GABRIEL***“I’m leaving,” Harper said as she got up from beside me on my bed. I didn’t protest. I didn’t ask her why she was leaving, I already knew why. She had probably said something and I had probably missed it while being lost in thought. She picked her bag off the floor and made her way out of the room and I was left alone with my thoughts.A part of me felt relieved and I felt guilty for that. But at least she would no longer feel all alone while being next to me. At least I wouldn’t hurt her. I was thinking about my conversation with Harry. It was all I had been able to think about since we parted ways. I couldn’t even think about the fact that he had texted me after, saying he hoped we could try to be friends again despite what happenedBefore the conversation, it was all I could think about, all I could hope would happen. But the conversation had taken such a turn that it was the last thought on my mind and it didn’t even offer the comfort I expected it to. I was in distre
GABRIEL***It was raining outside, but I didn't care. I was going to find her at all costs and we would talk things through. I would apologize. My pride didn’t matter anymore. I had already lost enough because of it- I wouldn’t let it make me lose anymore. I was going to apologize today because I didn’t know what would happen tomorrow.Life was unpredictable. What if I woke up and she was no longer there, just like what had happened in high school? Life had awarded me another chance to make things right and I wouldn’t pass it up this time. I didn’t know where to start looking for her but I would look through every room of the school if that was what it would take to find her.I was walking aimlessly and I decided to start with her dorm room. That was where she was most likely to be, given the weather. All along a voice whispered, saying that I should change my mind before I ruined things more than I already had. But I refused to listen to it. I had listened to it for long enough and
Bakersville High School***“How do you feel about your first day at your new school?” Louise asked as she straightened Gabriel’s clothes.“I feel great,” Gabriel said and gave the biggest smile he could muster.He was lying.Gabriel was anxious. He was afraid, but he knew he couldn’t tell Louise that.He was just a child, but he had learned early that Louise had many things that worried her and he didn’t want to be one of them. He didn’t know then what those things were, he just knew that sometimes when she thought he wasn’t looking, Louise would cry while looking out of the window.They had moved during the school break. His parents had made the decision and he had hoped that as the only child they would at least ask him how he felt about it but they hadn’t. In fact, his father had called him aside and told him that it was because of him, because of how he always had a way of ruining things.He had ruined their marriage by being born, that’s what he said, and that’s why they needed
EMILY***“I asked what was going on,” Harper asked again.I dried my tears and got up. Gabriel had already gotten up and was standing in front of her.“I found her crying in the rain and I couldn’t leave her there,” he said. I walked over towards them. I would have to explain myself. I wouldn’t let him fight this misunderstanding alone.“I know it looks suspicious but it’s just like he said,” I said, “he found me crying in the rain and he brought me into his room and gave me a change of clothes. I understand your frustration.”She laughed.“Is that it? If it really is, then why is he crying, too? If it was about getting you out of the rain why didn’t he take you to your room? Why did he bring you into his?” she asked.Her voice was shaking. She was angry. She had every reason to be. I would be too if I was in her shoes. She started pacing around the room, and that seemed to make her even angrier. Gabriel and I stood where we were, looking at the floor, looking like kids who had been
EMILY***“I need your help,” I said as I walked into Harry’s room. He was the only person I could think of who could help with the whole situation. I had left Gabriel alone but I knew that he was vulnerable and he needed to be with someone at that moment. I had made it so that he couldn’t be with his girlfriend so I needed to make sure he was not all alone.“Is everything okay?” he asked as he walked after me into the room. I was pacing around frantically.“I know you and Gabriel are not on good terms but he needs your help,” I said.“We’re actually on good terms,” he said, “what happened?”“You are?” I asked, wondering when that happened.He nodded. I would ask about that later, it was not what was most important in that moment.“Someone wrote an article saying that he has abusive tendencies and posted it on the school bulletin board,” I said and I immediately felt guilty for saying ‘someone’ because I knew who it was and worse, I was the one who suggested that they do so. I hoped
GABRIEL***“Open up, man,” Harry said as he continued pounding on the door.I was seated at the foot of my bed, wondering how the roof over my head hadn’t already caved in. my world was crashing down, why wasn’t the real world in shambles? Why was real life going on oblivious to the fact that my life was falling apart? Was that fair? It didn’t feel fair. It didn’t feel right.“Go away,” I said, “I want to be alone.”“I’ll let you be alone any other day, just not today, okay? Open up, man. I’m not leaving until you do.I got up and went to the door. If I knew anything about Harry, it was the fact that he meant what he said. I opened the door and he hugged me immediately.“I heard what happened. I am so sorry,” he said.I tried my best not to cry. I couldn’t cry in front of him. I needed to keep it together.I needed to, but he kept saying that he was sorry and he kept patting my back and I couldn’t hold in my feelings for much longer. I let myself cry. My life had already fallen apart
EMILY***“We need to talk,” I said as I walked into Tiffany’s room.She had just woken up, and I could tell that she had slept well. She walked slowly behind me into the room and went back into her bed. She lay there as she stared at me lazily. Meanwhile, I had barely slept. Not only was I worried for Gabriel, I was also worried that Tiffany would do something crazy if I fell asleep and so I stayed awake, keeping watch, hoping and praying she wouldn’t start another fire. I had come to see her first thing that morning.“What’s up?” she asked when she noticed I wasn’t saying anything.I was lost in thought. I didn’t know how to tell her that she needed to stop without sounding hostile. I didn’t want to sound angry. I was still at risk of being exposed by her after all. Harry had been right. I shouldn’t have messed with her. I shouldn’t even have approached her directly.I should have reported her or something for trying to threaten my well-being. I should have protected my fresh start
Bakersville High School“What’s going on?” Emily asked Julie as they walked to their next class.She knew the feeling all too well, she was being talked about. It hadn’t happened in such a long time and she couldn’t help but wonder what this was about. She couldn’t pinpoint anything that had happened in the recent past that warranted such behavior from the rest of the school.“I don’t know,” Julie said, looking around, throwing mean looks here and there to discourage all the people that were whispering amongst themselves and laughing.It worked for the most part and they were able to make it to class. Emily couldn’t focus on her class. Her mind was going around in circles. She was scared, what was this about? Had she done something? Said something? Was it an outfit she had worn? Was it that day’s outfit?She looked down at herself- she hadn’t worn anything out of her usual attire. She couldn’t place a finger on why she was the topic of discussion yet again and it bothered her. It was
EMILY***"You guys knew about it, didn’t you?" I asked Nila and Julie who were suddenly awfully quiet when Gabriel walked in."Who, me? I have no idea what you're talking about?" Nila asked while holding her hands to her chest in mock surprise.We all laughed."I won't lie and say I didn't know. In fact, I had a meeting with him to make sure he had changed for good," Julie said.She was always so intense. I loved it."Thanks for looking out for me," I said to her."You know I got you. Always," she said.
