Unfortunate events

    Tammy had fought the courts, as they tried to place me in a foster care home. She showed them a note that my mother had wrote before she had passed.

      That had helped a lot, the courts granting permission that I live with her instead of some strangers.

      Once I got settled into Tammy's house, I got to meet both of her kids, Sabrina, and her younger brother Sam who was fifteen.

       Although related, they were more different; Sabrina was a quiet, studious girl, whose dream was to become a nurse like her mother. Every other weekend, she was volunteering at a nursing home, or in her room studying.

       Sam was more of a rebel; he took more of the appearance of his father, having curly borwn hair, and dark brown eyes. He was always smiling, active in sports, and games. Though he didn't take school as seriously as Sabrina, he was always holed up in her room, trying to study for the big tests.

      I of course was the oddball out. Though I was grateful I could call this place my new home, I tried not to be a burden, staying in my room, or helping out with the chores as much as I could. Tammy decided to enroll me into a new school not far from home. It made me nervous that so many new changes were happening, and I tried to convince Tammy to let me do homeschool instead to no avail. Tammy ended up finding out that my time at school hadn't been as daily as is should have been, since most of my time was done in hospitals with my sickly mother. So she had found a tutor I would meet each morning of every day so I could get the extra help.

     Again I had felt bad, because tutors cost money, and Tammy was already doing so much allowing me to live in her home with her family.

    But Tammy got her way, which explained why I was getting dressed in plain jeans and a shirt, brushing out the tangles in my brown hair. I'd be starting 8th grade now, and I was both excited and scared. School was down the block from us, and I decided to walk instead of getting a ride.

    I tried to sort out my anxieties, feeling a sudden shove on my left side. I lost my balance, falling on the grass, and staining the knees of my jeans. I looked up to see a girl with jet black hair, surrounded by a group of girls who were laughing at me.

    "You were walking too slow, newbie. Get out of my way." the girl said, flipping a strand of her hair, and walking off. Her group laughed at me, some of the girls saying welcome to the school, loser.

     I was already dreading how this school year was going to be. I got up, brushing myself off, and began to walk at a slower pace back to school.

     Her name was Lindsey Cathaway, and she made sure to make each moment I was in school, hell. Books were tossed out of my hands, her foot always tripping me, and sending me flying to the  floor. I know she probably targeted more than one person to bully, but it always felt like it was me who got the brunt of it. I never told Tammy, or Sabrina, or Sam, and I was actually thankful we all went to different schools.

     I didn't want them to worry more about me than they should.

     Months passed, and Lindsey continued being her horrible self. The teachers and principal reprimanded her, but it was never in seriousness.

    It was one morning though that took a very bad turn to the worst.

    My head is bandaged and it aches, and I stare around the white room. A nurse flashes a light into my eyes, smiling softly at me. She looks nice, reminding me of Tammy, the smell of sugar cookies coming off of her.

    Her angel is behind her, staring down at it's human with a sense of fondness. Then the angel's eyes lock on my own, its eyes widening in fear. I look behind me in case there's something scary, but I see naught; this angel is reacting differently than the others have.

     The nurse disappears, the angel following behind, though it looks back at me now and then.

     Was the angel scared of me? I thought, placing my fingertips on my forehead as I winced in pain.

    Why was in the hospital in the first place?

     Rushed footsteps sounded out down the hallway, and I glanced over at the noise, Tammy running with Sam and Sabrina. Their angels crowded around, and Tammy reached for me, placing a hand on my face.

     At the sight of me, the angels looked scared, looking away, or focusing on their persons. Did I look that horrendous?

     I get no answer, but amongst the small crowd of people and angels, I see someone casted in shadow. Their features are so blurred, I rub my eyes in case they're still suffering from the aftermath of my head injury.

     The smudge is still there, but not only that, fear is on the angels as they look at the smudge and then me.

     I have no idea what's going on, and I vaguely listen to what Tammy says on what caused this to happen to me. Apparently, a bully at school had tripped me down the stairs as a joke. It'd been a miracle I hadn't broken my neck, and the other kids had panicked, calling 911 when I didn't wake up instantly.

