moment Marcus paused, the words of that boy he'd
overheard earlier filling his mind. "God is a tyrant.....punishes the
innocent......" Marcus frowned, looking up at the ceiling and feeling
rather annoyed. It wasn't his fault.... Then Marcus shook his head.
"Enough of that." he decided, once again pushing those words to the
back of his mind, though he knew that they wouldn't remain there. Then
picking up the rest of the clothes, Marcus left the dressing room to show
Amy and pay for his purchases.
"Not bad." Amy said when she saw him, though the look of
admiration, and even jealousy on her face showed that she thought more
of it than that. Then with a sigh, Amy said, "I wish I could look have as
good."
"Don't be that way." Marcus told her in annoyance. "You're a
good looking girl."
"Yeah, but you're a great looking one." Amy smiled back, "And
you don't even have the decency to be vain about it."
That made Marcus smile back. "So, what's next?" He looked
down at himself, noticing that his new clothes had definitely made a
difference already. Before he'd been wearing rather loose pants and shirt
to unsuccessfully try hiding his figure. The idea of actually showing it
off instead was taking some getting used to, but it was also beginning to
turn Marcus on a little.
Amy paused and looked Marcus over critically. "Hmmm." She
muttered, "You definitely need some new shoes. Sneakers just aren't
going to cut it with that outfit."
"What's wrong with my shoes?" Marcus asked defensively
though he already knew very well that he should be wearing pumps or
high heels instead.
Amy just shook her head and gave him a look that said "Why
me?" Smiling faintly, Amy said, "Of course you need some makeup, and
maybe get your ears pierced..." Marcus smirked slightly at that. He'd
had one of his ears pierced and wore a ring in it back when he was a guy,
but now that he'd been turned into a girl his ears weren't pierced. Amy
continued on, "Your nails look fantastic, but could use some polish,
and...." Marcus was barely listening anymore as he carried the clothes to
the checkout, wondering what Angel would say when he showed her.
Their next stop was the shoe store, where Marcus got a pair of
low pumps that Amy assured him would look good, and a pair of 3 inch
heels, which he knew he'd need a lot of practice to wear. Even as they
left the shoe store, Marcus looked down at the bag in his hand,
wondering how he'd ever let Amy talk him into buying high heels in the
first place. And even more, he knew very well that he was going to try
them on. After all, what other time would he get a chance to see what the
big fuss with wearing them was all about?
Once they went and picked out all the makeup, Amy turned to
Marcus and giggled, "When we get back I'll show you how to use it
right. You'll knock that handsome boyfriend of yours dead." Marcus
blushed at that, feeling embarrassed both at having Amy call his original
body handsome, as well as refer to Angel as his boyfriend. However, he
blushed even deeper as he realized that both descriptions were more or
less correct.
Finally, Amy pulled Marcus into a hair stylist, who's work was
finished at an amazing speed. He sat through the whole thing with mixed
emotions, but deciding for the moment to just go along for the ride like
he'd already been doing. When the stylist was finished, she turned to
Marcus and sighed. "You really have the most beautiful hair. I hardly
had to do anything with it at all." Marcus smiled self consciously, in
spite of the fact that the woman had been making similar comments
throughout the procedure.
"Thank you." Marcus told the woman, glancing back and forth
between her and Amy, who looked especially proud. Marcus gulped and
looked at himself in the mirror, no longer surprised at changes in his
appearance, though he was somewhat impressed. His hair had already
been very nice, almost exceptional, however now it had been altered just
enough to make it all stand out even more.
"Well I guess that's everything then." Marcus said as he and Amy
started walking out of the mall. His fingers self consciously went to his
ears and the new holes that had been put in them before the hair stylist.
With all that together, he knew that once he had the makeup on and done
right, he'd be unbelievable. The very thought sent a shiver through his
spine as he thought about how naughty that made him feel, and how nice
at the same time.
"Pretty much." Amy agreed. "It went a little quicker than I
expected." Marcus noticed the tone of relief in her voice. "Now let's get
back to the dorms and I can teach you how to use this stuff." She held up
the bag containing the makeup that they'd purchased, grinning broadly as
she did so.
Marcus just nodded agreement.
As they were walking towards the mall exit, Marcus was shocked
as someone suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder. "Hi there pretty." A
rough male voice said cruelly.
Marcus snapped around, startled to recognize the same guy he'd
overhead talking earlier. "Let me go!" Marcus growled, more angry than
scared. He tried yanking himself away, but the boy's grasp was too tight.
