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[Name] Gabriel Felipe Francisco [Age] 23
[Date of Birth/Place] January 9; Sao Paulo, Brazil
[Gender] Male
[Occupation] College Student, Soccer Coach
[Ethnicity] Brazilian
[Languages] Portuguese, English
[Appearance]
(view spoiler)
FACE CLAIM: Marlon Teixeira
{Eyes} brown
{Hair} brown
{Weight} 210
{Height} 6'1
[Strengths]
+love
+surfing
+commitment
+honesty
+friendships
[Weakness]
-English
-financial issues
-too gullible
-his soft heart
[Personality]
~ loyal ~ happy ~ gentle ~ gullible ~ genuine ~ determined ~ confident ~
abe's got a heart of gold. Once you meet him, he tends to be the most innocent and sweetest guy you could ever meet. It takes alot for him to become cross with you, or to even get the slightest bit upset. He's usually in an overall good mood, with an upbeat personality and vibe. He sees the positive side of things, and does his best to cheer others up. Seeing someone in distress has the equivalent of him being in that persons place, and it pains him to not be able to help. In addition to his childlike personality, gabe is extremely gullible and innocent. He will believe anything you tell him, as long as you can convince him. Gabe is unfamiliar with the horrors of the world, and is generally a clean guy. He aims to be a positive figure in life, and find out what his purpose is. His creativity and aspirations make his dreams realities, making him an overall happy individual.
[History]
TBRPD
~Was born in São Paulo, Brazil
~His family wasn't wealthy but he grew up humble and happy
~Has one older brother, who he no longer talks to
~Interests include football (soccer), photography, learning about different cultures, and athletics
~Worked as a soccer coach as a part time job, earning enough money to keep himself going
~Dreams of joining Brazil's national soccer team, works at it continuously
~Has a cluttered apartment back home with two roommates
[Likes]
#soccer
#little kids
#Brazil
#food
#celebrating
#Americans
#practical jokes
#surf
[Dislikes]
*rain
*bullies
*his brother
*alcohol
*laziness
*traffic
[Other]
Gabriel pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the airplane window, his body slumped against the wall of the cabin. Outside in the painfully bright daylight, his international flight from Brazil was taxiing on the runway. He had just woken up from his slumber at only nine in the morning, and a migraine started the moment he made the mistake of sliding open the window to peek outside. Rubbing his face with his palm, Gabriel groggily straightened up in his seat and untangled his body from the airplane blanket. His neighbor was an old man who particularly disappreciated his snoring and fear of flights, and grumpily shot a look at Gabe when he accidentally had kicked the man's carry on. But not much could dampen his mood, because... he was in America! His first foreign country. A whole nother continent! His stomach was a bundle of fear for the new customs he'd experience for his semester abroad. He knew he wouldn't fit in right away with his Portuguese accent and his curly hair, but maybe. .. just maybe. He had left behind all he had known his entire life, his soccer, his job, his messy apartment, the busy streets of Sao Paulo. Gabe had been persuaded into the overseas program for his college course to study in being a physical therapist. He figured that if he never made it on the national team for soccer, he could at least end up as a trainer... right? He had just touched down in Florida, and the nervous knots returned to his stomach. Passengers began to scramble to get their things and file out the airplane exit, in a hurry to get to their luggage before anyone else could. Gabe himself was in no hurry, as there'd be no one to greet him. It would allow for time to explore, to take in the sights slowly. Gabe raked his fingers through his curly mop of hair, adjusting his sweatshirt and gathering his opened backpack under his seat. This he slung over his shoulder, and waited patiently to fall into line behind the other passengers.
Soon enough, Gabe was in the Floridian heat with a duffel bag across his chest and a backpack. He looked so out of place, lost with his hood over his head to hide his messy hair and his sunglasses shielding his bloodshot eyes. All around him, people spoke in quick English, hindered with the Ameeican twang. Swallowing his dry throat, Gabe managed in nervous broken English to ask a nearby family for a cafe nearby. Within minutes, a cab was speeding along the streets, towards a large cafe with glass window walls that looked in to a comfy welcoming atmosphere. A few looked over in alarm at Gabriel, who dropped his bags with heavy thuds in a corner. He scrambled for his cash and coins tucked safely in the battered old leather wallet, before striding up to the counter to order.
Lifting his sunglasses, Gabe observed the menu. His mind had calmed down a little, and the anxiety of speaking the language had diminished since the airport scene. He had taken English courses as a language in his early years of college, so finding familiar words came more easily. "I would like... a coffee? With cream, please," Gabe managed, digging into his wallet for the currency the barista asked for. "Yes, and... pastry, a pastry please," Gabriel added quickly as his order was rung up. He really needed to sleep, as the bags under his eyes and the sleep evident in his voice showed. He'd relax her, then get a ride to the small apartment he would borrow for the semester. Soft music floated in the cafe, with the sharp grinding of the coffee blender piercing his ears. He waited for his order with his arms crossed across his chest, his eyelids drooping.
Moments later, Gabe was settled in a cushioned chair with his phone charging on the table. His coffee rested on the small table he sat at, and the pastry was slowly being devoured. Jet lag seemed to really toy with his body systems, and nausea rose and fell in his stomach. The coffee didn't help like it normally would to wake him up, and eventually Gabe gave up. He couldn't resist putting his head down on his arms on the table, soon snoring softly for the next twenty minutes. The sleep was nice while it lasted, until one of the workers asked him to leave. He probably looked homeless, unkempt and with scruff forming on his chin. "S-sorry," Gabriel had muttered softly with embarassment, before hauling out of the cafe. He was back out on the sidewalk again, with not a cab in sight on the street. No bus stop, either. What was he supposed to do, walk...?
That was exactly what Gabriel did, using the GPS on his phone to trek the 4 miles with his luggage to the apartments. Dressed warmly for the plane still, Gabriel wasn't prepared for the heat of the sun. It beat down on his back, sweat dripping down his neck and back by the time he made it to the apartment complex. Swearing softly under his breath and rather bitter about his inconvenience and stupidity for not having arranged his rides earlier, Gabe collapsed panting in front of what he presumed was his apartment. All he yearned for was air conditiinujg, a shower, and sleep. He fumbled in his backpack for his keys hooked on to his favorite teams lanyard, blindly jiggling the keys into the lock. 341, that was his apartment number. Right? Gabe became more and more frustrated, jiggling the key aggressively now into the lock and checking the handle frequently. He hadn't noticed in his exhaust that his apartment was four doors down, 345.
It was still considerably early in the morning in Gabes eyes, as any time before noon on a day he could sleep in was fair game to catch up on z's. Throughout the week, he hardly ever had time for sleep due to early morning practices, and coaching a team of 11 little boys and 16 teenage girls with practices that ran late. Not to mention his homework from school. Now, Gabe was in one of his most irritable moods, a bit surprised and shocked by his own bristling behavior. It wasn't like him to yell and swear, or be violent at all. Especially with a door. Jet lag and some faint homesickness had done this to him, his first time outside Brazil. With a grouchy and gloomy cloud over his head, Gabriel continued to jostle his key in whatever way it could fit into the door of 341. A girls voice sounded inside to his alarm, however, and the locks clicked and turned. He didn't remember having a female roommate. A pretty one. The door swung open to reveal a half-asleep blonde, who seemed to mistake him for someone else as she opened her eyes. She seemed shocked, unexpecting him to be at her door. This was his room, right? 341? Or was it 345? 346? With physical and mental exhaustion, Gabe could hardly process her English as her voice filled bis ears with concern, her innocent eyes looking up at him to his height. Gabe suddenly felt extremely embarassed, a soft blush forming on his tan facial features that ere mostly hidden behind scruff and his curly hair. His sweats hung lazily on his body, sweat marks on the back and armpits hidden by his jacket that he refused to take off earlier on the walk home. "341? This is... my apartment," Gabe said slowly, uncertain of every word that tumbled out of his mouth. His accent was heavy, but his English was almost perfect. He smoothed his hair with the rake of his fingers , feeling now a deep pit of hesitation in his stomach. This probably wasn't his apartment. That was why the flipping key never fit, that was why the girl looked so confused. "I don't think I have a roommate," Gabe murmured, his dark brown eyes locking with the girls for a moment before tearing away.
He scrambled for the bag behind hin, digging in the side pockets frantically to find the papers that stated his housing agreement for the apartments. His eyes scanned the English quickly as he could read it better than he understood it, searching for the 3 digit number. Then he saw it. 345. 5. Not 1. In his rush to get inside and avoid seeing people in his seemingly homeless looking state, he had misread his papers or confused his number eith something else. And all this while, he had looked like he was trying to break into the girls apartment. And that looked very, very, very bad for his stay here. Laughing weakly, Sutton tore his eyes from his paper and saw the numbers on the door in front of him. 341. He looked at the girl sheepishly, bowing his head in guilt. "This is wrong apartment... mine is down over there," Gabriel murmured, picking up his bags and hoisting them over his shoulders. "Im very sorry, I do not mean to awake you," he mumbled apologetically.
((For now we can stick to 3-4 paragraphs if you want on your lart, because it's short interactions and I don't want to over rp it! !! I loooooved your post ;) so what we wanna do, have them flirt and talk, or kick Gabe to his room and ff to thr next time they pass each other in the halls and he helps her with like groceries or something? ))
Gabe could feel the heat on his cheeks, feeling as if the girls was throwing lasers through those pretty eyes of hers. She glared at him impatiently as he had dug through his things, sighs and annoyed huffs audible. He could see why she was pissed off, judging by the fact she seemed to still be in pajamas. He woke up a girl by practically breaking in to get into an apartment that wasn't his. The girls sharp words made Gabe swallow a lump in his throat, suddenly feeling alienated in the country. He was the minority here and florida, as there weren't too many darker skinned people here, and the way she spoke with him made the previously known stereotype for Americans to be friendly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. If she was his neighbor, he hoped he wouldn't have to run in to her often. It didn't help that he had am accent as well, as thst seemed to get on people's nerves as well when they couldn't understand him. "Sorry, have a good-" his words were cut off as she slammed the door in his face. She had forced a heartless smile at him before closing the door, the locks quickly spinning into place. Like he would break in again. Gabriel took a step back from the door, his duffel bag tucked again round his broad shoulders. His backpack rested on his shoulders as well, the paper still clenched in his hands with the keys. He was such. An idiot. Such. An. Idiot. Could he not read either? Was there something wrong with him? This wasnt the way he'd make friends here, and especially someone so beautiful? Unacceptable in Gabriels opinion. He had to fix this, somehow. It was considered a dishonor on his part, shame slumping his shoulders. He was highly embarassed by his accomplishment to ward away his first potential friend, coming off as a foreign, homeless, burglar. Rubbing his face, Gabe took a deep breath. He could see the numbers printed on a door down the hall, his apartment obviously. Inside, two boxes had already been previously shipped with his belongings a week before, with minimal furniture supplied by the foreign exchange program.
He was worried for his future here in Florida, the passing of events so far making him want to lock himself up in his room for the rest of the semester. How soon would the story of him trying to break into the girls apartment spread? It was an accident, but if people thought that he was naturally that agressive... it was all a misunderstanding. Gabe surpressed a yawn as the elevator opened at one end of the hall, a disheveled female with hair and makeup and clothes smeared and creased here and there, his eyes widened swightly. Time to go. He smiled weakly at the girl who approached the same door he had battered only minutes ago, brandishing a key from her purse before throwing a flirty wave his way. Gabes face turned pink again, before he quickly walked away from the door. He still feared the girl inside, who had been so sharp with him. It had been a while since he had made any one disagree with him.
Gabriel fitted the key into his own apartment, sighing with relief as the lock turned with ease and the door pushed open on its hinges. He slipped inside quickly, dropping his bags with a sigh of defeat as the door was shut behind him, and locked. The boxes were stacked in the middle of the entrance way, the apartment otherwise silent. So maybe he didn't have a roommate, which was fine with him. He wasnt so sure he wanted to be around Americans as much at the moment with his experiences so far. What Gabe was truly anticipating was the soccer program he had been accepted into via letter of recommendation from his Sao Paulo coach to the Florida guy, earning himself a spot on the team. He'd train and practice with the Florida kids, play in games if he could work his way to the top. He was Brazilian, of course he could. The school also offered extensive training for athletic medicine as well ands physical therapy, which was Gabes backup plan if he never made it big on the field. With his grades and accomplishments over the years in college, he had been eligible for the foreign exchange program. It helped that he was amiable and friendly most of the time, and willing to learn and about American culture for a while. Gabe closed his eyes, leaning his back temporarily against the door in relaxation.
He took a shower, changed only into clean boxers and unpacked his belongings. Yhe standard apartment had two bedrooms, with a note left from the landlord to leave the extra room unoccupied in case another student was shipped in. The appliances all worked, some of the kitchen appliances something that was very different from the ones back home. The bathroom fixtures weren't too different, and the place was quite roomy. The apartment here beat his own back in the crowded city of Sao Paulo, and he already dreaded going back home. In America, everything was so upscale, so much more luxurious than in the poverty ridden areas of brazil. Growing up in the city, he was considered extremely priviledged. Sao Paulo was nothing compared to the beauty of Florida's clear skies, no smog, the buildings relatively newer. Maybe he had just gotten lucky.
Hours later, Gabriel untangled himself from his bedsheets. He had taken advantage of a nap, catching up on lost sleep from the flight up. The timezone wasn't too much different since Florida and Brazil were more or less in the same time zones, maybe off by an hour or so, but the stress and anticipation of coming to a new country and getting on an airplane had given him insomnia the past week. Not to mention the culture shock, the new sounds and sights of the city. Gabriel had to go down to the campus and turn in his papers and meet with the coach in a while, but meanwhile, he decided he'd take a tour of the block. Without a car or American licence yet, he would be walking everywhere he went or taking the buses. Might as well get acquainted. He yanked a white tshirt that fit snugly on his body and accentuated his tanned skin out of his drawers, as well as a simple pair of jeans that fit him well. He tied his beat up white converse that had been popular in Brazil recently on his feet, sweeping a hand through his curly mop of hair. He tucked his phone and wallet in his pockets, grabbed those darn keys, and sailed out of his apartment with the papers he needed in apartment manila envelope clutched in his hand. The campus wasn't supposed to be too far from the apartments, so he'd walk on over when he was done exploring his neighborhood. He could also use some food... Gabe hardly paid attention as he glanced around the empty hallway, toward the elevator.
Gabriel tucked his fingertips into the pockets of his worn light washed jeans, the envelope tucked under his armpit, as he leaned up against the wall of the elevator. The nap had left him refreshed somewhat, but just having stepped out into the hall reminded him of that girl. Both of them. The first one had been rather snappy with him, while the second one, drunk, had been a little too flirtatious for his liking. He remembered the first girl, the blonde one, and her face floated in his mind as his eyes grew distant. She was beautiful, he remembered thinking, wondering if there had been any woman that he knew back home that intrigued him more than her. What was the blondes name? Why did she hate him so? How old was she? Could they possibly go to the same college? Would she date a foreign man?Gabe found himself daydreaming before the elevator jolted a bit, landing on the bottom floor. The doors slid open with a ding, and Gabe pushed himself off the wall with one foot. He hadn't anticipated seeing Her. Gabriel walked without paying much attention to who was outside the elevator on the ground floor, instead cringing at how humid it had to be outside. What was this weather? He had no appreciation for the humidity, although he supposed he'd have to get used to it. He knew he should have worn shorts, he should have- his shoulder careened into someone's arm, his leg in turn bumping past something a bit heavy. Ripping his gaze from the floor of the elevator as he had crossed out of the elevator while someone else went in... the girl. The first girl. The blonde one. Gabriels soft brown eyes met hers, frozen in an awkward midstep. The bags of groceries, it turned out, had been knocked from her hands when he had bumped into her.
Produce rolled from one bag, an orange on the lose, as dented cans lay near the bag on the floor. Gabe blinked as they stared at each other, before he was able to focus again. Inhaling sharply, Gabriel dropped to his knees. The manila envelope was set down on the floor, as he diligently repacked the grocery bags again. "I am sorry, very sorry," Gabe began, stammering. Her glowering made him nervous, and he just hoped she didn't let him have it. He wasnt so sure he could be reprimanded again, not by her. Gabriel glanced back down to the bags, picking every single one of them up by the handles essily. No jars had been broken, at least, and nothing had leaked. Yet. "Can I carry to your apartment?" Gabe asked, gesturing to the bags. He figured it was the least he could do to get her to not think he was just some stupid foreign student, who couldn't dress himself or shave. Gabes hair was still in messy curls, and his simple outfit showed no effort. It wasn't that Gabe was lazy... he just never knew how to care.
Gabriel tucked the envelope into one of the bags as he hopped into the elevator regardless, left on the opposite side of the elevator as the blonde girl. She really didn't like him, now did she? Gabe tried not to stare at her, sneaking glances here and there. Back home, a girl never meant much to him, it never meant anything more than kisses behind the buildings, holding hands on the beach. He always had flings, couldn't ever settle for one girl. Gabe knew thst settling down would ruin him, it would corrupt his lifestyle. Besides, girls wanted alot of things. Things he just never could be comfortable with... which was why he left them before they could ask. He never wanted to settle down, just have his soccer. Gabe had broken many hearts, but now his heart would be broken by this blonde girl. He could see it already, just being in he same elevator was difficult. She hated him, just because he was foreign. He knew it.
