Guardian Angel by David Trebus

intrusive, after all, unless something important had to be said. She could be like a good friend who was there but knew when to take a step back and give him space.
       This illusion was shattered when the y reached the taxi rank. He found a taxi fairly quickly and got in. Jasmine followed through the door and sat right next to Michael, almost hugging him, and her proximity made him feel strangely self-conscious Talk about invading personal space.
    “ Where to, guv?” the cabbie asked.
    “ Crouch End, near the Green Dragon, please, mate”
    “ Sure thing,” the cabbie said, moving off from the rank.
       Jasmine whispered into Michael ’s ear as they began moving on, hugging his arm slightly. “I’m so pleased you're OK!”
    Michael felt even more embarrassed and tried to pull away. “Uhhh thanks!” He almost squeaked the words out.
    “ No need to thank me yet mate, not even got you there,” the cabbie replied.
      Jasmine giggled and pulled away as Michael sighed and sat back, resting his head on the seat. He hoped there wouldn't be too many embarrassing moments like that. How could he talk to Jasmine in public without people thinking he was talking to them? Unless, of course, they just thought he was just plain crazy. Another quandary he would have to address at some point.
       "You don't need to talk to me in public," she said, "as long as you can hear me. Also, there’s a little trick to it. If you focus on me and think the words, then I can hear your thoughts. It might be a little easier than embarrassing yourself in front of big cabbies. I mean, imagine if you were to call me pretty in public. You might end up with an admirer you could do without!”
    Michael focused hi s thoughts to form a few word. “Pretty….yeah, right”
    Jasmine pinched him hard in the arm . Clearly, insulting a guardian angel’s looks had consequences. Michael rubbed his arm and grinned. At least he knew the little trick Jasmine had taught him worked.
      Michael noticed the cabbie looking at him in the rear view mirror. He hoped he wasn't thinking that he was some mental patient on the run, high, or on drugs. The cabbie increased his speed, causing Michael to give him an awkward smile.
       The rest of the journey proved uneventful. It only took twenty minutes to get back close to home, and the cabbie deftly navigated the traffic, avoiding several roadworks and jams. He pulled up just outside the Green Dragon pub.
    “ Here we go, mate, that’ll be,” he paused to look at the meter “fifteen pounds fifty, please.”
      Michael pulled out his wallet and was relieved to fi nd a couple of tenners in there. He'd forgotten to count how much cash he actually had. He paid the cabbie, leaving some of the change as a tip, and got out of the car.
    “ Cheers, mate, have a good one” the cabbie called.
    “ Thanks,” Michael shut the door, and the cabbie pulled off with a quick wave as Michael turned to walk along the road to his home.
    “ You know," Jasmine remarked, "that’s one of the reasons I’m pleased to be your guardian, Michael. You have such a generous nature”
    “ Thanks. I just try to be decent to people,” Michael blushed.
    It wasn't far to his house from the pub, just two minutes down the main road, and then down a side street. It would have been easier to be dropped at the other end of the high street, where he'd had the accident, but he wasn't sure he could face that yet.
      He began walking, with Jasmine at his side, not really paying attention to the world around him. After a while, he raised his head and took a good look around, and the sight stopped in his tracks, he took a deep breath. A strange sense of anxiety hit his guts.
      All around him, life was going on, hundreds of people in the street going to work, or the shops, driving or walking about their daily business. All around him people, got on with their lives, and for every single person, Michael saw an