The City Calls to Her
Secrets
Rachel paced Jenni's room for a moment before sitting on her bed.
"He used the story like she said he would. I don't know anymore. It's like I want to believe him, I really do. What if what she said is really true? You know, about him going around telling everyone she was easy. What if he does that to me? He promised he wouldn't but I-"
Jenni cut her off. "Wait. What do you mean do that to you?"
Rachel's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. She, Gabe and the boys were the only ones who knew of what happened at the party. "I kinda had sex with Gabe at the party."
"Kinda? You can't kinda do that with someone. You either did or you didn't and I'm going to take it you did if you're worried about him telling people."
"Okay I did-we did."
"Was that your first time?"
"Yeah."
"His?"
"You know, I have no idea. I can ask him tonight when I talk to him later. Whatever you do you can not tell Jon."
"My lips are sealed." Jenni motioned like she zipped her lips shut and threw away the key. She moved so she was sitting right next to Rachel. "So come on, out with it."
"Out with what?" Melody asked as she walked into Jenni's room. "Your mom let me in."
"It's nothing important," Rachel said as Melody sat in a chair across from them. "Just something with Jon that he doesn't want the entire world knowing."
"Oh, boo. Anywho, did you break things off with Gabe yet?"
"No, not exactly. I just need more time to think about it," she said. She thought back to when they were on the bridge and he kissed her like they had been dating all their lives. She thought back to the night of the party when Gabe was lying on top of her asking her if she were all right. She remembered all the kisses in between the time they left Rob's room and when they both laid their heads down on their own pillows.
"Well what are you waiting for? He's a jackass."
"He's still my friend. I'm not going to just dump him because of something that happened years ago to you. From what I can tell he's a great guy."
"Like I said, that's how it all starts for him." Melody glared at Rachel.
Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we'll see what happens then."
"I guess we will," Melody coldly agreed and glared at her again.
* * * * *
Rachel felt an all too familiar feeling as she looked around the half empty room.
"So it's really happening?"
"Yeah, it is. End of the month," Nathan said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"This isn't fair. We barely got any time together."
"I know but it is what it is. I mean, we can't change anything about it."
Rachel turned around and faced him. "Hey! What if…you lived with me and my family?"
"I doubt it'll work but it's worth a shot."
"That would be so awesome if they let you stay. I'll talk to my parents tonight."
"Me too," Nathan said and stared at his girlfriend. He leaned over and kissed her. Rachel pulled away quicker than expected. His kiss wasn't the same as Gabe's. She rested her head on his shoulder. She couldn't figure out why she even suggested that he stay with her family. They couldn't even say if they were going to still be together the next day. If they broke up, Nathan would have nowhere to go. It seemed like the thing to say at the moment.
* * * * *
Rachel looked up from her math homework when her phone started to vibrate. She looked at the caller I.D. field and picked it up when she saw that it was Gabe.
"Hey, can you come outside for a moment?" Gabe asked. This caused Rachel to get up and go to her window. She could see Gabe looking up at her from her front yard. Rachel shut her curtains and stepped away from the window.
"Yeah, I'll be down in a second." They hung up and Rachel headed downstairs. "I'll be out front," she told her parents and stepped outside. She approached Gabe as he stuffed his phone into his pocket. She looked up at him as he ran his fingers through his hair and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"Why'd you tell her?"
Rachel cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"
"Melody."
"I didn't tell Melody anything. I still don't understand what you're talking about?"
"Melody didn't need to know about what happened between us at Rob's party."
Rachel's eyes went wide. "The only person I told about that was Jenni and she wouldn't tell another soul. I swear to God Gabe."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Well Melody knows somehow and she's saying things along the lines that you want nothing to do with me and you want me to stay away from you."
"Why is she telling you that stuff? Why does she feel it's her business to go around and talk shit about us?"
"I don't know. Maybe she's just jealous."
"Well obviously. I mean, look at you," Rachel blurted out. Gabe smirked and Rachel blushed.
"I think I'll go ahead and take that as a compliment."
"If that's how you feel…"
"When is he leaving?"
"End of the month."
"I'm not quite sure that's soon enough."
"Do you think she'll tell Nathan?"
"I honestly wouldn't put it past her. I guess you'll just have to keep an ear open."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Well that's all I really wanted to clear up. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yep. Bye."
"Later." Gabe turned around and went back across the street to his house. As Rachel walked back into her house, Jon gave her a disapproving look. She said nothing and went back upstairs to her room.
* * * * *
"Did you tell Melody?" Rachel asked Jenni.
"No," Jenni said and shook her head.
"Jennifer…"
"Sorry! It just kinda came out. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."
"Did you tell anyone else?"
"Just one other person."
