What Would Your Guardian Say?
Robert tore through the grocery store like a bat out of Hell. He disliked immensely the fact that he had to make a stop here at all, but was running low on toilet paper and protein shake mix…and he didn’t like racing through the store waving toilet paper around, especially dressed like he was, after a day at the office. It had been a hot day and he needed a shower, but he could hardly fathom going a day without toilet paper like some kind of West Virginian mountain man.
Robert always looked nice, with his hair held firmly in place by a single dollop of gel and very expensive clothes--more expensive than his job required. He also always smelled nice, as it was customary for him to slap on just a little bit of baby powder before heading out the door.
He walked with a brisk, clipped and regimented stride that made most people realize they should get out of his way, because he had no intention of slowing down for anyone.
Magen followed Robert with the greatest of ease, slipping through each entanglement that Robert left behind without bumping into anyone or anything. He had to remain very close to Robert, and keep an eye on him. There were sayings about Magen’s kind--that one should not travel too fast, lest they become incapable of keeping up. This greatly amused Magen, for it was ridiculously untrue. Magen had followed Robert up the incline of a rollercoaster and back down again. He’d been inside of MRI units with Robert without the slightest bit of discomfort. He’d gone through revolving doors with him, taken planes with him, and at all times been by his side. A jaunt through a crowded grocery store was no different.
Magen could tell that Robert was practically fuming by the time he reached the registers. He was going to have to stand in line even in the express lane. This day was, for Robert, becoming a disaster of biblical proportions. Yet, when he reached the smiling cashier, he held in his disdain just barely by not speaking to her. Her boobs just weren’t big enough for him to waste his breath.
As soon as Robert had what he needed, he charged out the door and made his way toward his car, which he’d parked toward the far end of the parking lot in order to avoid having anyone parked next to him who could bash into his vehicle with their door. Heaven forbid it should acquire any scratches.
Magen shifted to the inside, to the backseat.
The backseat of the car held nothing to be suspicious of, lest Robert wanted to pick up the butterscotch candy that had been stuck to the floor and actually eat the thing, so Magen shifted himself to the front and got a good look out all the windows. He was instantly aware of the immediate and not-so-immediate vicinity. The person backing out of the space behind them. The mother and child bringing their cart to a stop two spaces down. The bear of a man entering the supermarket some fifty yards away. A plane, bound for the closest airport and with no problems to report. A lonely, injured grasshopper dancing about in the shadow of an old van. Tiny, but they bite all the same.
Robert was in a bit of a hurry to get home. His workday was done, but he was determined that, by God he would arrive at home at most one hour after leaving the office, even after picking up his protein shake mix.
Such thoughts, Robert.
Still, Robert opened the door to his precious Porche with practiced caution, barely keeping it from contacting the vehicle parked next to it because, despite his best efforts, someone did. Then he bounced into the car like a man possessed, glanced briefly over and through Magen, and then started the engine.
There wasn’t all that much waiting for them at home despite what thirty-three-year-old Robert told women when he visited local bars.
“Work keeps me busy,” is one thing he would say. “I keep up with working out, you know, and try to read the paper, Money magazine--and check in on my folks, of course.”
Magen was working with him on that lying habit, but he could only have so much influence in Robert’s life. Change, for better or worse, had to be Robert’s decision.
So Robert hastily backed out of the space, jamming on the brakes for someone who wanted to walk past and mumbling something under his breath as they trotted by.
Plain-looking bitch, Robert thought. His thoughts didn’t linger on her long, but in the long run that only meant that he would fail to reflect on the fact that he was doing it, thus he would not decide to change his thought patterns.
Magen’s thoughts wanted to linger, perhaps, to more positive things. That girl Robert was seeing for a little while…what was her name? She was a nice girl, she had potential to calm him down and get him to understand what life was about. But she was just too…naïve for Robert. Too inclined to believe in luck and the generosity of others. Her dream of a good life would not become Robert’s to fulfill.
Heck, as soon as he’d told her to call him “Rob”, with that smile on his face, Magen knew their relationship was doomed.
Robert was getting his phone out now while he simultaneously navigated out of the parking lot. He unwound the handset while stopped at the exit, then threw it on and started the autodial while he made a sloppy left turn, jumping out in front of some poor soul who had to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting him.
