I stood on the edge, my palms sweaty and my heart beating with anticipation. I stared down at the large drop in front of me, down at the crashing waves. I closed my eyes and let gravity carry my body forward, over the edge. I smiled briefly, letting the water rush up towards me as I free fell. I carefully untucked my wings and almost immediately felt the air catch underneath them, allowing me to soar up into the sky. I felt the wind in my hair and my feathers, making my body tense with excitement. It was one of the few things I enjoyed nowadays, flying; soaring above all the earthly problems that had tethered me to the ground.

My white feathered wings were always in my peripheral vision, reminding me of whom and what I was. I used to not know whether these wings made me an angel or a demon. I remembered that day in Phillips Exeter Academy; this prep school that my father thought would mold me into the man who could someday run the family business. You've probably heard of it; Worthington Industries, the multimillion dollar company of which I was the heir of.

Anyway, I was sitting in class one day like I usually did, not really paying attention but seeming as if I cared a whole bunch about whatever it was that was being droned on about. You have to be alert like that when your class has a five to one student to teacher ratio. Stupid private schools. Out of nowhere I felt a sharp pain in my upper back. I had started to get these pains frequently, but for the most part could ignore the stinging sore feeling, but that day I could've sworn that I felt something underneath my skin, writhing and beating to get out. I had asked to be excused to use the bathroom and the professor had of course rolled his eyes, but let me go nonetheless. I walked at first, putting my hand down my shirt to feel in between my shoulder blades. I felt a bulge under my skin then two bulges before feeling a searing pain and running into the boy's lavatory as it was labeled.

I slipped off my button down shirt that all the guys were required to wear and looked in the mirror at the growing bulge on my upper back. I really don't mean to be graphic, but what happened next was less than holy. I gripped the porcelain sink and struggled to hold back screaming in pain and horror as the two bulges began to rip through my skin, emerging from my shoulder blades.

My tired muscles began to ache, pulling me from my memories. I checked my watch and cursed, seeing as it was ten minutes until dinner. I quickly swooped down to the place from which I had begun my flight, slipping back on my heavy coat to once again hide my secret. I struggled to get the jacket on. My wings must have grown more in these past months. I just hoped that they would stop. I wasn't quite sure if I could get a jacket large enough to fit them under if they kept going like this. They used to be small enough the hide under my button down shirt, but now required more effort to contain.

I put on a fake smile as I neared the dorms.

"Hey Worthington," yelled one of my classmates. I winced as he slapped me on the back playfully. I was glad that I hadn't started to molt again. That had been one of the single most nerve racking weeks in my life.

"Hey Brad," I smiled back before rushing off to my dorm. I silently cursed myself as I neared the door. I had forgotten my key again. "Nice one," I mumbled to myself under my breath. I resorted to knocking on the door, hoping Cameron was still in. I heard someone stirring inside sure enough.

I impatiently tapped my foot, not wanting to be late again. "Come on Hodge!" I urged him.

"Just a minute," he called back in a singsong voice.

I rolled my eyes and smiled that was Cameron Hodge for you; always caught up in something. He had been the first and so far only person I had ever revealed my secret to. I mean, how could I hide something as obvious as angel wings from my roommate and best friend?

I guess that I had become a little antisocial since the…incident. I began to shy away from any social activities or places that had a lot of people together all at once; afraid I might be exposed as a freak to the whole school or worse, my father. Finally Hodge confronted me asking why I was being so 'uptight' as he called it. I called it 'scared out of my mind'. He wanted to know and secretly I wanted to tell someone. He didn't predict exactly what my excuse was for being so uptight. When I had gulped back my nerves and took off my shirt, revealing my smaller wings at the time he had nearly fainted and then he laughed and then he had yelled at me for not telling him. Now he had gotten used to it all.

The door flew open, "Come on in," he smiled.

"Thanks a million," I shot back, rolling my eyes.

He ushered me in, eyeing the bulge in the back of my coat. "You can't wear that thing for the rest of your life, Warren."

"I know," I sighed, taking off my shirt and letting my wings free. I hated keeping them all cramped inside of my coat and button down. Hodge rolled his eyes at me.