Gabriel carried the bag in one hand, the envelope clutched tightly in the other. The block tour could wait, surely bringing the groceries to the girls apartment wouldn't be difficult. He didn't intend to enter the girls apartment at all either, so essentially he would just be dropping the bag off and leaving. Though he wished he could strike some kind of interesting onversation with her, he knew it was going to be impossible. She'd been glaring at him the entire time. Her tense body language and glowering stares were mighty uncomfortable for Gabe. All he wanted to do was redeem himself, show her that he wasn't just some stupid foreign scum. He was somewhat smart, he could dress himself when he wanted to, he knew how to cook a bit. All the girl had seen, though, was how good he was at reading numbers and his brute strength in almost breaking down her door. He was surprised that she hadn't reported him to the police yet as an intruder. To her, he was still the crazy man with the scruffy beard and wild hair, the guy in sweatpants who had nearly torn her doorknob from its door. He had to fix that. Gabriels eyes met with the girls every so often as the elevator climbed in floors, eventually reaching their floor. The entire ride up had been silent, with Gabe tersely fidgeting in his spot opposite her. When he had been caught looking a few times, he had only been returned an angry glare to which he looked away from, embarassed. She smoothed her hair down often, trying not to pay attention to the crazy foreigner in her elevator. For someone who was usually social, not exchanging so much as a smile with this girl was painful. He tried to remain unbothered by her attitude for a while, his eyes scanning over the series of buttons to distract himself. The elevator doors opened with the same ping sound, and he could have sworn the girl had let out a sigh of relief. Gabriel followed behind her diligently with his bag, the envelope still secure under his armpit. They reached her door, the very same one Gabe had beat down on, and she brandished her keys almost hesitantly. As if he were going to mug her or something. It may have all been in his head, but Gabriel knew for a fact that she would never trust him. He'd ruined that chance long ago. She'd tell all her friends, and the next few months were going to be lonely. Very lonely.
The door unlocked and was pushed open, revealing a neat apartment with identical layout to his inside. The same floors, the same wall colors.... Gabriel awkwardly held out the bag of groceries to the blonde as she stepped inside the apartment, the two of them awkwardly standing face to face. It seemed that his brilliant idea to help her with her bags to at least show her that he wasn't some poorly dressed creep had just made the situation worse. He didn't want to leave yet, he wanted to at least get things cleared up. It wouldn't stand with him too have a poor reputation, especially starting the semester off in a new country. "Im sorry, earlier I try to come in... not read the paper correct, you know, long flight..." Gabe spoke slowly, throwing in a few casual light laughs here and there. His accent probably made her bristle, but it wasn't anything he could help. Just for the American girl, he made his enunciation more clear. Not that it helped, since his English was still pretty choppy. "Im Gabriel, or Gabe... from Brazil, I am student exchange here for this semester," he stuck out his free hand, prepared to face rejection.
(view spoiler)
Gabriel found that his apology at least somewhat worked, seeing that the girl- even if it was briefly- soften up. Her cold icy glare wasn't as harsh as it had been when he had caused her groceries to spill over on the floor, but it was still somewhat there. It was an improvement at least. "Sorry," Gabe murmured sheepishly, his head slightly bowed as she muttered about making mistakes. She never said she forgave him for what he did, but at least... it was something. Sighing, Gabriel fiddled with the flap of the manila envelope containing his records and such, so he could hand them in to his new Florida guy coach. He was surprised at the girls compliance to shake his hand, however, his brown eyes widening as a small smile formed on his lips. "Se-llah?" He repeated, his large, slightly calloused hand wrapping around her slender fingers, giving a firm shake. "It is nice to meet you too, Selah," Gabe returned graciously, remembering his manners. "I am right there, the four door away," he gestured to his right, his thick accent allowing the words to roll lazily off his tongue. He didn't get to hear the rest of what selah said, because the same girl from earlier with the messed up make up appeared. The girl swung the door open wider from behind selah, her eyes shining with curiousity and interest. Oh. Gabe stood awkwardly in front of their doorway, uncertain what to make of this girl. She was loud for his liking, and he wondered how Selah felt about this girl. If she couldn't stand him... "Making nice...?" Gabriel repeated dumbly, unaware if it was some new American slang he hadn't learned in his classes or off the internet. His evenly tanned cheeks flushed with some pink, embarassed. He knew what hot meant, and he also knew what neighbor was. He was the hot neighbor, according to the girl. Gabriel shoved a hand in his pocket, then took it out again to play with the flap on his envelope, then back again. The flirtatious look and flutter of the eyelashes mad Gabriel a tad bit worried, since he wasn't so sure how dating girls in America would work out for him. Were little flings okay in their culture? Was it fine to love one one night, then another the next night? "American?" He finished for her, his lips twisting upward in a real smile as Selah cut the girl off.
He didn't actually mind the loud girl then, as she seemed friendly enough and more approachable than this Selah. Maybe he just had caught her on a bad day. "Who is that? Your roommate name?" He murmured, his knitted eyebrows hidden partially behind his curly hair. "It is okay, I make them fall... you are welcome," Gabe shrugged, his eyes refocusing on selah instead of the gap in the door behind her. Before Gabe could say much else, to his disappointment, the door shut with an air of finality. The locks were moved into ppace, and he could hear the footsteps fade. He heard Selah's voice as well as the other girls, before it became inaudible again. And just like that, it was just Gabriel again. He stared at the door for some time, wishing he could have said something witty or funny in English, kept the girls attention for a while longer... but he was too late. Sighing heavily, Gabe turned back towards the elevator to get going to the college now, since he was scheduled to meet the team and the coach in twenty minutes.
Gabriel took to walking down the block towards the campus, thankful that the program had offered him somewhere relatively close to the school. It only took fifteen minutes of a brisk stroll in the humid Florida heat to reach the stadium gates. There were several cars in the parking lot, no doubt the players', and Gabe felt extremely nervous. He felt like throwing up. All of a sudden he was this mess of nerves, wondering if he'd ever get on the team, if they'd let a foreigner play with them, if they'd accept him. Maybe. Gabe jogged the rest of the way through the cement hallways, letting himself on to the turf. As soon as he was on it, the high walls of the stadium around him, he couldnt help but grin as the surrounding was familiar. He could hear shouts on the field coming from the players as they warmed up on the field, stretching and talking casually as the coaches in their polos and gym shorts huddled around a clipboard, talking.
Some made notice of the scruffy new kid on the field as he walked with his little orange envelope towards the coaches, his brown eyes flitting nervously back over the field. Who was that guy? Could he really be on their team? The hair had to go, so did that beard. Why was he wearing so much white? And why jeans? Didn't he know anything about Florida weather? Gabriel approached the coaches and smiled as warmly as he culd without seeming anxious, shaking the coaches hands as they slapped him on the back and greeted him. "Gabriel... Francisco, yes?" A tall hispanic and lean man with piercing brown eyes peered down at his clipboard, flipping through a few pages for that days practice. "Y-yes, I am here to turn in my papers," he replied more easily, as the coaches didn't seem all that bad yet. An assistant coach peeled off of the group to start the practice drills, leaving the other two to deal with gabe. Gabriel took out the sealed white envelope containing a letter from his coach back home, recommending Gabe for a spot on their team to at least practice. The head coach read this over the second coach's shoulder with a mumble of words, with Gabe toeing the turf while he waited. "Very well, Gabriel, you can practice with us for a while... don't expect to play," He warned kindly, although he was a jit curious. Kids from Brazil were geniuses at soccer. Their right wing was a bit weak lately, maybe Gabriel could.... Gabes face lit up at the coach's agreement to let him play, handing over agreement packet of physical forms to the coach. They talked for a while, before the coaches told him to stay and watch the practice, so he'd be ready the next day to go. The assistant coach issued him his uniforms, practice clothes, socks and jacket, and Gabe sat with these piled next to him as he watched the practice from the bench.
After three hours, some of which Gabe had been allowed to participate in with an easy switch of jeans to the new shorts, Gabriel had met the majority of the team, found them all pretty decent. There was one blonde, blue eyed jock who had the tendency to kick his bare shins often or trample the coverse on his feet, but it was all just sport. Right? As gullible Gabe was, he didn't really notice the alliances against him, how the senior players made it a point to make him fall on his face, that they were planning initiation pranks with every whisper. Not everyone was terrible, of course, and Gabriel caught a lift from one of the sophmores, Aaron, back to his apartment. Aaron was a mix of African American and Hispanic, with light brown skin, kind brown eyes, and a short crop of curly brown hair also. They cracked jokes in the car back, and parted with each others phone numbers. Aaron would pick him up the next day for practice. Gabe was beaming like a fool when he got upstairs, his clothes held tightly in his arms as some sweat still glistened on his neck and forehead. He had had no reason to be nervous!
Gabriel walked through the hallways lazily, weighed down with exhaust, jet lag, and humidity. He lingered by Selah and Loraylee's door, sighing softly before he continued on to his room. What did it take to get a girlfriend around here? His apartment door shut behind him, and Gabe dropped all his new clothes on the couch in the living room. He kicked off his shoes on his way to the kitchen, leaving them for him to find later. Gabe removed his shirt that clung to the sweat on his body, letting it drop to the floor. He'd pick it up later. After a good practice, a overnight international flight, and sleep deprivation, it was good to relax. He yanked the fridge open, groaning seeing that it was empty besides a pack of six waterbottles. Whatever, he'd just shop... later. Gabriel grabbed one of the water bottles, enjoying how it was cool to the touch on his hot skin, cracking it open and guzzling half the bottle. He left the water bottle on the counter, trudging to the bathroom to take a shower. He had taken a short shower and dressed merely in a pair of boxers for the night, ordering in broken English with much frustration from the local Chinese restaurant that Aaron had recommended. He wasnt disappointed, eating orange chicken and fried rice at five pm in front of the American tv. He watched a news program for a while, then some reality TV show about rich white women. Gabriel couldn't resist laughing at them, mocking how dumb some of the women were. Americans. Gabe passed out on the couch snoring by seven, falling into a peaceful sleep. He was completely worn out from the past three days of travelling and packing and all this nonsense, it was a relief to have a night to himself without worry. A sharp knock sounded precisely at five thirty am, jolting Gabe out of his skumber. Who the hell was that? Why was someone bothering him at this time? What day was it? Where was he? After nearly slipping off the couch when he rolled over, Gabe answered to the door with a disarray of hair and a red spot on his cheek with the indent of the couch material. Opening the door wide with his shoulder crashing into the doorjam, he saw that it was his soccer friend. Aaron. The guy was dressed in practice clothes, his arms crossed across his chest. "Gabe!" He grinned, laughing at how groggy the Brazilian was. "Did you forget? Practice in thirty minutes," he snickered, inviting himself inside Gabes apartment comfortably. Gabe wiped at his eyes with his hands, grumbling swears on Portuguese. "What...?" Gabriel managed after a few minutes of silemce as Aarons Words sunk in. Practice. Soccer. It was Saturday! Why so early?
Gabriels brown eyes widened as he realized he'd only have twenty minutes or so to get ready and find some breakfast. Aaron had busied himself kicking Gabes dirty laundry in one pile by the couch on the fake wood floors, picking up his empty takeout containers and shoving them in the bag. Gabe flushed, embarassed at his mess. "Sorry, very messy here," he winced, taking a deep breath as he said so. "Nah man, don't worry about it... we can get you some groceries and house stuff after practice," Aaron promised with light laughter, resisting a yawn. "Now go get dressed, dude!" He chided, throwing a pair of clean practice socks and the shirt they were supposed to wear at Gabe.
Aaron had some granola bars handy in his car, which Gabe devoured monstrously. He was still half asleep, his teeth brushed, his mop of curls somewhat tamed and brushed back, his slides on his feet. His favorite ball, shin guards, athletic tape, three water bottles, and cleats were in the backpack between his feet as they drove along the Florida streets. Yhe sky was still dark, with the suns rays hardly peeking over the horizon. They arrived at the stadium five minutes early, which Gabe used to strap on his gear. When him and Aaron joined the other boys on the field, they began to warm up as a group, counting out loud and making sure they were being stretched out properly. It was too early. By the time they had begun to do sprints from the interval lines from football on the grass, Gabe was awake. The coaches were loud, blowing their whistle often and pointing out cotrectjons. Gabe had no problem keeping up with the team, one of the more physically fit ones out of the group. The team warmed up to him, some taking advantage of his naivety and foreign accent to mock him. Gabriel took no mind to them, unconcerned with the hate emanating off the right forward when Gabe took his spot in a scrimmage. The time practice ended three hours later, the Florida sun was well over their heads, beating down on his bronzed skin glistening with sweat.
Gabriel jogged around the field breathing heavily after a rigorous game of soccer, helping Aaron retrieve all the circle cones set up. "Hey, Brazil!" A voice shouted after him. One of Aarons friends, Ethan he thought it was, approached him, sweating as well but beaming ear to ear. Gabe waved from a distsncr, bending to grab the last cone as the boy approached him. He was a freshman at the college, but fairly mature and nice in Gabriels opinion. "Hello," he offered as the guy caught his breayh. They walked back together, and Ethan hesitated before asking, "Hey... do you wanna come to the party tonight? It's to kick of the season, it'll be fun," he promised. Gabe perked up at the idea of a party, flashing his famous goofy smile. "I will come," he agreed hastily, shaking Ethan hand briefly and giving his arm a firm pat. "Cool, we'll see you there, Brazil," he smiled triumphantly. They parted, and Gabe met up eith Aaron. They returned the orange cones in the bag, with Gabe talking excitedly about the party that nigjt. Would there be girls? Alcohol? He was there. He loved. Loved. Loved parties.
After showering and grabbing some necessities for his place after practice with Aaron, Gabe spent the rest of the day at Aarons apartment. He lived around the corner in similar apartments, and the place was a typical guys college house. Dirty laundry, trash, soccer posters, the usual. Gabe played some call of duty with Aaron to pass the time until they'd leave, and Gabe got to know a little more about his light skinned friend. Gabriel even revealed to Aaron about Selah and Lorelei, admitting that he found Selah attractive. This had sparked excited conversation, since Aaron knew about both girls reputations. Lorelei would most likely be at the party, but selah was just some nerd who didn't talk much. She was actually pretty scary. Gabe was left with a bit of disappointment that Selah wouldn't be at the party, and the weird flirty girl would be. Whatever.
It wasn't even past nine, and Gabe was more than drunk. He was strongly intoxicated with a BAC level way over its limit, having had one too many drinks. There was a shot glass in his hands as his senses were numbed, his mind spinning. The party was loud, held at some frat house off campus. It seemed like the whole school was there, and even some other curious people who decided to drop in. As soon as Gabe had walked in with Aaron two hours before, he had been in his element. Cute girls, alcohol, a little fun here and there, a good fight. He had met some brunette with springy bouncy curls like his, also drunk, and the two made out frequently during the night. He had no idea what her name was. He didn't care. With peer pressure to fit in, Gabe always gave in to whatever drinking game had been popular of the hour. Beer pong, drinking challenges, the works. He'd always be offered to play, by the others he hoped so desperately to get on their good side of to make friends, and then refuse; only to be urged and egged on to particpate. And so Gabe would, being the dim fool he was. Gabriel staggered on his feet as alcohol spilled down his shirt front, his curly haired friend holding a particularly large glass of vodka while a circle watched on. He swallowed the bitter taste without even being able to see straight anymore, laughing uncontrollably when he finished. Gabe took the glass from the girl and smashed it into the floor, shouting triumphantly as the group cheered on. By now, Gabe couldn't remember english, babbling in slurred Portuguese about his aunt marrying a donkey named francesco from italy, which had penguins. All in Portuguese. Gabe suddenly felt his stomach rising up, vomiting his stomachs contents onto the carpet of the living room. His head felt too hot, his body was sweating profusely. He couldn't remember names, faces, nothing. Looking up at the light fixture proved to be a mistake, for Gabriel stumbled, blimded, and fell to his face. He lay there for the next two hours, snoring face down drooling on the carpet while the party continued around him. Furniture was broken, people swinging from chandeliers, dancing on the counter tops. Some fights had broken out, and behind closed doors were sights nobody should see.
When Gabe came too with someone shaking his body, he saw that it was that right fielder jock, a sly smile on his face. "Brazil, come on, I want to show you something," he snickered. He'd been wise to only drink a bottle or two, still fully capable of his body functions. Gabe, however, with drool streaking down his chin, simply giggled and batted away at the right fielder's hands. "Stop, you are tickling me," he complained, winking terribly with much effort. He couldn't focus his eyes on anything, and the music was much louder than he remembered. "Get up, Brazil!" He snapped rudely, yanking Gabe to his feet. "Hey, stop it, stop it-!" Gabriel protested wrakly, as he wss escorted from the house while pathways parted. The party goers watched with interest, some without clothes, some singing, some paired with an unlikely mate in a corner. The right fielder's buddies from the team also followed, jeering and laughing as their phone cameras trained on the back of Gabes head as they piled out to the streets.
The muggy night air made it hard for Gabe to breathe properly as he staggered along, tripling one too many times on his feet only to be yanked back up by the right fielder. They were in the middle of the street now, a block down from the party. The music was still audible, but nobody from the team would be able to witness what was about to happen. The right fielder and his four buddies surrounded gabe, the Brazilian collapsed in he center of the circle. Even drunk, Gabe could sense that he wasn't in a good position right then. He glared up at the closest person through his curly hair, holding up his fists while sitting down on the asphalt. "Get up, Brazil, get up!" The leader figure of the group roared, shoving Gabe forcefully back down to the ground when he tried. After failing four times, Gabe lashed out and grabbed the right fielder's arms tightly, his fingernails digging into the skin. Now they'd have a real fight. The right fielder, whose name was Brad, howled in pain before delivering a swift kick to Gabes groin. He doubled over on the ground, holding his crotch as he whimpered, before something impacted his face. Hard. The toe of Brads shoe had gone up through his nose, fracturing a part of it. A fist connected with his cheek and jaw, then another kick to the stomach. Gabe was pushed over on his side, laying with his cheek and gains the pavement. He couldn't breathe anymore, and his brown eyes raced widldly. Blood squirted down his nose and kouth, the bitter taste lingering in his mouth. Was that a broken tooth?