They’d get home in about seven minutes, despite Robert’s assertion that it should take no more than five, and one day he would get the formula figured out regarding exactly how. It involved the timing of traffic lights, locations of stop signs and places the police regularly sat and waited for someone to break the law.
Robert could use those two minutes for something else, like reading a magazine.
Six minutes left in their drive. They were crossing over a major intersection, and something happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hanna placed her coffee back into the cupholder when her phone went off. Snatching it quickly from the holster on her belt, she thought about how dreary today had been and hoped it was someone she actually wanted to talk to. Pushing her sunglasses up higher on her nose, she thought about just how absolutely dark out it was all the time.
“Hello?” God, she thought, if this is Matt or Freddy or even Stacy I’ll scream. I hate talking to them. The conversation just goes on forever.
“Hey,” said Matt.
“Hiii,”, she said, her smile audibly evident.
“What’s up?”
“Ohmygoshyou’llneverbelievewhatahorribledayIhad…well first, oh my gosh, I’m being so rude. What did you want? I’m sorry, it’s just been such a long day.”
“I just wanted to let you know I burned that CD for you,” Matt told her, laughing.
“Ohh, okay, yeah. I was really looking forward to getting it.”
“I know,” said Matt, smiling.
“Like, I’ve got all these CD’s by him already, but they’re getting kind of old, like I guess I know all the songs already and I can, like, play them in my head without having to hear them, you know what I mean?”
“Y--”
“So I guess I just need new stuff. Stuff gets old, you know? And then you like…can’t listen to it anymore. It’s like it gets lame. He’s so cool though, because he just keeps making new stuff, and, I dunno, I feel like such a dork for even knowing that after watching American Icon.”
Her hand moved mostly on autopilot as she steered the SUV. It was so easy, she couldn’t believe it was illegal to talk on the phone and drive at the same time no matter how good you were. It was like someone else was actually doing the driving!
“Um, actually, can I call you ba--”
“So it’s like every time I turn the show on now I’m like comparing people to him, and it’s just so stupid. So when should I come for the CD?”
She grimaced as the point approached where she would have to change lanes. It was coming fast.
There wasn’t much time at all, so she jerked the SUV into the left lane. There was a honk from behind her, so she immediately glanced in her rearview mirror to see an irate old man making a face in some…some old car. What was his problem, anyway? And why was he on her tail?
“I…if…then…”
Now it was her turn to make a face again. She was losing the signal. Cursing under her breath, she turned to place the phone in the cupholder to her left, being careful to not knock over her mocha chip with extra skim and triple foam. It went very well even though she was in the middle of turning…she was halfway onto the other road when she noticed that the light was red…and it was still too late to change what happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Robert--poor, frustrated Robert--dug out his information while practically gnashing his teeth, Magen spotted his counterpart perched in the lady driver’s passenger seat. He smiled awkwardly and waved, and she returned the gesture, appearing none too pleased with the unfolding situation. Magen and Robert exited the car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Okay…okay…” Hanna had papers in one hand and her hair in the other, so tight she was practically gouging it out of her scalp. It was too cold for this and she didn’t have the money and…
“What do you think you were doing?!” shouted the other driver. “Like I have time for you to be jumping out through red lights!” He was clearly not taking it well. Men got pissed off so easily, and this one…well, she didn’t need his crap right now. She paused for a second and then turned back for her phone.
“Hey! Hey!! Where are you going?”
“I’m sorry, this’ll just be a minute. I just need to call my company.”
“You’re reporting this?!”
Now he was pissed because she was technically the one who got blindsided. Oh, well now Mr. Big Shot with last year’s fashion was going to have to pay. If he hadn’t been speeding, maybe that wouldn’t be a problem. Hanna had things she had to pay for, like modern clothes and accessories. How else was she going to be taken seriously at work? She was looking forward to a promotion sometime in the next six months, and she’d be damned if she was going to let Captain Outrage ruin it all. So, ignoring his bluster and trembling a little on the inside, she made her call. She had to give him credit…he was a fighter, and probably ambitious...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m sorry about this,” Magen explained. His contrition was real, and he knew she could sense it. So was hers when she said, “I’m sorry too.”
Long white hair glowed and flowed past her face and down her neck…a thin, delicate face and a long, graceful neck, much the feminine version of Magen’s own countenance.
Magen sighed and put one hand on the back of his neck. “My charge…you know, he’s been quite irresponsible lately. He was in too much of a hurry, clearly breaking the rules of the posted speed limit by more than ten miles per hour.” He held out his hand, palm up, to emphasize his frustration.