"Now you're just showing off." I had to admit that it did seem that way. My body had become muscular from all the flying and I had seen some of the girls in the school eye me in the hallway.

I laughed and bundled myself back up, "Let's go."

I sat down, tray in hand next to Hodge and right across from Candy. Candy Southern was one of those girls that every guy in the school seemed to be after, and yeah, I have to admit that she is beautiful with her green eyes and jet black hair, but I just wasn't into her like that. I've known her since we were about five. The thing is; she knows I don't want her that way and that's why we can be such good friends.

"Hey," she smiled, "I see you've come crawling back to me again."

I laughed, "In your dreams. I just had a lab to finish up this afternoon."

Hodge sighed, "Get a room you two." He knew we weren't into each other like that, but he seemed to never give up the notion.

"I'll race you back to the dorms," grinned Candy. I looked up to see everyone getting up to go back to their dorms.

I nodded, "Alright, if you say so."

She began to count down and took off before reaching zero.

"Hey! No fair!" I yelled to her, beginning to gain on her. Soon I was ahead with Candy and Hodge not too far behind.

"Wait up! She panted.

"This is a race, remember?" I said playfully. I glanced back to see her gaining on me. Before I realized what was happening she roughly grabbed me by my coat, yanking it half off my body. I quickly slipped back into it, but it was too late. She stopped, her eyes wide open at the large bulge that had been under the coat. I slowed down and so did my heart. It seemed like it had been in slow motion. I didn't know what to do. Was there really a valid excuse for this kind of thing?

"Looks like I won," I said shakily, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," she said, still looking dazed. The remainder of the walk to her dorm was mostly silent.

"See you tomorrow," I said, as she opened the door. She managed a small smile and disappeared inside the room.

I practically flew the way back to my dorm. I slumped against the door and waited for Hodge, realizing I had forgotten the key again. That was way too close. Way too close.

I groaned, turning over to see the flashing red numbers of the alarm clock. I cursed, seeing that I had overslept a half hour. Not only had I missed breakfast, but I would be lucky to make first period on time. That would be the second time this week. I rolled over, calling to Hodge who I found had already left.

"What a great friend," I muttered to myself. I jumped out of bed and got dresses, wrestling to get my wings inside of my coat. I slung my pack over my shoulder and ran out to the lecture rooms. I quickly glanced at my watch; I was already ten minutes late!

I turned the doorknob slowly, realizing my professor had his back turned. I hoped that he wouldn't see me, but unfortunately miracles don't even happen for angels.

"I see you are late again Mr. Worthington," said my professor smugly, crossing his arms.

"Yes sir," I answered, looking him in the eyes, "I'm truly sorry. It won't happen again." I began to walk towards my seat.

"Mr. Worthington," he said again.

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't you think it is a bit warm inside to be wearing that winter jacket of yours and against the dress code?" he smirked. Man, he really had it out for me.

"I have a cold and I've been getting the chills lately, sir," I made up quickly.

"Jacket off, Mr. Worthington," he commanded.

"But-

"Jacket off!"

I grimaced and began to slowly slip off the coat. Everyone in the classroom began to stare at me, seeing as I was taking the longest possible time to take it off. I had to think of something. There had to be something to clear this all up.

"I—I need to go to the nurse," I said quickly, running out of the room as the professor yelled for me to come back.

I ran as fast as I could, past the soccer fields and the stables and the dorms. I took refuge in my usual spot near the tree over the cliff. I panted and sat on the ground.

"You want me take off my coat?" I muttered to myself, "Fine." I removed my coat and my dress shirt, letting my wings free once again. It felt so good to feel the wind blow through them, rustling the white feathers. I wondered how much longer I could keep this up. I was tired of hiding from the world. I just couldn't take it anymore; living in secret like this. I threw my coat on the ground, the thing that had confined me and kept me from being truly all the way there in conversations or in class or even around my family.

I sighed and gritted my teeth, letting my body once again plummet off the cliff's edge down into the chasm that lay in front of me. Where ever I was going off to, it was far away from Phillips Exeter Academy.

"Bye," I muttered as I let the wind take me away.