The darkness snapped away from Ben as he sat up, face drenched in sweat, the revelation from his nightmare still fresh in his mind. The name of the person he was trying to save was ‘Lilly.’
Ben glanced around Ariana’s room. The night before, he hadn’t paid much attention to it other than the twin-sized bed and a comfy-looking chair in the corner. Now that the morning light had crept in, he could finally see all the fine details: faded musical notes that danced across the walls, a few loose sheets of paper with what looked like outfit designs on them, and books stacked on the chair and by the bed, on which Ariana slept peacefully.
Images of himself kicking the man to death flashed through Ben’s mind. He wanted to tell himself that it wasn’t real, that it was nothing more than a nightmare. Yet, he could still hear the man’s screams and remember the feeling of his bloodied boot trampling him, over and over. Above all, rage and guilt tore at him like a wild animal ripping its freshly caught prey.
It must be real, Ben decided. But even then, there was still the matter of the mysterious Lilly. How important was she that he would kill someone in pursuit of her?
Another disturbing thought breached his mind. What if that man wasn’t the only one?
Ben clenched his jaw. Despite not having Zachariel’s total trust, he had felt like he had made progress, establishing an understanding between them. But what if the angel was right? What would he do if he knew the truth?
What would Ariana think of me?
Ben stood, forcing the breath he held from his lungs as he made his way into the dining room. At the counter stood Zachariel, wings held in tight as he prepared his coffee.
“Good morning, Ben. Did you sleep well?”
“I, uh,” Ben struggled to find words. “Yeah. Like a baby.”
“Ariana didn’t keep you up, did she?”
“She tried.” His face flushed red. “I mean, not like that. I stayed away from her like you said, I swear.”
“I know, Ben.” Zachariel rolled his eyes. “I saw.”
“Oh. Right.” Ben shook his head and straightened. “Anyway, did you sleep good too?”
Zachariel paused for a moment. “I…don’t sleep.” He began to brew. “Angels don’t rest like you humans do.”
“Huh.” Ben glanced back at the door to Ariana’s room. “That makes two of you. Must be all the coffee.”
The angel chuckled. “Certainly. Although I must say, she was like that even when she first came here.” He raised an empty mug, offering him some of the coffee. Ben accepted.
“Hey, you said yesterday that people come here from Earth, right?”
“Yes, they do.” Zachariel paused, eying Ben. “Why do you ask?”
“I…” Ben inhaled. “I was wondering if anyone had ever, uh, gone back?”
“Hmm…” Zachariel faced Ben and handed him his drink. “Not to my knowledge, unfortunately. If people leave New Eden, it’s because they pass on.” He sipped his coffee, eyes downcast.
“So, I’m stuck here?”
“I didn’t say it was impossible. Your situation is not like the others.” Zachariel glanced out the window as he took another drink. “I understand how frustrating this is for you, but I’m doing what I can. I may have even found a lead back where Ariana found you.”
“Leanoir Forest?” Ben’s eyebrows raised. “Find anything useful?”
“Not particularly.” The angel stiffened. “More concerning, if I’m honest.”
“Oh.” Ben slumped back in his chair. “Well, I don’t know if it helps, but I had a dream last night. Finally learned something, I think.”
Zachariel’s eyes lit up. “Oh?”
“I know her name. The girl I was trying to save. ‘Lilly.’”
“Interesting,” Zachariel replied, placing his mug on the table as he leaned in. “Is there anything else? Anything potentially useful?”
As the words departed the angel’s mouth, the image of his dream-doppelgänger kicking the man to death quickly flashed across Ben’s vision once more. His jaw tightened.
“No, not really,” Ben lied. “It was all kinda dark. And blurry. Not much else.”
“Are you sure?” Zachariel’s eyes briefly narrowed. “Nothing…ominous? Frightening?”
Ben tensed. Could Zachariel tell that he was hiding something? He exhaled, forcing steadiness and calm into his voice as he spoke the words.
“No, sir.”
“I see.” The angel eyed him. “Well, it’s a start. Keep me updated in case you remember something else.”
“I will.” Ben nodded obediently, maintaining his composure.
Zachariel returned the nod. “I’ll see both of you later. And…” the angels’ gaze shifted, “…do keep out of trouble, Ari?”
Ben’s eyes widened as Ariana rested her elbow on his head. “Will do, Dad!”
