me, he banged on the steering wheel a few times with his fist.
When he calmed down, he glanced over at me.
My eyes were still wide with shock at his outburst. After a moment, I said, “Well, that’s pretty much how I felt about it, too.”
The angry expression he bore turned into one of surprise and then completely melted away as he softly chuckled.
“Sorry,” he said while sighing. “I just hate the backwards practices that continue to happen.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me.”
“I’m glad you stood up for yourself and decided not to go through with it,” he said. He sounded like he genuinely meant it. Who was this person? I found myself wondering what happened to the abominably rude man I met on the docks.
“I think I’m going to take a few odd turns and back roads, just in case we are being followed,” he told me.
The rest of the drive was quiet. But even through the silence, I was completely absorbed by Gabe’s presence. I tried closing my eyes, tried forgetting he was there. But it was no use. I remained on edge for the rest of the ride home.
Soon enough, we pulled into the driveway. I immediately unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out of the car.
I grabbed my school bag and turned towards the house when I realized Gabe was behind me. I paused for a moment. “Thank you for driving me home,” I said, waiting for him to get back into his car and leave. He didn’t leave. All he said was, “No problem.”
“Have a nice day,” I said, attempting another obvious dismissal.
But he walked directly in front of me, towards the front door. Miriam left it open at this time of day, letting the ocean breezes flow into the house. Gabe walked right inside, as if it were his house.
I couldn’t help but feel aggravated by the level of comfort he must feel for Miriam. And, well, if I was being truthful, I was more annoyed at the level of comfort he must feel because of Annika. I cursed myself silently.
I had no idea where this delusion I had been harboring, the one that made me feel like I held a claim over Gabe, had ever come from. But I was determined to return to sanity as quickly as possible. With that thought resolute in my mind, I dismissed Gabe from my sight and headed upstairs towards my bedroom. I didn’t care why he decided to come inside or who he wanted to talk to. And honestly, I shouldn’t care.
I would simply distract myself until he left. Homework, I thought to myself. There is tons of homework to do.
Emptying my school bag onto my bed, I filed through my notebooks. Pausing, I heard myself sigh. I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.
Why was he still here, anyway? What did he want? Was he looking for Annika? I gulped, realizing the possibility that they may have made up. I lifted my pillow to my face and groaned into it. What was going on? My mind screamed.
I needed to find out.
I headed back downstairs, looking for Gabe. I walked through the empty living room and heard voices coming from out back. Miriam was in the backyard attending to her garden. I moved towards the sliding glass door. It had been left open and so I peeked through the blinds. It seemed I’d been doing so much spying these days, it was starting to come naturally.
Gabe had his back to me. His hands were in his suit pockets. I couldn’t see his face to read his expression, but I could tell the conversation was serious by the hard lines in Miriam’s face. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress, with blue stripes and a matching blue scarf. It was a cheerful outfit. She must have been in a good mood before Gabe approached her.
“I can’t say I approve of whatever it is you’re doing,” I heard her say to Gabe. Her voice was low and tense.
“Miriam, you know I never meant to hurt Anni.”
Though they spoke quietly, I could still make out some of their muffled conversation.
Miriam shook her head, sighing. “What good do you think could possibly come from this?”
“What is it, Miriam? Do you
When he calmed down, he glanced over at me.
My eyes were still wide with shock at his outburst. After a moment, I said, “Well, that’s pretty much how I felt about it, too.”
The angry expression he bore turned into one of surprise and then completely melted away as he softly chuckled.
“Sorry,” he said while sighing. “I just hate the backwards practices that continue to happen.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me.”
“I’m glad you stood up for yourself and decided not to go through with it,” he said. He sounded like he genuinely meant it. Who was this person? I found myself wondering what happened to the abominably rude man I met on the docks.
“I think I’m going to take a few odd turns and back roads, just in case we are being followed,” he told me.
The rest of the drive was quiet. But even through the silence, I was completely absorbed by Gabe’s presence. I tried closing my eyes, tried forgetting he was there. But it was no use. I remained on edge for the rest of the ride home.
Soon enough, we pulled into the driveway. I immediately unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out of the car.
I grabbed my school bag and turned towards the house when I realized Gabe was behind me. I paused for a moment. “Thank you for driving me home,” I said, waiting for him to get back into his car and leave. He didn’t leave. All he said was, “No problem.”
“Have a nice day,” I said, attempting another obvious dismissal.
But he walked directly in front of me, towards the front door. Miriam left it open at this time of day, letting the ocean breezes flow into the house. Gabe walked right inside, as if it were his house.
I couldn’t help but feel aggravated by the level of comfort he must feel for Miriam. And, well, if I was being truthful, I was more annoyed at the level of comfort he must feel because of Annika. I cursed myself silently.
I had no idea where this delusion I had been harboring, the one that made me feel like I held a claim over Gabe, had ever come from. But I was determined to return to sanity as quickly as possible. With that thought resolute in my mind, I dismissed Gabe from my sight and headed upstairs towards my bedroom. I didn’t care why he decided to come inside or who he wanted to talk to. And honestly, I shouldn’t care.
I would simply distract myself until he left. Homework, I thought to myself. There is tons of homework to do.
Emptying my school bag onto my bed, I filed through my notebooks. Pausing, I heard myself sigh. I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.
Why was he still here, anyway? What did he want? Was he looking for Annika? I gulped, realizing the possibility that they may have made up. I lifted my pillow to my face and groaned into it. What was going on? My mind screamed.
I needed to find out.
I headed back downstairs, looking for Gabe. I walked through the empty living room and heard voices coming from out back. Miriam was in the backyard attending to her garden. I moved towards the sliding glass door. It had been left open and so I peeked through the blinds. It seemed I’d been doing so much spying these days, it was starting to come naturally.
Gabe had his back to me. His hands were in his suit pockets. I couldn’t see his face to read his expression, but I could tell the conversation was serious by the hard lines in Miriam’s face. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress, with blue stripes and a matching blue scarf. It was a cheerful outfit. She must have been in a good mood before Gabe approached her.
“I can’t say I approve of whatever it is you’re doing,” I heard her say to Gabe. Her voice was low and tense.
“Miriam, you know I never meant to hurt Anni.”
Though they spoke quietly, I could still make out some of their muffled conversation.
Miriam shook her head, sighing. “What good do you think could possibly come from this?”
“What is it, Miriam? Do you
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