GABRIEL***"We're home," Mom said as she opened the door to our house.She dumped her bag onto the living room floor and went around every room as if she was announcing her presence. I shook my head. I knew she had forgotten all about it and so I picked it up and carried it to her room before I went to mine.It felt good to be back. It had been a great year, a year I would never forget but being home felt great. It felt like a sigh of relief. I had made it back. I had done it. My mother and I had chosen to relocate temporarily because it felt like a good idea to just start over in a place that was unplugged and away from real life and all the responsibilities that real life demanded from us.It had been healing to be in a place where no one kn
EMILY***“We’re gonna be late,” Nila said to me.“Just a minute,” I said as I put the finishing touches on my outfit.I was a perfectionist in everything my dressing included. Besides, today was a special day for someone special to me and I needed to look the part.“Okay, I'm ready,” I said as I turned to face Nila, “how do I look?” I asked.“You look.. Stunning,” she said, “you look really great.”“Thank you, you do too,” I said to her and she curtsied and smiled.
THE END(Bakersville High school)“Emily doesn’t want to see you right now,” Terry said to Gabriel and he could tell by the tone of her voice that she didn’t want to see him too.He still didn’t know what he had done. Was this still about the stupid argument they had had that past weekend? He wanted to believe that that was what it was but something felt incredibly off.Something very bad had happened but he had no idea what it was and he had no way of finding out either because Emily wouldn’t see him. She wouldn’t pick up his calls or answer his texts either.
EMILY***“See you on the weekend,” Mom said as she dropped me off in the parking lot.“See you,” I said as I got out of the car. I watched her drive off before I walked to my dorm room.I had a new roommate because it was part of the school rules to change roommates at the beginning of every academic year. Nila and I had hoped and prayed that fate would let us meet again as roommates but that hadn’t been the case.It almost didn’t matter, though, because we remained good friends who were always together around the school. It had been months since the school year started. In fact, it was closer to the end now than it was in the beginning. The semester in which Gabriel felt like it was ages ago- it was almost
GABRIEL **** “I heard that you were leaving,” Emily said. “At the end of the semester, yes,” I said. “What?” she asked, turning red, “I came running over because Harry made it sound like you were leaving today!” I laughed. “He probably did that on purpose,” I said, “I should thank him for that.” “We should thank him for that,” she said, “it’s about time we had this conversation anyways.” “Yeah,” I said, “I was going to save it for last but I guess now is just as great, considering you ran over and everything,” I
EMILY***“Are you sure you’re okay?” mom asked as she helped me pick up my last bag from her trunk.“I’m sure, Mom,” I said, “plus there are only a few days left until the end of the semester and I'll be back home.”“I’m only letting you go because you have finals,” she said and I couldn’t help but smile.My parents had been watching over me more carefully than ever since I went back home and it had become suffocating- I used the fact that finals were ongoing to free myself and go back to school. I just needed a few days.&ld
GABRIEL***“I think you already know what I’m going to say,” I said to Harper who was seated across from me.She was crying.“I do,” she said as she sniffled.“I am sorry for all the hurt I've caused you. I shouldn’t have dated you when I knew I had so much baggage. I only hope that you’ll find someone who will be easy to love, someone who won’t cause you as much heartbreak and pain as I have,” I said.“I’m sorry too, to you as well as to Emily. I shouldn’t have let my insecurities control me.”“I shouldn’t have pu
EMILY***“Dinner’s ready,” my Mom said, snapping me out of my thoughts.It seemed she had been standing there for a while, watching me, and I hadn’t even noticed.“I’ll be right down,” I said, and she smiled at me before she left.I had been home for the past three days. My parents had gotten wind of the news and they had come to pick me up in the evening after I talked to Harry. Final exams were ongoing, and I had been against the idea of being at home but my parents had insisted.I had appreciated the rest and being away from what had happened for the first few days, but now I wanted to go back to school. Doing nothing all day did not sit we