Oakwood Heights CYOA: Side with Celeste

Tim had enough of just standing around. Last time he was completely powerless…this time he would fix the problem himself. He gazed as the two fought…neither seemed particularly experienced. Their techniques were haphazard at best. Their arms locked too tightly with each punch, both of their stances weren’t low enough to the ground, and even then neither knew how to land a hit properly. This wasn’t going to be nearly hard as he thought…most likely anyway. While his quick analysis showed they weren’t skilled, for all he knew each punch could have the strength of ten men…this would require a little more caution. Perhaps a direct charge would be too risky…Still, he refused to stand here and do nothing, and letting Veronica literally jump between them was out of the question. He’d end this fight as soon as he could. But first…he needed to decide who to stop.

Tim blinked before making his decision…and moved forward to grab Francisca’s hand. Truthfully, he didn’t really feel like Francisca was to blame here. However, he also knew very little about the situation, at least as a whole. If he got Celeste’s side of the story, it might be incredibly valuable. If he sided with Francisca here, getting the Angel’s opinion on the matter would be much harder. Tim figured it probably be easier to get Francisca’s side of the story after the fact…

Francisca bared her teeth and threw another strong punch, aiming directly for Celeste’s face. Before it reached, however, a strong force gripped her wrist. Francisca slowly turned her head, seeing Tim and Veronica standing there. The demon-touched girl’s cheeks went red(der) in embarrassment as she was caught figuratively and literally red-handed for fighting Celeste. Celeste looked at the pair in shock, but managed to keep her cool in moments. Francisca violently pulled her arm away and sprinted down the hallway, barely having time to slip into a more human form.

Celeste made a sigh of relief as a tiny smile grew on her lips.

Celeste stood there calmly. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh? Or mysterious angel in this case, ha ha.” said the angelic figure, closing her eyes.  

Veronica stood there, furious. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”

Celeste chuckled. “Of course not. I figure you’re going to want a long chat about this, aren’t you?”

Veronica nodded, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. Tim nodded idly too…

Celeste’s eyes slid open, if only for a moment. She watched to see if Francisca was out of earshot and sight. The tension seemed to leak out of her body as she calmed down, almost visibly so. She quickly closed them again, unable to maintain eye contact with Tim or Veronica. “I figured this would happen sooner or later. Though I’ll admit I thought Francisca would get caught first, ha ha.”

Her small laugh did nothing to ease the tension in the empty hallway. Celeste pointed upwards. “We’ll meet on the roof. Things should be a little more…private, there.” Celeste began walking away, not even giving Tim or Veronica a chance to respond.

Tim turned towards Veronica. “Wh-what the hell just happened? I feel like I was the one doing something wrong!”

Veronica nodded. “That’s Celeste for you. She was captain of the debate team for quite a while. She excelled at misdirection, and control.”

“The angel is a skilled liar?”

Veronica shook her head. “It’s not that simple. Celeste is a bit of a…schemer, you might say. She calls herself a “matchmaker” of sorts, and she spends quite a bit of time manipulating people into relationships.” Veronica blushed. “Very happy, healthy ones I’ll add. It’s never out of spite. Some people called her the “Cupid” of the school…I guess it’s far more literal than I thought…”

“So is there anything else I should know before we head up there?”

Veronica nodded. “She’ll only admit what she has to. Getting a straight answer out of her is going to be tough, especially if it’s about herself. However…that’s her weakness. Whenever she talks about herself, she panics a lot more easily. If you get her to keep talking, she’ll make mistakes. We’ll exploit those. For now though, just try and get any information you can out of her.”

Tim nodded, and the pair slowly walked up the stairs towards the roof.

The wind made the crisp autumn air surprisingly chilly. Celeste stood on the roof, looking downwards while drenched in the sun. Her imposing figure and large height made her seem especially threatening. “I’ve been waiting for you…” She coolly said. A tiny grin grew on her lips. “I know what you’re about to say. ‘How can I be so cruel?’ ‘Isn’t Francisca your friend?’ Am I right?”

