be
pissed. Then you dare me to tell you that I don’t want you to leave? Well, I
do. I’m busy. Now go!”
Gabriel’s smiled spread into a full-fledged
grin.
GABRIEL: It’s about damn time. I have been waiting for Roshell’s feisty side
to show. I don’t like the fact that she isn’t her usual self any time I’m
around. I have no doubt that this little outburst is a step in the right
direction.
“Well I’m sorry you feel that way,” he
said, “but I can’t really leave quite yet, since your aunt already invited me
to stay for dessert.”
“Oh, she did, did she? Well… that’s just
great! That’s fine! Wipe that smile off your face.” And I turned back to the
sink, fuming that I was being subjected to such humiliation.
Gabriel stepped aside as my aunt bustled
into the room, checking on the blackberry cobbler that was in the oven.
“Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, sure smells good Auntie,” he
said.
“Auntie?” I raised my eyebrows in question.
He continued to smile as he put his arm
around my Aunt Kelli’s shoulders. “That’s right, your aunt and I hit it off
great. She said that I could call her auntie anytime.”
Aunt Kelli reached over, patting Gabriel’s
cheek. “You are such a sweet boy. Isn’t he just a sweet boy Roshell?” but
didn’t wait for a response and kept right on talking in her typically loud,
vibrant voice, “Now you go on out to the living room and I will bring your
dessert right out.”
Oh, he was just loving this, wasn’t he? I thought with a snort as I watched him saunter out of the kitchen.
Aunt Kelli started complaining about something to do with the way the oven
cooked things unevenly as she pulled out the cobbler. I tuned her out and
focused on finishing my chore.
By the time I wrapped up and joined
everyone else, my aunt was in the process of setting up a small card table in
the middle of the cramped living room. Sabrina was there too, with a small bag
hanging over her shoulder and grinning her face off. “Mom said that I could
spend the night.”
I knew that the “mom” she was referring to
was my mom. Lately, she and Amber had become quite chummy with mom because she
was such a good listener. She always had a welcoming smile on her face and a
way about her that made people open up and talk about their personal lives. My
friends really cared about her and came to rely on her as an adult that they
could talk to and trust not to judge them or tell them what to do.
Mom piped in cheerily, “We have plenty of
people to play a good game of Continental Rummy, so I invited your friends to
stay for awhile.” Then she turned to Gabriel. “Do you know how to play Gabe?”
“No, but I’m a fast learner!”
“Ughh, have fun you guys, I’m going to
bed.” But as I started to stomp off Gabriel caught me by the arm, “Come on, you
have to play too. It’ll be fun.” He paused and gave the most pathetic puppy dog
eyes ever. “Pleassse.”
Resolve broken, I realized I was being
ridiculously rude and stubborn and decided to stop carrying on. Besides, he was
so adorable and I couldn’t rely deny that I was happy to see him. I really
didn’t want him to go.
“Okay fine, but I suck at cards!” I
relented but made sure to keep my pout in place.
“Great! Then I can kick your sorry butt!”
Gabriel taunted, with a devilish grin.
We played for two hours before mom finally
called it quits. Aunt Kelli asked her husband to gather their sleeping kids to
haul them across the street and put them to bed. Then she said goodnight and
snuck out the door.
Sabrina headed towards my room to change
into pajamas. Gabriel stood up from the uncomfortable folding chair he had been
sitting in and stretched his limbs.
My mom gave me a knowing look. “Why don’t
you walk your friend out to his car Roshell.” It was a statement not a
question. Way too obvious. Thanks mom.
Earlier in the evening, I had pulled on a
pair of baggy gray sweats. I snagged an over-sized sweatshirt out
pissed. Then you dare me to tell you that I don’t want you to leave? Well, I
do. I’m busy. Now go!”
Gabriel’s smiled spread into a full-fledged
grin.
GABRIEL: It’s about damn time. I have been waiting for Roshell’s feisty side
to show. I don’t like the fact that she isn’t her usual self any time I’m
around. I have no doubt that this little outburst is a step in the right
direction.
“Well I’m sorry you feel that way,” he
said, “but I can’t really leave quite yet, since your aunt already invited me
to stay for dessert.”
“Oh, she did, did she? Well… that’s just
great! That’s fine! Wipe that smile off your face.” And I turned back to the
sink, fuming that I was being subjected to such humiliation.
Gabriel stepped aside as my aunt bustled
into the room, checking on the blackberry cobbler that was in the oven.
“Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, sure smells good Auntie,” he
said.
“Auntie?” I raised my eyebrows in question.
He continued to smile as he put his arm
around my Aunt Kelli’s shoulders. “That’s right, your aunt and I hit it off
great. She said that I could call her auntie anytime.”
Aunt Kelli reached over, patting Gabriel’s
cheek. “You are such a sweet boy. Isn’t he just a sweet boy Roshell?” but
didn’t wait for a response and kept right on talking in her typically loud,
vibrant voice, “Now you go on out to the living room and I will bring your
dessert right out.”
Oh, he was just loving this, wasn’t he? I thought with a snort as I watched him saunter out of the kitchen.
Aunt Kelli started complaining about something to do with the way the oven
cooked things unevenly as she pulled out the cobbler. I tuned her out and
focused on finishing my chore.
By the time I wrapped up and joined
everyone else, my aunt was in the process of setting up a small card table in
the middle of the cramped living room. Sabrina was there too, with a small bag
hanging over her shoulder and grinning her face off. “Mom said that I could
spend the night.”
I knew that the “mom” she was referring to
was my mom. Lately, she and Amber had become quite chummy with mom because she
was such a good listener. She always had a welcoming smile on her face and a
way about her that made people open up and talk about their personal lives. My
friends really cared about her and came to rely on her as an adult that they
could talk to and trust not to judge them or tell them what to do.
Mom piped in cheerily, “We have plenty of
people to play a good game of Continental Rummy, so I invited your friends to
stay for awhile.” Then she turned to Gabriel. “Do you know how to play Gabe?”
“No, but I’m a fast learner!”
“Ughh, have fun you guys, I’m going to
bed.” But as I started to stomp off Gabriel caught me by the arm, “Come on, you
have to play too. It’ll be fun.” He paused and gave the most pathetic puppy dog
eyes ever. “Pleassse.”
Resolve broken, I realized I was being
ridiculously rude and stubborn and decided to stop carrying on. Besides, he was
so adorable and I couldn’t rely deny that I was happy to see him. I really
didn’t want him to go.
“Okay fine, but I suck at cards!” I
relented but made sure to keep my pout in place.
“Great! Then I can kick your sorry butt!”
Gabriel taunted, with a devilish grin.
We played for two hours before mom finally
called it quits. Aunt Kelli asked her husband to gather their sleeping kids to
haul them across the street and put them to bed. Then she said goodnight and
snuck out the door.
Sabrina headed towards my room to change
into pajamas. Gabriel stood up from the uncomfortable folding chair he had been
sitting in and stretched his limbs.
My mom gave me a knowing look. “Why don’t
you walk your friend out to his car Roshell.” It was a statement not a
question. Way too obvious. Thanks mom.
Earlier in the evening, I had pulled on a
pair of baggy gray sweats. I snagged an over-sized sweatshirt out
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