      Tammy asks if I can wiggle my toes, and move my feet, and she slips the blanket up, placing it on my shins. I do as I'm told, and I hear her breathe a breath of relief.

      The angel that stands next to her looks amxious though, and appears to want to pull Tammy away from me, though I don't see why.

      The blurred person in the background disappears, and I lay back down on my pillow, not wanting to look at anyone's faces after that.

     After my incident, I dive into research of angels, buying various books and bibles, reading them under the blankets in my room. Because I'm still healing, they school allowed me to take off for two weeks, though Tammy has been in talks with a lawyer to get their opinion in the situation.

     My bully and their family fled the state, which made me frown. I didn't even get an apology, though now it didn't really bother me.

      Right now, I lay on my belly on my bed, turning the pages of my angel book carefully. I'd just gotten it in the mail, and I wanted to leave it in the same condition as I bought it. I can feel Tammy staring at my back, doing the nervous foot tapping thing she does when she gets nervous.

      Tammy thought I should see a therapist once I was okay enough to not have the bandage on my head. My sudden interest in angels made her a bit fearful, as she thought I had momentarily died, and saw angels.

       I didn't need to explain to her that I'd always seen angels, and they could now see me.

      Well, they stared at me in fear.

       That was one of the reasons I was so invested in doing research. Why were they scared of me? I was just a kid, I didn't have any capabilties or desire to hurt them.

        I didn't even have one for crying out loud.

       Tammy spoke with one of her friends, who was a retired therapist, and he told her he saw no harm in my little hyperfixation. It was a healthy one after all. I think Tammy needed the therapist more than I did, since she panicked each time I walked up or down the stairs.

        If not for Sabrina and Sam, she would have hooked up a machine so I didn't need to walk down the stairs.

       Through out this mess, Sabrina and Sam stayed the same. They were relieved that I was fine, and wasn't milking my injury, though Tammy did get on their nerves at times.

        Most of the time, I stayed in my room, studying my books, and falling deeper and deeper into a hole of research. Some of the books had a different pictures and names of angels, the biggest one freaking me out.

       I'd never seen one that big and hoped I wouldn't.

        As I finished the sketch of the  angel, I closed the notebook, laying back down on my be. My eyelids had grown heavy, and sleep came over me.

       I knew Tammy was worried about me but there was no way I'd stay stuck on angels forever. This was just a phase, I'd get over it.

      I lied.

      I was stuck on them for years.

      The reason being that no matter what I did, what kind of incense I used to cleanse myself or oils, the angels were still fearful of me.

       It was getting to the point where the angels feelings were going to the humans they were assigned to. Sam and Sabrina were more anxious around me, so I tried not to be around them as much. Tammy was more emotional, and confused, wondering why there were always tears in her eyes when I tried to hug her.

       After my 22nd birthday, I had saved enough money to live in an apartment by myself. Which made Tammy more emotional, but she was proud of me. Sabrina had moved out after she graduated, getting a scholarship in a nice nursing school, Sam leaving next on a soccer scholarship. They came down every weekend though to help each other study for their exams.

       I was the last one to leave, not really interested in schooling for now, but getting a stable job as a phone operator for a clinic. Tammy helped me move my stuff to the apartment, getting nervous at the sight of the stairs.

        I'd promised to be more careful, comforting her as best as I could. 

        "Sorry, I'm just suffering from e,pty nest sydrome." she said, wiping away her tears, as she reached to hug me. Her angel's hold on her shoulder tightened, but Tammy hugged me anyway, the hug stiff and tense.

        I learned that though influenced by angels, humans have a strong will. Which means despite the angels strange reasons of wanting to protect her from me, Tammy still loved me.

        I hugged Tammy back, and walked her to her car, the angel trying to drag her to her car, and she waved goodbye to me as she left.

        Now without me being there at the house, Tammy could finally have peace.