In his pain, Gabe hadn't heard the sirens of a police officer, or seen Brad and his friends book it through the neighborhood and disappear. An officers boots appeared in his line of vision as he faded in and out, anger bubbling inside of him. He couldn't differentiate the officer from Brad, attacking the man with sudden strength. "Are you alright, son? Kids gettin' drunk..." the white man began in his southern twang, before Gabe leapt to tackle him to the ground. The officer rolled on his back, as Gabes fists pounded into the white man's face furiously as he swore in Portuguese. Gabriel missed and hit the asphalt several times, his knuckles bloodied to match his face. The man was able to get ahold of his taser, and before Gabe could register what was going on, he was out.
His limp body lay in the street as more sirens sounded in the distance, the reports of an illegal house party down the street bringing the cops there. Gabe was tested for alcohol content, way past the legal amount, and arrested. After a paramedic nursed his wounds in the ambulance, Gabe was lay to rest on a cot in the county jail until he wss able to come to his senses. His skin was blue and yellowing in some spots, and his shirt still had blood and vomit down the front. He was missing a shoe, his belt, his wallet, and some of his hair. Someone had thought it funny to cut out chunks of his curly hair, and at the moment, Gabe had laughed with them as well. For his record being in America, this was no way to start. There was no one to come bail him out, no one to come vouch for his actions, no one to help. So many had seen Gabe get taken down, all of it was on social media by then: the new foreign exchange student, drunk and beats officer. Not to mention when the coach found out, that he'd lose all hope of keeping his spot with the team. He might as well go back to Brazil. Keeping himself in the program itself was difficult enough.
It was all so surreal. It all happened so quickly, the pain, the electricity shooting through his fingertips, the ear splitting ache he had in the back of his head. His nose was throbbing, and his lips stung like no other. He couldn't open his eyes and not black out again, swirly objects in front of his eyes along with the dreaded black dots. Where was he? What was this place? When Gabe came to, he could hardly make out the interior of what looked like an ambulance. The lights were dimmed for his comfort, and a paramedic sat patiently by his side with her gaze out the back doors of the car. The cold night air nipped at his nose and esrs, helping a little to numb the pain. Two blankets had been laid and tucked around him for warmth, his body strapped to a stretcher. His hands were cuffed to the bars on the sides, as were his feet, so Gabe could only lift his head to peek out the doors. There were other police cars, the black American ones with the red and blue lights. Radio chatter coming off of several officers were heard faintly, before Gabriel painfully rested his head back onto the pillow. Why did his head hurt so much? Gabe hadn't seen himself yet as the alcohol began to wear off with a little medicine they had given him to ease the alcohol level, but his medicines did just about to make him a bit loopy again. His tongue felt like sandpaper, his arms felt like lead. His face was swollen, and it was hard to open one of his eyes. Both of his eyes. It hurt to breathe through his nose, so Gabe learned to breathe stuffily through his mouth with much effort. He had never felt so... miserable before. As he began to really wake up over the next 15 minutes, panic settled. He tried to wriggle out of his sure and steady cuffs, each flail and breath of effort sent sharp jolts through his nody, whether it been his head, his face, his stomach, or his fingers.
The paramedic noticed that Gabriel was moving around, awake again, and sought to soothe him. "Sir, I need you to stop moving, okay? You'll be alright, there there, stop moving okay? Sir!" The paramedic got to her feet as she pleaded with him, noticing that her attempts to calm him down were only aggravating him. Gabe became increasingly claustrophobic feeling as if the walls would fold in on him, babbling useless phrases in mixed English and Portuguese. His heart rate skyrocketed as a real fear sprung into his wild brown eyes, his restlessness becoming seemingly dangerous. If the cuffs were to come free, Gabriel had no idea what he would do to the woman. "Out, out, out! I- I need to, I have to go home, let go of me!" Gabe fought, his cries beginning to attract attention of other officers that had been interviewing a few other kids that had gotten rounded up and busted. Some were in possession of club drugs, were on the drugs, or sought to resist the police. Meanwhile, Selah and Lorelei had begun to plead his case across the street, at the perimeter of the scene guarded and blocked off by caution tape. The ambulance was at the very center of the scene, as if to have the most security for Gabe.
The paramedic struggled with what to do, whether to put Gabe out, to report him and ask for the captains judgement, to just ignore him. Sweat broke out on Gabriels forehead as he freaked out seeing an officer approach him with a clipboard, on the phone with someone and nodding ominously. A kid from the team was at his side feebly, making apologetic glances to Gabe. Unbeknownst to Gabriel, the kid had innocently been interviewed and now the cops were calling his coach. He struggled in his restraints harder than before, jerk ing his arms this way and that despite the pains. He couldn't stay here! He couldn't go to jail, and America jail! He had school! He had soccer! He had Selah! Oh, she'd be so disappointed in him, he could see it all now. Gabe had tried so hard to fit in here, to be the partier he knew how to be, but getting caught like this, being ashamed- what would his mother think of him! Gabriel whimpered as his swollen eyes from being punched throbbed excrutiatingly.
He had a fractured nose that was held together by a bandage, a black eye, a swollen cheek, knuckles thst were pretty badly cut up, the after feeling of being hit in the stomach and groin area, and a pretty bad split on the back of his head that happened when he had been taser and fell backwards onto the pavement. His skin was different shades of colors, cold and clammy, as well as pale. Sweat poured down his shirt and face, and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. He couldn't be going to jail. He couldn't get deported back to brazil! It would all be on his permanent record! Gabe was sobbing now, as the alcohols effects made it so that everything was alot worse than it seemed. Maybe the alcohol didn't have much to do with it...
The cop sighed repeatedly with hesitation refusing to look at the crying girl. He was a young new member of the police department, and had been too moved by Selah's story to really think straight. "Well... I mean... I guess... fine, you can see him," the officer said carefully with a hint of regret as soon as he said the words. The story wasn't too convincing of being able to let the kid go, but at least he could be lenient on the rules. The officer led selah and Lorelei to the blinking ambulance, the inside of the vehicle now brightly lit as the paramedic fretted over her panicking patient. Another paramedic had come in to attempt to calm Gabe down as well, starting to lose his last nerve and making threats. "Good luck," the young officer peered inside, snorting. Gabe was still jostling about, gibberish pouring from his lips. As soon as Gabriel saw Selah, though, he stopped.
Just like that.
He just didn't know what to say. Hi? How are you? Get me out of here? He only panted heavily from his efforts, fighting the urge to vomit that very second. He looked more than sickly, his antics making it seem like he needed to be checked into a mental hospital. "Ssss-sel... selah?" He slurred slightly, disbelieving what he saw. Lorelei stood back behind her, looking on. One of the only people he hadn't wanted to know about the entire situatuon. And she was here. With him. He thought he saw disappointment flash through her eyes, with sympathy plastered throughout the rest of her face. She had always been right about her assumptions of being some stupid illegal immigrant, the crazy foreign guy who broke into doors, had a temper. Gabes actions tonight had proved her 100% right. And now, the vomit came. Gabriel retched to his side all over the rude paramedic man, who screeched in anger and stood up abruptly. "Im done with you!" He snapped, the contents of Gabes stomach now all over his scrubs. The man left the ambulance in a hurry quickly followed by the other. Gabe looked like a kicked puppy, his eyes low and his posture slacken ing he had no heart to even attempt a smile at Selah's presence, or even a greeting. She had just seen him throw up.
Gabriel watched in fear as Selah approached the ambulance, in point to climb in to the ambulance. With him. He couldn't bare to meet her kind hazel eyes, his own brown bloodshot ones closing as the tears came worse. He just braced himself for the disappointed looks, the scolding, the cold glares he had sought so hard to fix in the elevator earlier. Instead, he had just dug his pit deeper, and the beautiful neighbor girl was here to chew him out, tell him more about responsibility like his mother would when he had been in a bar fight on his 21st birthday. His bottom lip was quivering as he sniffed slowly, feeling the fractured cartilage bone in his nose move a bit. There was no way he could practice soccer for a while now, even if he did get out of going to jail. Who was he kidding? He was gonna get his butt sent back to Brazil, and he'd be dealt with by the Brazilian departments of justice and whatever about laws and stuff. Maybe he should have paid more attention in government class. He felt the ambulances weight shift as the two medics left the vehicle , and selah joined him. It was just them now, with lorelei staggering off somewhere else. After vomiting, he held his breath to not have to smell the foul stench of alcohol mixed with stomach acid. She was just so close to him, and he couldn't look at her. There was a heavy silence, as the tears streaked shamefully down his dirty cheeks. They stung the cuts on his eye and cheek, where the punks nail had grazed his skin. It was still difficult to breathe, and his stomach hurt from having the wind knocked from him. What had he done to deserve a beating? Had he said something while he was drunk to anger the guy? Gabe may have been drunk, but he was fully sure that he hadn't even seen the right fielder at all that night. He couldn't have said anything to him. Gabriel jolted with surprise when he felt something grab his hand, his heart kicking up on the monitor momentarily. His eyes, well, eye, locked into Selah's, a lump in his throat. She had taken his hand in that comforting way that only loved ones did, her thumb lightly brushing over the scrapes on his knuckles. Gabe inhaled sharply as she touched a particularly sensitive cut, relaxing as the pain passed soon after. His own fingertips weakly curled around Selahs, clinging to her hand like a child would to his mother. Selah was his rock at the moment, that would keep him from insanity. In a foreign country where he hardly knew anyone, Selah was his friend right then.
He could hardly contain the crying now as he bit his tongue, the tip of it still burning from when he had bit down on during his scuffle with the four or five soccer players. Selah reached for his face, her hand gently smoothing his obnoxious curly hair out of his eyes. He had been meaning to get the paramedic to do that at some point ad his hands were strapped down and tossing his head would kill him in his sensitivity. Selahs own hair was unkempt, mussed in some spots. She looked so unprepared, without a purse or anything. She hadn't been at the party, so Gabe figured that she had left home to come find him. Had lorelei called for him? Touched, Gabriel released a dry throaty sob, his chapped and cracked lips burning as his lips twisted into a wail. He had expected Selah to yell at him from.the beginning, but now he saw that all she had for him was this weird sympathy and love.
It was a stark contrast from the first day he had met her, the unwelcoming looks now vanished. Selah had even been crying, the telltale signs of streaked cheeks and some slight smudged eyeliner. "Im sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!" He repeated over and over helplessly as she stroked his face lovingly. Her gestures somewhat helped him to relax in a way that the paramedics medicine couldnt, his muscles uncoiling from the tense hold, his closed fist opening gradually and passively hanging off the side of the gurney in its restraint. Bruises were forming already where he had struggled against them, his body feeling weaker than ever. Gabe swore sharply in Portuguese when her fingers grazed the bump on his head where he had hit the asphalt, fresh tears sparking in his eyes. Selah recoiled her hand and moved on from the spot, and Gabe let a moan escape his lips. "M-m-my head is hurt, S-Selah," he whispered weakly, his face pale. Whatever hw had done to his head, he wasn't getting rid of it any time soon. His mind was throbbing violently, and his eyes couldn't focus on Selah anymore. Was it a concussion? It felt like one, as he'd know from his millioms of soccer injuries that it wasn't just some bruise. Was he going to die? The pain was getting worse, and he just wanted to go to sleep. Selahs lips planted on his other cheek, the one unaffected by a blue mark. Gabe closed his eyes and whimpered, emotionally incapable of being able to handle himself at the moennt. Why was selah doing this? She was supposed to be angry with him. He had gotten drunk irresponsibily, nearly gotten himself killed, and now he was going off to jail.
The captain hung up with the delinquents coach, striding over with heavy boot steps towards the ambulance where now a girl had replaced his paramedics. What the hell was he paying them for? Grumpy and displeased with the scene and finding that the kid was a foreigner made his life difficult, since he'd have to do all this stuff to get his records from Brazil and ugh... his assistant followed after him as they approached the ambulance, where the girlfriend figure was soothing her crying boy. Stupid boy. "What's going on here? Who are you? Where are the EMT'S?" he barked, his hands on his hips as he twitched his mustache with irritation. "Your boyfriend is going to the hospital, then to jail, we'll call you when the court date comes," he snapped, jerk ing his thumb behind him to make the girl leave. The other officers would take care of the other college kids, taking names and shipping some to the holding cells at the deputy office downtown.
"No, no! No, selah, no prison, please," Gabe whispered breathlessly, his clammy forehead throbbing now as well. He might as well explode. Gabriel began to wiggle in his restrsints, trying to sit up despite the overwhelming urge to chop his head off. His fingers tightened painfully around Selahs hand, the same wild look returning to his eyes as he jerked at the cot. It moved a little, but was locked in place by several safety latches. He had to get out of here. Maybe if he got out of these cuffs, he could run, he could, yes, just run around the corner, he could do this.
Selah's soft voice did little to help him calm down, since his hearing was a bit weird still from being knocked around so much. She kept repeating that things were okay, that he was okay, but really, she was a big fat liar. It wasn't okay, not one bit. He was going to jail, he knew it. Gabriel wouldn't likely be deported since he still had his visa for school and it was his first offense. In America. Selah hummed a song he didn't recognize as she rubbed his hand, brushing the sweaty strands of curly hair off his clammy pale forehead. He might throw up again, as he felt the bike rising in his stomach. Gabe found that when he closed his eyes and just focused on Selah's singing, she made it all the more easier to breathe through his mouth again. The tesrs became silent with occasional dry sobs, his chest hiccupping with each strangled cry. Gabriel had never been a bigger mess in his life. He wasnt sure he could ever go to an American party in his life again.Gabe was still whimpering when her hand left his head, the comfy feels disappearing eith it. He forced his eyes open as she spoke quickly in english, the words beginning to become garbled in his mind. Selah stood up and released his limp hand, moving towards the partly closed ambulance doors. Panic rose again in his throat as Gabe painfully propped himself up on his elbows, his stare as wide eyed as it could be with a black eye. "Sell-lah! No, don't go, sellah!" He croaked, his voice hoarse and raspy. Gabe coughed painfully with the fluids in his chest, shaking unsteadily on his elbows. He had to lie back down, but Gabriel couldn't let Selah leave him alone for this. He just wouldn't make it.
Selah never left, or set foot on the asphalt outside, however, her back to him as she said something to someone in english with desperation in her tone. He'd never think selah would use that tone, with how cold and unpleasant she had come off when he had first met her. The doors widened as Selah returned to his bedside, his racing heart uncontrollably as the same EMT he had vomited on was visible right outside the ambulance. Gabe stared at the ceiling breathing heavily as he forced himself to lay back down with difficulty, clasping Selah's hand tightly when she grabbed his palm once more. His hands were clammy, dirty, bloody, but she didn't seem to care. His head felt like it was a ballooon, swelling and expanding with each breath he took. The back of his head really felt like a jackhammer was drilling into his skull, his breathing shallow.
Gabe just about lost it when he saw Mr. Officer. He hardly had any energy left as the alcohol, medicine, and injuries left his body worn to the bone. Gabe could hardly see one Selah anymore, since she seemed to have grown four heads when he opened his eyes back up. The officer ominously climbed into the back of the ambulance standing on the other side of Gabes gurney, staring in disgust at the vomit from earlier. With his hands on his hips and that steel gaze, it took every bone in Gabriels body to not start crying again. Selah began to defend him, yes, as the tears returned, falling from her beautiful face effortlessly. She was so gorgeous with her blonde hair, that innocent girl look about her. He noticed as he strained to pay attention as his eyes slowly closed, that Selah called him a boy friend, wondering if Selah meant it as him being a male or him being something more for her. Gabe lost track of the English Words soon after that, resting his eyes and going limp. His hand relaxed in Selah's afters she pleaded his case, his head tilted slightly back to make it easier to breathe.
"Don't 'officer please' me!" The burly man barked at the blonde girl with an accent that drove him nuts. He wasnt going to let such a stupid son of a b from Brazil get off so easy on this, just because his pretty little girlfriend asked him nicely. What would happen to his job if he exercised poor judgement on this case? "There is no mistake, he was drunk off his ass and there's no denying it. He got in a fight with some kids, then attacked the officer and refused arrest. That's three counts against him," the officer recited loudly, so his deep voice rang in Gabes ears. However, as he saw the girl snap for the lack of assistance for her sweet heart dying on the gurney, he couldnt help but feel a little sorry. The kid looked pretty upset, after crying and being beat up this badly, he probably wouldn't ever drink again. Right? Besides, if he let the kid go, he wouldn't have to file the reports to the offices wherever the boy came from... his mustache twitched in thought as he stared grudgingly at the man spread out in front of him with a blanket tucked around his body. "Hey! We need someone in here!" The officer hollored outside the ambulance, heaving a sigh as an EMT with vomit down his front came jogging over somberly. "Take care of him," the officer grumbled grouchily, moving to sit by Selah on the seats.
