• If you’ve never flown before, really flown, then you don’t know what you’re missing. You may have flown in an airplane, a helicopter, paragliding, but that’s nothing like the kind of flying that I am talking about.
    I can’t remember very well the first time that I did it. All I can remember was my feelings of pure shock. I was hovering in midair. As soon as I realized it, I fell. The day following was pure magic. But in that one moment, the moment that I doubted for so long, my life began.

    The day after, when I went to school, I felt I had to tell someone. But who would I tell? I had no friends. And I was tall, too tall to be attractive. My hair was dirty and blonde, my gray eyes dull. No girl swooned over me, no man was impressed. I wasn’t smart, either. I was nobody. Invisible in the world simply named high school. If anything, I was average, at best.
    “Ah!”
    A girl had run into me; beautiful. The hair she had was long and curly blonde, eyes a dark hazel. And I didn’t tower above her like I did to most. Maybe I had been the one to run into her. I had run into the angel of the school; a ravishing salvation amongst the uniform-like buildings. She was lovely; a saint who’s face was illuminated by the running sprinkles that sent flicks of water against my back.
    “I’m sorry.” I apologized quickly. “It was my fault.” Oh, how cliché. I couldn’t stand my stupidity. Trying to make up for it, I bent down to pick up the books that she had dropped, which were quite a few.
    “You don’t have to be so…” she seemed to be searching for the correct word. “Courteous,” she prompted, suddenly on her knees next to me. “We both know that I ran into you.” The sweet voice seemed to be scolding me.
    A dame like her had not spoken to me in, well, never. This was confusing. By now she had stood up and offered me her hand. But I only stared at it, like it was something foreign to me, which indeed it was.
    “This is where you take my hand so I can help you up,” instructed the damsel, smiling at me teasingly.
    So I put my shaking hand into her steady one and was surprised at the strength with which she pulled me up. I let out a small grunt, and she giggled.
    “Sorry,” she apologized as I handed her the books back. “Angeline Monroe.” Then she extended her free hand out to me.
    “Derek King,” I said slowly, taking her hand. It was shaken up and down for me, for I was too weak; at least around her. Can you blame me? This was actual physical contact with a female.
    “What’s your next class?” she inquired.
    Before I could answer a bell rang, echoing off the walls and into my eardrums. “The one I’m late to,” I casually answered. Though it was clearly her fault, I didn’t mind at all.
    “Or the one you don’t go to,” said Angeline, smiling mischievously. I looked at her curiously. Had I fallen in love with a ‘ditcher’? “Come on,” she said, grabbing my hand again and giving me goose pimples. She began to pull me along and I found that I could not resist. For one, she was beautiful; another? The grip and pull she had were so strong, my arm was nearly pulled out of its socket. Not even the strongest man in the world could have resisted her. Speaking of which…
    “Hey!”
    Angeline’s head whirled around, and so did mine. Ugh, whiplash. The voice was that of a largely built, muscular man. At least he was a tad bit shorter than me, which was an advantage. He had dark brown hair on his head as well as well as his chin and looked aged. Maybe a senior, I guessed. Of course, he also sported the traditional Ravens’ football team jacket, it was shiny silver and metallic purple in color and his muscles showed through. His face looked angry, it looked fiery, it looked ready to kill, and it looked like he was looking at me.
    “Step away!” Oh God. I was in trouble now. Why had Angeline done this to me? “She’s my girlfriend!” His voice chilled me, until it cracked, and I snorted involuntarily in my amusement. Still, Angeline squeezed my hand tighter, which hurt, but nevertheless inspired me.
    “I’m not your girlfriend, Zane,” she said, her voice cool and icy. “I told you no!” Distressed, she looked at me in clear anguish. I however, was very relieved by her words. “Let’s go,” she sighed.
    So I led her to my car. I was slightly ashamed of it. After all, it was a rusty old Jeep Wrangler. Immediately, Angeline jumped in. “Drive me to the beach,” she demanded. So, I revved the engine. What else could I do?
    “Angeline!” bellowed Zane. “Get out of that car, now!” His voice has cracked again.
    “Go!” Angeline shrieked.
    Quickly, I stepped on the gas, kicking some loose asphalt and exhaust into the football player’s face. This caused him to cough madly. “I’ll get you for this King!” he spat at me as we drove off. My Angeline was cackling and I was shaking.
    “How fabulous, Derek!” Angeline said, kissing my cheek lightly. I flushed, bright red, like a beet. Though I turned away, she must have seen, for she laughed harder.

