Look at Me

Oh sweet Jesus…
What was going on in the backseat? Terry looked in her rearview mirror and saw Paige leaning into Hayden. Unintelligible whispers floated through the car and then…her hands were totally groping at his chest and her lips were crashing into his.
Terry’s mouth dropped into her lap as she watched with horrified fascination. Okay, they were together and she was “dealing” with it. That did not mean they could do it in her boyfriend’s back seat! She was already going to have to explain the scratches in the fabric. She didn’t want to explain why it smelled like sex too. That was one conversation she could skip having with Kevin.
Frowning, Terry considered how to break up their lovey-dovey little moment without being overly obvious or mean about it. Deciding to be impulsive, she gave the wheel a good jerk and moved the car into the opposite lane for just a second.
“Damn squirrels,” she muttered darkly as she righted the vehicle.
“Did you say Squirrels…?” Paige said breathily as she resurfaced from sucking on Hayden’s face.
Gabriel made a strange coughing noise that sounded a lot like a smothered laugh as he grunted, “Stupid little bastards. One ran right out in front of Terry and was inches from being road kill.”
Terry glanced curiously at him. He knew as well as she did there hadn’t been a freaking squirrel. Gabriel caught her look though and he actually winked quickly at her…
Winked! Like a 50’s movie star, complete with dimpled little boy grin and sophisticated silver hair. Well it might have looked sophisticated if it wasn’t all messed up and tangled. [Boys and that thing called good hygiene would never go together.] And then silver was also just a strange color, considering his age.
Terry felt her cheeks burn as she looked back at the road. Gabriel was sort of gorgeous, despite looking really strange. She’d noticed that when she caught a glimpse of him outside the police station. It was really too bad he was such an asshole and a complete alien. Not in the little green men with antennas sense of the word, but in the weirdo wolf-boy sense of word. It sounded better than calling him a freak anyway, which he totally was.
No, that wasn’t nice, but Terry was truthful with herself, even if no one else was. Anyway, Gabriel was a complete stranger and she didn’t owe him any kindness. Especially since he hadn’t shown her any.

***
Gabriel turned his eyes away from Terry and looked back at the road. He felt a little ashamed at his awful attempt to win back some good will. Had he actually winked…at frizzy drama princess? She had turned a deep scarlet and turned away from him, probably annoyed as hell.
God, he was lousing his charm if he couldn’t get her to swoon a little…Of course it wasn’t exactly a swoon worthy situation. Apparent no one had informed Hayden and Paige of that fact though, from the way they were steaming up the backseat. Well, that was a slight exaggeration…
They were only touching just a little and their lips had barely met when Terry ripped the wheel to the side like a psycho. Which Gabriel suspected she probably was. There was no way a sane person could have that much metal in her mouth. She looked like one of those rappers showing off her “grill.” The only thing she needed was a few gold teeth. He shuddered a little inside thinking about it, but there were things way more important to think about anyway.
They were coming into the downtown area and were only maybe ten minutes from the police station. He needed to get out of the car. It had been a bad idea to get inside it in the first place. Whatever he’d been hoping to find in Hayden wasn’t there. Maybe it didn’t even exist…
People were just to fucking different to ever feel the same. It didn’t matter what genetics or misfortunes they had in common. He and Hayden could never feel a connection or a bond, because they were strangers who didn’t trust each other. They saw their own demons reflected in each other’s eyes. It had just been stupid to think he might have found someone who would finally just understand. Someone who would know what it was to be hated, mistrusted, and seen as less…
Then it occurred to Gabriel. Hayden had found that person already. An innocent little angel had already found Hayden and seen him at last. He probably didn’t need anything or anyone else. Not when he had her.
And oh…but she was exquisite. Again Gabriel though of the way she was like the sun. She was brightness and warmth and suddenly he felt jealous…
It was wrong, considering he thought Hayden didn’t even belong with her. But what if he found someone? Someone who would be the day to his night.
Aileen. Pretty and sensitive, she had been more like and older sister than anything else. Even if he had tried to make out with her the first time she’d spoken about his secret. Also, Nuns had that annoying chastity thing and he didn’t want to think about her anyway. She brought memories he fought to bury crawling to the surface.
He just wanted to forget…
Was that too much to ask? Why couldn’t he just forget everything that had happened before? Why couldn’t he just pretend to be normal?
Maybe because the truth kept slamming into him every time he turned around. It followed like a dark spirit, determined to rob him of any peace.
“Stop the car,” Gabriel said urgently.
Terry slammed on the break and everyone rocked forward. The chick definitely needed driving lessons if nothing else. She was looking at him curiously, as he leaned over his seat and said, “Goodnight. I’m sorry to have taken up so much of your time.”
Hayden’s face was smooth and unaffected as he asked, “Will I see you again, Gabriel?”
Gabe took a deep breath and shook his head as he said, “Not if you’re going to that place. I promised myself I would never go back..”
Hayden didn’t ask questions or ask him to stay. He just nodded and said, “Goodnight then.”
Gabriel got out of the car then. He stepped onto the sidewalk and pulled his coat collar high around his neck. The night was unusually cold and the streets had never seemed quite so empty as they did at the moment…