The City Is at War

"Hey Victoria! I haven't seen you in weeks!" I yell, running up to her.

She gives me a deer in headlights look and I glance at the person she was talking to.

Gabe.

Gabe smiles nervously and tries to walk away, but I grab his arm.

"What's going on?"

All week Patrick and Sisky have been whispering around me and William and Victoria have been avoiding me.

"Nothing. What would make you-" Victoria tries.

"Why are you lying?" I ask, glancing between Gabe and Victoria.

They exchange a quick look and Victoria sighs.

"Sabrina, my class starts-"

"No excuses! What are you trying to hide?!" I yell angrily.

"Bill likes you!" she blurts out.

Victoria quickly covers her mouth and Gabe's eyes widen.

"Holy shit," he mumbles, backing away slowly.

"Um, what?" I ask, slowly.

William likes me?

No way.

"Sabrina, you can't tell Bill that I just told you that. I don't even know why I said that."

"Bill, likes Stacey, not me," I say simply and a huge grin creeps across her face.

"You're in denial!" she exclaims.

"No I'm just-"

"Sabrina you totally love William!"

I blush and try to protest, but nothing comes out.

"Sabrina! Go get your Beckett!"

Of course at that exact moment Bill and Patrick come strolling down the hallway. William raises an eyebrow and Patrick gives me a confused look.

"Hey Bill," Victoria says casually, "how's it going?"

"What did you do?" he hisses, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing, just um...Sabrina may have found out that you have...um...feelings for her," she says nervously, fidgeting with her book bag.

Patrick's mouth instantly drops into an 'O' and he pats William on the back, before pulling Victoria away. William is bright red at this point and I laugh despite the reddish tinge to my own cheeks.

"I hate to make this anymore awkward then it already is but...you like me?" I ask incredulously, because I can't fucking believe it.

"Um, yeah," William says quietly, staring at the ground.

Somehow being pissed at Bill seems stupid and I feel so fucking blind.

"What about um...Stacey?" I ask, feeling stupider with each word.

"Stacey..."

As if on cue the bubbly red head runs up to us and grabs Bill's arm.

"I was waiting for you! We're already late for class!" she exclaims.

I look around and realize that we're the only ones in the hallway. Stacey smiles at me, before dragging William off to class.

I walk slowly down the hallway with only one thought on my mind.

Bill likes me.

And I well..who wouldn't fall for William Beckett?

The kid is fucking gorgeous. But why would he like me?

I'm loud, obnoxious-

"Beautiful, funny," Gabe finishes.

I look up and realize I must have been talking out loud.

Gabe's standing right outside of the classroom and I sigh, "shouldn't you be in class?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I was on my way inside," I mutter, trying to push past Gabe.

"Sabrina-" Gabe begins, blocking the door.

"I don't have time for your games Gabe," I hiss, pushing him again.

"What's wrong? Did-"

"I'm fine!" I yell, giving him one last push.

Gabe flinches but still doesn't move.

I narrow my eyes, "what the fuck do you want?"

Gabe shoves his hands in his pockets and smiles ever so slightly.

"I just wanted to say...happy birthday," he whispers, before walking off.

Within everything that had happened, I had forgotten that one little detail.

My birthday.

As a child,my father Mason had told me to never celebrate my birth. Mason had said my birth was a curse, so I wasn't used to parties or gifts. But here was Gabe, my "worst enemy" (obviously, we had become so much more than that) wishing me a happy birthday.

How he knew that today was my birthday, was the furthest thing from my thoughts. All I could think about was how easy it had been to forget.

But there was still one thought, nagging at the back of my head as I entered English class.

Why hadn't any of my friends said anything?