    On our way to the beach I learned a lot about Angeline. For instance, she hated sports, got mostly Bs in school, lived with a busy mom like I did, and many other things. Mentioned also was that Zane was actually the last name of the quarterback, Aaron. He had asked Angeline to go to a celebratory bonfire, but in her dislike of sports and jocks, she had refused. Aaron had never gotten over it. This comforted me slightly.
    In return I told her about my life. No siblings, no friends, useless at sports as well as schoolwork, and like her I enjoyed visiting the beach. By the time we arrived, I was absolutely certain that I was in love with Angeline Monroe, and that I had become closer to her than anyone else in my entire life. You may think I decided this because I actually had a chance for once, but you are wrong. Something about her was different than the rest; and I actually had a chance for once.
    “Derek!” Angeline called. To my surprise, she was already halfway down the beach, her shawl billowing behind her like her curvy turquoise sun dress. With the beach in the background, she was the picture of beauty, my angel.
    “I… uh… I have to move pull the car forward a little,” I stuttered, at a loss for words, stunned by her radiance while surveying my parking job.
    She ran back up to me, kicking off her shoes as she went. “Oh, I can do that.” I expected her to hop in the driver’s seat, but instead she rounded to the back of the car and pushed it with a grunt. To my utter amazement, it lurched forward a great deal, something impossible for a woman of her stature.
    “H-how did you…?”
    “C’mon!” Angeline said, her face turning a light pink color. Randomly, she ran down to the beach, slowing to a stop where the water met sand. Walking up to her, I realized that we were standing on a line: The place on a map where the water begins and the land ends; a line.
    Bending down, Angeline took a handful of saltwater and splashed it in her face. I laughed at her gently, loving this moment. It smelled like salt, like fun, like love, and a tad like fish guts. The waves lolled along before crashing against the rocky shoreline and scattering the shells. It was perfection.
    The sand squished between out rosy pink toes and her dainty hand brushed against mine. A nervous smile played on my lips, but I tried not to show it, and my hand away a little, embarrassed. To my insurmountable surprise, Angeline grasped my hand closely and without a word entwined her fingers in my own, letting her body rub against mine. She smelt like mint and soap; I loved it.

    By the time she let go it was sunset. The purples, yellows and pinks of the sky were even more enchanting when reflected in my partner’s eyes. Their radiance was magnified in her own, even in the rocky alcove we sat in, our existence hidden from the world. My angel and I lay down on the sand together, and she leaned against me. Suddenly me feet twitched and I felt what I had before, the feeling of flying, the need to take off; but it was stronger now.
    Angeline looked up at me, her eyes sparkling like stardust with blatant excitement. “You do have one,” she whispered incredulously, but softly. I was confused. My head swam and I couldn’t understand the seemingly hidden meaning to her words. Still, my body longed to fly, to move, to run, to soar, to get away. However, I didn’t wish for my angel to fly away too.
    Before I could understand what was happening, my straggly hair was pushed behind my ears by her delicate fingers. Angeline’s palm stroked my cheek and her usually rough grip turned gentile as she pulled my face closer to hers. Her breath smelled like strawberries mixed with key lime pie, and her skin like salt. I waited for her to close the minuscule gap between us, but she did not. All she did was hover there, closing her eyes slowly, waiting for me to move.
    Finally, in one amazingly slow movement, I did. I, Derek King, had kissed a girl; and not just any girl, no, the most amazing young woman on the planet: Angeline Monroe. No words can explain it, how it felt. And so I ask you just to imagine it. Imagine my hands running through her curls, her hands against my chest and face. Then imagine the glorious moment ending, and us looking at each other in joyous disbelief until I could contain myself no longer, and I flew.
    This wasn’t at all like my first flight though, no. It was much different. For one, I did not merely hover in the air a couple of feet off the ground. One the contrary, I soared. I was completely in control, and my Angeline could be heard cheering and hollering from below. Though I was deathly afraid of what would happen if I fell, like before, my excitement propelled me to do a back flip.
    “Derek! Derek, come down!” called Angeline, half talking, half laughing. Somehow she had accepted this strange phenomenon without question. I recalled what she had said before. ‘You do have one.’ One what?
    My cold, bare feet brushed the sand, kicking it up and swirling it into my eyes. The moment was forever branded into my memory, and Angeline was rushing towards me. Her own feet came off the ground as she jumped up to hold me tightly around the neck.
    “I knew it, I knew it!” Angeline exclaimed, letting go of me and dancing around in the sand. She flopped herself down wish a happy sigh, then she looked up at me, her grin broad. “Derek, I have it too!”
    “You can fly?” I asked, rather overwhelmed.
    “No, no. J-just watch.”