Gabriel was suffering from a head trauma after hitting his head, something along the lines of a concussion. It was starting to have its affect on him as the pain became unbearable, with Gabes head swelling in a lump, his eyes unable to look straight, and his body temperature becoming irregular. Although he had been silent for a few mi n utes besides the raspy breathing, his voice was slowly coming back to him. Selah tried so desperately to help him, trying to tell him sweet little assurances that he would be ojay, that he needed to calm down, that she'd talk to the officer man. Gabe moaned as his stomach lurched, his nody feeling suddenly very cold. His fingers failed to loosen as they dug into her skin, short quick breaths escaping his dry cracked lips. The EMT rushed into the vehicle at Selah's anxious scream for help, his gloved hands quickly applying new bandages here and there and checking things like temperature and pulse. The EMT looked rather surprised touching Gabes head and noticing the greenish lump through all his curls, writing something on a clipboard before saying something into the front window that connected to the driver seat.
Lorelei had appeared eith someone from the soccer team, who seemed ever so unwilling to be there. The officer grimaced in disgust and moved lorelei off of him, smelling the alcohol on his breath. He wasnt even gonna bother checking all these drunk kids. He just wanted to get home. The Garrett boy seemed perfectly capable of himself, with no signs of being under the influence. His clothes and hair were a little mussed, but other than that, he seemed like a credible source. The officer listened to Garrett explanation of how Gabe had been pressured into drinking that night, getting so drunk he could hardly walk. He stated how Connor and his clones had dragged Gabriel from his sleep on the floor of the living room, then taken him out to the steet to break him in, as a resentment for Gabriel replacing Connor in soccer. Garret told his story fluently with lorelei drunken comments along the way, and the officer began to have more and more sympathy for the group of kids. When there was a silence between them with the EMT now joined by his female friend scuttling over Gabe and his head injury, the officer came to a decision. As captain, it was a difficult one to make, but it would benefit them all.
"Fine. Your boy won't go to jail. However, he is going to the hospital, and the next time he's caught, I'm kicking him out of the country. Understand? We don't need drunk foreign men hurting our officers and being irresponsible," the captain snapped. He stood to leave, telling the EMT his decision and to keep Gabe cuffed to his hospital bed just in case.
Gabes hearing wss gone by now, with the throbbing noise in the back of his head and the high pitched ringing sound echoing in his mind. Whatever wss going on with him, he needed it fixed. Now. He couldnt handle this any longer, he couldnt live through another moment of this discomfort. The sedatives weren't working, they just made him feel worse and halfway to that drowsy point. They weren't giving him enough! He was going to die here, in this very American ambulance. His last drink had been a shot of vodka, and his last meal had been some weird tasting brownies. He still hadn't met his soul mate, he still hadn't graduated college, he still wanted to get into that smoothie diet cleanse. There was just so much he had to do, he couldnt die, not yet. The EMT wasn't helping the pain any as he touched his wounds indiviually, peeling up bandages and half of his facial hair with it much to his dismay. Gabriel yelped with what little energy he had left as the EMT fussed with his head, the man's gloved fingertips constantly irritating the wound on the back of his head. Selah squeezed his hand and said anything, but Gabe could hardly focus on his shallow breathing by then. He was going into a shock of some type, his world a blur of confusion. He'd never drink again, never go to a party either. He was done with these Americans! Gabe whimpered softly, the eye that wasn't swollen lazily trailing over to Selah's beautiful face. Her kind eyes looked down at him with compassion, and he was convinced that he was seeing things. This probably hadnt been selah the entire time, it couldn't have been. Selah hated his Brazilian soul. Why would she be here otherwise, smiling at him?
Delirious, Gabriel closed his eyes as Selah's face came closer to his. Her lips brushed against his forehead, and as much as he wanted to enjoy it, his entire face was numb. His fingers were cold and clammy to the touch, and his forehead was a weird pale shade. Despite being dark with a natural Brazilian tan, he was awfully white at the moment, a bit green in the cheeks. Selahs voice was just a blur of words, her moving face just a mass of colors. It hurt him to focus, and soon, Gabe decidedly shut his eyes. It was sapping the energy out of him to take the deep breaths he needed to help his body function, instead soft wheezing noises escaping the back of his throat. His lip was split in one spot, his entire mouth chapped badly. It hurt to swallow saliva into his dry throat. It hurt to breathe.
The EMTs voice was mingled some more with Selah's as they had some conversation he couldnt possibly care about, his heart monitor beeping slower and slower. The back doors slammed shut, someone jostled his cot. Someobody adjusted the blankets around his body, uncuffing his wrists and ankles and applying a painfully cold substance. As if it couldn't get any worse. Gabe finally passed out from exhaustion and body shock, as well as the alcohol content in his body when they were halfway to the hospital. He had just gone limp, giving the EMTs quite a scare, which they then explained to selah as normal. In this state it'd be easier to operate on him, and Gabriel wouldn't be in as much pain. The sirens wailed throughout the night, as the vehicle sped through the streets. Seeing ambulances and emergency vehicles rushing through his neighborhood, he would have never have thought he'd be in one of those in his life. Yet, here he was, half dead as the brain fluid and blood began to leak inside his skull.
When they arrived at the hospital, the EMTs were assisted by a handful of other nurses awaiting them. Gabriel wasn't awake to feel himself be lifted onto a hospital gurney, a mask with oxygen and anesthesia combined filtered into his lungs. They talked rapidly as they pushed through yhe doors, running into the halls in a frantic frenzy. The doctor talked in coded abbreviations about what sort of injuries Gabe sported, and what surgeries were necessary. The EMTS left the nurses and doctors in charge as they scurried to an operation room, all business as Selah was blocked out from being beside Gabes bed. They burst into the operation room with its glass window, quickly preparing him for operation. They undressed Gabe completely, then stuck monitor stickers with their wires on his chest and forehead. To save Gabe from suffering brain damage, they'd need to operate on several spots at once. Two surgeons were brought in, and they began at once to wrap themselves in scrubs. Cleaning fluids were doused all over Gabes skin, and his hair was shaved clean off. He no longer had his scruffy beard, half of an eyebrow, and the back of his head was bald. There were still some curls at the front, which they'd have someone cut later so Gabe wouldn't have to worry about his hairstyle.
The operation took several hours, as a brain surgery was delicate. They had prevented Selah from watching the operation through the window with fear that she would go into a panic with all the blood and open body surgery they would be doing. She had been stuck in the waiting room with a blanket and pillow, told to get some sleep as midnight came and went. Screaming little kids, others victims of bad crashes, big burns, the party kids with accidents gone wrong, all of them interrupted the peace in the waiting room, ushered into back rooms and never seen again. It left you wondering what ever happened to those people, if they made it alive. At 2 am, the head surgeon still in his scrubs came out of the room, the nurses behind him rolling Gabriel covered in a sheet the opposite direction. They turned at the end of the hall, out of sight, as the doctor came closer. "Miss?" He called to Selah with bleary eyes.
Gabe had lasted through the night completely asleep, the heart monitor beeping regularly and steadily in the dark as he slept. The surgery had been a lucky one, as his head trauma hadn't been as bad as they thought- but with all the wounds he had, they'd injected modified steroids to help him recover. When Gabe opened his eyes for the first time the next morning, his brain was foggy. He was so hungover, not to mention the fact that he had had a head surgery just a few hours ago. It hurt with all the sunlight peeping through the curtains, but at least it was silent. Gabes bloodshot red eyes stared blankly at the ceiling with a dull glaze over them, torn between trying yo go back to sleep or asking for someone to nurse his hangover. It had taken Gabriel a good while to notice Selah at his bedside, snoring softly with her head by his hand. It touched him to see her still at his side, his heart swelling as he felt a little emotional again. Gabriel still had no idea how he looked, that his hair was gone, sporting a crew cut with a large bald patch on the back. He only saw the bandaged knuckles, and part of his swollen cheek. They had stitched the cut on his eye, made sure he didn't have any broken ribs, reset his nose with a firm bandage, and stuck a million IV'S to help with the alcohol overdosage. His body had reacted strangely to one of the medicines as well, which accounted for the rash on Gabes other arm. His battered body was wrapped in a hospital robe, a thick blanket tucked around his body. There was a little wire coming from a small clip on his toe to measure his pulse, as well as an iv in each arm. His head rested on an oddly shaped pillow, with a hole in the middle so the surgery site wouldn't be pressed directly against something.
His body lay limply on the gurney as eight o clock cane and went, and a nurse stepped in to change his bandages. She didn't let him see much, but when she removed the bandages, the back of his head felt... much cooler. His hair didn't brush against his forehead anymore. At the moment, Gabe was too drug induced to protest much at all except for a few grunts, which the nurse smiled to. "Doing much better today, sir," she said softlt, wrapping the gauze around his head once more. She laid him to rest and changed the other bandages, before filing out again. He didn't have the heart to eat anything lime he usually did at this hour, his blank mind closing as he shut his eyes once more. He slept for another thirty minutes before a sharp stitch in his hesd jerked him awake. It left Gabriel in a bit of a panic, but he soon calmed down thinking that maybe it was the position of his head. If he just didn't move...
Gabriel reflected on the night before with his stomach churning at the turn of events, the familiar fear returning to him. He didn't remember much, but he remembered half the fight, being in an ambulance, kissing some brunette, Selah kissing his cheek and holding his hand... the memory made color rise to his sickly cheeks, and Gabe risked letting his good eye wander down to see selah fast asleep. She had done so much for him. She had come to his rescue in that ambulance, been his emotional support when there wss nobody else who could possibly be his friend. Although he'd be going to jail after he recovered, he felt that maybe she'd be the kind to visit him. His question was: why? Why did she come? Lorelei wasn't in the room, so he figured she had been the only one to come along. Now that Gabe could think somewhat more straight than twelve hours prior, the thought of romance and love sparked his interest. Could Selah... like him? She had called him boyfriend, but he wasn't sure if he was just her male friend, or her lover...
Selah bolted awake as his eyes stared at the shapes in the ceiling speckles, his eye trailing lazily down to Selah. She spoke up, and all Gabe could manage at first was a cracked smile. His eyes were a bit teary again as he remembered how kind Selah had been to him, when he had been the idiot. "Sell-lah... good," he croaked, swallowing some of his saliva to coat his painfully dry throat. He wss fine, considering he was hung over, going to jail, and had his head sliced open, but Gabe didn't say anything much else. Selahs hand found his, and he slowly upturned his palm to grab her soft fingers. She was a mess with makeup and hair, her clothes rumpled. There was still sleep in her voice, and she looked disoriented. Exhausted. "You stay?" Gabe raised an eyebrow slightly, curious as to how long she'd be with him. There was school, no doubt, work... no way would she risk her own needs before his. He wss just her foreign neighbor. All sorts of knotted feelings churned in his dtomach as he thought of soccer, his eyes s hi owing disappointment and defeat. Maybe he could play soccer with his cell mates.
Gabe made movement to shake his head no, but that was an immediate mistake. His head ached terribly, and he wished he could go back to sleep again. "Not hurts, I am fine," he mumbled groggily with a morning voice, his voice slightly hoarse from all the shouting and crying he had done the night before. His eyes closed as Selah's fingertips reached out for his forehead, gently smoothing down the gauze. In the back of his head was a fantastic stitching job, patched up with gauze that had bled nearly through. As long as Gabe wasn't handed a mirror, he was good to go. "I am not hungry, não estou com fome, " he grumbled, hardly moving his lips so as not to irritate his throat. The urge to vomit often came and passed, and the thought of eating made his stomach just squeeze. He could throw up his stomach by now.When Gabriel opened his eyes again, Selah was beaming as if she had just gotten a puppy. "Mistake-?" Gabe repeated, panic rising in his chest. Mistake? Why was she smiling about a mistake? Did they do the wrong surgery? Give him too many doses of medicine? Cut out something crucial from his head? Why was she smiling? His brown blood shot eye that wasn't swollen shut twitched, trying to read Selah's expression. Then she explained, and his racing heart calmed. Then escalated again. He couldn't believe it, his face simply displaying shock. He wasnt going to jail? He wasnt going to jail! He wasnt going to jail, he wasn't going back to Brazil! A crooked broken smile split his lips, the dry cracked skin on his lips stinging when he grinned. Relief washed over Gabriel, his eyes closing temporarily as he absorbed the good news.
It didn't matter that he still had to watch himself, all that Gabe could think about was how lucky he was, and how great God and his miracles were. Gabriel murmured a prayer with his face upturned to the ceiling, his lips mumbling in humbled prayer and apology for having been such a drunken idiot the night before. It was a miracle that everything had gone positive for him, and he didn't believe this luck. Was he dreaming at all? He was definitely awake, he could feel the pain in his knuckles when his finger slowly rubbed them. But he wasn't going to jail! "Good, so good," Gabriel heaved a shaky sigh, his hand squeezing Selahs tightly. "Thank you, Sell-ah," he murmured thoughtfully, unable to comprehend his emotions completely on hangover and so many doses of drugs.
Gabriel couldn't mask the disappointment on his face, looking like a kicked child when Selah announced that she couldn't stay. So she was going to leave him here. Gabe tried to reason with himself that Selah had been kind enough to come out at all, and she didn't owe it to him to go out of her way and change her schedules for him. "That is okay," he agreed quietly, coughing with a wince permanently etched into his expression. His head hurt so badly, and his head felt cold. He wanted to throw up, but it wouldn't come up. Gabe groaned uncomfortably, moving himself very carefully while trying to get more comfortable. It wasn't happening. Gabriel looked back up hopeful to Selah once he was settled, seeing her mind change almost immediately. Lorelei! It took a moment to remember who that was, but then the face came to him. Yes, lorelei! Gabe managed a weak grateful smile, his thumb tracing patterns on the back of her hand. "Thank you, Sell-ah," he gurgled, his words coming out tangled with his saliva that seemed to keep coming no matter how much he swallowed.
The next few hours consisted of Selah talking mostly about herself, keeping Gabriel comforted by her presence. Half the time, Gabe had to admit he didn't understand what selah was saying, but that he had been entranced by looking into her beautiful eyes instead. She was lovely. He wished she would kiss him again, the one thing he remembered that she did often the night before. Gabe attempted to contribute to the conversation, but didn't succeed much befote vomiting in the pink bucket the nurse had left for him along with along with a water just minutes before. He hadn't been allowed to take asprins because of the conflicting chemicals already in his blood stream, so the headache just swelled on. The curtains had been closed for him, leaving the room in mild darkness, with the faint lights giving a soft night time glow. When it came time for Selah to leave, Gabe became a little desperate begging, pleading that she didn't go, that he'd come with her to work, but it didn't work. Her lips met his cheek briefly, and that had been enough to shut him up long enough for Selah to leave.
The nurse fiddled with his IV, checked the back of his head often, and made sure his bandages were completely intact still. He was left to his own thoughts and the familiar beeping of the monitors around him, losing hope of Lorelei coming at all when thirty minutes passed. He had just been about to catch some sleep with his breakfast tray set aside with barely anything touched, when the door opened sgain. It was lorelei! Gabe tilted his head as best he could, smiling weakly again at thr obnoxious girl. "Lore," he managed to croak, his voice cracking. He swallowed a dry lump in his throat as he gtimaced, her high pitched voice piercing his ears with his name. He hardly could hear her yammering in his ears, her quick speech difficult to understand in his handicapped state. He caught a few words though, like alive, Garrett, and better. What? Gabe simply nodded passively, sniffling at a cold. As if he wasn't sick enough.
His pudding was snatched off its tray, the rest of his breakfast untouched as well. He couldn't even handle the smells, as it was enough to send him unpacking into the new pink bowl the nurse had left him. Gabe watched with mild amusement as Lorelei dragged a chair across the floors, swearing and stumbling a few times. He would have gotten up to help, but... you know. "Hm..?" Gabriel murmured sleepily, his eye refocusing on Lorelei. "Eve? Who was eve?" He repeated, dread in his stomach. Eve. Yes, he remembered eve, she was an amazing kisser, and he had made out with her at one point. Yes, he remembered eve. Gabe nearly choked on his spit when she mentioned Connor, his good eye flickering with worry. He had made out with the right wings ex girlfriend, and he was so dead.
Gabriel whimpered, regret flooding over him. He wished he had kissed Selah instead. He forced himself to pay attention to lorelei again as she spoke up, now desperate to know every detail of what he had done the night before. A blush rose to his pale cheeks as she commented on his fighting the night before, and Gabe just shook his head twice before a searing pain ripped through the back of his head. "I was drunk," Gabe mumbled in his defense, half heartedly as he could hardly move his face. "Sell-ah?" He repeated, temporarily forgetting about his guilt with eve. "Selah stay here last night, and help me... she kiss my cheek, touch my hair..." Gabriel babbled, his words slurred together at times or well drawn out as he struggled to speak English in a condition like this. His accent was still very much apparent, his words slowly spoken with foreign grammar styles. "Selah kiss me last night? In the lips?" He asked quickly, a bit too hopeful for his own good.
Hahaha! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Its still 9 here haha
Gabriel laughed dryly a few times, before he stopped, because it had hurt his chest. Lorelei was relentless, and he actually enjoyed her personality. "Yes, take dead man's breakfast..." he drawled with amusement, barely able to see Lorelei through his swollen eye as she devoured and poked at his entire breakfast. Not like he could eat it, anyway. He was hungover, felt like he would throw it all back up anyway. With the way Lore talked about his appearance, Gabe was torn to look at himself in a mirror. He couldnt. He was scared, terrified for how he'd look with the way he felt right about now. What had selah thought? Was he still worth her kisses? Apparently so, since she had smooched his cheek before she had left for work. Lori was no help in keeping Gabe calm while she was there, constantly spilling details that he wouldn't have liked to remember about last night. Eve had been a big mistake, and Connor would have his hide for sure. Then he'd be deported anyway. It was an ongoing battle, and Gabe considered asking to switch to another school for a few moments. He didn't want half the soccer team after him. But Eve... although Gabriel did feel guilty, he had liked kissing Eve, just a tiny bit. Of course he would have preferred Selah any other day, but still. Eve. He had been lucky, as well as drunk, to experience something like that. "Just don't tell me!" Gabe moaned, flicking a numb hand at Loris as she patted his comfortingly. "Few months! Few months is not quick!" Gabriel howled, really sounding wounded this time around as he dreaded ever leaving the hospital bed. Better dead.