Veronica stared at Celeste, and asked “Let’s start at the beginning. What are you doing in this school?”

Celeste laughed. “I’m an Angel, just here to spread love and happiness.” She made a tiny pirouette where she stood, giggling. “My family and I love doing our divine duty here. We have cured the wounded, aided the downtrodden, fed the hungry…all that and more. Nothing could make us happier.”

Celeste smirked. “You probably don’t know much about Angels on Earth, do you?”

Veronica shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“Well, all of us have a divine duty. Think of it like a…job, of sorts. Mine, along with my Mother, is a “Cupid”. We try to encourage love wherever we can. You’d be surprised at the people who will be happy with one another.” She looked at Tim and immediately Veronica afterwards, grinning. Both of them blushed slightly. In her hand she held a single arrow, with a heart-shaped tip. “When people think of us, they always think of these magical arrows.”

Celeste broke out laughing. “As my mother always said-says, this job is 1% magic and 99% cunning. Setting up a relationship isn’t some point and shoot game. You have to manipulate the social ladder, ensure friendships can remain, break up obstacles…the back-end work is far more difficult.” Her grin grew wider. “And more fun, I’ll admit. You know how people say “If we love each other, everything will work out." …We’re the ones who make it work out.”

Tim shook his head. “How does that relate to Francisca?”

Celeste grinned once again. “Let me ask you this…do you think she hates me?”

Tim stared at her quizzically. “Probably?”

Celeste chuckled. “Good. Then it’s working.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?” yelled Tim. Veronica put a hand on his shoulder, calming him down. He had to be more careful…she was getting to him.

“As an Angel, you might say I have a…professional interest in a Half-Demon girl like her. I have been tasked by the heavens themselves to keep her good. It’s superseded any of my normal duties. I refuse to let her become a monster.” Celeste stared wistfully off into the distance. “She’s not one. She’s smart, beautiful, creative…” She shook her head and stared at the two again, fully maintaining her composure. “But she’s half-demon. And that half wants her to do some very bad things to people.”

“How does ruining everything she tries make her a better person?”

Celeste began to crack up laughing. Oddly, each individual chuckle felt perfectly timed. “You believe that? Of course I haven’t ruined everything she’s tried, only what’s going to hurt her.”

“How do you mean?”

“Take that fight you just saw. It was over a guy she wanted to date, right?”

“Yeah?”

“That guy, Robert, was a womanizing prick. He would have broken her heart in two. Actually probably more.” Her face went dark. “He even mentioned Francisca had some “skin condition”, and if he could get pictures, he could get her to do anything he wanted. Jackass.” A wide grin grew on her face. “I used a little magical suggestion to get him to ask out Karen. Karen’s one of the biggest nerds in school…Robert’s beloved popularity is already ruined. It’ll sink even lower when Karen dumps his sorry, heartbreaking ass.” She giggled. “All will be well though. He’ll learn the error of his ways, and in college, he’ll probably be much sweeter. He’s got good in his heart, he’s just not keen to show it.”

Veronica shook her head. “Didn’t you get the Poetry club banned form the school? She really wanted to join that.”

“That “Poetry Club”? Crazy cult. They wanted to sacrifice a half-demon to steal its powers. They were easily handled though. I just called the cops. Big scandal, but I kept Francisca away from the details. Some of their parents did a good job of sweeping it under the rug, but the main offenders still got punished.”

Veronica stayed silent.

“Sounds crazy, right? Crazier shit happens in this school all the time. This whole town seems to help people ignore the impossible things around them…that’s why my mom moved here, actually. She could more easily do her job…” A warm smile grew on her face. “It’s too bad I won’t be able to stay here forever…”

Tim asked “What do you mean by that…?”

“Francisca’s…special. She’s very hard to deal with…stubborn as they come, yet a hell of a lot more sensitive than she shows. Her poetry shows it perfectly…I’ve read most of it. She thinks I just throw it away, but I’ve read every word. It shows her innocent, fragile soul well…” Celeste gazed away once again.