“Each time he noticed that someone wished to change lanes, he would accelerate. Each time a pedestrian was crossing some distance ahead of him, he would do the same. I…” He lowered his head in shame. “It was inevitable.”
“But my charge…” she bit her lip. “Poor, sweet Hanna. She believes all that she does is justified. She failed to look at the traffic light and didn’t bother to look and see if anyone was coming.”
“You mean she wasn’t already…?”
“I…no.” Her head dropped as if a string had been cut from Above.
“Well it’s alright,” Magen said, reaching out and not quite touching her. Even near-contact like this was sufficient to produce and electric feeling, like the touch of the Divine. As her head started to lift, her eyes meeting his, both of their heads snapped to the side in unison to listen in on developments between their charges.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert paced like a caged animal while she was on the phone. He thumbed through his own contacts and considered making a call of his own, but to whom? And for what? He was going to call a lawyer friend of his when his phone blinked out on him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Good idea,” Magen told her, and then she did the same thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“License plate number?” A second later, “Hello?” Hanna rolled her eyes, looking in Robert’s direction but not at him, and Robert unconsciously clenched and unclenched his fists, furious now because he was checking her out.
Cut off from his car and his phone, at least for now, there was nothing to do by the side of the road. The thought had occurred to him that he could crank his stereo and wait while she worked around her faltering signal, but he just didn’t feel like it right now. Hanna, for her part, tensed and growled “Ooh!” and threw her phone into her car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Muna barely managed to keep it from breaking into pieces as it impacted the passenger-side door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hanna stalked over to Mr. Smug and fixed him with a squinting glare. It was hard to keep it up, as he did not back down. He waited for her to take the initiative and speak, knowing it would also be difficult.
“Give me your number.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” said Rob, defeated, as he went to get a pen from his car.
“Where are you going? You think that’s cute?”
“You’re gonna remember it?” He shrugged after he turned back around. “Fine by me if you wanna try.”
“I’m gonna put it in my phone, idiot.” She tried to pull out her phone and display it for emphasis, then remembered it was in her vehicle and frowned.
“Was that an Ephone?”
Distracted, opening her car back up to get it out, she murmured “Yeah.”
“I was gonna get one of those.”
“So what’s your--” suddenly Matt was calling again. Dammit. She turned bright red as her ringtone blared for Rob to hear, and he openly chuckled. She screwed up her face into another venomous glare, a glare that equally expressed a little fright.
“What?”
“Haha, nothing, except I have the same ringtone. Somewhere. I don’t really use it. I’m a huge John Stoss fan.”
She looked him up and down appraisingly, warily. “You.” It was barely a question.
“Yup. I have tickets to his show next month. Hey, so what was your name again?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m not a fan, myself.” Magen explained. “He’s a bit…secular for my taste.”
“I was thinking pornographic, with just a hint of thieving…he doesn’t do anything quite as miraculous as people think in order that they worship him so.” She raised a slender eyebrow and glanced over at their two charges. “Still, I’m glad they’re working it out.”
“Me too. Rob might not get home in time for ‘Misplaced’. I hate when he misses that show.”
“It’s probably a little too late to start watching that, isn’t it?”
Magen sighed. “Yeah.”
“Oh well. At least it keeps people happy.”
“Yup. While we break our backs trying to keep them alive. They don’t seem like they care very much about their lives these days.”
“We’re like the thin white line that keeps them from total annihilation.”
“Cheesy. But I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Well look…I gotta go. That was my friend, uh, Madeline, and we really have to talk. I don’t think I’m gonna report this. Too much stress and everything, right? I mean, haha, not ‘right’, I meant to say ‘y’know’?” Hanna was clearly flustered, and not doing a good job of covering it up.
“I know what you’re trying to say,” Rob told her before she emitted another tower of babble.
“Well let me get your number anyway, in case I need to call you. You never know, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Rob knew what was up. He gave her the number and got hers as well, then headed back to his car, thinking about how long he should make her wait before the first call.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other two smiled approvingly at each other, and Muna stepped up close to Magen, looking deep into his eyes.
“We did good today.” There was an infinite depth of unconditional love in her eyes…selfless and sacrificial. If their kind embraced romance…
“I think we got them on the right track.” Magen said, cutting off his own impure thoughts.
“Pray that we did.”
