Page 13 of Her Dark Angel

“Reggie,” Mommy and Daddy say in unison.

“I’m glad to see you both,” Reggie greets before turning his black eyes to me. He smiles weirdly at me. I notice that his teeth are tinted a slight yellow color and the front tooth is crooked. “And this must be Kinsley. Gosh, I haven’t seen you in so long. How old are you now?”

“Ten,” I respond quietly. I see Mommy frown and my heart drops. She doesn’t like how shy I am around strangers, but I can’t help it. I’m trying to be better.

His smile widens. “Ah, yes. That rings a bell now. You’re a beautiful girl, aren’t you? We’re so excited to have you on the show.”

I don’t say anything because I can only focus on the green thing between his two front teeth. A yelp falls from my lips when Mommy shoves her fingers into my back, bringing me back to the present.

“I’m excited to be here,” I reply softly. “Where is Travis?”

Reggie points behind him to where a boy with messy blonde curls sits on the edge of an empty desk. When Travis catches my eye, he smiles and waves me over.

“We better get started,” Reggie says as he looks down at the clipboard in his hand. “You’re both welcome to stand off to the side and watch if you like.”

“Of course,” Mommy muses with a smile. She turns her head to look down at me. “Remember what I said, Kin.”

I nod. Don’t make your father and me look bad.

“Let’s go, kiddo.” Reggie places a large hand on my back. “We have a lot to get through today. But just think about all the candy you get to eat later.”

I smile at the thought of candy, barely noticing the way his hand falls to my lower back, his fingers brushing over my hip bone. Are all directors meant to touch you like that? If so, it’s something I’m going to have to get used to. Maybe I’ll ask Mommy about it when I get the chance.

“Kinsley!” Travis calls out when I reach the desk he’s sitting on. His hair falls over his green eyes when he hops off it. And he has a nice smile, too. “It’s nice to meet you finally.”

Reggie steps away for a moment to talk to someone, his hand falling from where it lays on my back.

“You too!” I try not to giggle, but it’s hard when he’s so cute.

Travis points at the two white bows in my hair. Mommy thought it would be a good idea to pull some pieces of hair back and clip them in with a bow to match the uniform. “Cute bows. They look nice.”

My hands instinctively touch the bows in my hair and I smile. “Thanks.” I point to the black tie around his neck. “I like your tie.”

Travis smiles. His teeth are straight and very white, unlike Reggie’s. “Thanks. My mom made me wear it. She said it would set me apart from the other kids.”

“My mommy said the same thing about my bows.”

We smile at each other. I like Travis. I’m hoping that we can become friends while filming the show.

“Can I call you Kin?”

“I would like that,” I say, twirling a piece of hair around my forefinger. “Can I call you Trav?”

He smiles wide, dimples deepening on his cheeks. “Of course. I only let my friends call me that, but I have a feeling we’re going to be friends, so you can start early.”

Reggie claps his hands from behind, startling me. “Okay, let’s get started. Places everyone!” He looks between Travis and me. “We’re starting with scene four, okay?”

Travis and I nod in unison as we slide into the two empty desks at the back of the room. As Reggie calls out, “Action!”, all I can think about is the amount of candy I get to eat once this is all over.

5

KINSLEY

Present—1989.

“And… cut!”

I breathe a sigh of relief and take a step back from Wesley. My lips tingle from the lingering feel of his thin ones pressed against mine. Although his breath is minty and his lips soft, I can’t get away from him fast enough.

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