[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Anael hummed her favorite hymn as she put away some of her clothing into the suitcase that had been sent with her. God never forgot anything when He sent someone on a mission. Anael felt grateful as she continued to hum ‘Amazing Grace.’ Her smile grew wider as she remembered the affectionate moments of her Great-Grandmother singing the hymn when hushing Anael to sleep. Anael sighed softly, the tour was taking her to South Carolina for a few days. She never had a chance to view each state personally when she was alive, but now was her chance. She found it exciting that God gave her such a mission to fulfill the dreams she never had a chance to complete.

“Grace“Anne?” a voice called at her door. Anael brushed away the clouds of her dreams and focused on her mission. She ran over to the door and opened it. She looked to see Brian standing in front of her. She gave a giant smile as he reached out to huge her. Brian was one of God’s favorite people. Anael knew that Brian would do great things in his life, and that he would succeed at most. God had given Brian another chance during his childhood, and Brian always made sure to give everything back to Him.

“Hello, Brian!” Anael greeted with her usual southern accent. She had grown up in North Carolina before God had taken her home. She sighed with a small puff of air. She found it odd that she had to use some of the same facts that associated with her previous life. She wondered why God would allow something like that. What would happen if someone found her out? She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to focus back on Brian. “What can I help ya with?”

“I just wanted to know if we could talk?” he asked quite shyly. Anael smiled, opening her door wider. Brian’s eyes grew with surprise. His cheeks blushed a firm red. “I don’t have to come in if you don’t want me to“”

“Brian, I know you’re a good person. I trust you. You can come in to my room. The Lord knows that you’ve done a lot for me to be able to have this room,” Anael laughed as she opened the door wider. Brian gave a weak smile as he stepped into the room.

“I hope I’m not bothering you,” he said softly.

“Nope, I just finished packing. It’s flustering having to pack like this in such a short time. I know I should be used to it, but I guess I never will be,” Anael declared as she offered him a seat in the chair next to her bay window. She loved this room. She wished that they could stay there, but she would find another beautiful place. The Backstreet Boys always stayed in the lap of luxury. She loved her job.

“It is quite hectic,” he agreed, dropping his gaze. Anael hesitated as they drew themselves into an awkward silence. She shifted back to zippering her bag. Brian quickly brought up a new topic. “I’m really sorry about AJ the other week. He gets a little too rowdy at times. We all try to control him, but things don’t work out the way we want. Kevin says we should just wait until he realizes he needs help, because he won’t do anything unless he thinks he needs help. You know?” Brian explained as Anael took two sodas from her mini-fridge.

“I’ve noticed that y’all just make excuses for his behavior,” Anael said quietly as she handed Brian the soda. He glanced down at his hands for a moment. He opened the soda with no words. She watched his facial expression turn to a look of pure pain. There was a deep scenario to AJ’s behavior than she had once expected.

“We’ve tried so many times to help him,” Brian explained with a quiet tone. He looked up. Anael noted the pained tears forming in the corners of his gorgeous sky-blue eyes. He smiled wistfully for a moment. “We thought so many times we could change him. We came up with brilliant plans, but they failed miserably. We’ve all gotten hurt physically and mentally when we tried. So, we just figured when he wanted help, we’d give him help.”

“Isn’t he close to his mother? I would suspect that she would want him to get help. If he were my son, I would force him to get help,” Anael said carefully, fishing for clues to help her along. She wished that God had given her a giant sign to guide her through this mission. He knew the outcome anyway.

“His mother has no clue,” Brian said as they sat on the couch in her living room.

“No clue?” Anael asked with surprise.

“He hides it from her, so she’s clueless. If we told her, he’d probably kill us.” Anael searched Brian’s face for a hint of sarcasm or comedy “ but his face was full of seriousness. She could see that he was truly terrified of AJ’s mood swings and attitudes. She left the silence break them apart as he gazed about her living room. She watched his eyes transfix on her Bible. “You are Christian?” he asked hopefully.

“In the highest sense!” Anael said with laughter. She was more than just a Christian “ she was Jesus’ helper, God’s lamb, and the Holy Spirit’s cup. She was more than a Christian “ she was an angel. She wished she could confess she was more, but settled with letting him know she was just ‘Christian.’

“That’s great,” Brian said, flushing with relief.

“Are you?” she asked, trying to be careful about it. She knew already that Brian was extremely religious. The man was devoted to God. Brea had told Anael to have Brian help her convert AJ, but that was if she got into trouble. Anael knew she could trust Brian. He had a good heart and a loving soul.

“I was raised Christian,” he stated slowly. He narrowed his eyes onto the Bible. Anael watched a smile light up his face. “I’ve never changed. God is there always, and I trust Him more than I trust myself. I would never leave His side, because I would be lost. He sends His love upon me, and I shower in it. I would never stray.”

“You are the greatest Christian I know!”

“I do have my doubts at times,” Brian admitted, frowning at her for a moment. There was no perfect Christian, nor no perfect man. The only man to walk the earth that was perfect was named Jesus. He had walked the earth more than two thousand years ago.

“Yes?” Anael asked with interest.