The angel rolled his eyes before exiting the cottage and tearing into the sky. Ariana made her way around the table to the counter, where she poured a bowl of cereal.
“For a loudmouth, you sure know how to sneak up on someone,” Ben noted as she poured the contents out and followed it with milk.
“Eh. It’s not that hard. With you, anyway.” Ariana shrugged as she pulled out another bowl, gesturing to Ben with it. “Want some?”
“Sure, why not.” Ben sat patiently as Ariana filled the bowl and gently slid it over to him, the metal spoon shifting around the rim as it came to a stop in front of him. She fetched her own and sat where Zachariel had been only moments ago.
“So,” Ariana began. “Lilly, huh?”
Ben glanced at her for a moment, before munching on his breakfast, his eyes downcast as he shoveled the food into his mouth. “Yeah. Not much to go on. Like your dad said, it’s a start.”
“But you didn’t tell him the whole thing, did you?” she asked, her voice slowly shifting from her normal upbeat tone to one of concern.
“I…” Ben ate his food slightly faster. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Last night, when you talked in your sleep,” Ariana said. “You said you were going to kill someone.”
Ben froze, dropping his spoon to the table with a metallic clatter. His chest tensed up; his body trembled. Ariana reached across and placed her hands on his.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Her azure eyes bore into his. “I just—”
“You remember how I said I was trying to save someone?”
Ariana’s eyes widened; her mouth curled. She nodded.
“The ones that took her, they weren’t good,” Ben continued. “They kidnap people and sell them off to others who do horrible things to them,” Ben explained, his throat feeling dry. “So now she’s…”
“Ben—”
“It’s my fault, Ari,” Ben said, his voice on the verge of breaking. “I failed her, and now she has to suffer while I’m in the afterlife or whatever this place is. I’m no better than them. I—”
Ariana cut him off, squeezing his hands. Slowly, Ben’s breaths steadied. She loosened her grip and smiled encouragingly. “Just breathe. I promise we’re gonna find her.”
“I’m sorry.” Ben frowned. “I just don’t deserve this, is all.”
“Don’t say that.” Ariana smiled gently at him. “You’re a good person, Benjamin Blake. Don’t let those thoughts getcha down, okay?”
But I’m a killer, he wanted to say. Ben wanted to lay it out plainly for everyone to see, that he was a murderer and a failure. Instead, all that came out of his mouth was a simple ‘0kay.’
“Good!” Ariana beamed, then finished her cereal with three swift bites, before eyeing Ben’s soggy breakfast. “You gonna eat that?”
Shaking his head, Ben slid her the bowl. She grabbed it, then began to speak again. “So, there’s a music shop downtown that I really like. I was planning on visiting today.”
“Oh. You gonna pick up something?”
Ariana nodded as she shoved another spoonful into her mouth. “Yep! I’m getting an instrument today. Probably a good used one if I can find it.”
Ben’s eyebrow arched. “I thought you already had your violin?”
“I mean, I do, but…” Ariana blushed. “It’s not for me. I’ve always had this stupid little dream of starting a two-person band and going on tour all around town.”
“So, you need another bandmate,” Ben theorized.
“Exactly!” Ariana brushed some of her hair behind her ear. “I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me?”
Ben met her eyes for a moment, in which the fire of her dream burned bright. He avoided her gaze. “I’m sorry. I don’t feel like going out today.”
Ariana finished her cereal, then shifted it to the side. “Aw, come on! It’ll be fun, I promise! Besides, it’s not good for you to sit around by yourself all day.”
“I don’t know, Ari.”
Ariana leaned in, and her azure eyes widened as she pursed her lips cutely, tilting her head. “Please?”
Ben sighed. He slowly rose from his chair as Ariana grabbed his wrist. She pulled him from the cottage out into the hilltop overlooking Riverglade. Now that it was daytime, he could finally see the entire village in all its glory. The stone circle where Ariana had performed served as the heart of town. Walkways stretched, intersected, and eventually faded into gravel as they reached the outskirts. The buildings varied in their styles and structures; some were standard brick and mortar, others showcased their unique architecture, perhaps inspired by their previous lives on earth.
Ariana pulled Ben from his thoughts into the lively, loud village. It was far less packed than it was at the festival; the walkways were clear, minus the occasional conglomeration of townsfolk socializing or children playing. Everyone else appeared to be working, manning their shops, or cleaning. The people who saw her waved and congratulated her on last night’s performance. Ariana waved back as they continued to walk.