“So…she needs special treatment. She’s too stubborn for me to just tell her right from wrong…so this is much better. I want her to hate me. She thinks I’m just a bitchy angel who can’t possibly understand she’s more than just a demon.” Her voice lingered on this sentence a bit longer than she intended, causing her to gasp a tiny bit.

“She’ll want to prove me wrong. To prove she’s good, and kind, and innocent. Every time she thinks of doing something wrong, she’ll think about me. About how much I’d hate what she’s done, and about how she’s proving me right.”

Tim shook his head. “But…do you really enjoy being so mean to her?”

Celeste blushed for a second. “Of course not. If I could be nicer to her, I would l-love to, but it’s simply not possible. She…she wouldn’t respond to it well enough, understand?”

“That doesn’t seem right. Wouldn’t you both be happier as “normal” friends?”

“That’s not how these things work. I don’t blame you for not understanding. You’re fully human. Things get a bit…different when you’re like us.”

“Why do you keep getting in fights with her?”

“It helps her vent. I can take her without a doubt. Other people…maybe not so much. If I let her vent anger at me, fight me, no one else gets hurt.”

“Why though? Why do you have to be the villain?”

“…It works far better this way. I’d rather play the villain then let Francisca become one. It’s not as if I mind very much. I can’t afford to care too much for a demon…”

“But…I don’t think that’s a good excuse to bully her like that.”

“…It’s a lot better than most bullies in school. I’m trying to help her, at least. This is working…she responds well to it. I don’t mind seeing her so…sad when I…I’m sorry, I got distracted for a moment. This just…it’s the b-best way, ok?”

Tim glared at her angrily. “It still doesn’t make any sense. I get that you’re trying to protect her. That’s…good to hear, actually. But at the same time, you do it in cruel ways. You belittle her, harass her, and torment her. That doesn’t seem like a very “angelic” thing to do.”

“…I realize how bad it looks. But I am willing to do anything for her, understand? Right now, she…she needs this. She needs a foe. Not someone who can hold her tight when she needs support. This…this is the best way, ok?”

Tim frowned. He knew he wouldn’t get a satisfying answer from her on that front. “None of that relates to why you’ll have to leave.”

Celeste turned away from the other two. “Francisca’s not stupid. Eventually she’ll catch on to my ruse. She’ll realize I don’t actually hate her. She’s already noticing some of the signs. Once she figures out the truth…I’ll vanish entirely. Nothing is tying me, or the rest of my family, to this town. I…we can leave wh-whenever we want to.” Tim briefly caught a glimpse of Celeste raising one of her hands, before bringing it back down. “Francisca will live a happy life with her mother, and whomever she eventually chooses to love.”

She turned back to the pair, smiling. “Angels aren’t supposed to stay on earth forever. We all disappear eventually…so, don’t tell Francisca, ok? It’s much…easier this way.”

…

…

…

“Bullshit.”

“What are you saying, Veronica?”

“I said, Bullshit. This definitely isn’t the whole story. You’re not lying…not about most things anyway. But you aren’t telling the whole truth.”

Celeste laughed. “Ha ha ha, pray tell, Veronica.”

“First off…your mother.”

“She’s one of the most skilled cupids around. I aspire to her level of skill. What of her?”

“You said she moved here…right?”

“Your point?”

“What about your father?”

“…he moved here with her, of course.”

“Where did they meet?”

“On Earth. Father healed the sick and injured in a hospital. That’s what he spent most of his time doing.”

“I figured as much.”

“Guardian angels watch over many operations.”

Veronica made a sly grin. “What’s your last name, Celeste?”

“My full name is Celeste Sanctus Amor. I belong to a proud, noble family of angels.”

“That’s odd, all the teachers call you Celeste Carlyle.”

“…A fake name. It’s critical for us to maintain a fake identity here. If you seriously think I would possess such a horrible, mundane…I mean, the fake name is certainly fine as well…it would be wrong to insult it much.”

