Feeling Upside Down

“Where did you get that outfit from? The garbage dump?” Marie taunted me. My head didn’t turn. I couldn’t face those backstabbers I mistook for friends. Why, just last year my life had been perfect. I guess there’s something about high school that just turns everything around for you. “And what is it made of? 100% sweat?” Gina said, laughing, trying to get Marie’s approval of her joke. They stepped closer to me. In fact, we stood so close together that I could smell their sickeningly sweet Victoria’s Secret perfume. I turned my back on them and walked away.

As soon as I disappeared from their radar, I ran as fast as I could…..to somewhere. I didn’t really think about where I was going. I just had to run away from my life. I stopped. I was in the middle of Chester Bronte Park, but there was no one there. Or so I thought. A lonely figure sat, slumped over a bench. As soon as I stepped on the scattered leaves, he perked up. He turned to me and glared. Oh, great. Another person who hated me. And for no reason! Marie and Gina-and almost everybody else-didn’t talk to me because I was considered uncool. At least I don’t spend my days starving myself and weighing myself every second, while sitting by the phone, waiting for Jimmy or Harvey to call me. No, I had better things to do.

I sat by myself, far away from the boy. It was pretty clear that he didn’t like me, and I wasn’t pushing it. But he actually came over and started talking to me. He was what my mother would call ‘a real catch’ but Gina, Marie, and everybody else would just call him ‘hot’. I called him ‘annoying’. “You seem sad.” He said.

“Oh yeah? Well, you’re not doing anything to make it better.”

He laughed gently and then disappeared. But reappeared again, sitting beside me. Now, I was really freaked out. Who was this dude? “Who are you? Or maybe the proper question is: What are you?”

He stared at me, so much to make me uncomfortable. And then he replied, monotonously. “I’m Cain.”

As if that explained everything. “And my second question? What are you?”

“I’m your guardian angel.” Cain said, in the same tone he used earlier.

I nodded, but inside I was panicking. A guardian angel? He had got to be kidding. Oh great, I’m stuck in a park, alone with a lunatic.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. That quite offended me, really. Your thoughts. Do I really seem like a lunatic?”

I was left gawking at him. Okay, I believed him. Who else could read your thoughts, and suddenly disappear like he did? “Look, I believe you. Now can you-shoo?”

“I’m your guardian angel,” he repeated again, “I’m here to help you. And clearly, you need a lot of help.”

“Who are you to dictate if I need help or not?” I demanded. I gripped the handle of my bag tightly.

Cain raised an eyebrow. “Your mind is like an open book to me. One that you can’t close. I can go very deep into your brain, retrieve information that even you do not remember. I can read you heart, as well.”

“So are you some mentally deformed doctor?”

Cain sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m your guardian angel. How many times do I have to remind you?”

“Oh, right. So how are you going to help me? Beat Marie and Gina up till the finally agree to let me in their group?”

He stared at me.

I sighed. “Joke.” I said, softly.

“Oh.” He said, nodding knowingly.

“So…..?”

“You and I need to talk.” Cain said, very mysteriously, with an all get-back-down-to-business look.

“Shoot.”

He took in a deep breath. “These girls at your school, they don’t like you right?”

“Did you figure that just now?” I said through my teeth, not particularly under my breath.

“No interruptions, please. I have another job after this. Anyways, you can’t continue on like this. Think of your life after high school. It’s extremely unlikely that you will be with those-girls even then. You can change, Vivian. At least you can try. Think of your other interests. Make yourself as busy as you can get. In a little time, you’ll completely forget about those-girls. And then you’ll graduate, and you’ll become a free bird. Think about, Vivian. There are people in this world who love you-like your family. Don’t let them down.”

It had been a really long speech, one interesting enough to keep me from dozing off. And then I realized that Cain was right. Sure, I’d have my bad days, and I’d be completely friendless, but there were people who loved me, and that was all that mattered. “Oh, and before I forget.” He said, interrupting my thoughts. Cain handed me what looked like a business card. He tossed it in my hands and waited for my response.

“GAA? Guardian Angel Agency? You have got to be kidding me. That’s the corniest thing I’ve ever-” I looked up, but Cain’s presence had vanished. Ugh, so annoying. “Huh. Cain Angel? Weirdo-land, definitely.” I didn’t say anymore; I tucked it in my jeans pocket and started jogging back to school, fully knowing that I was in so much trouble.

It was night. I was just about to go to sleep; tired of all the scoldings I had received. But just before I hopped on my bed, I walked over to my study desk. There were a million papers scattered everywhere. At the side was an enormous globe I had received for my ninth birthday. I quickly spun it, so that North America was way at the bottom, and Australia was far up in the North. Because it was true. My world was totally upside down. And I liked it that way.