Keeping it Real by Annie Dalton Page B

Karmen immediately started burrowing in her wardrobe, until she’d located a pair of pretty sandals which would match her outfit.
    “Karms,” I said in the same firm voice. “Just chill, OK?”
    And again she stopped, only this time there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.
    “Omigosh, Karmen?” I said excitedly. “You can hear me, can’t you? It’s me, Mel. I’m an angel, Karms. I know ! I hardly believe it myself, but it’s true.”
    Next minute Karmen’s eyes went all wistful. Then she did a strange, not to say slightly creepy, thing. She walked up to the photo with its little scented candle and started talking to it!
    “I hope you’d be proud of me, Mel,” she whispered. “I really do.”
    “Karms, I’m humongously proud of you,” I said warmly, “but I’m actually right behind you, and I’m only in town a few days and we’ve got a LOT of ground to cover. You see… EEK,” I squeaked.
    Karmen had walked right through me on her way to the karaoke machine. Her room filled with cheesy music and to my dismay Karmen started belting out one of the big numbers from GREASE.
    Ever tried teaching cosmic survival to someone who’s yelling, “You’re the One that I Want” at the top of her lungs?
    Luckily I saw the funny side. I imagined Reubs and Lola howling with laughter as I described my frustrated attempt to pass on angel skills to a caterwauling Karmen. Knowing Reubs, he wouldn’t see a problem! He’d be like, “Why didn’t you just go with the flow, angel girl?”
    Yeah, angel girl , I thought. Just go with the flow!
    So I sang along!
    I can’t sing for peanuts, but I really got into it. Halfway through the number, Karms and I lost all our inhibitions and launched into a wild dance routine. I can’t swear to it, but I thought I saw her throw in some cheeky Bollywood moves.
    When the music finished, we both had to get our breath back.
    “Woo, that was fun! Almost like old times!” I panted. “Except obviously I was visible then!”
    Then I was like, Omigosh .
    All the strain had left Karmen’s face. She was glowing from dancing and laughing in that way you do when you’ve been kidding around. It was like I’d actually done her some good, you know?
    Then her eyes went wistful again. “Oh, Melanie, I hope they let you be one in Heaven,” she said softly.
    She was looking past me to our London Eye photo, but it was a really shivery moment. It was like, Karmen didn’t absolutely know I was here, but she kind of did.
    And be one what in Heaven?
    “Karms—” I started.
    “Time to go, beti ,” her dad sang from the hall.
    I’d been at Karmen’s house exactly twenty minutes!
    I thought Reuben would be proud of me for managing to stay so chilled. What did it matter if my friend and I had connected during a cheesy song and dance routine, so long as we’d connected? And we had. I still had goose bumps to prove it.
    Two down, one to go , I thought, shimmering out into the street.
    In case Sky was still with lover boy, I went the long way round, strolling past shops and cafes. I think the dawn vibes were still fizzing in my veins, because I was genuinely loving being out in my old community. I started feeling like a bona fide local angel, bopping along in my borrowed parka, so I thought it was time I behaved like one.
    I started sending vibes to anyone who looked like they needed it (Ok, so maybe a couple of times I sent them to really fit boys -I’m just an angel, you know, not a saint!!).
    Soon angel vibes were raining down everywhere. I’m talking serious showers of gold sparkles. Little kids were smiling. Old married couples were holding hands. Park Hall was literally becoming a better place!
    I felt that special glow inside my chest. Helix wanted a word.
    “Isn’t this just pure magic!” I bubbled.
    “The best magic there is, sweetie. Not sure you should be drawing this much attention to yourself though. Angels aren’t the only beings who see vibes,