Gabe forced himself to look over at Lori when she expressed surprise for him having been kissed by Selah, as if it were completely unnatural for Selah to even talk to anyone at all. "Selah, golden hair..." Gabriel muttered under his breath, his vision blurring with his swollen eye stinging. He missed her terribly, the disappointment he'd had when he hadn't been able to win her over to stay sinking in again. Selah... Lorelei seemed to be proud of Gabe for some weird reason as she said something about liking him, and something about honey. When had they stared talking about food? Gabe got a little distracted on the topic of Selah, wondering where she was right then, if she ever thought about him in the few hours she was gone. He wonder what it would be like when he got out of the hospital, if she'd still kiss him on the cheeks still. He made a silent goal to work up the nerve to kiss selah himself, this time right on those pink lips. For someone like him, it should have been easy. But just the thought of it made Gabriel nervous.
The next hours consisted if Lorelei talking animatedly at his bedside, preoccupied with texting or playing games on her phone while he napped during the morning. At one point they were both asleep, nursing their terrible hangovers. Later in the afternoon Lorelei had gotten a call from Selah. Just from the way Lore had reacted to what selah was saying on the flop one and making all these terrible faces, he didn't have a good feeling about it. Selah couldn't come, he found out. Gabe found himself upset and in a particularly bad mood the rest of the night, worse even after lorelei left. She hadn't come because of her work, but she had been sorry. Gabriel tried not to think about it too personally as his silent recovery rooms loneliness sunk in. That night, Gabe found it hard to sleep with an ache in his chest.
The next morning, Gabe awoke at seven, cured of his hangover and stomachaches. He was in a significantly better mood, able to even scarf down half his breakfast as the nurses took records and administered some medicine. He could go home soon to rest, depending on how well his head was doing. The bandages were rewrapped, and Gabe was off enough painkillers to sit up in his bed, poking at the plain jello that lorelei had eaten without a face the morning before. He missed selah, sighing as he turned over the lump of jello in his cup slowly. He wished he could see her again, but she was busy. Selah had her own life to live, she was just his neighbor, the neighbor who had been kind enough to look out for him. He was on his own now, he had to depend on himself.
((Hes gonna see his face and hair when selah comes and hes gonna freak))
Gabriel hadn't gotten a real kick out of his disgusting breakfast, avoiding the eggs as Lorelei had advised him strongly to do. He ate otherwise the rest of his breakfast, the no fat jello pudding, the limp fruit, the tough bagel. Couldn't they serve anything decent around here? Maybe it would motivate people to live. Gabe let the nurse take his temperature and all his vitals, sticking another antibiotic onto the back of his head. With his head so tightly wrapped in cotton bandages and gaze, Gabe hadn't really noticed that his hair was gone. He hadn't been able to lift his sore arms above his shoulder height either, so he wasn't going to feel for his hair anytime soon. Gabriel was propped upright in his bed, staring blankly at the cartoon show of a mouse and cat, Tom and Jerry. The show was mildly hilarious, and he found himself unable to leave the channel even when the nurse returned for him and asked him to do a few things, like count forwards and backwards and look in certain directions and read things to make sure his concussion wasn't as bad. Gabriel had given up on selah ever coming to see him again as the hour passed uneventfully, the clock above the tv reading nine am. His brown eye flickered to the window, the sunlight warming the room and keeping Gabe in a lull. When a knock sounded at the door he hadn't bothered to look away from the winfow, where a bird was hopping on a precarious tree branch. Then he heard that voice, and his heart jumped out of his chest. Gabe turned his head a little quickly, something in his neck aching as his vision went fuzzy for a few seconds. Selah! Selah was here for him, and she had actually come. "Hi," Gabriel breathed, unable to wipe the crooked grin from his face. Selah approached the chair where lorelei had been sitting eaelier, a smile on her pretty features. "I feel... good, I feel good," he laughed cheerfully, his hands folded neatly in his lap.
He reached for the remote to turn off Tom and Jerry, his head now tilted to loom at Selah at his bedside. "You come here today," he murmured softly, wondering why she did it. "No work? No closing?" Gabriel raised a busted eyebrow, which had been partially shaved off as well to stitch the broken skin back together. His face was practically covered in bandages, his entire head mummified with every ugly wound. A white strip was keeping his nose together, stitches on his top lip making it painful to speak. It was his second day in this foreign hospital, and he had to admit, it wasn't bad. It certainly was ten times better than the best hospital in Sao Paulo, that was for sure. They had fixed him, but it would take eons for him to heal. To play soccer. He probably wouldn't be able to play any, since he only had the school year left before he was back home in the summer. Away from selah.
Aww that sucks! I loved your other one though :)
Haha take your time, ive got hw so i wont go insane withoit rps xD Yeah! Haha it was so good i suck at fight scenes lols thank you!
Gabe grinned as best he could with a broken face, glowing with Selah's praises. He felt alot better, even if it wasn't by much. His head still pounded and swelled, and his stomach occasionally rose. His bones were difficult to move, and his nose constantly provided a murdersome headache. It hurt to inhale too deeply in the stuffy room that smelled too much like antibacterial stuff, and his lips were cracked with his cut and some dehydration. "Yes, I eat today... Lore eat yesterday my food," Gabriel laughed, his voice dry and weak still. He adjusted himself in bed to face Selah better, his good eye flickering from the food in his lap to the beatiful neighbor next to him. He still couldn't believe that she'd come to visit. Gabe hadn't expected much from selah at all, since she was just his neighbor that he'd manage to piss off. He'd broken into her apartment almost, then smashed her groceries and nearly toppled her in the process. Yet, Selah had gotten him out of going to jail, a hospital treatment, and blessed him with a new friendship. He had a new opinion of Selah. Gabe blushed bashfully as his lips twisted into what looked like a smile, watching Selah as she entered the room and fixed herself a seat by his bedside. "You keep the promise, thank you," Gabriel murmured in his appreciation. She could be doing so many other things in her normal American life, yet she chose to involve herself in the foreign Brazilian mess that was Gabriel Francisco in the hospital recovery wing. Gabe made a face hearing that she had class, already dreading the hours she'd be away from him. Instinctively he looked to the clock, before back at Selah. Three. That was a while, he could have plenty of time with her! "Three, iss good," he nodded in approval before wincing at the sharp pain that shot through his head and ti his forehead. Man. When was he ever getting better? Months? Years? "What is the class you go to? I want to go with you," Gabe joked, aching to get up and get going again. He came to America for their programs and for soccer, and for the culture experience, but he wasn't going to be able to do any of that any time soon... could he still walk?
They still had a few hours left together before Selah would haul herself off to that awful campus, to leave Gabe on his lonesome with all his thoughts and medications. It wasn't all that bad, but... he would just enjoy Selah's company while he could. He wasnt too keen on talking that much for he didn't know what to say, especially with all limited vocabulary, a swelling headache, and a cracked lip hindering them from making much progress anyway. He just kept sneaking in curious looks to Selah and her blonde her, aching to just reach out and touch it. Blonde hair... it was so unusual in his country. But beautiful. Like Selah... it led Gabe on a series of thoughts, starting with how they first met, why Selah had been so cold the first and second time they encounteted. He still couldn't wrap his head around why Selah had come for him, and what exactly had happened the night before.
Even if Lorelei had told him the majority of it all, she had after all been drunk and extremely hungover. It wasn't that credible of a source, but he couldnt just ask Selah what the night had been like. He just recalled bawling his eyes out and saying stuff about going to jail, the bright lights in the ambulance, Selah's gentle kisses, her hands holding his, making out with some girl (that wasn't Selah, disappointing enough), getting beat up by the soccer players. Where had been help then? Why did people just watch others get hurt? Why didn't anyone do anything about it? Selah had gone as far as to driving up to find him in the middle of the night laying on the concrete, she had been at his side unceasingly all throughout the ambulance and in the hopsital. She had stayed over night, uncomfortably laying/ sitting at his bedside. All this, for some strange Brazilian college kid who didn't know when enough alcohol was too much?
Gabriel thoughts evaporated as Selah reached for the remote on his sheets, clicking on the television again. The familiar cartoon of the cat and mouse reappeared on the screen again, with the black cat currently beating the brown mouse with what looked like a gavel. Poor thing... And so they watched that silly show for a good hour or so, as it was on a marathon that morning, some giggles escaping Gabes lips just seeing how ridiculous the cat and mouse were. American television was alot different... it was nice, because he could understand the entire show. There was rarely any dialogue, and even that he could understand fairly easy enough. Tom and Jerry... he would have to find that when he got back to the apartment. He watched the series with a childlike fascination, his jaw slightly agape as his brown eyes trained intently on the screen. From time to time, he'd glance over at Selah, but most of the time, he was preoccupied. It was nice, just to have her presence there, even if they weren't really interacting.
She spoke up during a brief commercial segment between the shows, his head tearing it's gaze from the screen in front of his bed. Gabriel rubbed his good eye, yawning as he struggled to remember what the doctor had said that morning. He had been too involved in eating his breakfast thst he hadn't really paid attention... "I think tomorrow, I do not know," Gabe frowned, grimacing. "Selah, you can pick me up when I can go? I cannot drive, for long time, and I have no car yet," Gabriel added, his Brazilian accent thick and slightly slurred with all the drugs he was taking. Every second with Selah was precious, he intended to make something of it.
Gabe had himself distracted, torn between his Tom and Jerry and Selah. Well... He'd choose Selah. She was going to leave him, anyway, might as well have listened to what she wanted to say. Gabriel glanced at the clock, sighing under his breath. They'd been watching the cartoon for longer than he had thought. He offered a cracked smile to Selah and mimicked her thumbs up, his eyes alive with a hope. It'll be good to have him back. Did she miss him? Did selah think about him like he thought about her? Most likely not, she didn't know him all that well... but it was possible, right...? His face fell seeing how Selah's face had frowned when he asked her for a ride. Oh... nevermind? His cheeks turned pink, embarassed at the complication. Before Selah was even through with elaborating on the details, Gabriel tried to remember how much he had in his wallet for a taxi or something. Maybe he could get Aaron to come get him... if he ever wanted anything to do with a troublemaker like himself anyway. Was Gabe even on the team anymore? Did his coaches know? Would he be kicked out of school, of the program? Did he still have his scholarship? Did the university in Brazil he had previously transferred from know yet? Was it on his permanent record? He had gone past the legal intoxication level, and he had jumped a cop and tried to inflict harm unknowingly. That had to count for something right? Even if he wasn't going to jail, it had to be on his profile now. The thought made Gabriel fearful, unsettled with the stress. How many kids would know about the fight? If American kids were anything like the Brazilians, no doubt the news would have spread about his terrible defeat by now. Stupid Brad, he hated him. Hated him. Gabes fists tightened in the fold of his blankets, considering what options he had. Gabriel didn't want to go back home.
Gabriel was surprised when Selah spoke up again, confirming that she could take him home. Yes! She would help him get home, she would arrange him a safe ride back to the apartment so he could recover. He couldn't believe how generous selah was always being, even though he had never done anything more to aggravate her and bother her. Gabe felt a little bad for how it was always selah that had to pick up after him, how she had to go out of her way to be bothered by his foreign self. Regardless, it was a perfect oppurtunity for the two to get to know each other. He was going to make it up to Selah one day, he'd show her that she hadn't made a mistake helping him out. Repayment, of sorts. But how? It would come in time, and Gabe hoped he could keep selah for long. Gabriel was notorious for being a party boy, one who didn't really care what girl he spent time with. He wasnt one for steady relationships, or commitment. He had figured that it was best to be the heart breaker, rather than the guy who had his heart broken.
"Thank you, Sell-ah, very helps," Gabe grinned as best he could with his broken face. He knew most of his vocabulary, but grammar wise... oh well. Gabriel watched tv for a while more with selah, occaisoanlyl peeking back on different channels for oppurtunity of finding an alternative to Tom and Jerry, to no avail. He couldn't catch on with quick subtitles of those reality TV shows, and he jsut didn't understand anything. He ate almost his entire lunch by himself, with Selah's approving smile when he put down his fork and left a lettuce leaf and a carrot on the tray as remains. He actually felt alot better than he initially had this morning... he could have sworn it was Selah's doing. Those beautiful eyes, silky blonde hair, her laugh... Gabe regretted falling asleep before Selah had to leave, napping for forty five minutes with his head lolling on his pillow. He was displeased with letting Selah go, his face falling dramatically. Why did she have to go again..? Class. Static class, or something like that? Gab waved to Selah and mumbled reluctant good byes, wishing her fun in her class with a croaking laugh. He was miserable the moment she stepped out that door.
Gabriel fell into another nap, with out much else to do for the time being. Nurses, in and out, shooting up his arm, then leaving... a therapy guy asking him to look side to side, up, down, to read, to repeat things after him, to recite his adress for memory loss testing. It was all a bunch of crap, Gabe thought it wasn't necessary, but it gave him something to do. Constantly, his mind was on sweet, sweet, Selah, and he always got distracted during his testings. He just ached to go outside again, to be in the fresh air. Gabe still had no idea what his face looked like, he was clueless what had been done to his hair with all the wrapping bandages. His butt was sore from sitting for so long, but even trying to walk made his head spin and his chest squeeze. He still couldn't get up out of bed, with the pain and also because his surgeries had to heal. His ribs, his nose, his head. It was fantastic, for someone who was so used to over exerting himself in physical excercise. He just wanted a soccer ball to bounce between his feet, something, anything...
Around eight pm, right after practice, he could guess, his coaches and a few players that weren't subject to Brad had paid a visit. Seeing his uniformed American teammates had boosted Gabes hopeless and dulled spirits, to know that someone other than Selah cared about him enough. Aaron had been completely shocked by Gabriels appearance, but said nothing of his hair. His coaches expressed sympathies and coddled Gabes injuries, apologizing heavily to Gabe. They treated the foreign exchange student with high respects, mostly because they knew of his skill, valued his being part of their team, and because some day, Gabe could become the next Messi, next Ronaldo. A fresh bouquet of roses, a sloppily signed card from the entire team and coaching staff, and a thing of helium get well balloons were propped in the corner of his room.
It touched Gabriel to see so many people in his room, relaxing and taking time out of their day jsut to see him. For a while, they simply asked Gabe questions, got to know him a bit while they sat on the chairs and couches. Some left after an hour, but Aaron stayed behind with two other players until Gabriel at least ate his dinner. They said their goodbyes, Aaron promised to text him and keep him occupied later that day, and then Gabes room was empty again. Despite his loneliness, Gabriel was... happy. His face glowed, and the room didn't feel so depressing and doom ing with the gifts that had been left behind. It made Gabe feel better about himself, that he'd be okay in the end.
Somewhere in the back of his conscience, Gabe heard selah moving about, murmuring about leaving, before a feather light kiss was placed on his scruffy cheek. He hadn't woken up, having fallen into a deep lucid dream, but he had smiled slightly when her lips lifted off his skin. If only he were awake for these sorts of things.... Gabriel was left the entire afternoon alone again, snoring most of the hours away under the influence of his medication. The nurses did some last final check ups and had him do more tests when he awoke, asking him to recite the alphabet and everything about him, then match his colors and shapes. His brain, despite all the hard hits it took, had reverted to normal again, but he was warned for short term memory loss. He may forget where he put his keys, or what he was going to do in a room, but it would eventually all be cured. Gabe lit up like a Christmas tree being given the final clearance papers to allow him to go home the next morning, his signature scrawled sloppily on them. He relied on Selah to remember him, to come and pick him up. She hadn't specified a time, so would he just wait here? What if she didn't come? Gabe slept well that night, dreaming of strange dancing flowers and a certain head of blonde hair. Selah... it was like all he could think about now. Her laugh, her smilr, her kind gestures, her fingertips caressing his face, her kiss... what would it be like when he got out of the hospital care? Would she just go back to being grouchy Selah, once Gabe had stopped being a charity case? Would he be back on his own? What did she think of him? He still couldn't wrap his head around why she'd come for hin in the middle of the night, and how she sat by his side in the ambulance and pleaded with the officers to make him better. He didn't know what boyfriend meant besides a friend that was a male, but Selah had said it. Gabriel had a huge crush on this white American girl, but he wasn't sure about it all. What if Selah didn't like him back? What if, what if... this was just an American thing, being openly nice to strangers? What if her visits and comforting words meant nothing on a personal level, what if she had a boyfriend? Gabriel was in over his head drowning with worry, turning over the possibilities in his head throughout the next morning while he waited for her.
Aaron had texted and called asking if Gabe was feeling better, if he'd need help today, but Gabriel turned Aaron down. Selah was coming. She was coming, right? So far, the southern blonde girl had kept every one of her promises. She'd keep this one too, right? He ate all of his breakfast despite the watery yogurt and burnt toast, aching for more for his quick metabolism, but he wss denied. The nurse warned that he might throw it all up, instead sticking one last needle into his arm again for antibiotics. They changed the wrap on his head, but since Gabes head felt numb, he didn't get a chance to realize that some of his hair was missing. The nurses had shaved short the part over the cut in his head, and the back and sides were short now, with the top slightly longer in a curly stylish crop. Gabe would raise hell when he found out what they did to his precious curls.
