"What's up, J.Z.?"
J.Z. turned hazy blue-green eyes on her and fell into step. "Did you hear about Tanya?"
Gillian's heart skipped a beat. "No," she said, with perfect truth.
"She's got some awful rash or infection or something. Like poison ivy. They say it's driving her crazy."
As always, J.Z. spoke slowly and with an almost vacant air. But Gillian thought there was a gleam of satisfaction under the blank look.
She shot J.Z. a sharp glance. "Well, that's too bad."
"Sure is," J.Z. murmured, smiling absently.
"I sure hope nobody else catches it." She was hoping to hear something about Kim.
But J.Z. just said, "Well, at least we know David won't." Then she wandered off.
(Angel, that girl doesn't like Tanya.)
(A lot of people don't like Tanya.)
(It's weird. I used to think being popular meant everybody likes you. Now I think it's more like everybody's afraid not to like you.)
(Right. Let them hate you as long as they fear you. But, you see, you've done a public service, putting Tanya out of commission.)
In biology class, Gillian found out that Kim was absent and had canceled gymnastics practice for the day. She had something' like strep throat and couldn't even talk. Nobody seemed heartbroken over this, either.
(Being popular means everybody's glad when something bad happens to you.)
(It's a dog-eat-dog world, kid.) Angel chuckled.
Gillian smiled.
She had protected David. It gave her a wonderful feeling to be able to protect him, to take care of him.
Not that she exactly approved of what he'd done. Buying an English paper and turning it in as your own-that was pretty bad. Not just wrong, but petty somehow.
(But I think he was sorry. I think that was maybe one of the things he was saying he wasn't proud of.
And maybe there's some way he can make up for it. Like if he wrote another paper and turned it in, and explained to Ms. Renquist. Don't you think, Angel?)
(Hm? Oh, sure. Good idea.)
(Because sometimes being sorry isn't enough, you know? You've got to do something. Angel? Angel?)
(I'm here. Just thinking about your next class. And your powers and things. Did you know there's a spell to bring in money?)
(There is? Now, that's really interesting. I mean, I don't care about money money, but I'd really love a car...)
That night Gillian lay in bed, head propped on pillows, legs curled under a throw, and thought about how lucky she was.
Angel seemed to be gone for the moment; she could neither see him nor hear his voice. But it was Angel she was thinking about.
He had brought her so much-and he'd brought her himself, which she sometimes thought was the greatest gift of all. What other girl could have two gorgeous guys without being unfaithful to either of them, or making either of them jealous? What other girl could have two great loves at once, without doing wrong?
Because that was how she'd come to think of Angel. As a great love. He wasn't a pillar of light to her anymore, or a terrifyingly beautiful apparition with a voice like silver fire. He was almost like an ordinary guy, only impossibly handsome, devastatingly witty, and incidentally supernatural. Since learning she was supernatural herself, Gillian felt he was somehow more accessible.
And he understood her. Nobody had ever known her, or could ever know her, the way he did. He
knew all her deepest secrets and most carefully hidden fears-and he still loved her. The love was obvious every time he spoke to her, every time he appeared and looked at her with those startling eyes.
I'm in love with him, too, Gillian thought. She felt quite calm about it. It was different from the way she loved David. In a way, it was more powerful, because nobody could ever be as close to her as Angel was-but there was no physical aspect to it. Angel was a part of her on a level nothing human could touch.
Their relationship was separate from the human world. It was unique.
"Tie me kangaroo down, mate!" A light was appearing beside the bed.
"Where've you been, Australia?"
"Checking on Tanya and Kim the Gym, actually. Tanya's bandaged from shoulder to fingers and she's not thinking about writing anything. Kim's sucking a popsicle and moaning. Inaudibly."
"Good." Gillian felt a triumphant glow. Which was wrong, of course; she shouldn't enjoy other people's pain. But she couldn't hide it from Angel-and those girls deserved it. They would be sorry, sorry, sorry they had ever tangled with Gillian Lennox.
"But we've got to work out a more permanent solution," she said. "And figure things out about my parents."
"I'm working on all of it." Angel was gazing at her with a kind of dreamy intentness.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just looking at you. You look particularly beautiful tonight, which is absurd considering you're wearing flannel pajamas with bears on them."
Gillian felt a quick sweet throb. She looked down. "These are cats. But the bears are my favorite, actually." She looked back up and grinned wickedly. "I'll bet I could start a little bears fashion at school.
You can do anything with enough guts."
"You can do anything, that's for sure. Sweet dreams, beautiful."
"Silly. Stop it." Gillian waved a hand at him. But she was still blushing when she lay down and shut her eyes. She felt absurdly happy and complimented. And beautiful. And powerful. And special.
"Hear about Tanya?" Amanda the Cheerleader said at lunch break the next day. She and Gillian were in the girls' bathroom.
Gillian eyed herself in the mirror. A touch with the comb... perfect. And maybe a little more lipstick.
She was doing the glamour thing today. Dark, mesmerizing eyes and bold, laughing red mouth. Or maybe she should pout instead of laugh. She pursed her lips at herself and said absently, "Old news."