The City Calls to Her

With credit cards burning in their pockets, Jenni and Rachel wandered around Deb's looking at their prom dresses. Jenni pulled a white dress with silver trim off the rack and held it against Rachel before putting it back.

"So he didn't really clarify what you guys are?" Jenni asked as she pushed through more dresses.

"Nope, not really. He was basically just like, 'oh well let's just think about it for a while.' Whatever that means," Rachel responded and let out an irritated sigh. She continued to look through the dresses.

Jenni pulled out a dress that had pinks and oranges on it. "This is kinda cute."

"Yeah, not really," Rachel said. She made a face and shook her head. Jenni laughed and put it back.

"Maybe not. So anyway, did you ever call Melody?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Gabe doesn't want me to. He said she really doesn't mean it and she's the one that spread those pictures around and told Nathan about us."

"As crazy as this sounds but did you ask her if she did it?"

"Like she'd admit to that."

"You never know unless you ask. Who knows, maybe she'll confess and tell the truth."

"I seriously doubt that. I mean, why would someone admit to that? If I did something like that, I would never admit to it."

"I don't know. All I'm saying is talk to her." The two girls stayed silent after that. They spent a couple more minutes looking through the dresses before walking out and heading to the food court.

* * * * *

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Traffic was kinda bad," Melody said as she sat across from Rachel. She pushed her frozen coffee towards the middle of the table so it wouldn't fall.

"Okay, I'm just gonna jump right in. Despite Gabe telling me not to, I think we can give it another shot. Things did get a little awkward between us."

"Oh totally and I'm sorry for that."

"There's just one stipulation though, where Gabe and I are concerned, you'll stay out of it. The relationship we have is no one's business."

"That's understandable and I can agree to that. Rachel, I really am sorry about everything. Oh and that photo thing, that was really wrong of whoever did that. They looked like they were from that show Gabe's band played at his house."

"Yeah, would you, by any chance, have an idea of who did that?"

Melody shook her head. "No, sorry. If I knew, I'd kick their ass." She pushed her hair out of her face. Rachel stared at the girl. She noticed Melody wouldn't look her in the eye. Rachel started digging through her bag when she heard her phone ringing. She answered it and told the person on the other line that she'd be right there.

"I gotta go. So uh, call me later or whatever," Rachel said as she stood up and grabbed her bag and coffee.

"Okay, see you later," Melody said as Rachel turned and walked out of Starbucks.

When Rachel pulled up in her driveway, she found Gabe and Jenni waiting on her front porch.

"How'd it go?" Jenni asked as Rachel approached them.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "All right I guess. She brought up what happened but claimed she had no idea who did it."

"Figures," Gabe said as he put his arms around her. His action discreetly confused everyone, including himself.

"I don't know, I guess we'll see," Rachel said as she tugged on Gabe's shirt. He leaned over so she could kiss him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

"Okay ew!" Jenni acted grossed out.

"Hey! Come on now! I don't act like that when you mack my brother," Rachel said as she untangled herself from Gabe.

"Mack? Really Rachel?"

"Would you have preferred banged?" Gabe grabbed Rachel by her hips and pulled her against him.

"Gabe, don't do that. That didn't really look right." Gabe just smirked at Jenni's remark and wrapped his arms around Rachel. Since they've been with each other Nathan free, Jenni's noticed that Rachel seems happier. She wasn't sure of it was Nathan being out of the picture or if it was Gabe's doing but either way, no one was complaining.

"Let's go inside," Rachel suggested and thumbed towards her house. They all agreed and headed inside.

"Did you guys find any dresses?" Mrs. Douglas asked and looked up from her laptop.

"We saw a few we liked but we didn't buy any. We're going to keep looking," Rachel informed her as they sat on the couch.

"Yeah, me too. It seemed like every dress I tried on made my butt look big," Gabe said. The girls just looked at him and didn’t say a word.

"Awkward," Rachel said and looked away from him.