“You must get this all the time,” Ben noted.
“Eh, not too much,” Ariana said. “People mostly leave me alone. It’s not like I’m a celebrity all the time.”
As they walked by, Ben noticed the couple with the dog from the festival sitting at a nearby table. Their eyes widened briefly before the boyfriend winked and gave them a thumbs-up. Ben felt his cheeks burn.
The next thing he knew, Ben and Ariana were in front of the music store. Haphazard splotches of paint covered the brick building almost completely, minus a few plain spots in the shape of musical notes.
Within the next minute, they had both stepped inside. Ariana waved to the owner and began handing Ben various instruments for him to try. Crowds cringed at his trumpet, cats screeched at his piano, and finally, the owner asked him politely, but inarguably, to stop.
His cheeks flushed and his lungs winded, Ben returned the instrument to the store owner, who rolled his eyes as he cleaned the mouthpiece for what seemed like the millionth time. Ariana sighed.
“Geez.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “No offense, but I might have to give up on that band dream of mine.”
“Sorry. Just not my thing.”
“Well, anyhoo.” Ariana rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I guess we can try again tomorrow. Did you have anything you wanted to do today, Ben?”
“I’m pretty beat. It feels like—”
Ariana snapped her fingers, interrupting him. “Oh, I got it!” She grabbed him by the wrist, waving to the store owner as she dragged him out of the music shop and onto the street. A few blocks later, they were in front of an outfit store.
“More shopping?” Ben asked, exasperated.
“Oh, come on, it’s the last stop today! Promise!”
“Do I have to go in there?”
Ariana paused, the excitement drained from her face as she released his hand. “Not if you don’t want to. I just figured…”
“You figured what?”
Her eyes fluttered; her lips pursed as she glanced away. She looked back up and smiled at Ben sadly. “It’s nothing. I’ll be a few minutes, anyway.”
“Are you sure? If you really want me to—”
“—It’s fine. I’ve just got to pick up something. A surprise for you, actually.” A half-smile touched her lips. “Just don’t go anywhere while I’m gone, okay?”
Ben nodded as Ariana bit her lip and walked into the store. He exhaled slowly.
She sure knows how to keep someone busy, Ben thought. The noises from his nightmare briefly echoed. The man’s screams and Lilly’s cry for help rang in his ears.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Then again, Ben looked at the shop to see Ari moving rack to rack, inspecting the different accessories. Maybe that’s the idea.
“Hiya, cutie!”
Ben spun around, finding a tall girl only a few inches away. At her sides were two similar girls, makeup caked on their faces. He took a wary step back, his spine tingled.
Why do they seem familiar?
The lead girl walked around, eyeing him. “So, this is the village stranger, huh?”
The second girl nodded as she studied Ben. “Sure is. Everyone says he’s from the forest…that he came here without an angel.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”
“Oh, you know.” The third girl grinned. “Small town. Word gets around fast. Nothing’s a secret, ya know?” The way she talked was like Ariana, but something was different. It was spiteful, taunting, almost a mockery.
“Do I know you?” Ben asked.
“Oh, sorry. We forgot to introduce ourselves.” The lead girl placed her hand confidently on her hip. “I’m Alexis. The other two are Marge and Bailey.”
“I don’t remember seeing you around.”
“Oh, trust me, you wouldn’t. We’re…” The one Ben assumed to be Bailey made quick eye contact with her cohorts, “…travelers, I guess you could say.” She flashed him an unnervingly perfect set of teeth.
“Huh.” Ben eyed them, his brow arched. “So, really, you’re village strangers, too.”
The third one, Marge, beamed, but something was off. Her smile seemed welcoming, but her eyes appeared hungry. “Then that makes four of us. Anyhoo…” Marge inched close to him. “What are you doing out here all by your lonesome?”
“Waiting on my friend.” Ben briefly glanced back into the shop but couldn’t see Ariana. His shoulders sank. “At least, I hope so.”
“Wow.” Alexis rubbed her chin as she shook her head. Her eyes seemed to pity him. “That’s rude.”
“Yeah.” Ben’s brows furrowed as he thought of Lilly. “Sure is, considering I’d rather do something else than waste my time standing here.”
“And what would that be?” Bailey asked.
“I…” He hesitated. “Nothing.”
“Hey, now.” Marge placed a reassuring hand on Ben’s shoulder. “We care, Ben. You can tell us.”