“You know I will.”
“See you soon.”
“I hope so. Goodbye! And Godspeed.”
She tossed a look over her shoulder as she left, the joy evident in her brilliant eyes. “Godspeed.”
Robert always looked nice, with his hair held firmly in place by a single dollop of gel and very expensive clothes--more expensive than his job required. He also always smelled nice, as it was customary for him to slap on just a little bit of baby powder before heading out the door.
He walked with a brisk, clipped and regimented stride that made most people realize they should get out of his way, because he had no intention of slowing down for anyone.
Magen followed Robert with the greatest of ease, slipping through each entanglement that Robert left behind without bumping into anyone or anything. He had to remain very close to Robert, and keep an eye on him. There were sayings about Magen’s kind--that one should not travel too fast, lest they become incapable of keeping up. This greatly amused Magen, for it was ridiculously untrue. Magen had followed Robert up the incline of a rollercoaster and back down again. He’d been inside of MRI units with Robert without the slightest bit of discomfort. He’d gone through revolving doors with him, taken planes with him, and at all times been by his side. A jaunt through a crowded grocery store was no different.
Magen could tell that Robert was practically fuming by the time he reached the registers. He was going to have to stand in line even in the express lane. This day was, for Robert, becoming a disaster of biblical proportions. Yet, when he reached the smiling cashier, he held in his disdain just barely by not speaking to her. Her boobs just weren’t big enough for him to waste his breath.
As soon as Robert had what he needed, he charged out the door and made his way toward his car, which he’d parked toward the far end of the parking lot in order to avoid having anyone parked next to him who could bash into his vehicle with their door. Heaven forbid it should acquire any scratches.
Magen shifted to the inside, to the backseat.
The backseat of the car held nothing to be suspicious of, lest Robert wanted to pick up the butterscotch candy that had been stuck to the floor and actually eat the thing, so Magen shifted himself to the front and got a good look out all the windows. He was instantly aware of the immediate and not-so-immediate vicinity. The person backing out of the space behind them. The mother and child bringing their cart to a stop two spaces down. The bear of a man entering the supermarket some fifty yards away. A plane, bound for the closest airport and with no problems to report. A lonely, injured grasshopper dancing about in the shadow of an old van. Tiny, but they bite all the same.
Robert was in a bit of a hurry to get home. His workday was done, but he was determined that, by God he would arrive at home at most one hour after leaving the office, even after picking up his protein shake mix.
Such thoughts, Robert.
Still, Robert opened the door to his precious Porche with practiced caution, barely keeping it from contacting the vehicle parked next to it because, despite his best efforts, someone did. Then he bounced into the car like a man possessed, glanced briefly over and through Magen, and then started the engine.
There wasn’t all that much waiting for them at home despite what thirty-three-year-old Robert told women when he visited local bars.
“Work keeps me busy,” is one thing he would say. “I keep up with working out, you know, and try to read the paper, Money magazine--and check in on my folks, of course.”
Magen was working with him on that lying habit, but he could only have so much influence in Robert’s life. Change, for better or worse, had to be Robert’s decision.
So Robert hastily backed out of the space, jamming on the brakes for someone who wanted to walk past and mumbling something under his breath as they trotted by.
Plain-looking bitch, Robert thought. His thoughts didn’t linger on her long, but in the long run that only meant that he would fail to reflect on the fact that he was doing it, thus he would not decide to change his thought patterns.
Magen’s thoughts wanted to linger, perhaps, to more positive things. That girl Robert was seeing for a little while…what was her name? She was a nice girl, she had potential to calm him down and get him to understand what life was about. But she was just too…naïve for Robert. Too inclined to believe in luck and the generosity of others. Her dream of a good life would not become Robert’s to fulfill.
Heck, as soon as he’d told her to call him “Rob”, with that smile on his face, Magen knew their relationship was doomed.
Robert was getting his phone out now while he simultaneously navigated out of the parking lot. He unwound the handset while stopped at the exit, then threw it on and started the autodial while he made a sloppy left turn, jumping out in front of some poor soul who had to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting him.
They’d get home in about seven minutes, despite Robert’s assertion that it should take no more than five, and one day he would get the formula figured out regarding exactly how. It involved the timing of traffic lights, locations of stop signs and places the police regularly sat and waited for someone to break the law.
Robert could use those two minutes for something else, like reading a magazine.
