Hope It Gives You Hell

[Gabe's Point Of View]

"What am I doing wrong?!" I sighed, falling onto the couch in the hotel room I shared with Ryland. After my epic fail of an attempt at kissing her, I was quite frustrated with myself.

"Maybe she just doesn't like you man." Ryland replied before continuing to tune his acoustic guitar.

"That's really not an acceptable reason." I said, glaring at him. He just shrugged.

"I dunno what to tell you. I'd have to see you kids together to tell you how she feels." Then it clicked.

"Dude you're a genius!" I yelled, jumping off the couch. Okay, maybe it was a bit much, but I was excited!

"Tell me something I don't know… uh, like why I'm a genius."

"I'll introduce you to her!" I said as I shoved my feet into my converse and pulled on a black hoodie.

"You're not bringing her here are you?" he asked with a strange look on his face.

"God, I'm not gonna do anything like that. I'll give her and her friends tickets to the concert." I had almost forget we were doing a show that Saturday at The Intersection.

"You're really desperate to get her, aren't you?"

"Shut up." I ignored his deterring thoughts, put on my red hat, put up my hood, and walked out the door.

After getting lost about a hundred times (don't know how, this city is tiny!) I finally found the high school just in time for them to be let out. I stood outside the school and waited as a ton of kids poured out of every door, completely ignoring me. Wow, my disguise worked!

About a bajillion years later (more like ten minutes, but still) I saw her come through the front door talking to her friend Liz. Then she saw me and stopped in her tracks.

"Oh my Franking Gerard," was the exasperated sigh she let out before saying good-bye to Liz and then coming to talk to me.

"What are you doing here? Trying to get mauled?!" She asked, grabbing my arm and pulling me off to the side. I definitely count this as a win.

"My disguise is da shit." I pointed out.

"Your disguise is shit, you're lucky everyone wants out of here quickly after exams or you'd be in for it." Her glare was piercing, and it hurt, but it also made me want to laugh. I think I need an MRI…

"Oh, be nice to me. I just spent the entire three hours you've been in school trying to find this stupid place so I could give you these." I held out the tickets and watched her face flash from rage to awe in a matter of seconds.

"Whoa. Tickets to your concert?" She stared at the orange slips of paper in my hand, completely mesmerized.

"Yep. They're yours… for a tiny price." And there came the rage again…

"A price?"

"Yeah. Just a small one." and the plan might have worked if that stupid little kid hadn't come out of the school calling Sarah's name. Her head whipped around and she waved to him, practically giving him free lance to join our conversation.

"This is Will. Will, this is -"

"Edward." I cut her off before she could say anything and shook her friend's hand. Good god, this kid was a flamer and a half. Jeans with rainbows drawn all over them, tight Cute Is What We Aim For shirt and aman purse book bag. I don't even know…

"Hah, like Edward Cullen! You remind me of someone… and you're really tall." this Will character delightfully pointed out. Sarah rolled her eyes and I had to refrain from doing the same. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that… I'd have enough money to… to… something.

"Yeah, he's pretty tall. You know. Um, we have to get going, I'll see you tomorrow morning!" She waved good-bye to her friend and he left with a different group of people [that looked freakishly like him.]

"Oh the people you hang out with…" Was all I could say.

"Tell me about it. He really likes you."

"Whoa, what?!" We had started walking away from the school, but I immediately stopped in my tracks.

"Yeah. He was hoping you were gay, but I told him to buzz off, cause he can't have every good looking guy." Cue butterflies. That sounded girly.

"Good looking, huh?" We resumed walking and I nudged her in the arm a bit.

"Don't flatter yourself."

"What if I want to flatter myself? You gonna deny me that?"

"Um, probably." We walked in silence for a while until we got to a building looked like a grocery store, but was completely empty.

"Well… my house is down here." She pointed down the small street by the store and then smiled to me. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"See you at the concert." I pressed the tickets in her hand.

"No price?"

"No price."