"Well, little girl, I've got you and I don't think I wanna let you
go." The boy sneered, then licked his lips as he looked down at Marcus's
chest. Marcus blushed, feeling suddenly dirty and ashamed. As if that
sicko's thoughts were rubbing off on him.
"Let her go." Amy demanded, her fear obvious in her eyes though
she still stood firm.
The boy sneered again. "I don't think so." Then before either
Marcus or Amy realized it, the boy's hand lashed out, connecting with
Amy's chin and knocking her back onto the floor.
"Bastard!" Screamed Marcus as he punched at the boy as hard as
he could. Unfortunately, with the boy still holding onto him, Marcus
didn't have enough leverage to do any damage.
Laughing at the failed assault, the boy grasped Marcus's shoulder
even tighter, making him let out as squeal from the increasing pain. At
this point, as angry as Marcus was, he was beginning to get scared as
well.
"Eve was created to serve Adam's lust," The strange boy said
with a fanatical accent. "and all women since have been born to serve the
rest of man in the same way. You are all weak sluts and whores, serving
no purpose but quenching our desires." He stared at Marcus, lust clearly
visible in his eye. "God hath punished thee by giving you that form,
showing his displeasure at your corrupt soul. So it is with all women."
"You're nuts." Marcus gasped out, wincing at the sharp pain in
his shoulder. He was ashamed to feel tears pouring down his cheeks. He
never cried. Never. But he couldn't deny that now he was. That now he
was terrified of this crazed psychopath that had a hold of him. "Amy!"
He cried out, admitting to himself that he needed help. "Angel!" Now,
more than ever before, Marcus wished that he'd never been changed with
Angel. He'd have her to protect him. He'd have the strength to fight
back on his own, instead of feeling so weak and helpless. In fact,
Marcus realized that he'd never even be in that situation. It was all
because he'd been turned into a girl.
"Now my pretty little one," the crazed boy said with a wicked
smile, "my little whore, you will satisfy the carnal urges you have raised
in me by your slutty ways, then I shall ensure that no man is ever
tempted by your brazen flesh again."
Marcus struggled even more frantically, screaming "No!" over
and over again. He was barely aware that Amy was struggling to get up
off the floor, only that the boy was grabbing him tighter, and by his
breasts. He struggled as hard as he could, then he remembered. Marcus
finally remembered that he could shift out. For a brief moment he
thought that God would punish him horribly for doing so in front of
others, then he sneered. To hell with Gods punishment. He wouldn't
even be in that situation if it wasn't for the Big Guy punishing him
without reason.
"Come on you fucking slut." The boy growled with an evil grin
on his face, "Show me how much you want it. I know you do. All girls
do."
"Leave me alone!" Marcus cried out, wincing from the pain and
trying to concentrate. Then he did it. Marcus willed himself to shift out,
willing himself to become safe from his attacker. But much to his horror,
he didn't shift out. He remained just as visible and solid as before, with
his attacker still grasping at him. It was with a realization of horror that
Marcus realized that God wasn't going to let him break the rules,
regardless of what happened to him. "NOOOO!" Marcus screamed out
with every bit of anger and terror that he felt.
"NO!" Amy suddenly screamed, smashing the boy alongside the
head with her bags. "Leave her ALONE!"
The boy growled, lashing out at Amy with one of his hands.
Marcus took advantage of the brief loosening of the grip to try fighting
back again. He yanked his shoulder away, though he still wasn't able to
get out of the boy's grasp before he tightened his grip again. Marcus's
eyes narrowed and he growled in anger, refusing to just give up. Then
without any hesitation, Marcus grabbed hold of the boys testicles as hard
as he could, and squeezed even harder. The boy let out a scream of raw
agony but let go of Marcus. Marcus jumped out of the boys reach, then
lashed out with his foot, giving several good kicks before he grabbed
Amy's hand and said, "Let's go."
Once Marcus and Amy were outside, he was half surprised to
realize that they were still holding the bags that had the things they'd
bought. He glanced back behind him, afraid that he'd see that boy again
but was relieved when he didn't. But Marcus still had to fight back the
temptation to shift out, if he still could, and fly away, leaving Amy
behind. But as soon as that thought crosses his mind, Marcus forced it
down, refusing to abandon her to that freak. They were both relieved to
get to the car without further incident, and away from the mall.