Ben paused. Something was off, and yet he ever so slightly felt at ease. Against his gut, he opened his mouth to speak. “I’m looking for someone. Someone named Lilly.”
“Hmm.” Bailey touched her chin. “Someone close to you, I take it?”
“Yeah. I haven’t been able to get anywhere with it, though,” Ben said. “The angel here forbade me to leave, and he won’t tell me why. So, I can’t really do anything about it.”
“That sucks.” Marge frowned. “But who says you have to stay? Why shouldn’t you be able to leave? It’s not like the angel is gonna smite you for leaving.”
“That’s…a good point.” Ben pondered it for a moment. “But my friend. She said—”
“—the same friend who’s shopping instead of helping you?”
Ben froze, the blatant words cutting through the fog of denial. Creepy stranger or not, she had a point. He glanced at the shop again, then pursed his lips.
“Yeah. That one.”
Alexis smiled and leaned in. “Tell you what. Me and the girls are leaving soon, anyway. You can tag along if you want, and we’ll help you find who you’re looking for.”
His eyes lit up. “Can you really?”
“Better than your so-called ‘friend’ can, anyway.” Bailey smirked. “We’ll at least put in the effort.”
“Yep!” Alexis leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “So, how about it?”
Ben paused as he considered it. For as long as he had been in Riverglade, it had been nothing but delays in his quest for answers. Zachariel had first promised to send him to someone who could help him, before unilaterally confining him to the village. Not only that, but at every chance that damn angel got, he treated Ben like a threat instead of a person. Ben’s jaw clenched tighter the more he thought about it.
On top of that, Ben thought, there’s Ariana. Always distracting me with pointless crap like this.
“Okay, you’re right.” Finally, Ben looked up at the girls. “Screw this. Let’s go.”
Alexis smirked, placing a hand on Ben’s back and gently pushing him away from the store. A voice erupted from behind them.
“Ben? Hey…wait! Where are you going?”
All four heads snapped in the shout’s direction. It belonged to a red—faced Ariana, who was now stomping towards them. Alexis nudged her cohorts and giggled.
“Uh oh.” Alexis glanced at Ben. “We didn’t get you in trouble, did we?”
Ariana finally caught up to them. Bag in hand, she eyed Ben, then the girls. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
“Yep. Only trying to help our little friend here,” Alexis said with a scoff as dry as dust. “Stick around, and you might learn a thing or two.”
The other two girls giggled, their laughs high-pitched and unnerving, like a pack of hyenas.
Ben watched Ariana’s jaw tighten as she turned to him, grabbing his wrist. “Come on, Ben. Let’s go.”
“You’re not listening.” Ben yanked his arm away. “They can help me.”
“Ben…we said we would help you,” Ariana protested. “Dad—”
“—is keeping me here against my will. You promised to help me, but what are we doing out here exactly? Shopping? Or trying to distract me?”
Silence fell upon the street as the two locked eyes. The glare on Ariana’s face melted into disbelief as her lips curled.
“I just didn’t want you to feel down.” Ariana broke the stare and studied her shoes. “I just figured—”
“He’s right, you know,” Marge said with a smirk. “What kind of friend are you?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she lured him in because of her cute little schtick with the violin,” Bailey added.
Ariana’s brows furrowed as she glared past Ben. “You don’t know a thing about me.”
“Oh, come on, everyone here knows about you.” Alexis chimed in. “It’s kind of easy when you put yourself out there like that, ya know.”
Ariana’s glare hardened, though her lips ever so slightly quivered. “You assume too much.”
“Do I? Hmm.” Alexis turned from Ben and paced around Ariana, cupping one arm across her slim figure and the other touching her chin as her haughty eyes sized up the poor girl, as if she were nothing more than a meal. “You’re not hard to figure out. The village mascot who puts on a cute show enough times to be adored…”
“Go away.”
“But beneath? A jealous, immature…”
“Stop,” Ariana warned.
“…childish little girl. One who doesn’t understand a thing about the real world…”
“I said—”
“—Not that it’s your fault, of course. It doesn’t help to be a freak with an angel for a fa—”
“Shut up!” Ariana screamed. “Just go! Just leave me alone!”
Alexis smirked. She collected her cohorts as they walked down the alley, away from the pair. She turned back towards Ben and winked.
“Keep our offer in mind. Okay, cutie?”
Ben stared as they turned a corner. Ariana stood beside him, her fists clenched and her chest heaving rapidly. She fell to her knees and sobbed.