“Why would that matter?”

“…It doesn’t. But insulting even my fake name would be disgraceful, wouldn’t it?”

“I have another question. About Francisca.”

“Ask away.”

“…What is her favorite color?”

“Black. Or at least so she claims. I think it might actually be yellow…”

“What is her favorite flower?”

“Dahlias. Gorgeous flowers, I’ve started to grow a few in my garden in case she visits.”

“Who does she like?”

“…Previously that asshole Robert, but thankfully that’s over.”

“Who do you like?”

“I…don’t have to answer that question. You were asking about Francisca, remember?”

“How old are you?”

“…It’s rude to ask a lady that question, isn’t it?”

“Why are you in this school?”

“I already told you that. It’s my Divine Duty.”

“No…why school? A true angel such as yourself wouldn’t have to go to high school. Couldn’t you go be an adult instead?”

“High school is a fun place to be. I like it a lot more than I did Middle School. I mean, I could ask you the same question. Besides, I’d need my diploma before I could do anything more exciting and…forget I said anything.”

Veronica smiled.

“That’s not the most important detail, however. You gave it away.”

“Gave what away?”

“You said you have a “professional” interest in Francisca. That isn’t true, is it?”

“Of course it is.”

“…I think you care about her.”

“That’s a fair point. Does a doctor not care about her patients? They do everything they can to ensure they become well. I’m the same way with Francisca.”

“I think you care about her much more than you’d admit.”

“I don’t like what you’re trying to imply about me, Veronica. You better watch what you say next.” Celeste stood over Veronica as best she could.

Veronica stood there stoically, completely ignoring Celeste's threat. “You said yourself she’s not a demon. Would it be wrong to be her friend? Unless…you wanted to be something more.”

“I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Too painful.”

“Painful? That’s an interesting choice of words.”

Celeste paused for a moment, and took a long breath. “Shameful, I meant to say shameful.”

“No you didn’t. “

“Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Didn’t have to. You already did.”

“Mom and Dad wouldn’t forgive-accept me for-“

“For what?”

“I wouldn’t bring shame to my family name like that.”

“Which family name?”

…

Celeste didn’t answer.

“And now for the million dollar question.”

“Why can’t you just be nicer to her?”

…

“What are you worried about?”

…

“Celeste…I want to help. But you have to tell me the truth…all of it.”

…

“Celeste…”

“…I don’t have to talk about this.”

“But you should.”

“You…you can’t make me!”

Celeste turned toward Tim, with a disgustingly awkward smile on her face. Sweat was dripping down her face “Tim, you’re looking for that ‘Demon Student” co-correct? It’s not Fr-Francisca, I’ve been watching her…she hasn’t done mu-much wrong…”

“Celeste don’t ignore me.”

“Shut the hell up! I’m trying to he-help you guys ou-out! Mo-mom gave me some magic artifacts that can…can…give you guys powers! Divine powers, like mine! I’ll g-give you them!”

“Celeste…”

“W-we can talk about this la-later. Let’s just go…”

“Celeste, we need to continue.”

“No we don’t. This had nothing to do with you and your goddamn mission!” She pointed fiercely at Tim. “Tim…you decide. Don’t you want these, uhm, m-magical powers! We…we can go now! It’ll a-all be fine, no…no need to discuss more, ok?”

For the first time in the conversation, Celeste looked…weak. She gazed at Tim with hopeful eyes.

Tim had to make a choice. If he chose to stay there, Veronica would press harder. They might be one step closer to solving this dispute between the two. He might learn the truth behind what makes Celeste…the way she is.

But Celeste was right in one way. This didn’t have anything to do with the “Demon Student” they were looking for. And Holy powers, while he didn’t really trust Celeste’s word on it, would be invaluable if they ever actually had to fight. He had lucked out last time…neither Celeste or Francisca seemed much stronger than a human. That might not be true with other threats, and at some point he may need supernatural power…but then again, would letting Celeste run away from her problems be ok?

What did Tim decide to do?