Guardian Angel Academy (6 page)

Chapter Nine

In first hour,  Professor Walter met us at the door and asked us to head over to the practice rooms.  We would be taking a quiz using what we had learned so far.  We were to pair off, so I chose Journey as my partner and Kevin chose Felix.  There were enough rooms for each pair. 

“First, we will send one of you into the soundproof room.” Professor Walter announced.

Journey went into our room.  I could see Journey through the glass window, but she couldn't see or hear me.

“All right, now what I would like you to do is to instill in your partner's mind the desire to come out of the room.  We will see whose partner comes out first and whose stay inside.  Ready, begin!”

I concentrated hard.  I had to think of a reason that Journey should come out, other than my standing in the class.  I knew that if I were selfish, it wouldn't work.  I thought of Journey and how she could succeed in the class if she came out, since we were graded together.

I saw Journey slowly coming toward the door.  She looked like she was wondering why she was coming out, but she pressed forward and came out the door, the first one in the class to do so.  Slowly, a few others also came out.  Some never came out.  Finally Angel Walter asked all of the students to come together to talk about the quiz.

“You were asked to instill the thought to come out of the room to your partner,” said Angel Walter.  ”Journey was the first one to come out. Josie, please, tell us how you did it.”

“Well,” I thought for a moment.  “I knew that if I was thinking about myself and my grade, it wouldn't work.  So, I thought about Journey and her standing in the class.  I really wanted to help her.”

“Very good,” said Angel Walter.  “Now, our second person to come out was Felix.  Kevin, how did you do it?”

“I pretended that the room Felix was in was on fire, so I tried to instill that idea into his brain and that it was important for him to get out of there for his own safety.”

“Nice job,” said Angel Walter.  “Billy, your partner, Richard, never came out.  How were you trying to install a thought to him?”

“Well, obviously I was doing it wrong or Richard wasn't listening to me.”

Everyone laughed.

“What were you doing?” Walter asked.

“I was concentrating on being first to get my partner to come out. I was really thinking of how I could do well on this quiz, how I could beat everyone else.”

“I hope you have learned your lesson.  Selfishness is not one of a guardian angel's traits.  It does not go together with who we are.  On Earth there is so much competitiveness, everyone wanting to beat the others.  It doesn't work that way here.  Here we should all want to help the others.  Everyone please read the next two chapters in your book by tomorrow.”  The bell for our next class rang.

We were in a good mood as we floated toward our second hour class, Controlling the Elements.  “I think we all succeeded on that quiz, if I do say so myself,” I commented.

“Now, don't get cocky,” Journey chuckled, “that will be our downfall!”

“You are so right,” I laughed.

“I wonder what we are doing in Controlling the Elements today,” said Felix.  “I hope it's not another quiz.”

“It very well could be,” said Kevin.  “It seems to be time for quizzes.”

When we reached the classroom, Angel Addison greeted us as well as the three directors of the Academy.  “We will watch a guardian angel event which will be taken from one of your futures and then we will discuss it.

We watched as Budd and his crew went on the fateful mission in which their plane was shot down.  After I and my grandparents saved Budd, the film ended.

“I'd like to talk about what happened starting from the middle of this crew's fateful mission.  When the crew first discovered that this may not be the milk run they had presumed it to be, they took a vote.  What was the vote about?” Angel Addison asked.

I raised my hand.

“Josie.”

“Because the cloud formation dropped, the mission could be dangerous; they would not be hidden in the clouds, they would be in full view.  They had to decide if they wanted to continue with the mission or go back home and wait for better conditions.”

“Correct,” Angel Addison stated.  “What were the results of the vote?”

“They voted to go on with the mission,” said Emma.

“That's correct.  What was the reason they wished to go forward with the mission?”

Kevin raised his hand.

“Yes, Kevin?”

“They wanted to get credit for the mission.  They had completed twenty-three missions and were so close to completing twenty-five missions.”

“Yes, and what happens when they complete twenty-five missions?” Angel Addison asked.

“They get to go home,” was Kevin's reply.