“Hey, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Ben’s voice trailed off.
Ariana sat up, cupping her hand to her mouth as she continued to cry. “Ben, just go. Please.”
“Ari, don’t listen to them.” Ben shook his head. They’re…”
“No, they’re right.” Ariana looked up at him, tears falling as her heart shattered in her eyes. “You said it yourself. I’m not good enough to be your friend. I’m not good enough to be anyone’s friend.”
“That’s not true! I—” Ben reached out to help her up but was shoved away. She stood to her feet, her hand gripping her forearm.
“If you want to leave, then do it. I won’t tell Dad.” Ariana turned and began to briskly walk away.
As she stormed away, Ben stood, helplessly watching. He swiftly kicked a trash can down the brick street and sank against the wall, his fingers running through and gripping his hair.
“Way to go, idiot.” Ben crossed his arms and rested his head on them. Whatever he did, he was sure that his friendship with Ariana Winters was now over.
----------------------------------------
In the three hours since she had come home, Ariana had cried herself to sleep, her musical note pillow soaked with tears. Now, it was morning, and her room was empty, save for her. Ben was nowhere to be found.
She dug her face back into her pillow, so frustrated that she wanted to scream and suffocate herself. For once in her life, she had finally had a chance. A chance to make a friend, and she had blown it to smithereens.
Ariana went to dig her face further but felt something underneath. Her hand gripped something soft, and from beneath the pillow came a familiar stuffed rabbit.
“Oh…” Ariana smiled softly, hugging it tight to her chest. “Hi, Mr. Peter. I thought I lost you.”
The rabbit said nothing in return. Ariana frowned, remembering the girl’s words from earlier, the one who was flirting with Ben.
A jealous, immature, childish little girl.
Whoever that girl was, she was right. Ariana was childish. Her whole life, it seemed, she was always behind in every way. When they wanted to try makeup, she wanted to play a game of tag. If they gossiped or talked about current events, she didn’t hold interest. Ariana was different, damningly so.
But that’s not the only thing, is it? The voice in Ariana’s head asked.
Please, I don’t need this right now, she told it. Can you leave me alone for once?
You won’t admit it, but you’re too self-centered. The voice cut deep like a blade. It’s always your desires, feelings, and dreams above everyone else’s.
Ariana’s lips quivered as she clutched the rabbit. She bit her lip as the words reluctantly slipped from her mouth.
“You’re right.”
From her time as a young girl to now, Ariana always had a burning desire to stand out from everyone else. Be it her dazzling outfits, her theatrics, or her music and dancing, her zealous drive to be the center of everyone’s universe had always held her captive. Even when she had become the pride of the village and gained all the attention she desired, it wasn’t what she expected. While it was fulfilling in the moment, Ariana found she felt more like a painting to be admired or a simple product to be enjoyed than an actual person with thoughts, dreams, and feelings.
The village mascot, the mean girl’s taunt echoed, cute enough to be adored, but truly loved?
Ariana had tried using her newfound popularity to make friends, but it didn’t take. They cared for her talent and looks, but not her hobbies or crafts, nor would they join her to watch the New Eden sunset. In the end, any friends she attempted to make slowly faded away into their lives, away from her.
Including Ben, Ariana thought. She felt the urge to cry but couldn’t. Exhaustion had taken hold and squeezed the pain from her soul.
“I guess I’m doomed, huh?” she asked her rabbit. It said nothing in return, the faded button eyes staring blankly ahead. As lifeless as they were, it almost seemed like they pitied her.
Ariana grit her teeth. For a brief moment, she wanted to tear the stuffed animal to shreds, or throw it out the window and forget about it. Instead, she nuzzled it under her chin.
“I’m sorry,” Ariana whispered as she placed the rabbit on her pillow and pulled the blanket up over its legs, tucking it in. She rose from her bed, left her room to grab some of her comfort food, and stopped in her tracks.
At the table, sound asleep with his head in his arms, was Ben.
Her eyes widened. Ariana slowly crept closer to him, briefly rubbing his arm. Ben slowly lifted his head, blinking his stormy gray eyes as he looked at her.
“Oh, hey, Ari.” Ben paused for a second to stretch. “I, uh…I tried to come talk to you, but you were asleep.”
Ariana paused, allowing herself a moment to process. After a minute or two of silence, she finally managed something resembling words. “Oh, yeah. Me too.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“No, no…I…” Ariana’s cheeks flushed as she rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry. My brain is sorta fried right now.”
