Angel 911: Bullied

"I'm not sure about you, but I don't like being bullied at high school. However, with our new neighbor, Granny Millie, and this new kid at school, Ben Evans, I have a new outlook on life. With them around, the bullies, Ryan and Derek, can't hurt me as much. At least I hope so, but I may be wrong. This story is about my life and how just a few helpers can make a huge difference. I just wish I knew how Granny Millie knows what I like to eat. It's as if she's a superhero." ~ Heather Everett, main character.

Mildred, a member of the Angel 911 group in Heaven, wants to create world peace. However, Gabriel assigns her to a fifteen-year old freshman, Heather, who is in a bad place in her life, which is hardly a place to create world peace. Mildred knows she can't fight Gabriel, so she does her job, overstepping her bounds more than once to help Heather and her dysfunctional family fight against evil.

Excerpt

Greenwood, Kansas, Heather's Apartment


I was studying French in our apartment's living room when someone knocked on the door.

"Heather!" my brother, Jake, yelled from his bedroom. "Someone's at the door."

Little brothers. What a pain.

Regardless, the knock on the door was a perfect distraction, because I hadn't been able to concentrate on my homework with hot Ryan on my mind. He was adorable, with soft brown eyes and slightly curly brown hair. Mom thought long hair looked terrible on boys, but I thought it was just right, just like his sweet smile. It was just a shame it was April and he wasn't playing football. He was the varsity quarterback, and did I say he was adorable yet? Yep. He was way adorable, but he knew it, too. I just wished he'd get rid of that stupid friend, Derek, who was another football player. Derek was probably the most evil person I knew and I suspected he made Ryan mean. Peer pressure was the pits and those jocks stuck together.

That's when it hit me. Maybe that was Ryan at the door and he'd ditched Derek. I jumped off the couch, making all my books fall to the floor, but I didn't care. I had to see if Ryan finally decided I was worthy enough to date, even though he never gave me the time of day. He was a senior at my high school and I was only a freshman. Granted, I'd stalked him, according to the rumor mill, so he really didn't want anything to do with me. He, Derek, and his friends actually made my life miserable. But I could always hope things would eventually turn around.

I ran to the door and twisted the knob, but before yanking it open, I considered my predicament. Mom was out on a date with Ed, the Neanderthal, and she didn't want anyone visiting our apartment when she wasn't there. However, if it was Ryan, I'd let him inside, just so I could memorize his face. What Mom didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

As soon as I skimmed my hand through my hair to make sure I didn't look horrible, I thought of what I might say to the Adonis senior. "Oh, hi." No, too cheesy. "Fancy meeting you here. Did your grandmother just move into the complex?" The thought made me chuckle, because it seemed as if everyone else in the place was old and retired. No, I'd just have to wing it.

I sighed in frustration, hoping my hair looked okay. I had long brown hair with red highlights and should've fit in with the cheerleader-types at school. But they had cool eyes to go with their long hair, while mine were just blue. Big plain blue eyes. My eyes weren't striking at all, frustrating me. Maybe Ryan would notice my hair and ignore my eyes, since I wasn't allowed to wear makeup yet. Mom was such a stick-in-the-mud.

With my hopes and excitement at their highest level, I yanked open the door…but in that instant, my hopes were dashed and my excitement plummeted. It wasn't Ryan.

My shoulders fell and my heart sank. It was some little old lady, more plump than tall with gray hair, wearing an apron that said, 'What's your plan for eternity?' Great. I was just trying to get through the day and she wanted to talk about eternity? Since eternity wasn't anytime soon, it definitely wasn't on my radar.

"Hello," the older woman said with a smile. "I just moved in next door and wondered if you had some sugar I could borrow. I'm making chocolate chip cookies and ran out."

Welcome to my life, a complete social coma. My world consisted of high school, where I was less than a nobody, and this old-people's apartment complex.

I guess I had to be nice to this woman and let her come inside the apartment to get the sugar, but Mom wouldn't be happy if she found out. Jake would tell, too, because he loved getting me in trouble. Little brothers were just annoying, in general.

"I can get you the sugar," I said. "Mom won't let me have anyone in the apartment."

"Your mother is wise," the woman said. "My name's Mildred VanDerLanHootsonBickHamson."

With my mouth hanging open in confusion, I stared at the woman, wondering how she could ever remember, or spell, her own last name. "Uh, what would you like me to call you? I don't think I can remember your last name."

The woman chuckled. "Blame my dead husband, Frank. I do every day…" She stopped and bit her lips. "Sorry. I shouldn't do that." She looked upward. "Bless his soul."

What an odd character.