“Why not?”

“Oh, you didn't hear?”

An unpleasant feeling roared throughout my stomach and the walls surrounding me began closing in on me.

“The higher power has requested a meeting with Eli… He’s leaving this morning.”

My chest tightened and pain stabbed me so sharply I couldn’t catch my breath. Tears burned behind my eyelids.

“What?”

I fled from my room, the corridor blurred beneath my feet as I felt a surge of adrenaline.

“Ruby, where are you going?” Mila called after me.

I didn’t stop to explain and I couldn’t explain it to her even if I wanted to. The cream colored walls flew passed me in a blur and before long I was in the open lobby of the girls dorms.

“Miss Moore where do you think you’re going?” Mrs Ploit shouted.

Once again I didn’t stop to explain. I needed to get to Eli, if he left there was no telling when he’d come back, if he’d come back.

The quick slaps of my footsteps on the concrete echoed in my ears and I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead.

“Please, please, please.” I begged under my ragged breath.

What do I say when I get there? I hadn’t exactly thought it out. Hell, I don’t even know if he will be there but it was worth a try. The car park was in sight now and if my legs could talk they’d sigh in relief.

The Audi Q5s were standard issue for guardian angels. When they come to work here they are given one. This made it a lot harder for me to decipher which one was Eli’s. Gravel crunched under my feet as I searched for any kind of movement. From my peripheral vision I saw a car roll up to the entry/exit booth. It had to be him. I ran towards it and the boom gates rose.

“No! Wait!” I called but the car began to roll forward and as I reached the gates the car was out of the school and zooming down the road.

“You aren’t allowed to be here.” The guardian in the booth warned me. “Breakfast starts soon. I suggest you make your way there.”

I didn’t move. I wanted to but I couldn’t. I felt nauseous, my heart was beating frantically and my tears began to wet my cheeks. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. I didn’t mean for this to happen, I thought things were going to go back to normal.

As the car disappeared totally out of sight, I felt completely numb. Somehow, I just knew, my life would never be the same again.