Ben chuckled. “Don’t worry, I get it. Trust me.”
“Anyway, I wanted to apologize.” Ariana pulled up the other chair and sat next to him. “For running off and leaving you alone in the street.”
Ben waved his hands. “Hey, hey, don’t worry about it, I get it. I was an ass. Those girls were a bunch of bit—”
“You don’t have to say it like that, but yeah.” A wry chuckle escaped her lips as she looked to the side. “I appreciate the sentiment, but they were right.”
“Right about what?”
“That I’m childish, immature.” Ariana took a deep breath as she pursed her lips. “And selfish. The reason I don’t have any friends is because I’ve never put them first, you included. It’s not that I didn’t care, but I was just…I dunno, oblivious, I guess. Being the village angel’s perfect little daughter hasn’t helped either.” She sighed. “I can see why they had enough of me. Honestly, I’m surprised that you’re still here. I thought you would have gone off with those girls or something.”
“I’m not gonna lie. I was tempted,” Ben admitted. “But it wasn’t worth losing you over it.”
“But I haven’t done anything to help you. I even distracted you from it, and not for your sake, either. I let what I wanted get in the way of what you needed.” Ariana’s lip curled as she dipped her head. “I was a terrible friend. I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Besides, you said you would help. I still plan to hold you to it, even if I gotta be patient about it. Also…” Ben avoided her gaze. “Maybe I need to be a better friend, too. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here, so I guess we should try to enjoy it while we can.”
“Yeah, there’s that too.” Ariana gave him a half—smile. “When you leave, I’m gonna miss you, ya know. A lot.”
“Same here.” Ben gently smiled at her. Then his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. “Say, you still have that band dream, right?”
Ariana nodded.
“Is that music shop open today?”
“Every day except for Sunday.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why do you ask?”
Ben paused for a moment, rubbing his chin. “Do they have any bongos?”
----------------------------------------
Ariana and Ben spent the next few hours touring the town, disturbing the peace with their violin-bongo duet. Surprisingly, he knew how to throw down a good beat, enough to keep her on track. Many townspeople neglected their errands in favor of their impromptu performance, clapping along. At one point, Ben had opted to switch instruments and dance around like an idiot, scratching away at the strings while Ariana and their audience practically died with laughter.
They took a bow as the crowd dispersed. The pair collapsed against the wall as Ben’s stomach growled.
“So, what’s for dinner?” he asked.
“Well, let’s see.” Ariana gestured to a few places down the street. “We have a fancy restaurant, a café, and a sandwich shop.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep. What are ya craving?”
“I dunno.” Ben scratched his head. “What are you in the mood for?”
Ariana pondered the question. Variety in Riverglade was sorely lacking, and the only thing resembling a solution was either keeping her choices on rotation or selecting them at random.
“Well, I guess I haven’t been to that restaurant in a while.” Ariana pulled out her patchwork wallet. The painfully minimal amount of money crammed into it demanded otherwise. She sighed.
Sandwiches it is.
After pulling Ben to his feet, Ariana marched him down the street and into the shop. Within a few minutes, orders were placed, and the pair were seated upstairs on the patio. A large, vine-covered wooden frame with dimly lit lanterns covered the rooftop, providing shade from the setting sun.
Ben unwrapped his sandwich and munched nonchalantly, while Ariana propped her feet up on the table and took a shark-sized bite out of hers. Ben raised an eyebrow.
“Jeez. I thought I was the hungry one.”
Ariana pursed her lips, removing her leg from the top of the table and lightly kicking him in the shin. “Hungry and homeless if you don’t watch it, doofus.”
“Ow.” Ben’s eyes shot wide open as he exhaled, rubbing his leg. “Okay, fine. Sorry."
“I’m just messing with you.” She beamed. “Ya know, something friends do.”
“Normally friends aren’t violent with each other, doofus.”
“Oh, hush. I didn’t even kick that hard.”
Ben leveled a judgmental stare at Ariana, though his bearing shattered as he chuckled. The sunset illuminated his captivating gray eyes as a warm smile touched his lips.
For a moment, Ariana couldn’t stop staring. She felt her cheeks warm, unsure if it was her or just the setting sun. Her stomach fluttered, her heart pulsed erratically.
