"What's wrong with you? This is serious. I had to strip Ameana of her powers."

"She has no more powers?"

"Not until I give them back to her."

"Wow, I didn't know you could do that."

"I never thought I'd have to."

"I'm sorry. That must have been difficult."

"You think?" I snap.

"Hey, I didn't tell her to hit me."

"You asked me out in front of everyone."

"So I should have done it in private?"

"You shouldn't have done it at all."

"Because you'd say no?"

"Because I'm with someone else. We had this discussion 48 hours ago, remember?"

"Yeah, I think it went something like 'Hey, I love you. Now get away from me, I'm with Xena, Warrior Angel.'"

"Meana is a good angel."

"I can tell. There were three or so nails in the wall and she didn't impale me on any of them. She's a gem."

"This is very hard for her."

"How is it for you?"

I sigh, rub my neck roughly, and look down at the floor.

"I see," she says.

"You can't do that again. Ever."

"p.i.s.s off Ameana or ask you out?"

"Both."

"Don't I get a chance to convince you to choose me?"

"You couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because nothing you could say could get me to love you more than I already do."

"If you want me that bad why don't you fight to have me?" she shouts.

I don't answer. Angrily, she shakes her head.

"You said that I should fight for people I love. Well, I'm fighting for you," she roars.

"I can't be with you."

"Because of Ameana?"

"Because you will be the end of me."

"What?" she says, taken aback.

"The Sage is our guide. He has lived on Earth for thousands of years. He says that you will in some way destroy me and make me betray my team."

"I don't understand. Why would he say that? You would never betray anyone."

"I tried to bring that to his attention, but you'll find he's a little sure of himself. It can happen when you have never been wrong."

"Never?"

"Not once."

"He is this time. You wouldn't betray anyone, ever."

"How can you know that?"

"How can you not? You have issues, but none of them is lack of loyalty."

"Gee, thanks."

"So, being with me will lead to the end of you?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me."

"I. Don't. Know."

"You shouldn't be around me."

"Where did you want me to take you had we gone out? I'm guessing Spain, Paris or Florence maybe?"

"To the Park."

"That's it? The Park? Nothing more?

"I'd be with you. What more could there be?"

"It's late. I should take you home."

"Reese will take me." I was going to argue but she looks at me and I understand then that she is giving me what I asked for: Ameana. She wasn't going to fight for me anymore.

"I'll go get Reese." I open the door and as I head out.

"Goodnight, Emerson."

"Goodnight, Marcus."

I decided to walk home because I didn't feel like an angel. And I didn't feel pure or close to Omnis.

When I get home, I find Ameana standing out front. She was wearing a long trendy black jacket and scarf. I walk right past her and up the stairs. Once in the house, I walk past her room and go right to mine. I shut the door.

From the window I can see her standing out front. She turns around and sees me. We stare at each other silently. A few hours ago we leaped across oceans. Now, only a few yards apart, the distance seems too great to cross.

The house was quiet in the morning. Reese and Jay weren't having their usual banter. Miku and Rio weren't fighting to ride shotgun in the car. Ameana hadn't said a word to anyone. I left the house before them. I wasn't going to give them a chance to ask a bunch of questions. Although I honestly don't think they would have asked questions. Everyone pretty much let things be.

When I got to school I remembered that this weekend was Triweekend. Triweekend is a three-day celebration commemorating the birth of the council. It is the only holiday we have. Both sides are forbidden to attack each other for the next three days. It is supposed to be a time to reflect on the balance of good and evil. It is a time when we should be thanking Omnis for making up the council. Instead, we make it a party weekend. All weekend.

I see Jay and Reese in the hallway and call out to them.

"Hey, what you doing Triweekend?" I ask.

"Me and Reese are trying to figure out a good hiding spot for when Ameana finally loses it and somehow blows us all up," Jay says.

"Yeah, I'm thinking it might be best to stay out of the house completely until the end of World War III," Reese adds.

"Forget about that for now. I was thinking we'd play some Runner Ball," I say.

"h.e.l.l yeah! When?" Jay asks.

"Let's blow off the rest of the day."

"Emmy has cla.s.s. We can't let her grades drop because of us," Reese says sensibly.

"Alright, as soon as cla.s.s is over, we'll go look for a game," I say.

"I heard the Paras are coming down here this weekend," Jay says.

"No, way. They'd never come in a six-six-six year," I say.

"I broke a Splash and they said it might be happening."

"Since when did you start breaking Splashes?"

"You kidding? Some of the stuff they got in there is hilarious, man," Jay replies.

"Did you read the one about the angel with the edible wings? That was crazy!" Reese adds.

"None of that stuff is true. You guys know that."

"Yeah, that's why it's fun. You can't take that stuff seriously. Except for the one article that called me s.e.xy, that's real talk."

"Whatever," Reese says, rolling his eyes.

"Look, we on for after school, right?" I ask.

"Yeah, are the girls coming?" Jay asks.

"Anybody who wants to can come," I say.

"When are you gonna fix things?" Reese asks.

"Look, man, I did everything I could. I told Emmy I was with Mimi and that I wasn't going to be with her. What else am I supposed to do? Ameana had no right to do what she did. I had to take her wings away."

"When are you gonna give them back to her?" Jay wonders.

"When she starts acting like an angel and not like a jealous school girl."

"So, you think she was the only one out of line?" Reese asks.

"No, Emmy was, too, but she doesn't have any powers for me to take away, now does she?"

"Whatever you do, do it fast. The tension in the house is deep. A man can't concentrate enough to get any cooking done," Jay jokes.

"Let's just go play ball, okay?"

"So rather than dealing with the many problems we have encountered, you'd rather go play Runner Ball like a juvenile delinquent?" Reese asks.

"Yeah."

"I'm in."

"I bet we could get in some Diving, too," Jay adds.

"h.e.l.l, yeah. Tell the others when you see them," I say, heading off to cla.s.s.

I meet up with Rio in the lab. I ask him about playing Runner Ball after school.