“Yes, they get to go home,” Angel Addison replied.  “Therefore, we may conclude that the decision to continue with the mission was based on a selfish desire to go home, not a desire to further the cause of freedom and to relieve the suffering and injustices the enemy put on many of the inhabitants of the earth.”

There was a slight hum heard in the classroom as many of the students were discussing this with their friends.  “Do I have any comments or other viewpoints from you?” Angel Addison asked.

“Well, you can't blame them for thinking that way.  They have proved themselves in the past to be heroic and selfless in serving their country.”  A freshman  in the back spoke.

Another student raised his hand.

“Yes, David?” Angel Addison asked him.

“How do we know that the whole reason was a selfish one? Maybe they wished to accomplish the mission they were asked to do.  Maybe they were being obedient.  Maybe they didn't want to seem like cowards.”

“Possibly,” said Angel Addison.

Another student raised her hand.

“Julie,” said Angel Addison.

“I think that the motive to go forward was based on their desire to complete another mission.  I think that if they were wise they would've turned back.  I think that the result of their plane being shot down was a direct result of the selfish decision that they made.  Had they made the wise decision to turn back, they would've possibly made it to their twenty-fifth mission intact and would've been able to go home to their families.”

“How many of you think that Julie is correct?” Angel Addison asked.  About half of the class raised their hands.

“Okay, then I'm assuming the rest of you think that the crew were not totally acting on selfishness when they went forward with the mission?”

A freshman on the front row raised his hand.  “Yes?” Angel Addison asked.

“I don't think the crew was selfish.  Sure, they wanted to go home.  Sure, they wanted to get credit for another mission.  But, ultimately they risked their own lives for their country and for the world.  They should be honored.”

“I tend to agree with both sides,” said Angel Addison.  “However, I think that the crew's desire to get credit for the mission did overpower their better judgment and did result in the consequences that occurred.  However, they very well deserved the help that the guardian angels gave them in preserving their lives.  They were brave and heroic.”

By the way, Josie, as we saw in the film, you will do a great job out there.  How do you think it will feel to save your son's life?””

I smiled and spoke the only word I could think of to describe it, “Awesome.”

Addison grinned. “Please read the next chapter in your textbooks and we will discuss various methods of Controlling the Elements tomorrow and we will meet at the practice rooms instead of this classroom.  Have a good day.”

We walked toward our third hour class, Glowing.  My head was still back at my future guardian angel experience and the marvelous things that will happen.

“I think this class will be a piece of angel food cake,” chuckled Journey.  I think I already know how to glow quite well.”

I snapped back to reality and answered,“Yes, and you've proven that very point this morning.”

“It's not as easy for some people as it is for you,” said Felix.  “I still can't glow at all.”

“It's like whistling,” said Journey.  “Some people can naturally whistle and some never can.”

“Well, I hope that I'll learn it by the end of the week.  Otherwise, I'll be like that one guy, Gary.  He's a sophomore and he's in our freshman class still trying to learn to glow.  That would be kind of embarrassing, being the only sophomore in a class of freshmen.”

“If you don't get it by the end of this week, I'll help you practice,” said Journey. 

“Thanks,” said Felix, “I may take you up on that.”

Chapter 10

After glowing class, we went to fourth hour.  We learned some techniques to thwart suicide attempts as well as using mind instillation to change a person's mind.  After fourth hour we headed to the cafeteria for lunch.  I told the others that I wanted to get something from my room first and then I would meet them there.  When I got to my room, Emma was there waiting for me.  We were going to plan our practical joke, revenge for Journey. 

“After everyone is asleep, I think we should take everyone's alarm clocks, reset them and then hide them throughout the room.  Then, in the morning, when the alarms ring at different times, they will have to find the clocks and turn them off.  We'll set them earlier than usual.”

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” said Emma.  We'll do it after everyone is asleep tonight.”

We headed out the door back to the cafeteria for lunch.

After lunch, we headed toward fifth hour, Evil Spirit Confrontation.  We floated and walked.  Floating felt good and once you got the hang of it, was easier than walking.