It didn't take long before they had returned to the dorms. Marcus
was silent, glancing over nervously at an equally silent Amy. Neither
knew exactly what to say, though Marcus finally broke the silence with
"Thank you." Amy nodded, blushing slightly as she did so. Slowly they
went inside the building and towards Amy's room, neither of them ready
to talk much yet, though they both continued to nervously look over their
shoulders. It was only once they were back inside the safety of Amy's
room that they let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.
"That was horrible." Amy said finally, her face still a little pale
from the shock. "We've got to call the police."
"And tell them what?" Marcus sneered, "That we don't know the
guy's name?" He sighed, thinking about it. "Actually, I saw him earlier
and remember him saying something about being in a comparative
religion class. That should help narrow things down pretty good."
"Yeah." Amy agreed, though at the moment neither of them
reached for the phone. Instead they continued to look at each other, each
facing the reality of just how close they might have come. And right in
the middle of a mall as well, without a single person coming to their
help.
Marcus shuddered at the memory, feeling the adrenaline still
pumping through his body but not being excited by it in the least. Not
like he normally was. Instead, he felt ashamed. Dirty. How could that
bastard try doing something like that to him? And then he remembered
how he couldn't even shift out and felt a surge of anger, this time
directed at an entirely difference source than his attacker. The same
source that put him in that body in the first place.
With a loud sigh, Marcus looked over at the bags of "stuff" he'd
bought earlier. As exciting as it had been then, it just didn't seem quite as
much so now. "I've gotta get going." He suddenly told Amy, no longer
in the mood for makeup lessons. At least not at the moment. "I don't
feel like those lessons you promised right now. I just want to be alone for
awhile."
"All right." Amy said in a slightly disappointed though
understanding voice. Then to Marcus's surprise, she leaned over and
wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug before she pulled back
and said, "I'll see you later Angel."
"Sure." Marcus promised, "I'll see you tomorrow." Then with
that, Marcus waved goodbye and was out the door, heading to the room
that he'd gotten started calling his own. As soon as he arrived in it, he
stopped and looked around, remembering his own room....his old room,
and realizing that he hadn't even been there that day. It had been the first
day since his transformation that he hadn't been in his old room. "I guess
I'll get used to it." he told himself quietly as he set his bags down and
leaned up against the wall, relieved to be safe at last.
After a minute, Marcus was startled to hear a knock on the door.
"Amy?" He asked, half expecting it to be her as he opened it up. Instead,
Marcus was almost surprised to see his old body standing there, the
blonde hair uncombed and the face looking worried. "Angel?" Marcus
asked, opening the door wider to let her in, "What are you doing here?"
Angel immediately came in, her eyes looking nervously about.
"Are you all right?" she asked. "I know something happened. I could
feel it. Were you hurt at all? What happened?"
Marcus took a step back and stared at Angel. "What?"
Looking just a little calmer, Angel explained, "I could feel you in
danger. What happened?"
"I was damn near raped." Marcus snarled furiously. "And your
damn boss wouldn't even let me shift out." Angel looked stunned at that.
"But what business is it of yours anyway? It's not like you're my
guardian angel anymore, is it? What the hell can you do?" As soon as
the words were out of his mouth, Marcus wished he hadn't said them.
But he had. And by the look on Angel's face, he knew that the reminder
had hurt her.
"But I am." She said quietly, almost in a whisper. "No matter
what happens to me, I'll always be your guardian...." At this, Marcus was
surprised to see tears coming out of her eyes. "I'm supposed to protect
you, and I can't even do it right anymore. I'm so sorry...." Then with
that, Angel turned and ran out the door and down the hall. Marcus
called out after her, but she didn't show any sign that she heard.
"I'm sorry." he whispered to himself, tears coming down his own
cheeks. "I'm sorry." But it was too late for that. Feeling absolutely
horrible, about what had happened to him earlier and what he'd said to
Angel, Marcus threw himself onto the bed and his face into the pillow,
then he let his tears flow.
Over the next several days, Marcus and Angel barely spoke a
word to each other, in spite of the fact that they had all the same classes
and sat next to each other in most of them. Marcus couldn't bring
himself to look Angel in the eyes, feeling too guilty about what he'd said.
The whole time since their change, she'd been the one who'd accepted it,
who'd given Marcus the strength to accept it as well. But now....now he
could tell that even Angel was being torn apart, and it was his fault.
As soon as the last class had let out on Friday, Marcus glanced
over at Angel, seeing that she was about to say something, but then
stopped, the same as she'd done several times over the last few days.
