Past and Present Collide

A Chapter by Julia

“Breelynn Matthews, get your little self up.” I heard Jack call to me. For a guardian angel, he sure could be annoying sometimes, but I loved him. My cheek was squashed on my pillow, and I let out a muffled, “I’m not little.” I heard Jack scoff.

“You’re still little, darling. Now get up.” He ordered again. I let out an agitated sigh, and sat up on my bed, letting out a yawn. I looked to Jack, who was shimmering. Being an angel never made him anymore handsome as he was when he was alive. His smile grew when I scratched at an itch in my head.

“What are you smiling at, dork?” I asked. We were still such kids with each other, even being 7 years older than we were when we first met. He shook his head and just let his smile grow.

“Nothing. You just look so cute when you wake up in the morning.” I glared at him. Did he really have to keep on with his charming ways when he knew there was no way that we could be together? We had discussed this many times. There wasn’t a part in me that didn’t still want to be with him, but every part in me knew that it was impossible. No one could marry an angel that only they could see. Not to mention, God definitely wouldn’t approve. His goofy smile was erased, as a frown came to my face. “Sorry.” He apologized. “But, still, get up, we have things to do today. I want you to wear that cute sweater that I told you to get and those nice sandals.”

“First of all, Jack, you sound so gay right now.” He shot me a glare and I laughed. “Second of all, what exactly do we have to do today that I have to get all pretty and dressed up for?”

His eyes traveled around the room. I knew he was trying to come up with some brilliant cover excuse. Jack was always trying to get me to meet someone. Every day it was someone new. We’d go to a coffee shop, or a book store, or the pier, and he’d always point to a man and say, “Go talk to him, now.” And I always refused and he’d always grow irritated at me and ask me why I wouldn’t give anyone a chance. I never told him that it was because he would leave if I really fell in love with anyone else.

“You…uh… well, don’t you have to go buy some more food…” He asked.

“Yes, but I don’t see why I have to get pretty to go to the grocery store.” I smirked. He was horrible at coming up with excuses.

“Breelynn Matthews, I’m your guardian angel, and if I say to dress up, you dress up, damn it.”

“Are angels allowed to curse?” I laughed.

Jack shot me another glare. “I can repent later. Now, go and get dressed.”

“Alright, alright.” I said, walking across my dorm floor and over to my closet.

I was twenty now, and I attended New York University as a film student. I had to admit, if it wasn’t for Jack I probably never would have gotten out of high school. Not because I wasn’t smart, but because I was lazy and always thought homework was overrated. I had lost touch with Rachel and anyone else I had known in San Antonio shortly after coming to college. I still had their numbers in my phone, but I would never put them to use. I had a few people in my classes that I sometimes went out with, but no one really close. I had Jack for that.

Jack walked out as I showered, and I threw on the gray sweater he made me buy at Urban Outfitters, and I pair of boot cut jeans and my gold gladiator sandals. I peeked my head out the door to find Jack leaning against the wall. He turned to me and smiled. “Ready?” I nodded. The only bad thing about having Jack go places with me was when he talked I couldn’t speak back in front of people or they’d think I was schizophrenic. I could be. I could just have been so crazy that Jack is a figment of my imagination, but if he was, that was alright with me. It was a beautiful picture in my head.

With my beliefs, though, I didn’t find it in me to believe that he was my imagination. I knew God had angels, and apparently he thought I needed one of them to myself. I thanked him for that every day of my life. I followed him out of the dorm building and across the street to the stairs down to the subway at Broadway. We took the Subway 4^th to 23^rd street then walked a few blocked to 9^th Avenue and into Chelsea Market. If there was anything that I loved about New York City, was that you could get anywhere by subway.

We walked into the market; me with a smug smile on my face, knowing that Jack’s plan would never work. “I’m gonna go….. look for things for you to eat.” He said, with mischief in his voice. I chuckled and let him slip away. I grabbed a basket and walked down the bread aisle. Grabbing a loaf of white sliced bread and a pack of white buns. I turned the corner to the canned goods, and placed a can of mixed fruit inside. I had to admit, I was good living on my own. Well, in a sense I wasn’t living alone, but there was nothing Jack could do to help me out with money. So, I was good at managing the very little money I earned at my night shifts as a waitress at Ye Waverly Inn and my occasional shift at Animal Care and Control.

I traveled down the aisle grabbing everything I needed, and I met Jack at the counter. He was smiling, and a little too big. I gave him a look that said, “I really don’t want to know what you’re planning.” And he just smiled bigger. I shook my head as I placed all my groceries on the belt of cashier. I looked up to the man who was paying in front of me. He looked awfully familiar, but I just looked back down to my things, and moved ahead. “Look up, Bree.” Jack whispered in my ear. I did so, involuntarily and everything that I happened when I was fourteen came rushing back.

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