Rachel sighed. "Who?"
"Your brother."
"He used the story like she said he would. I don't know anymore. It's like I want to believe him, I really do. What if what she said is really true? You know, about him going around telling everyone she was easy. What if he does that to me? He promised he wouldn't but I-"
Jenni cut her off. "Wait. What do you mean do that to you?"
Rachel's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. She, Gabe and the boys were the only ones who knew of what happened at the party. "I kinda had sex with Gabe at the party."
"Kinda? You can't kinda do that with someone. You either did or you didn't and I'm going to take it you did if you're worried about him telling people."
"Okay I did-we did."
"Was that your first time?"
"Yeah."
"His?"
"You know, I have no idea. I can ask him tonight when I talk to him later. Whatever you do you can not tell Jon."
"My lips are sealed." Jenni motioned like she zipped her lips shut and threw away the key. She moved so she was sitting right next to Rachel. "So come on, out with it."
"Out with what?" Melody asked as she walked into Jenni's room. "Your mom let me in."
"It's nothing important," Rachel said as Melody sat in a chair across from them. "Just something with Jon that he doesn't want the entire world knowing."
"Oh, boo. Anywho, did you break things off with Gabe yet?"
"No, not exactly. I just need more time to think about it," she said. She thought back to when they were on the bridge and he kissed her like they had been dating all their lives. She thought back to the night of the party when Gabe was lying on top of her asking her if she were all right. She remembered all the kisses in between the time they left Rob's room and when they both laid their heads down on their own pillows.
"Well what are you waiting for? He's a jackass."
"He's still my friend. I'm not going to just dump him because of something that happened years ago to you. From what I can tell he's a great guy."
"Like I said, that's how it all starts for him." Melody glared at Rachel.
Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we'll see what happens then."
"I guess we will," Melody coldly agreed and glared at her again.
* * * * *
Rachel felt an all too familiar feeling as she looked around the half empty room.
"So it's really happening?"
"Yeah, it is. End of the month," Nathan said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"This isn't fair. We barely got any time together."
"I know but it is what it is. I mean, we can't change anything about it."
Rachel turned around and faced him. "Hey! What if…you lived with me and my family?"
"I doubt it'll work but it's worth a shot."
"That would be so awesome if they let you stay. I'll talk to my parents tonight."
"Me too," Nathan said and stared at his girlfriend. He leaned over and kissed her. Rachel pulled away quicker than expected. His kiss wasn't the same as Gabe's. She rested her head on his shoulder. She couldn't figure out why she even suggested that he stay with her family. They couldn't even say if they were going to still be together the next day. If they broke up, Nathan would have nowhere to go. It seemed like the thing to say at the moment.
* * * * *
Rachel looked up from her math homework when her phone started to vibrate. She looked at the caller I.D. field and picked it up when she saw that it was Gabe.
"Hey, can you come outside for a moment?" Gabe asked. This caused Rachel to get up and go to her window. She could see Gabe looking up at her from her front yard. Rachel shut her curtains and stepped away from the window.
"Yeah, I'll be down in a second." They hung up and Rachel headed downstairs. "I'll be out front," she told her parents and stepped outside. She approached Gabe as he stuffed his phone into his pocket. She looked up at him as he ran his fingers through his hair and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"Why'd you tell her?"
Rachel cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"
"Melody."
"I didn't tell Melody anything. I still don't understand what you're talking about?"
"Melody didn't need to know about what happened between us at Rob's party."
Rachel's eyes went wide. "The only person I told about that was Jenni and she wouldn't tell another soul. I swear to God Gabe."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Well Melody knows somehow and she's saying things along the lines that you want nothing to do with me and you want me to stay away from you."
"Why is she telling you that stuff? Why does she feel it's her business to go around and talk shit about us?"
"I don't know. Maybe she's just jealous."
"Well obviously. I mean, look at you," Rachel blurted out. Gabe smirked and Rachel blushed.
"I think I'll go ahead and take that as a compliment."
"If that's how you feel…"
"When is he leaving?"
"End of the month."
"I'm not quite sure that's soon enough."
"Do you think she'll tell Nathan?"
"I honestly wouldn't put it past her. I guess you'll just have to keep an ear open."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Well that's all I really wanted to clear up. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yep. Bye."
"Later." Gabe turned around and went back across the street to his house. As Rachel walked back into her house, Jon gave her a disapproving look. She said nothing and went back upstairs to her room.
* * * * *
"Did you tell Melody?" Rachel asked Jenni.
"No," Jenni said and shook her head.
"Jennifer…"
"Sorry! It just kinda came out. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."
"Did you tell anyone else?"
"Just one other person."
Rachel sighed. "Who?"
"Your brother."