    And so I did. She walked over to the nearest boulder. Covered in kelp it was roughly the size of a large watermelon. What could she possibly be doing? With little effort she dug a fist underneath the boulder, and to my utter amazement, she lifted it on the palm of her hand. This was a feat that no person could possibly be capable of doing.
    The boulder was then tossed aside. “You see?” she asked.
    “You have super strength?” My brain didn’t know what to think of this. I suppose she had pushed the car earlier.
    Angeline nodded and smiled shyly at me. “You see Derek?” We were meant to be together. Derek… Derek, I love you!”
    I could barely believe it; love… from her? Sure, I loved her: unconditionally; but for her to return those feelings, even if we had kissed… It just seemed thoroughly impossible. “Really?” was the only thing that I could force to pass my lips. I couldn’t even muster an, “I love you too.”
    “Really,” my angel said, already by my side. I believed in her words so much that it hurt. Out lips were inches away when the boulder Angeline had lifted previously whizzed past my head and crashed against another.
    “Hello, King.”
    Damn. It was Aaron.
    “Having a good time?” he asked.
    How had he lifted that boulder?
    “Did you know, Angeline, this is where the bonfire was.”
    Did he have powers too?”
    “Or perhaps, that since I joined the Ravens we’ve never lost?”
    Oh damn. He did have powers.
    Slowly, so, so slowly, Zane averted his gaze from Angeline to me. “Nice trick King.”
    He had seen me fly.
    His hand rose and his fingers bent. “But can you do this?” Sand began to crawl up his body until it stopped to revolve in his palm. He curled his other hand into a fist and a waved stopped dead, reserving its crash.
    “You have telekinesis?” It was the first thing I could think of.
    An evil grin formed of Aaron’s face. “I’ll take that as a no, shall I?”
    After that his hands moved so quickly that I couldn’t follow, and soon I was thrust headfirst into the sand. I felt like my spine was about to break. Why did he have to do this?
    “If you thought this would make me love you,” Angeline spat at Zane. “You’re dead wrong.”
    With only a turn of his head, Aaron sent Angeline flying. “This isn’t for love Angeline, not anymore!” There was a frightening pause. “No, this is for revenge.”
    Angeline’s helpless form lay limp, crumpled on the ground and I didn’t hear the high strung, confident response that I expected. No, it couldn’t be. No! “Angeline!” I cried out, in tears.
    “Shut it you fool!” Zane demanded. “That damned broad isn’t worth it.”
    Ignoring his response, I struggled to my feet, pushing my body to the limit against Aaron’s powers. Suddenly, I was freed from the enormous amount of pressure set on me. Once again I was flying; but it wasn’t fueled with joy this time, no, it was fueled with rage.
    “King!” snarled Zane. In vain, he sent boulders flying at me through the air.
    While swooping over his head, my face distorted into a ghastly scowl. Surely I would avenge my Angeline, this was my only goal. My arms felt like they were enveloped in an icy cold liquid and a surge of energy ran through them. I felt like I had incredible strength. Had I absorbed Angeline’s powers?
    Landing on the ground, facing Aaron’s back, I attempted to lift a nearby boulder. To my astonishment, it worked like a charm. Just like Angeline, I was, for once in my life, strong.
    Unfortunately, Zane turned around the exact moment before the boulder would have made contact with his head. Using his powers likes he would on a football, he sent the boulder flying back at me.
    This strategy, flying, landing, throwing, it was my best and only plan. I was hit a number of times, my stomach bruised, black and blue. My entire body ached, but Aaron didn’t have a scratch on him while I was bleeding, screaming in pain.
    Then, finally, and boulder hit. It was right on target, the back of his had. Immediately he fell to the ground and I averted my eyes. Had I killed him? Nasty as he was, evil as he was, not even he deserved death. My hands shook. I still had Angeline’s powers. Why?
    Quickly, I rushed to her side, all thoughts of Zane gone. Her eyes were closed but her dying heart still beat. A single tear slid down my cheek and onto her chest. Shaking, I squeezed her hand tightly. “Angeline, I love you!”
    No matter how much I begged, she still laid there, her heartbeat slowing by the second. Pale… Her face was so pale. Why?
    “Hey, King!”
    So Aaron was alive. I gripped my dying angel tighter.
    Zane lifted his hand slowly from behind his head, the pure red liquid running down it, but nothing happened. “I’ve… lost my powers.” He looked sincerely crushed.
    That was good, but Angeline’s heart had completely stopped now, and I couldn’t care less about Aaron. “Are you happy?” I asked him, my heart screaming in agony.
    “She’s… dead?” Aaron asked, nursing his head in his bloodied hand.
    “Yes. She’s dead.”