Ariana couldn’t help but just stare as he munched on his sandwich. She wanted to enjoy this moment, but she knew deep down that it wouldn’t last forever. He would recover his memories eventually, but what then? Would he try to leave both her and New Eden to find this ‘Lilly’ person who he cared so deeply about? Would she be friendless once more?
The crunching of Ben’s sandwich wrapper finally shook Ariana from her thoughts. An evil idea came to mind as she crumpled up her own wrapper, then leaned back in her chair, holding onto the table with her legs to keep from falling over.
“Catch!” Ariana flung it at him, hoping to take her friend by surprise. Ben reached out with inhuman precision as he caught it with a haughty smirk…but found it was on fire.
“Oh, oh, no, no!” Ben fumbled with it for a moment, trying to put it out. Instead, he only made the flame bigger. He fell back, accidentally flinging the wrapper into the wooden frame above, hitting a lantern and setting it ablaze. Ariana briskly ran to the top of the stairs, called the owner, and shouted.
“Fire!”
The owner came running up with a garden hose, saw the flames, and joined Ben’s ongoing attempts to put them out. The three of them struggled for a minute until a large wind came and extinguished the flames with a single gust.
Ariana turned around slowly and braced for the inevitable scolding she was about to receive. Her Dad, Zachariel, was hovering nearby, arms crossed with an icy stare.
“Umm.” She beamed nervously. “Hi, Dad.”
Zachariel raised an eyebrow. “Looks like you and Ben got yourselves into a bit of trouble today.” Her father turned his attention to the scorch marks on the wood. His eyes widened as his stare shifted to Ben.
“Ben…?” Zachariel asked, his voice measured and deep. “That fire. Did you…?”
Ben paled as the angel continued to burn him with his glare. Ariana stepped in front of him defensively. “Actually, it wasn’t him, Dad.”
Zachariel’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll discuss this downstairs.” He motioned for them to leave, so they met him at the entrance of the sandwich shop as he glided down, his spread wings casting cold shadows over them both. He landed, then crossed his arms once more.
“So, tell me exactly how this is your fault, Ari?”
“Uh…too much hot sauce?” She beamed innocently.
Her father glared at her. Clearly he wasn’t in the mood for jokes.
“I…” Ariana sighed. “I threw my sandwich wrapper, and it caught fire from one of the lanterns.”
“…and you’re telling the truth?”
“It was an accident,” Ariana protested. “I didn’t mean—”
“Even accidents must be paid for, Ari. It’s not the first time the village has had to deal with your antics.”
The townspeople gathered and looked at them. Loud whispers echoed around them as Ariana felt her cheeks flush red.
Thankfully, her father noticed. “I think you and Ben should spend the rest of the day at the house” He looked at the horizon. “It’s almost nightfall, anyway. I’ll be there in a few hours. I need some time to sort this out.” Tucking his wings in, he walked away and conversed with the store owner.
Ariana hung her head in defeat and headed back to the house with Ben in tow. When they arrived, she flung open the door to her room and plopped down on the bed. Ben moved the pile of books on her chair and sat down, apparently feeling the weight of her father’s scolding, though Ariana had received the brunt of it.
“I’m so dead,” Ben mumbled under his breath.
“Hey. Lighten up.” Ariana crumpled up a rejected outfit design and threw it at him. It bounced off his head harmlessly, and his attention snapped back to her. “I covered for you, so you’re gonna be just fine.”
“I didn’t ask you to, but…thanks.” Ben smiled, then looked at his hand as he rubbed it.
“You didn’t get burnt, did you?”
“That’s the thing,” Ben said, “I didn’t. That wrapper wasn’t even on fire until I caught it.”
Ariana briefly played the scene over in her head. As far as she could recall, Ben was right. It was on fire before he had accidentally flung it up into the rafters.
“Weird.” She scratched her chin thoughtfully. “You sure it wasn’t the lantern?”
“Pretty sure. Either way, I just hope it doesn’t happen again. I’d hate to burn down this weird-looking house.”
“I suppose it could use a remodeling,” Ariana joked.
Ben chuckled and moved from the chair to lie on his pillow. After a few hours, he fell asleep, despite the multitude of idiotic jokes that she told him to prevent it. None of them worked. Ariana cursed and laid back on her bed.
Ugh. I hate being a night owl, Ariana thought with a huff. Suddenly, she heard a soft mumble coming from Ben. Her eyes widened as she remembered he talked in his sleep.
Alright, she thought, now I get to see what weird things you say tonight.