Six minutes left in their drive. They were crossing over a major intersection, and something happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hanna placed her coffee back into the cupholder when her phone went off. Snatching it quickly from the holster on her belt, she thought about how dreary today had been and hoped it was someone she actually wanted to talk to. Pushing her sunglasses up higher on her nose, she thought about just how absolutely dark out it was all the time.
“Hello?” God, she thought, if this is Matt or Freddy or even Stacy I’ll scream. I hate talking to them. The conversation just goes on forever.
“Hey,” said Matt.
“Hiii,”, she said, her smile audibly evident.
“What’s up?”
“Ohmygoshyou’llneverbelievewhatahorribledayIhad…well first, oh my gosh, I’m being so rude. What did you want? I’m sorry, it’s just been such a long day.”
“I just wanted to let you know I burned that CD for you,” Matt told her, laughing.
“Ohh, okay, yeah. I was really looking forward to getting it.”
“I know,” said Matt, smiling.
“Like, I’ve got all these CD’s by him already, but they’re getting kind of old, like I guess I know all the songs already and I can, like, play them in my head without having to hear them, you know what I mean?”
“Y--”
“So I guess I just need new stuff. Stuff gets old, you know? And then you like…can’t listen to it anymore. It’s like it gets lame. He’s so cool though, because he just keeps making new stuff, and, I dunno, I feel like such a dork for even knowing that after watching American Icon.”
Her hand moved mostly on autopilot as she steered the SUV. It was so easy, she couldn’t believe it was illegal to talk on the phone and drive at the same time no matter how good you were. It was like someone else was actually doing the driving!
“Um, actually, can I call you ba--”
“So it’s like every time I turn the show on now I’m like comparing people to him, and it’s just so stupid. So when should I come for the CD?”
She grimaced as the point approached where she would have to change lanes. It was coming fast.
There wasn’t much time at all, so she jerked the SUV into the left lane. There was a honk from behind her, so she immediately glanced in her rearview mirror to see an irate old man making a face in some…some old car. What was his problem, anyway? And why was he on her tail?
“I…if…then…”
Now it was her turn to make a face again. She was losing the signal. Cursing under her breath, she turned to place the phone in the cupholder to her left, being careful to not knock over her mocha chip with extra skim and triple foam. It went very well even though she was in the middle of turning…she was halfway onto the other road when she noticed that the light was red…and it was still too late to change what happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Robert--poor, frustrated Robert--dug out his information while practically gnashing his teeth, Magen spotted his counterpart perched in the lady driver’s passenger seat. He smiled awkwardly and waved, and she returned the gesture, appearing none too pleased with the unfolding situation. Magen and Robert exited the car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Okay…okay…” Hanna had papers in one hand and her hair in the other, so tight she was practically gouging it out of her scalp. It was too cold for this and she didn’t have the money and…
“What do you think you were doing?!” shouted the other driver. “Like I have time for you to be jumping out through red lights!” He was clearly not taking it well. Men got pissed off so easily, and this one…well, she didn’t need his crap right now. She paused for a second and then turned back for her phone.
“Hey! Hey!! Where are you going?”
“I’m sorry, this’ll just be a minute. I just need to call my company.”
“You’re reporting this?!”
Now he was pissed because she was technically the one who got blindsided. Oh, well now Mr. Big Shot with last year’s fashion was going to have to pay. If he hadn’t been speeding, maybe that wouldn’t be a problem. Hanna had things she had to pay for, like modern clothes and accessories. How else was she going to be taken seriously at work? She was looking forward to a promotion sometime in the next six months, and she’d be damned if she was going to let Captain Outrage ruin it all. So, ignoring his bluster and trembling a little on the inside, she made her call. She had to give him credit…he was a fighter, and probably ambitious...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m sorry about this,” Magen explained. His contrition was real, and he knew she could sense it. So was hers when she said, “I’m sorry too.”
Long white hair glowed and flowed past her face and down her neck…a thin, delicate face and a long, graceful neck, much the feminine version of Magen’s own countenance.
Magen sighed and put one hand on the back of his neck. “My charge…you know, he’s been quite irresponsible lately. He was in too much of a hurry, clearly breaking the rules of the posted speed limit by more than ten miles per hour.” He held out his hand, palm up, to emphasize his frustration.
“Each time he noticed that someone wished to change lanes, he would accelerate. Each time a pedestrian was crossing some distance ahead of him, he would do the same. I…” He lowered his head in shame. “It was inevitable.”