After we sat in our seats, Professor Anthony addressed the class.  “Today we will talk about when Evil Spirit Confrontation may be necessary.  There may be times when  evil spirits are trying to thwart the work that we are doing.  For the most part, evil spirits want to do the opposite of what is good.  They don't want to see people succeed or do good things in their lives.  They want people to make poor choices and may not want a person's life to be saved.  If you are confronted with an evil spirit while trying to save an assignment's life, what should you do?”

No one raised their hand.

“Do any of you know the answer?” Angel Anthony pressed.

“I can guess,” I offered.

“Very well,” said Angel Anthony.  “What is your guess, Josie?”

“I think that we have the power to command the evil spirit to leave and the evil spirit will be forced to leave.”

“That is correct.  We do have the power given to us when we become Guardian Angels to command the evil spirits to leave while we are present.  You may need to use this power if you see any evil spirits present while you are saving someone.  If you turn to Chapter Four in your books, we will read about this and read of some examples of this occurring.”

Angel Persephone greeted us as we entered the classroom with her usual beautiful, sparkling smile.  After we were all seated in the choir seats, she floated to the front to begin class.

“Today we will be singing one of my favorite songs, Onward Christian Soldiers.” 

We sang the song over and over for the hour.  By the end of class we could all sing it by heart without looking at the music or the words.

Next we took our seats in floating class.  “Today we are going to practice-float sitting,”  said Angel Samuel. Samuel's ornamentation sparkled from his glistening white robe.  He had saved many lives.

“You will need to learn to float-sit before going on to red level or you will be sitting in a freshman class as a sophmore.  Who would like to come up and demonstrate float-sitting?”

I looked around the room.  I sure wasn't ready to float-sit yet.  I could float a little but I found float-sitting to be harder than moving and floating.

Kevin raised his hand.  “I think I can do it,” he announced confidently while rubbing his hand through his blond curls.

I watched Kevin walk to the front of the room.  I was surprised.  He had never mentioned that he could do it and I couldn't recall seeing him float-sit.

“All right, Kevin,” said Angel Samuel, please show us how to float-sit.”

Kevin sat on the air as if on a chair.  It appeared to be easy for him, well, at least for a few seconds, until he fell to the ground.

Everyone laughed.  Not to be cruel, of course.  Guardian Angels in training were not cruel.  He just looked so funny, so I couldn't help but laugh, too.

Kevin just smiled a huge smile as if laughing along with everyone.  I would've been embarrassed, but I think he was enjoying this and he got up and floated back to his seat.  “Sorry, I can only hold it for a few seconds.”

“Very good,” said Samuel. “I give you credit for trying.”

“Would anyone else like to give it a go?  Use what you learned in your reading assignments.”

A student with a round face and brown neatly combed hair raised his hand.

“Henry, come on up.”

Henry floated straight up and then float-sat high in the air.  He kept this up for about ten seconds before floating gently to the ground.

“Nice job,” said Samuel.  “You must have done your homework.”

“Yes, this is my favorite subject,” Henry stated.

“I hope this gets you all excited to start floating,” said Angel Samuel concluded, looking at the class.

I smiled to myself.  Soon I wouldn't need any furniture to be comfortable.

Professor Occult waited patiently as we entered the classroom.  Many of us were now floating in through the door and to our seats.

He then addressed the class,“We will go to the practice rooms again today.  Let's see if we can do better than we did last time.  As you recall, yesterday no one succeeded in becoming invisible.  How many of you practiced?”

A few hands were raised.

We floated and walked to the practice rooms, enjoying the warm sunshine and the blooming flowers along the path. I was feeling pretty confident because I did practice. 

One by one, Angel Occult had us enter the practice room and try becoming invisible.  When it was my turn, I tried my best.  I couldn't see out to see the reaction of the teacher or students, but I could not see myself.  I couldn't even see my robe.  We have to be able to turn everything we are wearing invisible as well and I did it for a short time.

I walked back out of the room and the teacher complimented me.  “Good job, Josie.  You were invisible for seven seconds.”