He'd done the same himself. Marcus quickly turned his eyes away,
refusing to look her in the eye though it was what he wanted more than
anything. Without a word he left the classroom, and as soon as he was
out of sight, he shifted out and started flying back to the dorm.
Once Marcus was in the air, he flew up high then dived back
down again for old times sake, though this time it just wasn't the same.
There wasn't the same thrill that he so loved. Instead, all he could do was
think of his situation. Of how he'd spent the last several days with Amy,
becoming even better friends with her. He'd even been learning how to
use makeup and walk in those 3 inch heels he'd bought. But still, he had
no idea what Angel thought about that or his new clothes. That left an
empty ache inside of him and Marcus wasn't sure how to fix it.
Marcus sighed, forcing his mind away from Angel, or at least
trying to. But still, he couldn't help but thinking of what had happened to
them. He frowned as memories of his attackers words came back to him.
"God is a tyrant." Marcus grimaced, remembering just how close his own
predicament came to proving that. He had not only been punished for
someone else breaking the rules, but God would have let him be raped
rather than let him break another rule. Anger rose up inside of Marcus.
Was this really the same God that he'd grown up with? The same one
that Angel still seemed so loyal and trusting of? Marcus didn't know, but
there was a great deal that he didn't know anymore.
"Enough of that." Marcus growled at himself, still feeling rather
angry at what had been done to his life but refusing to think about it
anymore at the moment. He had spotted his dorm building down below
and quickly swooped down towards it, passing through the wall and
shifting back in within mere moments. "That should do it." Marcus said,
glancing behind himself just to make sure that his wings were indeed
invisible. Sometimes he felt like everyone had to be able to see them and
had to remind himself that they couldn't.
Several minutes later, Marcus had gone inside of Amy's room
and listened quietly as she complained about how one of the boys she
was interested in hadn't asked her out yet. "It's obvious that he likes me."
She pouted. "Why doesn't he have the balls to ask me out?"
Marcus smiled faintly at this since Amy's problem distracted him
from his own. "Maybe he's shy." Marcus pointed out calmly,
remembering this same story from the other side. How many times had
he been unable to ask out a girl he liked or had one of his friends
complain about not being able to. "Maybe he thinks you're already
spoken for or wouldn't be interested in him." Marcus put a hand on
Amy's shoulder, "Have you given him any reason to really think that you
like him?"
Amy took a step back and gave Marcus an odd look. "Just who's
side are you on here?" But before Marcus could answer, she said, "I've
flirted with him a few times."
At this, Marcus nodded knowingly. "He probably thought you
were just being a tease. A lot of guys are afraid of rejection. If you're
really interested in the guy, maybe you should ask him out."
"I don't know..." Amy protested, "If he's not interested enough..."
"If you're don't have the guts to ask him, then don't blame him for
not asking you." Marcus looked at Amy, beginning to feel annoyed. She
suddenly reminded him of all the times he'd had friends get hurt by girls
rejection. He hadn't had that problem himself too much, but he definitely
knew how hard it was sometimes to ask a girl out. Then a little calmer,
Marcus said, "Just try to see things from his point of view. The guy's
probably a little intimidated, though I doubt he'll admit it."
Amy nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right. I'll think about
it."
"That's all I can ask." Marcus told her, feeling a little bit
embarrassed now at having played matchmaker.
For the next several moments, both looked at each other quietly.
Finally Amy asked, "And what's up with you and your boyfriend? You
haven't introduced me and I've noticed the way you're avoiding him.
What's the matter? Did you have a fight?"
Marcus gasped, "Boyfriend?" He gulped, already knowing that
she was referring to Angel but not sure how to respond. "A....Marcus
and I did have a bit of a fight." he admitted, feeling another surge of guilt
as he said it. "I'd rather not talk about it right now though. All right?"
"All right." Amy sighed, then looking at Marcus sideways, she
added, "Of course, if you really want to get back together with him but
don't have the guts to take the first step....."
Marcus smiled in spite of himself. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I can ask." Amy grinned back then both startled
laughing.
A short while later, Marcus and Amy were talking about things
that were less important, though Marcus still enjoyed it. Amy was
helping him adjust to his new body and life, and she wasn't even aware
of it. It left him feeling a little bad that he couldn't tell her who he really
was, but he knew that she'd never believe it. After all, he certainly didn't
look anything like a guy anymore.
Then suddenly, while in the middle of a sentence, Marcus
stopped and stared at the wall. Something was w