About a Girl

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“Miss Adams?”

Angela looked at the librarian at the front of the room, “Gabriel will be picking you up today. We couldn’t get a hold of your mother.”

“She’s working at the hospital today. I’m sure that’s why.”

“Aw, she works to hard. Do you need anything?”

She shook my head and she could hear William chuckling. After she walked away from the table William and Angela were sitting on she glared at him. He found amusement in all of this. Even in the detention they were sitting in.

“What are you laughing about?”

William smiled at her and leaned closer, “How she is supposed to be punishing you for not being in class yet she is talking about how great your mom is.”

Her eyes narrowed, “Shut your mouth.”

William held his hands up defensively, “You need to live a little. Enjoy life the way a kid should. You don’t want to grow up too fast.”

Angela shook her head and looked away. Alex Suarez was only a few feet from her sitting at his own table with a friend. She knew she was busted. The looked on Alex’s face was enough to prove that. She was going to be in big trouble when Gabe got here.

“He’s dropping off a car and making a few visits downtown.”

She looked back over at Alex pushing his glasses back on his nose, “Gabe?”

Alex nodded, “Don’t worry. He’s not going to see your mom. He said he’d handle this one.”

William’s voice came out of no where, “Who the hell does he think he is? Your father?”

Her head whipped around to face William, “He’s a good guy. He’s watching over me. You on the other hand screwed me over.”

William shook his head and continued his rant with his mild stuttering about how it’s great to bend rules here and there. Even used Alex as an example even though he didn’t know him. He also added how she was perfectly safe with him.

But that was the thing that was bugging Angela the most.

It wasn’t that she was in trouble that made her upset. It was the fact she had a good time with William. She practically went on a date with him on his first day of school an enjoyed his company. That’s what was bugging her. That urge to do it again.

She barely knew him but he made her smile. Asked her questions and let her ask hers. Talked about things she liked. The books they had read and the classics she loved so much that Gabe would merely groan if she ever brought it up.

The conversation on Macbeth nearly made her ask him to marry her. Joking of course but she loved how much he had in common with her. How willingly he was to talk about anything she wanted. This was new. She was so used to listening to Gabe talk she never really heard her voice in a conversation.

She jumped at the sound of her name being called, “Angela.”

She looked over to see Gabe in the same spot where the librarian had been and her stomach rumbled threatening to get sick, “Gabriel.”

William stayed quiet as Gabe walked over and spoke in a whisper but the anger was there, “What the hell were you thinking?”

She shook her head and William spoke up, “It’s not her fault. It’s mine.”

Gabe looked over to William and his eye narrowed, “I take it you’re the new boy right? If you ever–”

Angela grabbed on to his hand and cut him off, “Gabriel don’t. Let’s just go. I’m sorry alright? It was a one time thing.”

He gripped on to her wrist and squeezed a little too hard and she tried to pull away, “Damn straight it won’t happen again. What do you think your mother would do if she knew? Huh? Did you even think of the consequences of running off with someone you barely knew?”

William struggled to get his sentence out, “Hey now. N-n-n-o n-n-need to overreact. Sh-Sh-She’s perfectly safe with me.”

Gabe let go of her hand and she released him and he nodded. Gabe was one to make a scene, “I get it. You’re giving him sympathy because he stutters like your father did. I should have known. This stuttering freak right here is nothing but trouble. He’s a waste of time and will only hold you back.”

William stood up letting his chair fall, “Wh-Wh-Who the hell do you think you a-are?”

Even Alex was taken back by what Gabe had said. It sounded like pure hate had fallen past Gabe’s lips and into Angela’s lap. She looked up at him in shock at what he had said. Gabe was one to get jealous pretty easily but for him to say something like that in front of everyone wasn’t normal.

Angela stood up and glared at Gabe and nearly quoted William, “I’ll talk to who I want. You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not my father.”

She walked past him and out the side door in the library to outside near the baseball fields. Gabe quickly followed as well as William with Angela’s school bag. Angela hadn’t remembered her bag nor did Gabe but he was ready to give her an earful on walking away from him.

He jogged slightly to catch her by the arm, “Don’t you walk away from me when I’m talking to you.”

She turned and tried to pull her hand away from him, “Leave me alone.”

Gabe pulled her closer to him, “What is your problem today? Since when do you give me attitude and break rules?”

She tried to get him to let go, “I can break a rule here and there. You weren’t exactly the best student either. If I remember correctly you dropped out!”

Gabe dragged her to the near by fence and pushed her against it so he could keep her in place as he looked down at her. He stared at her for a second before choosing his words. He wanted her safe and to go places. To leave this town and become something he couldn’t.

He was about ready to shake her back and forth, “I want what is best for you and breaking rules isn’t going to get you anywhere. How many times do I have to fucking tell you that? Leaving high school is still something I regret. I don’t want that for you.”

She rolled her eyes and tried to push him away, “I don’t care.”

He sighed and let her attempt to leave a mark on him, “Angie please. I love you and I care for you but this has to stop and now.”

“Why do you care? You say you love me but you don’t even–”

She had caught his full attention and he got cold again, “I don’t what?”

She looked away, “Nothing. This is the last time I break a rule. Now let me go.”

He turned her head to face his and he leaned down to look at her closer, “I don’t what? Tell me.”

William was right behind Gabe and Angela could barely see him, “When a woman tells you to let go you should let her go.”