I watched as others tried it.  Although Journey was better at glowing than me, I was better at invisibility than she was.  She was only able to do it for two seconds. 

When we were all through, Professor Occult said, “Keep practicing and we will come here again tomorrow.”

Day three of Guardian Angel Academy was finished.  I felt like I had been here for months for the amount that I had learned.  After eating dinner at the cafeteria and spending some time in the practice rooms with Journey and some of the other girls in our dorm room, it was time to go to sleep for the night.  I was excited to try out our prank.  After lights were out, Emma and I waited under our covers until it looked like the other girls were asleep.  Then we got up to put our prank into action.

We tip-toed around the room, carefully swiping the alarm clocks from each bedside.  It seemed funny that all of the six girls in the room had their own alarm clock and set it for a little different time, depending on how long it took each girl to get ready.  Emma and I quietly went out into the hall to reset the alarms. 

“This one will be 5:00 a.m.,” I laughed.  “It's Journey's.  We'll make hers go off first.  Where shall we hide it?”

“How about in my underwear drawer?” Emma laughed.
“Yeah, that will be great,” I chuckled.  “She'll not want to look there.  Let's hide one on top of the ceiling fan light fixture.  They will have to float to get up to reach that one.”

“Yeah, that will be a hard one,” said Emma.  “And, let's hide one of them right under Journey's pillow so it rings right in her ear.”

“Perfect,” I laughed.  “Let's go hide them.”

We hid all of the alarm clocks, taking extra care not to wake up Journey while placing the alarm clock under her pillow, then went to bed, eager to get some sleep before the ruckus would begin.-

At 5:00 a.m., the first alarm clock blared.  It was a low and monstrous-sound.  It filled the air annoyingly as if begging the recipients to kindly turn it off.  Some of the girls tried to ignore the sound and hid under their pillows for more sleep.  Others began to waken and look around.  Finally Journey spoke.

“What time is it?  I can't see my clock.”

“I think it's morning,” I replied sardonically, enjoying every second of this.  “Does someone want to turn their alarm clock off?”

“Whose clock is that?” Julie asked.

“I think it's mine,” said Journey, “But I can't find it.”

“Well, you better get up and look for it,” said Emma.  “It's driving me crazy!”

“Yeah, I want to get a little more sleep,” moaned Julie.

So, Journey pulled herself out of bed and turned on the light.

“Hey, do you have to turn the light on?” asked Geena.  “It's hurting my eyes.”

“Yeah, and some of us want to sleep a little longer,” I added, chuckling to myself.

My light chuckles gave our secret away.  Journey realized what was happening.  “Hey, is this you guys' idea of a joke?”

We didn't say a word.  Let her figure it out, I thought.  Serves her right.

Journey made herself glow just enough to see, but not enough to cause the other girls to start yelling at her.  She started opening drawers and cupboards near where the sound was coming from.  Finally she found her clock in Emma's underwear drawer.  She quickly turned it off and went back to bed.

After everything had quieted down for a few minutes, another alarm clock beeped.  This one sounded a beep, beep, beep, at a rapid speed, persistent to annoy us.

“Hey, it's only 5:15,” said Journey.  “Who did this?  We don't even have to get up until 6:30.”

Once again Emma and I didn't say a word.  I tried not to laugh. 

“That sounds like my alarm,” said Cami.  “I'm going to have to turn on the light to find it.”

“No, don't do that!” Emma moaned, secretly loving it.

“I can't make myself glow just a little like Journey,” said Cami.  Cami was a twelve-year-old looking girl.  She must've died as a child on earth.  She had short blond hair, braided back.

“I'll turn on my glow for you,” Journey offered.

Cami searched for the sound and looked up.  Cami's small spirit body floated easily up to the ceiling, where she picked up her clock from the top of the light fixture.  Then she floated effortlessly back down, turning off the alarm.

“Okay,” Journey yelled in exasperation.  “I know it was you, Josie.  How many more alarms are going to be going off before we can get some more shut-eye?”

“That you will have to find out for yourselves,” I laughed.  “Now you better get some more rest before the next one goes off.”