“But He just kicked me in the butt, and made me believe harder!” Brian answered with an impish smile. His pride swelled as he heard Anael’s beautiful laughter. He gave a soft chuckle as Anael’s sapphire eyes twinkled with amusement. “Do you doubt God?”

“Not sense I died,” she murmured. Brian’s eyes grew wide in surprise. Anael groaned inwardly, knowing she had just blown her cover. She shot a look up to God, apologizing. “Not the literal dying!” she lied with an exclamation in her voice. “I mean when I died and was born again, you know, through baptism? I haven’t doubted God since I was baptized!”

“Oh! For a minute I thought I was talking to a ghost,” Brian joked.

‘Not a ghost ” Brian ” an angel,’ she thought.
*~*~* *~*~*

AJ tightened his grip on the beautiful woman beside him when he heard Anael’s laughter forming in his ears. The woman grunted at his immediate grasping of her. She scooted closer to his body, rubbing against him. AJ groaned, pushing her away slightly. The moment seemed completely trashed. Anael was still getting to him. He couldn’t understand why the girl was so mesmerizing. He wanted to scream every time he was near her, but yet, he wanted to kiss her even more than scream.

“AJ, isn’t that cute?” the woman beside him cooed in his ear.

“What’s cute?” he asked. AJ glanced down at her. Now that he looked at her, she wasn’t as appealing as before his two beers. Her crimson lipstick was spread a little too thickly over her thinning lips. Heavy bags settled under her brown eyes. Her hair was straggly and impossible to deal with. Her body looked like a skeleton from one too many snorts of cocaine.

“Your friends,” she said with a sneer of delight. AJ’s focus settled on the lobby before him. He narrowed his eyes with disgust as Anael’s laughter broke out louder. He was gazing at her and Brian having a discussion in the lobby. His heart stopped when he noticed the two thick Bibles perched on their laps. Anael’s eyes were intensely focused on what Brian was saying. AJ couldn’t help but admit that on some level she was beautiful.

“Oh Lord,” he groaned, rubbing his scratchy eyes. The woman beside him snorted with laughter, disturbing Brian and Anael from their devotionals. Both looked up to see AJ and the woman. Anael’s eyes grew bright with surprise as Brian scowled. AJ sneered back at him, knowing that Brian sensed an invasion of territory.

“Hello, Mr. McLean,” Anael replied coolly at him.

AJ raised his eyebrows in surprise, “We’re already back to Mr. McLean?”

“Of course, if that’s what you want,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the woman standing at his arm. AJ noticed the flicker of jealousy in her eyes. AJ felt a devilish smile flicker on his own face as he pulled the woman closer than ever before. She moaned a pleasure of delight as she reached up to nibble his neck. Anael’s eyes began to cast a look of disgust.

“Meet Angie“”

“AJ, it’s Missy,” the woman snapped.

“Does it matter?” he snickered.

“If you want to be screaming it later, yes!”

“You’re the only one that will be doing the screaming when I“”

Brian immediately interrupted AJ’s conversation with the woman for Anael’s sake. He could see the distress upon Anael’s face. Anael looked physically sick at the scene before her. Brian knew that Anael deserved better. He narrowed his eyes upon his younger friend. “AJ, don’t you have somewhere to be? Or maybe you have something to do?” Brian stressed, arching his eyebrows.

“Like what?” AJ snorted.

“I know plenty,” the woman cackled.

“AJ, please,” Brian groaned with frustration.

“What the Hell are you two doing that’s so important anyway?” AJ asked, looking directly at Anael. His lips twisted into a deep-set frown.

Her back stiffened with fear as his dark eyes cast upon her. She didn’t know what to do. At first, she wanted to run away, but something held her there. With pride, she granted herself perfect posture. She raised her navy eyes to match AJ’s eyes. “We’re having a Bible Study, would you like to join us?” she asked politely with an air of sophistication.

“Oh God!” AJ chortled with laughter. He squeezed the woman beside him tightly as their laughter rang into the hallways. “The Bible Brigade has descended down upon us to tell us hellish sinners to repent before Armageddon comes to eat us alive!” AJ called with a mock of despair. He got to his knees, reaching his hands towards the skies. His voice rang out down the hallway in a screeching tone: “SAVE ME, GRACE-ANNE! I AM A DAMNED SINNER! LIFE IS HELL! SAVE ME BEFORE THE DEVIL KILLS ME!”

Anael narrowed her eyes. “I don’t find you a bit amusing, Mr. McLean.” Her pride had been damaged severely. She thought that he might actually approach her on the ways of Christ, but he merely threw it in her face. Anael’s heart ached as he rose to his feet and grabbed the woman’s hand.

“We have way better things to do,” AJ decided, grinning handsomely at the woman.

“I suppose,” Brian said with a look of disgust.

“One that will have you calling my name, lover boy,” the woman purred, seizing AJ by the collar of his coat. She pulled him along as he laughed, eagerly following for their night of delights.

Anael watched him disappear down the hallways. She glanced down to have Brian squeeze her hand gently. She glanced up to find him smiling at her. She gave a small smile back. She knew she wasn’t alone, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting AJ smiling at her like that instead of a cheap woman.