"Just a little," Jenni agreed with her. Mrs. Douglas shook her head and excused herself to take her work into another room.

Once Rachel's mother was out of the room, Gabe turned to Rachel and said, "So we got the rooms booked and everything else is pretty much taken care of."

"All right," Rachel said and leaned into Gabe. They both then watched Jenni pull her phone out of her pocket and answer it.

"Okay. I'll be home soon," she said and hung up. "I gotta get home. Mom needs me."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow," Rachel said as she got up and hugged her. Jenni said her goodbye to Gabe and left, leaving Rachel and Gabe alone. She sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed her forehead.

"So you wanna go get lunch?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah, sure. Just let me tell my mom and we'll go," Rachel said as she got up. She found her mom and told her she was leaving and they were on their way.

* * * * *

"Oh my god! Hey guys!" Melody almost shouted as she planted herself at Gabe and Rachel's table.

Gabe and Rachel glanced at each other and then at Melody.

"So, what are you guys doing?" she asked.

"Well I was planning on having lunch with my girlfriend but you know…" Gabe said in an irritated tone of voice.

"Oh so you guys are together now?" Melody's tone got hard.

"Uh yeah, Rachel is my girlfriend. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Oh no, not at all. I'm happy for you two, really," Melody lied through her teeth. She glanced at her watch and then at the door.

"Expecting someone?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, Jeff. Jeff's my boyfriend."

"Yeah, Jenni told me about him."

"Oh. She never told me that you and Gabe were together."

"I don't really see how that's anyone's business," Gabe interjected. "Especially yours."

"Well excuse me," Melody said and put her hands in the air. She looked at the door again and this time Jeff walked in. The two went to their own table.

"What a bitch," Gabe said.

"That was interesting, I mean both parts, her and you calling me your girlfriend," Rachel said.

"Well that is what you are, right? My girlfriend? Since I take you out and I kiss you among other certain acts and in front of my friends too and I hold your hand and I've been dating you since Nathan dumped-"

"All right, I got it. So I'm your girlfriend and you're my boyfriend. We are in a relationship."

"A pretty awesome relationship and I hope it lasts a long time."

"Me too," she said as she moved to his side of the table. He leaned over and kissed her as he put his hand on her thigh. He glanced up and made eye contact with Melody. Gabe instantly recognized her look of jealousy. He saw it quite a few times when they were dating and when he would conversate with other girls.

"Tell the truth, what happened between you two?" Rachel asked as she turned her attention from Melody to Gabe.

"Can I tell you later when we go back to your house? I promise I'll tell you."

"Okay, when we get back to my house." Rachel held out her pinky and Gabe linked his with hers and made the promise.

* * * * *

Gabe and Rachel rolled up their pant legs and sat at the edge of the pool.

"I hope Jon remembered to put the chlorine in," Rachel said as they stuck their feet in the water.

"Me too," Gabe said.

"So, tell me the story."

"I hate to disappoint you but you already know."

"That's not an answer Gabriel."

"I already told you why I don't like her. I told you the day at the creek. She cheated on me and then got mad at me because I wouldn't take her back. I was the best thing that ever happened to her."

"That was a little cocky."

"I know but it's true. She was kind of…possessive. She always got mad if other girls talked to me. She would even get mad if I so much as looked at another girl."

"So she's just really jealous? Even after all these years?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'm hot, you're hot. You're hotter than Melody and even she realizes that."

"Gabe, you are so damn full of yourself."

"Yeah, I know," Gabe said as he slid into the pool and grabbed Rachel.

"No!" she screamed as he pulled her into the pool. "You're a dirtbag."

"You still like me though," he said.

"I know," she said as she pulled herself out of the pool. Gabe was right behind her. He laid on one of the poolside chairs and pulled her on top of him.

"Rachel?" he said as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah," she responded.

"I love you," he said as he put his arms around her.

"I love you, too, Gabe."