All his worrying was a load of crap, because selah came through, like she promised. Gabe was dressed in the original pair of clothes he had worn when he came here, suffice with some new rips and stains that the nurse staff had tried to fix for him. It felt entirely weird to be in jeans again, with shoes on his feet, and being able to walk around, but it was nice. After nearly a week in the hospital, he was quite done with that annoying beeping heart monitor and all these sensors hooked up to him. It was a nuisance. The nurse had given him a hospital brand tote as a souvenir to carry his wallet, broken phone, keys, and his medicines, as well as a stack of legal documents hw was supposed to put on file back home when he went. For now, he was good for staying in he country... he just hoped he didn't get deported. He had gotten lucky that selah was a good speaker.
A knock sounded at the door, and Gabe hopped off his bed and nearly ran to open it. Selah! He swung open the door wide, grinning ear to ear with his usual lopsided smile. Standing up again, he had more color in his cheeks, and felt alot more lively knowing he could leave the hospital at last. It was still morning, with the sun rising well over head, but Gabe had no idea what day of the week it was. The doctor said he was out for another two weeks, then had to get another check up before he started soccer again, just so his bones would have time to heal and set. That, and Gabe was exceedingly clumsy back on his feet after so long. It made him worry that he wouldn't be able to play futbol, something that he had to explain was soccer in America to the ignorant nurse.
Gabe slipped the bag over his arm, gathering Selah in an abrupt bear hug right there in the doorway. "Hi, sell-ah," he murmured softly, finding himself relaxed even touching her. He resisted the overwhelming desire to stroke her soft blonde hair, or to even kiss her, instead his cheeks flushing bright pink. His wounds were recovering quickly, his head wrapped in fresh gauze with more in his bag for later. The cuts had salves on them, and his black eye was fading and discolored. "We can go home, now?" Gabe asked, impatient to step outside for fresh air again. His words came a little slowly at first, his mind still impeded with the language barrier more than ever after the incident. "You come to pick me up, it's thank you," Gabriel beamed, squeezing Selah's shoulders with surprising strength he had left, before grasping at her hand. His fingers hooked onto hers, and Gabriel squeezed out of the doorway, leaving the hospital room behind. One of his nurses waved at him, wishing him a good recovery, before shooting a nasty glare at Selah. Gabe caught it, and sent one right back to that stupid lady. How dare she.
Seeing Selah's bright beautiful face so early in the morning was exactly what Gabriel needed, and he couldn't stop grinning despite his split lip. Selah. His friend. Best friend? What was an Americans standards for being a best friend? Selah and Aaron and Lorelei were the only people he even remotely trusted, Selah especially. He was alone in a new country, and he already had a few enemies and trouble with the law. He relied more than before on Selah now, completely attatched to her company. He stood taller than selah now, full and lively with a renewed energy. He was excited to go back to the apartments, maybe hang out with Selah alot more now. "I am ready, yes," Gabe nodded enthusiastically, gripping his belongings and nearly hopping with impatience. Selah had come for him, as she promised, and now he was getting out of this awful place, at last. He'd left the bouquet and balloons his friends had brought to him while he was recovering, only keeping the cards and letters that accompanied the gifts. Selah hugged him back somewhat, and Gabe was thrilled. Did she like him back? He didn't know... he thought he had chances with Selah, since she had held his hand and kissed his cheek several times and kept him company. Would they be able to date in the future? When he finally, and reluctantly, released her, selah offered to go to lunch. He couldn't help but laugh, cheered by the idea of having a normal meal for once. "A date?" Gabriel grinned teasingly, although he wasn't even sure if he was joking. "Yes, we go to a lunch.. please," Gabe agreed, more than happy to accept. Thrilled. Even though he was still a little whack on pain medication, he was back to his normal upbeat self, the oblivious happy Brazilian who grinned too much. Any time spent with Selah was to be treasured, he didn't even want to go back to his own apartment. He like Selah... alot, but so did other guys. American guys, her friends, people that actually knew how to speak English. Once Gabe realized this, it would be a tragic finding on his part, to know that the girl he liked was going to be unavailable to him.
The thing about him was that he couldn't keep a serious relationship. Gabe was a big flirt, his charming smile and deep voice and floppy curly hair easily attracting most he talked to. He was known around his part of Brazil for being the funny guy, the life of the party, the daredevil, the smart soccer player. Gabe didn't last long with girls, since he often got easily distracted with others. His record had been making out with three girls on the same night, and turns out they were all friends anyway. Gabriel had no intention for commitment, only frightened of what that could do to him. To be tied down? He'd grown up bouncing around, never in one group for too long. He often didn't pay attention to women's personalities, mostly about their looks and if they could make him laugh or not, and that proved to become a poor habit of his. Gabe just wanted love, with no strings attatched, no oboigations, no pressure. Because with a girlfriend came all these responsibilities, you had to buy them thinhs, take them out all the time, and you'd get in trouble if you were seen even talking to a different girl. It drove Gabe mad, and the fast lifestyle proved to be more convenient for him.
But Selah? It seemed like it was a whole different concept. From the first time he saw her when he broke into her apartment by accident, Gabe had fallen for those beautiful eyes, her long blonde hair, her shy smile. Especially after all she'd done for him, he couldnt bring himself to even think of flirting with Lorelei at the same time, or even looking at the nurses in the building. She was not only beautiful in appearance, had learned, but Selah had a beautiful personality as well, a big heart to accompany it. Selah had standards and self worth, and didn't just throw it all away. She was loyal, she actually carried through with her promises. Meeting her had made him reevaluate himself, mull over how he behaved. He didn't think he'd be partying again anytime soon, so as not to see Selah's disappointed face again. Gabriel couldn't even consider getting drunk and kissing someone other than Selah without regret flooding over him, his tender heart bursting open with a longing for Selah's affections. He might have seemed desparate to anyone else, but it was just that he was quick to love, quick to trust.
A lady stopped him and Selah on their way out, one of the nurses he faintly remembered through his fuzzy checkups. She had a vacant wheelchair, and a kind smile on her face as she began speaking in English. "Yes, I leave today with Sell-ah," Gabriel said proudly, gesturing to the blonde girl standing beside him. "Why are you sorry? I forgive anyway," Gabe grinned, although a bit confused with the way Americans talked. He couldn't help but catch himself staring at Selah now, biting his bottom lip. Her smile... it was just so perfect, so innocent, so beautiful.... She spoke up, his eyes flickering automatically towards the nurse again as a soft rosy color flushed across his cheeks. Something about patients needing wheelchairs? Confused, Gabriel shook his head politely. "No wheels chair, I walk out... you have good day, thank you," Gabe nodded his head in dismissal. The nurse gave him a look of disbelief, turning to selah for help with the foreigner.
"Let's go, Sell-ah, what is wrong?"Gabriel insisted, grasping her hand and tugging her along helplessly. The nurse shouted after him, her tone rising. Other nurses ducked out into the hallway, telling him he needed to turn around, but Gabe would not listen. Instead, he was growing aggravated. Why wouldn't they leave him alone? He just wanted to go home! Swearing in Portuguese, Gabriel smacked a nurses hand away from him as she physically tried to turn him back to the lady with the wheelchair, throwing himself into defensive mode. He didn't like these pushy touchy Feely people! Gabe, despite his handicaps, began to run, shoving the nurses away from him with determination. "Sell-ah!" He howled over his shoulder, clearly baffled and uncomfortable and disturbed by the situation. He didn't want to be in trouble again, why were th the nurses angry? We're they not letting him leave? Oh no. He was leaving alright. Gabriel felt awfully dizzy and achy in several areas as his feet uncertainly hit thr floor, his hand held against the wall to keep himself steady. His head spun, and Gabe thought he'd pass out... but he didn't want the nurse ladies to catch him. He wanted his lunch with Selah.
Gabe was absolutely in love with the little southern drawl Selah had in her voice, his ears absorbing it like a sponge. It had been a while since he'd heard her soft comforts, something he was now strangely addicted to. In a way, he was overall pleased that he had gone to that party and got himself in trouble, because now, he had a friend, a girl friend. A gorgeous, lovely, intelligent girl friend. Gabriel couldn't stop grinning like a fool that he was, delighted to be finally getting out of the hopsital and even having his first little American date. It wasn't supoosed to be such a big deal, just two friends grabbing some lunch, but Gabe couldn't help but over think everything. She called him sugar, which he remembered had been his nickname quite a few times lately. If anyone else said that to him, he probably might have left them immediately, as he wasn't a fan of pet names. But with Selah? Anything was alright with him. He owed it to her. At her threat, his brown eyes widened with actual gullible fear. She wouldnt dare.. would she? "Noo! No here, this is the bad food," Gabe protested, having whispered the last part threat her after a brief look around for any eavesdropping nurses. As if his plea had worked, selah seemed to settle on the idea of going out still anyway, and he relaxed hinself. Of course she was kidding. Who in their right mind would voluntarily eat hospital food? "Out of here," Gabe repeated with an affirmitive murmur, trailing along beside her and her blonde hair.When they encountered the nurse, he did not understand. He had thought he was free, and he didn't want to stay in the hopsital. They had said he was done with his exams and medication here, and that he could go back to his apartment with Selah! He'd signed all his papers and everything, and now they were going to dinner! Nothing could stop that, no one either. Selah seemed to be hesitant when he surged forward, trying to resist his relatively strong strides despite his recent bed rest. It was good to move so freely again! Down the halls they went, with the frustrated nurse carting a wheel chair behind them shouting at him angrily. "Sir, sir! Please!" She hollored in exapseration, with Selah doing little to stop him now except for calling his name weakly as he tore down the halls. Gabriel just wanted to go home! Was that hard? He didn't even care if he got infections or not by not staying here. He didn't understand that the wheelchair was going to bring him out of the hospital, his brown eyes wide with mild panic as he began to get unnerving ly lost in the large building floor.
At long last, lost and confused, Gabriel had been stopped and gave in to the chasing. The nurse who had the wheelchair apprehended him a little out of breath and clearly angered, yhe other nurses and doctor that had joined the running man sighing with releif. Gabriel clasped Selah's hand tightly, giving her a sideways glance that showed his dismay. Did he really have to stay again frit he hospital? We're they going to take him back to that dismal old room? Hw was sick of the place already! Selah clearly was amused, not paying much attention to the glower that pierced Gabes forehead. He didn't care, he just wanted to leave like they promised him. Despite his confusion, in the end, he was getting what he wanted. To go home. Selah explained to him the hospital policy in much simpler words, enunciation the syllables and speaking slowly to help the foreign man understand every bit of her explanation. It made things easier, really, when people talked slow in English. Or maybe just because it was Selah, he'd actually listen to what had to be said. It dawned on him that this whole time they'd just been trying to get him into a wheelchair for his own safety.
Gabe sighed heavily, grabbing Selah's other hand and giving it a little squeeze. How could he resist to that sweet voice? It made his stomach do little flips just hearing it. "Okay, Sell-ah, I use the wheel chair," he grumbled in his thick accent, flashing his usual crooked smile before dropping her hands. Shooting a look at one of the nurses that had been almost about to restrain him when he was trying to escape, Gabe plopped down into the wheelchair grudgingly, already feeling so insecure and uncomfortable. They had better be telling the truth. The nurse wheeled him down the carpeted hall back the way they had come, turning unexpectedly down a corridor towards an elevator. Gabriel eased up, adjusting his bag of belongings on his lap as the nurse pressed the button. He often had to check if Selah was following behind them, constantly fearing that she'd ditch him in this strange American building. Much more sterile than the hospitals in Brazil, that was for sure.
Downstairs again, they were in the lobby. Gabe had attempted to get up once they were close to the exit, only to earn strict sounds of disapproval instead. With a roll of his eyes, Gabe sat back down, on the edge of his wheelchair, as the automatic doors at the front slid open with ease to the warm Florida sunshine. Outside, Gabriel inhaled fresh air like it was candy. It brought color to his face, his fingers curled tightly around the handles of his bag as observed the parkinglot with great interest. He never thought he'd see daylight again! It was marvelous! With Selah's ditection, the nurse steered him towards Selah's car, or rsther, Lorelies, before Gabriel was helped up. "It is okay! I do not need the help!" Gabe exclaimed in frustration as the nurse gripped at his upper arm to steady him into the passenger seat. She sighed and shook her head, taking the oppurtunity to turn tail and wheel the empty chair back into he cool building. Alone again, Gabriel shot Selah a grin as he climbed inside the car with mild difficulty. His head still hurt a little, and his balance was off... "Where do we go? I am hungry, the food there is bad," Gabriel cringed, throughly disgusted as he buckled his seatbelt. Gabe, in truth, was perhaps more excited about being with Selah that afternoon than eating real food again.
Gabriel was strapped with Selah's help in his seat, managing to make himself somewhat comfortable in his seat with his legs somewhat tucked agaisnt his seat. Despite having lost a few pounds and muscle mass over the week, he still had retained his overall physique to his relief. Once his injuries healed compeltely and he went through all the physical therapy he needed (how convenient that he was studying into physical therapy and sports injuries), Gabe would be back on the field in no time. It was still near the beginning of the year, and his doctor had told him to give it a month before he was back in action from a concussion and cracked ribs. He didn't know what was being done about the player that had beat him up the very first place, but the coach had reassured him that Gabriel wouldn't have to worry about him being on the field ever again. Although he had made a new enemy or few, Gabriel was pretty happy with the justice he felt inside. A soccer players worst nightmare was being banned from the team!Selah's way of speaking had Gabriel very confused, a single healing cut across his tan freckled nose wrinkling in the process. It was his day? What was TGI, and why was it friday? What was she even talking aboit, that mad woman? The subway? We're they going out of town or something? He had no idea that they were just the names of restaurants, stumbling over his words as he tried to play it off miserably. "I don't know what it is... what is TGI? Mood? Where are we going on the subway?" Gabriel rubbed his arm, his brown eyes furrowed at the road in front of them as the car began to drive out of the parking lot with ease. His thick accent rolled off of his tongue with a lazy Brazilian drawl, his body relaxing into his seat to avoid being blinded by the sun if he sat up any further.
Selah had decided for him on a quaint little homestyle American diner, to give him his first taste of American food. Real American food. It was family owned and operated, and the atmosphere was very easy on Gabriels stress levels. With Selah's assistance and lots of Gabriel swearing in his native tongue, they'd managed to make it to the diners front doors. Inside, air conditioning hit them with a blast, a relief from the muggy Florida weather outside that felt much like his own home. The waitress on duty had given them a very skeptical odd look, the clesrly foreign battered man with dark skin and bandages and the young woman with fair skin and cleanly parted blonde hair being the exact opposites. They were the least likely pair, but the waitress smiled and welcomed them, popping her bubblegum before seating them at a little booth table. This was weird. So many new smells and tastes floated around Gabriel, he didn't know what to think! He sat across from selah with relief when his head begun to spin, his body overxeterted with all the extra movement he'd had that day.
"This is nice," Gabriel murmured thoughtfully, looking with round wide eyes at the setting. The waitress had plopped two menus down on the table and left, leaving Gabe and selah to leaf through and figure out what to order. Gabe, after too long without having read a single english word in the hospital, it took him some struggling to recognize any of the foods. What even was an alfredo? Or Marinara? He knew what Chicken was, and hamburger, and french fry and salad was, so he stuck to looking for the basics. There were so many different types of everything, so much diversity he wasn't sure what to do with himself. What was the difference between a blue cheese burger and a club burger and a house burger? What was pickle? Why did the burger come with so many side dishes, like cheese and lettuce? Why didn't Americans just put it on the burger? "Sell-ah, what is this? Why is different? Please find me food to eat, I don't understand this," Gabe shook his head with defeat, showing her his menu. He was so. Embarassed.
((All good, no need to apologize just repky when you can!))
((If i reply now do you think yiu can respond tonight for sure?))
Sitting poring over the menu, Gabriel was fully intrigued by the setting and the food, the smells, the sights, the sounds. This trip had been very well worth his two years salary, for a school year in the states. More specifically, Florida. With Selah. He hadn't expected that he'd fit in so easy, with his accent, his drawl, and his crazy brown hair. He still had no idea what he looked like, half of his head wrapped in that awful gauze that made his forehead itch. The air conditioning of the diner felt amazing and did wonders to his sweating neck, the humidity outside having nearly dried him out when he had stepped foot from the hospital. It wasn't as bad as Brazil, but after so long of being indoors in controlled climate, it was only so hard to readjust. Gabe couldn't imagine practice at this moment, un the sweltering heat pushing and shoving agaisnt other sweaty bodies. Gabriels eyes moved slowly over the text of the menu, murmuring to hismelf the words sounded out slowly. Chee... cheese, cheese boo, no bur, cheese bur-ger. Cheese burger. Fren... french? French friess. His eyes hurt to skim over the fun font, his frustrating building as he tried to understand this American menu. Selah spoke up, and Gabe lifted his head in interest. "Yes, I like! But I not can read this, sell-ah," Gabriel mumbled, his eyes squinting as the words seemed to flip upside down and backwards on him. He was too tired and too medicated to make sense of the symbols, all the vowels and constants strung together in a mess he could hardly understand. He could sound things out, but then half the time the terms didn't sound any familiar. "Eh? Brazil, in brazil... yes, we have our... err... restrant? We have Brazilian food, very good," Gabriel explained, agreeing. "We have some American, too, Mc Donald," Gabriel added, his eyes glued to the salad section for a brief moment. It felt nice to sit there despite his trouble reading and misunderstandings, because he could see selah out of the corner of his eyes. He could feel her foot resting against his, barely, but still there. Selah was here, and he knew it. She was always here, she had never ditched him for long. He had a friend here, a friend he liked alot.