Gabe turned his head, “This doesn’t concern you. I suggest you go home boy before I break a few rules of my own and you end up meeting her mother in a hospital bed.”

Angela got a good slap across Gabe’s chest and told him to move. He didn’t and William got closer. William grabbed onto Gabe’s shoulder and turned him away from Angela. Gabe already had a balled fist and when he fully turned away sent it right into William’s cheek sending the thin boy to the ground.

Angela squeaked placing her hand over her mouth and William stood up quickly ready to send one to Gabe. William wiped his cheek and mouth. He had a little blood coming out and showing the damage Gabe had done.

Gabe stood tense, “This doesn’t concern you. Go home.”

William’s fists were balled and ready to fight Gabe, “Not until you leave Angela alone. She clearly doesn’t want to be with you.”

Angela knew how Gabe could get if the right person set him off. She didn’t want to see William hurt. She rushed to grab on to one of Gabe’s tensed arms and asked him to go home.

“Please Gabriel. Just leave him alone. Let’s go.”

Gabe leaned down to pick up the school bag that William had dropped after the punch and handed it to Angela without looking at her. William kept his arms tight to his body ready to defend if he needed it.

Gabe let out a growl and turned away from William, “I’ll deal with you later.”

Angela looked back at William as Gabe practically dragged her to his parked car on the street. She mouthed a word of apologies but turned back to Gabe leaving William standing there wondering what really just happened.

When they got to the car Gabe spoke rough, “Get in.”

He didn’t even bother opening the door for her like usual. He merely walked to the other side and got in. She opened the door and could see a bouquet of flowers on the seat. She felt even worse now. Gabe was planning on being sweet tonight but things had gotten sour.

Gabe grabbed the flowers before she could reach for them. She got in and closed to door. Gabe watched her place her bag near her feet and he placed the flowers on her lap. He didn’t even look at her but he fumbled with the keys in his hands.

“I got them earlier for you. You said you liked them so I had them delivered to the city to get them.”

What he meant by city was the rich part of town. It was more of a city environment then the neighborhood they lived in. He would never step foot in there unless he had too. This made her feel even guiltier.

Her lip quivered as he looked at her, “Gabriel, I’m sorry.”

He sighed, “I know. There was no need to make a scene though.”

She was going to say he was the one that had made the scene but decided against it. She didn’t want to pick another fight with him. He would just get upset all over again and probably would tell her mother of the trouble of today.

He looked at his steering wheel, “Do you understand I care for you?”

She nodded, “I know you do.”

He closed his eyes, “Then why would you do something like that when you know how upset it would make me?”

She heard her voice crack as she spoke again, “It was a one time thing Gabriel. I swear. I’m not doing it again. I’ve had enough people yell at me for it today.”

Gabe looked at her, “Good. You deserve it. You promise me you won’t do it again?”

She nodded and he continued, “Give me a kiss to seal it.”

He pointed to his cheek and she leaned over to kiss his fairly smooth face. He had shaved this morning and it felt so smooth unless he moved. She smiled against his cheek when he smiled. This was something that they used to do to keep promises. Gabe would usually kiss her forehead and she would kiss his cheek. Simple but it seemed to work.

She pulled away and he started the car, “Do me another favor and stay away from that kid.”

She held her tongue. She couldn’t promise him that. She liked talking to William. She wasn’t going to throw that away. He felt like a friend to her and she couldn’t turn on a friend. It wasn’t in her.

Gabe pulled away from the curb, “Do you still want to go on our date or do you want to go home?”

“Up to you.”

“I shouldn’t let you go out tonight for punishment but I haven’t had time to see you lately so I would like to go out tonight. I even shaved for you.”

She let out a chuckle, “I know.”

“Let me go home real quick to change out of these and into something else.”

She didn’t really mind what he was wearing. Granted he wasn’t in his work clothes they smelled like oil none the less. He always kept a pair of clean clothes in his office just in case if he needed some where to go and couldn’t stop home.

She looked out the back and could see William was still standing on the sidewalk not facing them. She sighed and looked back. She would apologize to him on Monday. She hoped this little shuffle wouldn’t change anything.

William on the other hand felt fine. It had been awhile since he was in a fight. He didn’t really mind getting hit. He had wished he had gotten one in himself but none the less didn’t mind.

“Hey! Throw the ball!”

William hadn’t even notice the baseball at his feet. He picked it up and looked at the waiting team. He threw it as hard as he could to the waiting arms and the boy caught it with a little of a kick back causing him to stumble back but keep the ball in his mitt.

The team stopped completely and the coach looked at William. He had already made his way over to William and William shifted on his feet. He wasn’t great with attention like this.

“What an arm! Son, have you ever played?”

William nodded at the older male, “Yes. Back in Chicago.”

The coach now was intrigued and ready to have William join the team, “What position?”

“I was whatever was needed. I mostly pitched or was first base. I've played outfield as well.”

The coach beamed that smile even more and placed his hand on William shoulder, “How would you like to play for us? We need a new first.”

William looked at the team looking at him and back to the coach, “Honestly?”

The coach nodded and went off to tell William he wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. They would have everything taken care of for William including his uniforms. William couldn’t help but smile even though coming from a bad hour. He loved baseball more then anything. Not to mention he was one hell of a player.

William shook the hand that was offered to him, “Alright. I’ll play for your team.”

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