"Hey, Mackenzie, there are your pencils under there!" Jas called, pointing. 

I frowned and peered at the floor. "Under where?"

"Your underwear!" she chortled. 

"Ha ha," I said blankly.

Nicole tapped my arm. A fizz of electricity surged through me. She tapped me again. I started with a jolt.

I felt like a sea of tranquility. When I laughed again at Jasmine's lame joke again, it was sincere. 

We angels aren't allowed to use any kind of magic in school. Do-gooder Nicole always has to violate rules to do good. Know who she reminds me of? Robin Hood. Only a slightly angelic, feminine version. 

I glared at Nicole. "Stop using your angelic magic on me," I mouthed. 

"It's for your own good," Nicole mouthed back at me.  

  Sloane, Jas's ex-BFF, invites me to dinner at the Empress. This surprises me. I thought Sloane hates me. I say yes, anyway. 

"What ya ordering?" Sloane asks, grinning. 

I shrug. Miss Martinez and her boyfriend, Michel, are eating at another table. Michel is ordering vegetable noodles and Miss Martinez is ordering tandoori chicken and fries. 

"Number 27 - chicken noodles," I decide. 

"I'll have number 38," Sloane says as the waiter comes over. 

"That's a vegetarian option," I remind her. 

"I'm pure carnivorous but I do enjoy a bit of veggie every once in a while," Sloane explains. 

I sigh. "That's what brought me and Nicole apart," I mutter. 

 "Look," Sloane says to me, "I...err...have to tell you something, Mac."

Mac? Mac? We're not even friends. Only my friends can call me Mac. 

"But you can't tell anyone, OK?" Sloane checks. 

I nod. "Well...err...yes, ok, I will."

"My secret is, well, you might find this silly, but, um, I actually have very low self-esteem."

"Yeah. OK." I frown as I processes it in my brain. "Wait, what??!!"