Selah, once seeing his frustrated face, with creases in his forehead and a scowl bordering on his lips, had taken his menu good naturedly to help him understnad. She had pointed out the items on the menu, speaking slowly in her faint southern drawl for him. Gabe tried to focus hard on what she was saying, not jsut how her words rolled off her tongue so easily, how her voice was almost like a song. "So.. I eat the cheeseburger one," Gabe agreed at last with a Bob of his head, his hand brushing agaisnt Selah's as he took his menu back. "It help me, very much to know this menu... thank you, sell-ah," Gabriel couldn't resist a goofy grin, the menu folded neatly on the table in front of him. His English had regressed terribly, and he had had a little bit of work in remembering how to structure his sentences so he didn't sound so awkward.
The waitress lady came around with her notepad after selah decided and flagged her down expertly, Gabriel watching her every move. So that's how you summoned waitresses here, eh? Gabriel, under the table, raised three fingers partially like Selah had, aggreing with himself that that indeed was how you did it. After selah ordered, both females turned to Gabe and he felt suddenly on the spot. What was his thing called again? Stammering, Gabriel scrambled for his menu to find the vague spot where selah had pointed it out to him. "The cheeseburger, please, with French fry and... cold water, please," Gabriel managed to blurt, embarassed with his cheeks flushed. He wished he'd done some studying in the hospital, maybe reading the English dictionary or something. The lady simply smiled kindly and scribbled his order down, giving him a second glance for all the injuries he was still recovering from. The spot around his eye was still discolored, with cracks amd splits and bandaids everywbere. Plus the gauze around his forehead to keep the stitches in back from bleeding. When she left, Gabe rubbed his hands together in his lap, giving selah a shy smile. He didn't know what to say, or where to even start. He wanted to get to know her more, get closer to her, but how was he to even do that?
Selah asked about his home country, about their foods and his favorite dish. Oh, Gabriel ate alright. His mother made the best food you'd ever imagined, and he was an enthusiast about the different dishes their culture had to offer. Be was usually adventurous to try new things, many which resulted in terribly upset stomachs. Gabe brightened, trying not to feel homesick as he narrowed his eyes in thought. "Charrusco, you call barbeque- meat," Gabe murmured, nearly salivating at the thoughts of smoked beef or chicken right then and there. Brazilian food always had spices and kick to it, and the hospital food in comparison was weak and watery to him. He could hope that the burgers here would satisfy his cravings for a taste similar to one that was familiar to him. "McDonald, yes, but I not eat there," Gabriel laughed, clearly sharing the same negative views of the fast food chain as she did. Why it was so famous, widespread, and popular despite its overwhleming flaws was beyond him. They ordered, although Selah was skeptical over the capacity of his stomach to have such grease and meat this quick out of the hopsital. He'd done it before, so it didn't exactly matter to Gabriel. Reckless as he was, he was willing to risk vomiting later if it meant he could have proper food. He noticed how Selah's cheeks got a little red when he touched her on accident, in turn, his own face blushing bright red as well. Gabe looked down at the table, fiddling with his hands and examining the cracked skin and bruises dark on his knuckles and fingers. He still remembered the pain. Cringing, Gabe decided to preoccupy himself with arranging his napkin a certain way, playing with the edges of the fabric with mild interest. Anything to keep his mind off of making a fool out of himself in front of Selah. His stomach grumbled impatiently as Gabe sat waiting, scrambling for conversation ideas he could start up with Selah for the next five minutes while their food was being made. Luckily for him, she spoke up first, asking how he was feeling. Gabes head lifted from his napkin fumbking, his brown eyes looking to Selah's bright blue ones. In truth, he still had a headache, his body was a little sore, and he was hungry, but he didn't say any of that to not worry her.
"I feel good, better," Gabe admitted, telling half if the truth. This wasn't what he had in mind by having his year of school here, being beaten up by a bunch of jocks and nearly dying because of his injuries. He didn't expect to make enemies so fast, nor did he expect to form a huge crush on his neighbor. He didn't expect to have made the friends he dis, he didn't expect... Selah. A kind beautiful girl who didn't mind who he was, who had fought for his rights to stay here in the United States despite everything. Someone who checked up on him while he was lonely in the scary american hospital, all by himself. He felt like the luckiest guy right then, passing a lopsided goofy smile on to Selah. He liked her, alot. But how did she feel about him? Was he jsut some buffoon who got into trouble alot, some unintelligent foreigner who spoke terrible English? Or did she see him as he saw her, someone with potential, someone with a big heart, someone who cared? It was a transition from how quick Gabriel had been with the females over previous experiences, rushing into relationships with girls he didn't even know and then breaking up with them a week later. He actually... liked Selah. He wanted to hold on to this one.
Sighing, Gabe shrugged as if it were no big deal, trying not to let on that he was pretty bummed that he was missing out on his soccer, especially. He was already late in the school year for academics, so it wouldn't exactly matter when he joined classes, but soccer... soccer was his life. Futbol was his blood and tears! He had lots of physical therapy and strength training to do before he could play again according to the doctor, which would possibly be another month to allow for his ribs and concussion to heal. At least he was blessed with the knowledge thst the season was in january, and he still had a month or so to get back into practices after he healed. "Not really... I spend more time in hospital than apartment, " he laughed drily, habitually raking his fingers through his curly brown- crop. His hair was cropped. It was short. Awfully, terribly short!
Gabe had a thing for his hair. He liked it longer than most did, but it couldn't be super long to where he looked like a creep. It was how he'd had it since he wss little, a curly brown floppy mess. When he had a job interview or important occasion, he jsut styled it nicely. His locks were well maintained, took some effort to keep into places and keep untangled. Gabes brown eyes widened in horror as he lifted another hand up to his now shorter hair, where the nurses had obviously cut it to gain easier access to the crack in his head. "Oh..." Gabes heart dropped, feeling overly upset as he patted down his head, avoiding touching the bandages. It was so... short. What was he supposed to do with it? How did he look? Ridiculous? He betted so. "Sell-ah, they cut my hair!" He moaned, troubled as he scrambled for the spoon sitting on the table, checking his reflection best he could. He was horrified. First of all, he was shocked at how pale he'd grown, how sickly he looked. Second of all, his hair was so short, he almost broke down. They hadn't even had the decency tk make it all even. He was thoroughly devastated that he'd been talking to the crush of his life looking like this train wreck, and worse, because his signature hair was gone.
Gabe stopped fidgeting with the bandaid on his knuckle when she asked about physical therapy, his forehead creasing while he processed what she asked. His eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically, wincing when it hurt to move his head. "Yes, physical therapy help me to do soccer again," he murmured thoughtfully. He had initially come here to the Florida college for their therapy medical program to learn for himself and get his degree, and now he had his accident and could learn first hand. It was real cute how it all worked out, very ironic. And frustrating. He missed soccer, his very lifeline. From when he could walk, he'd had a soccer ball at his feet, he was a champion back home. Here he was a nobody, now known as a drunkard who got into fights with the cops and made out with the captains ex girlfriend. It wasn't a good reputation he'd envisioned when he left behind his crummy run down apartment in Sao Paulo. He didn't envision Selah either. "It will take some weeks, I can't play," he sighed, a bit discouraged at the reminder at his handicap. Soccer had been his way of letting go of his pains, of his stress, of his anger. When he broke up with girls or had failed a test or some trivial mishap, he took to the fields. When he lost his grandmother, he'd done exceptionally well with aggression for his soccer tournament in Spain two years ago. Now, it had been a few weeks since he'd last touched a ball, really played his heart out. He itched to even just dribble one between his feet, sitting down if it would appease the doctor. He perked up at Selah voice again, his brown eyes flickering up to meet her beautiful blue ones. She was so gorgeous, this strange blonde woman. "Celebrate, yes, it will be better... Just want to run, to play the ball again," he said wishfully, shrugging. All that hope and positivity drained real fast then.
Gabriel had grown out his hair that way for as long as he could remember. He didn't know why he did it, but he couldnt bear to get hair cuts. Even if he got it cropped, it was an inch at a time. It was his signature, it was his thing, it separated him from every other tan Brazilian kid out there. He'd never had short hair, and it just made Gabe so uncomfortable as he felt his scalp continuously. It was so... naked. Naked is what his hair was. Gone. Squirming in his seat now, Gabriela face twisted and contorted to look as if he'd just walked in on someone. His hair . A few in the restaurant turned to him when they heard his voice wailing about his hair, a few sending sympathetic or annoyed glances his way. He had short hair, and it crushed him. He didn't believe it. What was he to do now? Would people even recognize him? Worse, would the barber be able to fix it? Fixing it would mean cutting everything to make it even. Which would be... even shorter.
Gabriel groaned, dropping his head in his hand with genuine disturbance. In all honesty, he was more upset over his hair than not being able to play soccer. He looked like a wreck. How Selah could stand to look at him was beyond his inagination. "Does it look eh... bad? Does it look bad, Sell-ah?" Gabriel asked, his accent thickening like it always did when he got upset. He didn't believe her for a second when she said she couldn't tell the difference, how couldn't anyone tell the difference bergen being bald and clearly having a full head of hair-?? Gabriel grasped her hand regardless, whimpering with self pity. Florida had just been a series of unfortunate events. Had it not been for Selah, he may have returned hone. On top of it all, he was home sick. He missed the familiarity of his apsrtment, of his school campus, of his city. He knew where things were, he spoke the language and blended in.
Embarassed, Gabriel patted down the top of his head repeatedly, unwilling to let Selah see it in all its horridness. He needed to have it evened out, oh it was so ugly! "My hair... it's gone, why do you let them cut it?" He griped, his lips twisted in a frown. He squeezed her hand to keep himself in check, from freaking out. Hair wasn't supposed to be a big deal for guys, but Gabe took such pride in his curls. Although he wouldn't have it here, he supposed the cropping would do something for his jair, maybe it would grow back strong and extra healthy. The only thing keeping him from blowing up at his disheveled appearance was the fact that Selah was sitting across from him, holding his hand, talking to him. The fact that she was able to look a t him must have meant that he wasn't completely a lot cause, right? For that moment, the only opinion that mattered was hers. He found himself wanting to impress her all the time, to look nice, to sound intelligent, to be cool enough. So far, he'd been such a loser, and it was a blow to his self esteem looking back now on the way he'd presented himself to her every time.
The waitress returned to their table with their drinks, setting them down in front of them before turning back for a different table. He half heartedly stabbed the straw into the table, sliding it out of its paper wrapper with one hand. He didn't dare let go of Selah until she did herself, afraid that if he did, she would never hold his hand again. His little crush on the American girl was silly, he felt. His usual interest had physical qualities that men found irresistible and excessive, but Selah was normal. She didn't wear over exposing clothing, she didn't swear much if at all, she didn't seem like the type to be involved in drinking or partying or one night stands like he was. She was a good girl. An angel. Gabriel sipped his cold water slowly, finding himself lost staring at Selah. What was she doing here with him? There had to be some other goody goody guy out there for her, one that didn't get into trouble, had wealth, and was white. He'd experienced some racism already here, slurs about him being foreign or something.
Selah was awfully understanding. She was sweet and soft spoken, she was supporting and gentle, encouraging and funny. Gabriel liked her. Alot. Had it not been for the fact that he almost broke into her apartment the first day, Gabe would be sitting on an airplane back to Brazil with a bad record for assault on foreign law enforcement and alcohol abuse. Who knew, he could have been on some illegal drug too and not know about it. Selah saved his life from being doomed to imprisonment and humiliation. She had taken time out of her night to come get him, to come calm him down and to make sure he didn't go to jail. For all Selah knew, he was a crazy foreign partier guy with a tendency for destruction and breaking in. Yet, out if the goodness of her heart, she had come with him to the hospital, she had defended him from the persecution of the cops. She had saved him. For that, Gabe was ever greatful for her sacrifice, the risks she took by challenging the cop. Selah even visited him often at the hospital, she brought him clothes from his apartment, she gave him a ride and was now taking him to this restaurant and talking to him. Being his friend. Gabriel never expected that he'd have someone be so nice to him, especially when they hardly knew each other. The white grin dimmed by the hideous appearance of his busted healing lip grew until his cheeks hurt when Selah pointed out that he had not only Garrett and Lorelei to keep him company, but her as well. Selah wasn't just going to leave him now that he was out of the hospital. It made Gabe feel like there was a chance again for this girl to actually... like him. Sure he wasn't that great at speaking English, and he had a bad rep already, but she stuck around. She liked him.
She had to, at least in a friendship way. Why else would she endure all the public humiliation that accompanied being his companion. He began to wonder if she'd introduce him to her friends, if they'd see each other more often on campus, if she'd help him with his studying some time over coffee. Gabriel felt a little sorry for Selah, actually, that she had to put up with his obnoxious behavior. For example, when he discovered that more than half his hair had disappeared, and was mangled up in the white gauze wrapped around his forehead. Gabriel didn't like the idea of not having his hair, the one familiar thing he had. That and soccer. He knew Selah was lying, with the way she forced a tight smile when she told him it didnt have much difference.
He could feel the difference now, all the cold air breezing against his neck aired scalp. "Stupid doctor... they didn't even ask me-!" Gabe grumbled under his breath, his hands gingerly touching the oily short, choppy strands. Selah, regardless, reached out to touch his face, moving the gauze so that some of the ugly hair had been hidden away. Short hair. He was going to wear hats and beanies from now on, until it grew. Anything but this wild messy array of awkwardly short hair! Gabe allowed Selah gladly to hold his hand, finding a bit of comfort in it to be touching her soft fingers. He gnawed on the side of his lip that was still intact and clean, trouble in his dark eyes. "Thank you," Gabe mumbled sullenly, his mood having been basically ruined by the news.
However, Selah took his comment too seriously, her face darkening right away with her eyes tearing away coldly from his. What had he said? Selah yanked her hand from his, returning it to her waist where she crossed her arms protectively. Her tone had become cross, a tone he wasn't familiar with coming from Selah. She'd never been so pissed with him before, and the reaction was shocking. She told him how it hadn't been her fault, implying that he should have been grateful that he was even alive with the life saving surgery. Gabe shut up then, apologetic and feeling rather guilty for overreacting. He hadn't meant it forcefully, he hadn't meant to offend Selah... he jsut wished he could take it back. "I know it is not, Selah..." he mumbled softly, sinking into his seat and avoiding all eye contact.
Luckily, the waitress swept in, with their orders balanced on her arm. The smell of the food made his mouth water, distracting him temporarily from the awkward matter. Gabriel picked up his burger and observed it from a few angles, absorbing it in all its greasy galore, before taking a large bite to quench his appetite. He knew he shouldnt have eaten fast, but the taste exploding in his mouth was just too tempting. Gabriel tried to tune out Selahs moody behavior, although it made him uncomfortable when she was down. He just determined he'd get through at least half of his burger before attempting conversation again. The food and the grease got onto his chin and his hands from having not been accustomed to having a big meal, and Gabriel just looked like an idiot and slob in front of dainty little Selah, sitting neatly with her wrap held delicately in her hands.
A minute passed of just content eating on Gabes part, his hands dabbing at his face with the already greasy paper napkin. He didn't think anything of the two guys who walked in being associated with when Selah began to choke on her food. "Selah! Are you okay?" Gabriel put down his food immediately, his greasy hands in mid air as he struggled to figure out what to do to help her. She was choking with tears pricking her eyes, her hands dropping the wrap immediately before she swigged her cherry coke greediily. The entire time Gabe sat there like an idiot, staring with a gaping mouth. A deep voice, an American male voice, suddenly startled Gabriel coming from behind them. He said Selahs name and began to talk to her, not even addressing Gabe. Did Selah know this guy? The guy carried on in conversation with Selah, saying how she hadn't picked up her phone so he had left a message. So they were on calling basis now? Who was this guy? Gabe felt uncomfortable and embrassed, grabbing a napkin to discreetly wipe down his face.
The dude finally noticed Gabriel, breaking off midsemtence with amusement. Selah assured him that he handy interrupted anything,and that to Gabe had been a wee bit of an insult. Of course Selah didn't mean it as in Gabe wasn't important, but of course, with the language barrier, Gabe assumed the worst. Gabe gave this Wayne guy a tight smile, looking more like he was grimacing instead of actually being polite. He was grimacing. He hated this Wayne guy, whoever he was. Gabe didn't care what class Wayne was in. "Hello," Gabe said curtly, picking up his burger and resuming small nibbles now. His appetite was gone. He didn't like the way Selah was smiling about the appearance of a new guy. Normally he would have competed and tried to win Selah over first, but in his decrepit, messy, sluggish, smelly state, he didn't have the heart or the confidence to do it. Especially with his hair gone, and his physical strength impaired.
