Guardians(28)
“I’m ready. I want to help.”
“Are you sure?” I ask again.
“Yes. When do we leave?”
“Later tonight.”
She smiles. Jay, who’s been surprisingly quiet, asks a question.
“You’re the first Angel I’ve met that wears glasses,” Jay says.
“I read a lot.”
“Yeah, ok. But Angels have perfect eyesight. I mean it’s like a trillion times better than humans. How many books could you read to actually require glasses?”
“A hundred thousand, give or take.”
“Damn! So, what, you don’t ever get to chill?”
“That’s how I ‘chill.’ What could be more fun than a book?” she asks innocently.
Jay looks dumbfounded. I playfully jab him in his side. The rest of the team holds back laughter.
“Yo, I would love to show you what’s more fun than reading,” he says slyly.
“No thanks.”
“Oh, you’re seeing someone?”
“No.”
“Then, what’s the problem?” he pushes.
“Well, um…”
“You don’t date Guardians? You think we’re all players?”
“Honestly, just you,” she says, looking around at everyone at the table. From that point on, the two go at it as if we weren’t there.
“Yo, why you try’n to do me dirty? You don’t even know me,” Jay says, highly offended.
“I’ve read about you in the Splash.”
“That mess is garbage.”
“So you don’t read it?” she asks.
“No. Well…I browse.”
“Well, it’s not just them. Everyone says you’re the love’em and leave’em guy.”
“Who says that?”
“The ones who’ve loved and left I guess. Look, I’m not trying to be mean or anything, it’s just that I’m looking for…”
“For what?”
“A guy who’s…ugly.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I mean, you’re a very handsome, attractive guy; too much so. You look like the centerfold for ‘hot n perfect.’ Everyone knows, the hotter the Angel, the bigger the jerk.”
“True,” Miku agrees. Her eyes widen. I don’t think she meant to say that out loud. Jay glares at her and returns his attention to Isabelle.
“So you aint feel’n the kid cuz he’s fine?” Jay admonishes.
“I’m just saying I date guys who aren’t so…polished; guys who haven’t practiced smiling in the mirror.”
“First, I don’t need to practice; this is all natural. Second, maybe if you’d stop being so judgmental, you’d be able to do more than read about peoples lives. Maybe, you’d actually have one.”
“I’m sorry if I’m not gushing all over you, Guardian. I know you’re supposed to be the Justin Bieber of the Angel world but that just doesn’t get it for me.”
“Seems like you haven’t ‘gotten it’ in awhile.”
“Is your ego so small that rejection from a stranger causes you to lash out like this?”
“What about your ego? You think you’re a better Angel than me just because you don’t get around like I do?”
“Who says I don’t?”
“Oh, I’m sure you and the other librarians get really crazy. I heard you guys have even been known to dog ear the page!”
“Why don’t you just go off and do like your kind usually do: flirt with some brainless girl who has to write directions to the Light in the palm of her hand so she won’t forget.”
“I’d rather her be dumb than uptight. I mean for real, it would be easier to get Lucy into the Light than to get you to loosen up.”
“Look, I don’t date guys like you. Nothing you say will get me to change my policy.”
“Yo, I don’t even want you no more!”
“That took five minutes. I’m guessing that’s the longest you’ve ever been with a girl?”
“Say what you want but just so we’re clear, I don’t flirt with every girl.”
“Ha! You’ve scoped out every chick in here, including the one on the poster.”
“She’s holding cake. I like cake.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you do…”
“ARGH!” Jay barks.
Best. Argument. Ever.
Jay is absolutely livid. He stares back at Isabelle, who is fuming. The two stare at each other as if to kill the other. Then Isabelle leans back in her chair and smiles.
“So, you’re saying you’re not the kind of Angel who flirts with everything that flies?”
“That’s right.”