“But my charge…” she bit her lip. “Poor, sweet Hanna. She believes all that she does is justified. She failed to look at the traffic light and didn’t bother to look and see if anyone was coming.”
“You mean she wasn’t already…?”
“I…no.” Her head dropped as if a string had been cut from Above.
“Well it’s alright,” Magen said, reaching out and not quite touching her. Even near-contact like this was sufficient to produce and electric feeling, like the touch of the Divine. As her head started to lift, her eyes meeting his, both of their heads snapped to the side in unison to listen in on developments between their charges.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert paced like a caged animal while she was on the phone. He thumbed through his own contacts and considered making a call of his own, but to whom? And for what? He was going to call a lawyer friend of his when his phone blinked out on him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Good idea,” Magen told her, and then she did the same thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“License plate number?” A second later, “Hello?” Hanna rolled her eyes, looking in Robert’s direction but not at him, and Robert unconsciously clenched and unclenched his fists, furious now because he was checking her out.
Cut off from his car and his phone, at least for now, there was nothing to do by the side of the road. The thought had occurred to him that he could crank his stereo and wait while she worked around her faltering signal, but he just didn’t feel like it right now. Hanna, for her part, tensed and growled “Ooh!” and threw her phone into her car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Muna barely managed to keep it from breaking into pieces as it impacted the passenger-side door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hanna stalked over to Mr. Smug and fixed him with a squinting glare. It was hard to keep it up, as he did not back down. He waited for her to take the initiative and speak, knowing it would also be difficult.
“Give me your number.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” said Rob, defeated, as he went to get a pen from his car.
“Where are you going? You think that’s cute?”
“You’re gonna remember it?” He shrugged after he turned back around. “Fine by me if you wanna try.”
“I’m gonna put it in my phone, idiot.” She tried to pull out her phone and display it for emphasis, then remembered it was in her vehicle and frowned.
“Was that an Ephone?”
Distracted, opening her car back up to get it out, she murmured “Yeah.”
“I was gonna get one of those.”
“So what’s your--” suddenly Matt was calling again. Dammit. She turned bright red as her ringtone blared for Rob to hear, and he openly chuckled. She screwed up her face into another venomous glare, a glare that equally expressed a little fright.
“What?”
“Haha, nothing, except I have the same ringtone. Somewhere. I don’t really use it. I’m a huge John Stoss fan.”
She looked him up and down appraisingly, warily. “You.” It was barely a question.
“Yup. I have tickets to his show next month. Hey, so what was your name again?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m not a fan, myself.” Magen explained. “He’s a bit…secular for my taste.”
“I was thinking pornographic, with just a hint of thieving…he doesn’t do anything quite as miraculous as people think in order that they worship him so.” She raised a slender eyebrow and glanced over at their two charges. “Still, I’m glad they’re working it out.”
“Me too. Rob might not get home in time for ‘Misplaced’. I hate when he misses that show.”
“It’s probably a little too late to start watching that, isn’t it?”
Magen sighed. “Yeah.”
“Oh well. At least it keeps people happy.”
“Yup. While we break our backs trying to keep them alive. They don’t seem like they care very much about their lives these days.”
“We’re like the thin white line that keeps them from total annihilation.”
“Cheesy. But I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Well look…I gotta go. That was my friend, uh, Madeline, and we really have to talk. I don’t think I’m gonna report this. Too much stress and everything, right? I mean, haha, not ‘right’, I meant to say ‘y’know’?” Hanna was clearly flustered, and not doing a good job of covering it up.
“I know what you’re trying to say,” Rob told her before she emitted another tower of babble.
“Well let me get your number anyway, in case I need to call you. You never know, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Rob knew what was up. He gave her the number and got hers as well, then headed back to his car, thinking about how long he should make her wait before the first call.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other two smiled approvingly at each other, and Muna stepped up close to Magen, looking deep into his eyes.
“We did good today.” There was an infinite depth of unconditional love in her eyes…selfless and sacrificial. If their kind embraced romance…
“I think we got them on the right track.” Magen said, cutting off his own impure thoughts.
“Pray that we did.”
“You know I will.”
“See you soon.”
“I hope so. Goodbye! And Godspeed.”
She tossed a look over her shoulder as she left, the joy evident in her brilliant eyes. “Godspeed.”
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