Keeping it Real by Annie Dalton Page A

her dead friend was in her room, wearing pink suede boots and claiming to be an angel.
    I leaned in closer. “Jax? It’s me, Mel. The first thing I want to say is I’m not a scary spook - hopefully you can tell the difference from the vibes!” I joked. “I’m an angel, Jax! Kind of a surprise, yeah? Don’t ask why they picked me, because I have NO idea! Listen, I’ll probably be around for a few days and I’ve just had this really cool idea.”
    I shifted a little closer.
    “Tell you how it started - I was actually wishing you guys could all come back with me and be angels just for a day. I know it’s just a fantasy, but it got me thinking. I have such a beautiful life, Jax! I live in this huge vibey city, and I’m going to this cool angel school! I went into pure shock, though, when they first told me! I’m like, ‘I’m dead and I still have to go to school! Is that heartless or what!’”
    Jax’s mouth quirked up at the corners. My heart gave a little skip. Could she possibly be smiling at my joke?
    I softly stroked her hand, willing her to hear my voice. “I think you might actually like school in Heaven! When you’re training to be an angel, it’s like you’re a part of something HUGE, and it makes you feel so proud. I never felt like that before, and I want to share it with you, Jax!”
    Did I imagine it, or did my friend give a soft little sigh?
    “So then I’m like, OK, maybe your mates can’t go to angel high school, Melanie, but what’s to stop you taking the angel school to them? Yeah, I know! Creative thinking or what! I’m not talking scary advanced stuff, just basic cosmic laws, simple techniques for keeping yourself safe and whatever? You’d be like, an undercover angel! Would you be up for that?”
    I heard another soft sigh. I took that as a yes, and settled myself into a calm yoga sitting pose. I was about to teach my first official angel lesson.
    “OK, listen carefully now, babe, because I’m going to tell you something that will blow you away.” I paused for extra emphasis. “You’re magic, Jax!”
    If she remembered just this one thing, it would change her life forever.
    I took a deep breath. “And it’s not just you, girl. Everyone’s born magic, even that stinky old man who used to come into Costcutter. Ok, so he doesn’t look so magic now, but that’s because he’s got something called ‘cosmic amnesia’…”
    I told Jax that she must never ever think she was alone - that she had a huge celestial organisation watching out for her - and I dropped a tiny hint about the PODS for her to think about when she was awake.
    When I’d given my mate as much cosmic info as I thought she could absorb for one day, I slung my bag over my shoulder.
    “You’re magic, Jax, remember,” I repeated softly. “Never forget that, OK?”
    I checked my watch. Time to shoot off to Karmen’s.
    On my way out, I noticed the cactus. Maybe it had just been pretending to be dead, or maybe it was just the right time for it to come back to life? I don’t really know about cactuses. All I know is that this particular cactus had a tiny, shocking-pink flower shyly blooming from its withered little stump.
    Karmen’s bedroom smelled of hot clean hair. She was in front of the mirror using her hair straighteners. There was like, one tiny kink in her hair and she was stressing like you would not believe.
    This morning my friend was looking extra grownup and serious, in a fabulous shalwar kamiz sparkling with gold threads. Karms is usually more of a cool-casuals girl, so I guessed her parents were dragging her off to see the rellies later.
    Checking that her hair straighteners were switched off, Karmen ran back to the mirror and started yanking crossly at her hair.
    “Karmen Asha Patel,” I said sternly. “You look totally luminous, so stop stressing!”
    And she did! She actually walked away from the mirror!! I hadn’t even got started yet!!
    Maybe it was just a coincidence though, because