App 327

Wiping up tears as she walked from the pharmacy, Suzie stopped. She took a deep breath. It will be okay. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll never hurt again, that I promise.

She sat down on the park bench, a bag at her feet and the phone in her hand. She read over the message again.

“It will never work out between us. We are just so different. I tried, really I did but I couldn’t get past all your shortcomings and flaws. -Paul-“

He dumped me with a text. Who does that?

“May I sit down?” A young man, tall, dark hair, and blue eyes stood over her.

“Not my bench.”

He sat down and looked around, then smiled. “Thank you. Isn’t it a lovely day, with the puffy clouds rolling by, the birds singing in the trees? It’s just the right temperature too, not too hot, not too cold. Just look at those kids over there in the playground. They are so full of life. I love days like this.”

“I didn’t notice.”

“Of course not. You’re still reading over and over that text message from Paul. You can’t see anything else.”

She gasped and then turned to look at him. “Excuse me. Who are you? How do you know about Paul or what my text messages say? What business is it of yours anyway?”

“Oh, that’s easy. I’m App 327. They sent me. They told me all about you when they did. I’ve seen your childhood up to the present. With all that celestial technology, of course, it only took a few minutes.” His watch buzzed. He looked down at it. “Oops, that’s something we don’t share so please don’t tell anyone.”

She stared at him for a minute. “App? That is such a strange name. Who are they?”

“It stands for Apprentice Number 327. I will become, well, one of them when I pass the test. You know, them. I can’t say much else. Paul was a setup. Krysti conned him into acting like your friend and then dumping you. The same thing with Charles before him. She’s miserable and wants you to be miserable, too. You are pretty and have a great personality. Two things she lacks. You really shouldn’t go through with it.”

“Krysti did that?” She sat the phone down. “I shouldn’t go through with what?”

He scoffed. “Come now, you have a bottle of sleeping pills in your left side jacket pocket, and two bottles of beer in the brown paper bag at your feet. You’re going to drink one beer to drum up the courage to overdose on the pills and the other one to numb yourself as you drift off to sleep, never to wake up.” He put his hand in her lap. “In fact, give me the pills now. You no longer need them.”

She thought to deny it. Her heart raced. How could he know about all that? Is he what he says he is? With tears rolling down her cheeks, she slowly reached into her pocket and handed him the pill bottle. “This doesn’t change anything.”

“I’m here to fix that. I’m here to give you hope. You will meet someone soon who Krysti didn’t send over to mess with you. She’s crossed the line this time.” He stood up and offered her his hand. “Let’s take a walk in this beautiful park.” She took his hand and let him pull her up. To her surprise, he didn’t let go of her hand but interlaced his fingers with hers. “Isn’t that better?”

“Wait, my beer.”

“Leave it. You won’t be needing that either.”

“Oh.”

They stopped in front of the playground and watched the children play. He bent over and whispered in her ear. “You would have missed out of having a few of those of your own if you would have gone through with it.”

“Am I supposed to have some of those?”

“Yes, three.” His watch buzzed again. “Oops. Let’s change that to a maybe and not a number.”

She giggled. As they walked down the pathway he stopped again. “It’s going to be a beautiful day tomorrow too. Another thing you would have missed out on, but now you won’t. You should come to the park again, say about nine -thirty-two ish. You’ll want to sit on this park bench.

“Why,” she asked.

He gazed at his watch. “Can’t say. In fact, I’ve said altogether too much already from what they tell me.”

“Oh. Since I will be around, according to you, I have nothing else to do at that time. I will take a walk in the park.”

“It has to be this bench.” He pointed.

She looked around to get her bearings. “I’ll make sure this is the bench.” She squeezed his hand.

“Oh good.”

As they continued their walk down the path he stopped suddenly. “Krysti is about to come around the corner. I will count to three and then kiss you as she passes by. When she sees she’s failed to make you miserable, she’ll give up and won’t talk to you again, which is a good thing. One, two, three.”

The kiss sent tingles up and down her spine. She heard Krysti gasp as she walked by. App 327 stood up. “There, you are all fixed.” He took her by both hands and stared at her with those mesmerizing blue eyes of his. “You’ve got this. I will be watching over you so you don’t ever need to feel alone.”

“Even in the shower?”

App’s cheeks turned red. “Not physically, but I’ll gauge your emotions.”

“Oh.” Do Apps, or angels, or whatever he is, blush? They kiss pretty well. No, very well.

“I’ve got to go. You’re never alone. Remember that.” She watched as he walked away.

Too bad he couldn’t be my boyfriend. She pulled up her phone and deleted the text message from Paul. She gave App one last look. How did I rate a guardian apprentice? He saved me.