If You'll Be My Star, I'll Be Your Fanclub

Trella's Point of View

“Trella! Come hide with me!” Gabe said, grabbing my hand and dragging me up the steps of the jungle gym.

“Where are we gonna hide up here?”

“In here,” he answered, ducking down and crawling into the tunnel, helping me slide in next to him. “Is Addi still counting?”

“Yeah. Alex is with her, right?” I asked, peeking my head out. I heard her stop counting and scooted back in. “She stopped. I think she's coming over here!”

Gabe grabbed me up in his arms and pulled me closer to his chest. “Just so she doesn't see you,” he whispered, moving us to the middle of the tube. I smiled and adjusted myself in his lap, listening for Addi's footsteps.

After about a minute, I stopped listening for her. My mind was more focused on the arms around my waist, adorned with that purple material. I leaned my head back, loving the feeling in his arms.

“Trella?” he whispered and I looked up. He was looking down at me softly, and I scrunched my eyebrows up in confusion.

“Yeah, Gabe?” I asked, turning so I was facing him more. He bit his lip like he wanted to say something, but instead shook his head.

“Never mind,” he said, confusing me. I turned away and looked out of the tunnel at the slide, chewing on my lip.

“I think Addi gave up looking for us,” I told him and he laughed.

“Probably. I don't know where anyone else went to hide either,” he said, poking his head out and looking around. “They're playing on the fucking teeter-totters!”

“Are you serious?” I asked, laughing when I saw Alex and Ryland on the teeter-totter. Nate, Vicky, and Addi were in the sandbox, piling up sand into... honestly I don't know what they were supposed to be. They just looked like mounds of sand to me.

I laughed and sat back. I leaned against him as he shook his head, hooking my arm with his and laying my head on his shoulder.

“I wanna go to the movies, Gabanti,” I told him.

“Then let's go.”

“I forgot my money at Addi's.”

“I'll pay,” he told me and I shook my head.

“No you won't.”

“Yes, I will,” he answered. “I have enough for both of us. Let me do it.”

“Gabe, I don't want you to have-” He cut me off.

“Trella, please,” he said, and I gave in.

“Whatever,” I said, crawling to stand up. He crawled out behind me, and I saw Addi looking over in our direction. She waved frantically, and I smiled and waved back, fixing my shirt. I grabbed the bar above my head and swung down to the ground, feeling Gabe following behind me. He wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked towards the sandbox. I leaned into his touch, unconsciously.

“What were you guys doing?” she asked, a sneaky look on her face.

“Hiding. 'Cause, you know, we were supposed to be playing hide-and-seek, remember?” I asked her and she grinned.

“Oh, sorry. It got boring. I couldn't find you guys,” she giggled.

“Yeah, I'm sure,” I responded, rolling my eyes. “Gabe and I wanna go to the movies. You guys coming?”

“I wanna go!” Alex yelled, jumping off his side of the teeter-totter, which was the side up in the air.

“What are you goes going to see?” Victoria asked.

“We don't know yet,” Gabe answered.

“Is everybody going? Or do some of you wanna stay here?”

“Let's go!” Addi yelled, standing up.