Gabe didn't like to upset people. Not certain people, anyway. You know, the ones he cared about, the ones he loved, the ones who took care of him. He didn't want to upset those sorts, because when he did, he never knew how to fix. Then they always drifted away, because his efforts to mend things always resulted in terrible, terrible things. Gabriel, even as he ate, felt disgusted purely in himself, stupid for being so picky about his hair when Selah couldn't have done a single thing to save it. Perhaps it was jsut an American thing to be so uptight, or something was bothering her. Maybe she was tired, or just plain fed up with his presence after babysitting him for a few weeks. It had been her idea to take him to lunch, though, so what was she really feeling? If she hated him that much, wouldn't she want to jsut drop him off at the apartment and get rid of him? Gabriel, on top of all his uncertainty, was foreign, so anything could be misinterpreted and escalate things. That's what happened just then, anyway. Wayne sounded sleazy, but then again, Gabe was blinded by his extreme flash of jealousy and hatred for the new guy. It was a sort of family thing for him, having an impulsive characteristic when you were passionate about the things, or people, you loved. How dare this guy come in out of nowhere and come talk to Selah like that! He didn't like the casual attitude, the laid back drawl, the arm around Selahs shoulder. Who was this guy? Of course, Selah would have some sort of male companion, boyfriend or not. She was stunning, sweet, and had a huge heart for even the misfit, the outcast. Gabriel couldn't help but feel the burning jealousy in his stomach right then, his food going down his throat in thick lumps. Was it hotter in here, or just him?
Selah was blushing, or still pink from choking, he couldnt tell. Why did this happen to him? Why was he so stupid as to get his hopes up? His self esteem was exceptionally low at the moment on top of everything else, and Gabe sunk further into his booth seat while he stared at his plate. He blankly chewed slowly now on his burger, letting the grease sloppily dribble from his scruffy chin. From the silver knife propped across his dish, he could see a sliver of his hideous reflection. Compared to golden boy Wayne, Gabe was utterly disgusted with himself. His hair was a choppy mess, bandages still here and there, and his face had a few bruises and cuts still fading unto ugly shades. Any muscle he had had melted away in the hospital, and his sickly skin tone was no match for Waynes perfect tan from lacrosse. Gabe had his wrinkled clothes on, his fingers clutching the juicy burger while it dripped onto the plate slowly. Normally, Gabriel couldn't stop looking at his hot reflection and admitting to himself that he was good looking, that he could find a girl easily, that he had a chance with someone. Now, even as a foreigner, Gabe felt out of place, dirty, and unexceptional.
It wasn't fair. Now they were sharing onion rings? Selah didn't say anything as Wayne took one of the greasy rings from the stack, eating it without a second of hesitation. As if it were completely normal behavior. How could Selah lead him on like this? Or was he too stupid and foreign to pick up the fact that Selah already had a man in mind? Someone who actually spoke English and didn't preoccupy himself with breaking doors open and getting impossibly intoxicated. Wayne began to drone about stats or something like that, something about a review sheet and brutal. Gabriel would show Wayne brutal... He didn't dare look up from his plate, his head ducked silently as he struggled to keep his emotional flares in check. Injured or not, he felt like flying at Wayne, telling him to get out, to leave.
He tucked his feet tightly against his side of the booth, ignoring the fact that Waynes outstretched leg faintly touched Gabriels toe. If he moved it, it would be awkward. Wayne still hadn't really cared to notice him yet. When Wayne finally addressed the Brazilian at the table, there was an equally unsettled look shot in Gabe way, something combined with weirded out and disgusted and confused. He didn't know what Wayne meant to Selah, but he didn't dare open his mouth and say the rude comment he had been so close to, shoving a straw in his mouth instead and sipping up his drink. Loudly. Gabriel was known to be a child when it came to getting his way or being polite, but you had to understand. He was really, really trying here. Selah gave him a look that he didn't particularly like either, but it was enough to wipe the hateful furrow of his eyebrows off his face. For now.
He just felt awkward at the table now, with his feet itching to move, get out of here, give those two stupid lovebirds some space. He was just a burden, a complaining, whining, ungrateful burden, with a crappy haircut and crappy mood. The grease in his stomach began to mix with the unsettled emotions, and soon, with less than half of the burger left over, he set it down on his plate in defeat. He had no appetite left. The fries now tasted like dough in his mouth, his jaw slowly rotating to chew on the potatoes emotionlessly now. He was careful to mind his manners, so as not to embarass Selah more. Even though she had this stupid new boy toy, he still liked her enough to have respect for her. He didn't need to act out any more after the last incident, one that had nearly cost him his year at the university.
All the joking around a d teasing was making Gabe sick, genuinely sick. It was the grease in his stomach and the sudden inhalation, really, but he blamed Wayne and Selah. Maybe Selah would rather have someone who didn't beat up policemen, someone who didn't freak out and blame her if the hospital nurses cut his hair in an unnmannerly gross fashion. Someone who probably had a good job, a nice upbringing, and perfect English speech. Someone who was local. Normally when Gabe liked a girl, it lasted a week at the most, maybe two. They had a thing, then they parted ways. Gabe was the one who broke hearts, it was never the other way around. He'd never had his heart broken, he'd never liked someone so much to the point where he actually felt hurt when things didn't pan out how they were supposed to. At leaat, in his eyes. Selah and him were supposed to have a nice lunch, he was supposed to make charming compliments, make her laugh, have her fall deeper for him while he did the same for her. There was no Wayne in Gabriels perfect, happy little land. Er, in his dreams.
How could he have been so silly to assume Selah would take him? He was crazy! Gabe dragged a particularly long fry through the ketchup on his plate, chomping down on it and inhaling sharply as his cheekbone stung from the sudden movement. He looked sort of homeless, with the way he was so cautious about eating, added to his weird appearance and scruffy hair cut. Wayne kept his arm around Selah, and she still made no attempt to move it. That was supposed to be him. He was supposed to have his arm around Selah. He was supposed to be taking her onion rings. Gabe stomach churned and dropped, until he heard Waynes drawling voice directed at him. It was full of accusation and amusement, his tone sarcastic and mocking.
Heat flashed in Gabes eyes, the French fry he had picked up being dropped right back down. He knew how to recognize sarcasm anywhere. He knew Wayne wasn't being nice. There was no way he was being nice at all! He was making fun of him! Selah seemed to sit back, hot breath escaping Gabriels mouth in his defense as he tensed his shoulders. "I'm just her friend," he snapped at the both of them, embarassed and humiliated with the status he had succumbed to with Waynes presence. Obviously, Selah liked Wayne. Obviously. Gabe felt his fists curl under the table, his food half eaten as it began to grow cold on the table. At the same time, Gabriels upset stomach made him extra irritated, his jaw locked and tightened as he tore his eyes away from Waynes challenging ones.
"Stop looking at me!" Gabe roared out of nowhere, slamming his fist on the table. Here went his cool. Temper, lost. Gone. It earned a few swiveled heads, plenty of surprise among everyone else. Standing to his feet in a hurry, Gabe made motion to go to the bathroom, perhaps to stay there until he could breathe without feeling like strangling this Wayne person, or until he could meet Selahs eyes. Those two would probably make out anyway, right? He'd just wash his hands, sit on the sink until who jnew when.
Ouchhh worst thing to say to a foreigner
It was an understatement to say that Wayne got on Gabriels nerves. Not only did he come here and steal the woman he loved, but he had to make it very obvious and uncomfortable to the point where even Selah was losing her patience. Gabe didn't want to eat anymore, the thrill of being on a date having fizzled out and dried long ago. Now, chewing was just a chore, and he was forcing hismelf to swallow every bite. Forcing. It was clear that he was making Selah upset with the way he was acting so contemptuously, but what else was he supposed to do, kiss Waynes feet? Gabe knew that he should have left the table to give Selah some space with this America boy she seemed to like so much, but he couldnt find it in his pride to do it. He was hideous and decrepit, lame and weak, but he wasn't just going to hand Selah over. Turns out, in a few seconds, that insistent attitude he'd had about not giving Selah up without a fight disappeared pretty quick too, along with his appetite, hopes, and dreams. He wouldn't even look up as he heard chuckling, Waynes charming laugh echoing in Gabe ears. It was like he was mocking him. Gabe sipped his drink impatiently, as if still wishing thst he would leave and go back to his friend ordering at a different table. Maybe Gabe could go sit there instead. Perhaps the other guys company was much more pleasant than Wayne and Selahs, seeing as he wasn't wanted here anyway. It broke his heart to see Selah sitting there, accepting and enjoying Waynes endearing touches, his words, his talk about stats... and he was just sitting there, chopped liver. Just when he thought that he'd actually fall in love with a girl, the proper way, not the manwhore way, he was greatly let down. Maybe love jsut wasn't for him, especailly not here where white was the majority and brown didn't quite fit.
He was no match to Wayne, with his tall American height, his sturdy arms and shoulders, his athletic build, his casual unawkward demeamor, his confidence. Gabriel just felt like trash. He'd never felt more disgusting than now, his insides churning. He was far beyond full and his stomach was starting to disagree, but he couldnt stop eating. If he did, what else would he do to keep from slamming Waynes head into the table? Collecting trash like the homeless person he was? Oh wait, he couldnt collect himself now could he. He was pretty sure that Selah was through with taking care of him, annoyed that he wasn't leaving yet and had insisted on sticking around just to make her miserable. That wasn't his intention, but he could feel it. Being rejected wasn't something you wanted to feel, especailly... if it was someone you liked. Someone you saw yourself holding hands with. Someone you looked up to with respect, and grstitude... someone who you thought liked you back. That was the worst rejection.
His attention on how sick he felt was interjected by a waving napkin in his face, from Selah. She pointed to her chin and raised her eybrows, suggesting that he wipe his scruffy chin that had greased dribbled down it. Embarassed and humiliated, his pale sickly cheeks darkened with red, his fingers fumbling the napkin and dabbing it weakly on his face. He needed a shave, and a better haircut, a shoeer, change of clothes, and a new life. A restart button. Wayne laughed at him condescendingly teasing Selah for looking our for him at all. Waynes mouth was full of onion ring as he spoke, his lazy drawl bringing irritation to the surface of Gabes expression. At the moment, he couldnt stand either of them at the table, Selah because her refusal to acknowledge the fact that he liked her and that he was upset now, and Wayne, because he was Wayne. Selah looked sway momentarily, Waynes blue eyes narrowing in distaste as he looked Gabe up and down in his haggard state.
Gabriel couldn't resist sticking his middle finger up visibly at the table, mouthing the words to go along with it. He didn't see that z Selah had turned back around, catching his guilty act immediately. He tried to play it off cool, but he knew she wasn't going to tolerate him much anymore if at all. The conversation picked up without him again, Gabe dipping his fries into his ketchup and dragging it around in a mess with already greasy hands. He didn't even want to listen to what they were saying, his hands then toying with the napkin and ripping tiny shreds off. He didn't care of he made a mess of himself anymore, or thst he seemed even more unkempt and without manners. He lost Selah, and he didn't care anymore. He didn't care to impress Wayne, not even Selah. What was the use or trying to look good for someone who wasn't interested in the slightest bit in your foreign self?
Gabe found that his stitches by his ribs had begun to throb, his body shriveled and weak as he bent over his plate, bored with the food and himself. Then, someone's foot crushed his, a heavy leg stretching across past his knees. Wayne. Gabriels eyes shot up form his plate, his muscles tense despite everything else that was hurting and screaming for him to go lay down in the car or something. He didn't even have time to tell Wayne off, because Selah was already giving Gabe that look of hers. This wasn't fair! Wayne was bathing in self satisfaction, pride oozing from his pores. It was hard to breathe, Gabes eyes stinging as he tried to hide the hurt he felt. Lunch dragged on long after they'd finished eating, Gabriel fumbling with the straw wrapper to keep hismelf level headed.
He wasn't as much as angry anymore, having accepted his defeat to Wayne passively just to appease Selah, but now he was feeling really sick and heart broken. He couldn't stop glancing to his knife on his plate, his chopped messy hair sticking up in patches around the bandage. He played with his napkin again, examined his bruised knuckles, and tapped his foot under the table as he watched cars go by outside the window. He'd let any of them take him away from here. Even the old woman's hatchback. With the conversation in English hurting his head, he stopped trying to interpret what was being said, only mildly interested in the fact that Selah was getting ready to leave and pay the bill. Wayne didn't get the hint, talking over her about stats still and how she was good looking.
That was all he caught, and it set flames in his eyes. Selah brushed him off, using an excuse that she had work Friday to avoid him... until Saturday. Suddenly, Waynes tone became accusing, his language full of venom as he shot a piercing blue gaze at Gabe, huddled over his messy plate and greasy hands. The accusation was ridiuclous, and even Gabe dropped his jaw. He wished Selah wanted to hang out with him on Friday. He wished. What a loser, Gabe thought, annoyed that Wayne would accuse Selah like that, so rudely. He didn't deserve her, he didn't like how ugly Wayne got when he didn't get what he wanted. It all fueled his snap in patience when he slammed his fist on the table, roaring at Wayne in his last warning. Before Gabe could rwact, however, his opponent retaliated by shoving Gabe from his seat, his lighter body flying from the booth as he landed on his side, his stomach and elbow breaking the fall. Right. On. His. Stitches. Gabriel gasped for air, the wind knocked clear from him once again. He struggled just to move his hand to his ribs, clutching himself painfully as his skin began to heat. He felt dizzy, ready to vomit, a scab on his elbow having been smashed in as blood began to leak from its repairs.
Gabe moaned, his breathing shaky and unstable as he pushed himself on his side with his other elbow, his vision blurred by automatic tears. He couldn't take this pain. He heard Selah say soemthing about his head, Waynes voice still ringing in his ears long after he'd said it. Go back to where you came from. Gabe had never felt so isolated and alone, so despised for just being his color, his race. His chest constricted, his dim teary eyes looking to Selah as she stood by. Very well. He'd go, on his own, but not without teaching Wayne a lesson. Now that everyone was stsring, Gabe felt compelled that he had to fight back, that he couldnt jsut be weak. And so, Gabriel slowly, painstakingly crawled to his feet, whimpering and inhaling sharply when his strained stitches stabbed into his insides.
Using the table as support, a wild, defensive look in his eyes, Gabe poised himself to launch at Wayne. Launch. Giving up the last reserves of his energy, Gabriel let out a cry, flinging his body at Waynes in a flurry of flailing fists. They wrestled, and it became obvious right sway that Gabes weakened injured state was no match for Waynes toned athletic one. It took no more than five seconds for Wayne to pin Gabe against the booth divider, a fistful of his hair in Waynes hand. Gabriel cried out, his hands pinned behind his back with his front shoved up against the wall of the diner now. He could feel Wayne triumphantly breathing down his neck, forcefully squeezing Gabes hair a little tighter. He felt like he'd pass out. Just as Wayne was to finish him off with a shove to the tile floors, Selah had come to intervene. By now, the entire diner had turned around in their seats, and Waynes companion was filming it all. Round 2, humiliation.
He couldn't hear or see much, his senses damaged by so much strain and overexertion. He couldn't hear what Selah was doing or saying to Wayne, but as soon as his grip slackened on the back of his head and around his wrists. Gabe forced hismelf to whip around, full of fury. He was so finished with this white boy. He was sick of being tossed around, being the weak one. He was going home, after he just got a few punches and kicks in. He'd pack his bags tonight, quit the university. He didn't care about his dreams anymore. He would much rather be back with his people, happy, safe, with familiar surroundings, sights, and smells. Wayne stumbled back at Gabes sudden force, his arm swinging to punch the first object to come in conact with it. He had assumed, at first, that it would be Wayne, seeing as he had been the one behind him holding on to his arms, but he didn't know Selah had sandwiched between them, putting a little bit of distance.
He accidentally had slugged Selah in the cheek, gasps audible. Gabes wide eyes caught sight of what he had just done, how Wayne was standing... a little farther than he remembered. In a blank state of absolute horror, Gabe just shook his head, refusing to believe it. He was do done, so finished. He had hurt her. Hurt her! Blood soiled from her nose, everything around him happening in slow motion. He couldn't control himself as his feet hit the tiles, taking him running as far as he could until he was outside in the blistering Florida heat. Gabriel couldn't see where he was going, the overflow of tears thst sprung to his eyes making it hard to make out objects. His stitches burned, his elbows stung, and his fist throbbed from the contact of Selahs face, and unbeknownst to him, he was sobbing, loud, in thst traumatized way with wide fearful eyes. He was lost and confused, spinning around as he tried to gain his direction bearings in the parkinglot as cars honked, halted to a stop. He was nearly hit by one particular suv, leaping out if the ways in the last moment as he saw his life flash before his eyes again. Gabe stumbled to the side of the building, angry swears and shouts directed at him thrown like rocks. In the back alleyway of the diner, by the dumpster where he belonged, Gabes legs gave out, his ditches bleeding through his shirt and his chest heaving uncontrollably. He was hysterical, curling up on the floor in a fetal position. He had screwed himself over, so hard.
Let me know when yoire online and ill type
I was just saying id type my response when you got online for a bit
The back alley, under the direct blistering heat of the sun above, burned. The asphalt stung at the touch, Gabriel could feel the heat rise up through his shoes. For the moment, as he leaned up against the wall of the dirty alley, surrounded with terrible garbage smells and rotten food and shattered glass, he couldnt care about his own well being and health. Despite the fact that the unwavering heat was dehydrating him quickly, rolls of sweat pouring down his cheeks and neck, Gabriel didn't want to move. Sobs echoed in the empty alley, his strangled cries the only noise that rung in his ears. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, it hurt to feel. His heart had shattered with Selahs nose, his fist still ached with the impact. He felt so monstrous and disgusting, unable to face what he'd done.He never wanted to go back to his apartment, he had to have a new building, a new street altogether. He didn't even want to go to school anymore, horrified with the turn of events. The video of him being beaten by Wayne was already making its way around Twitter, and it wouldn't take long for him to have his notoriety of being in fights and disturbing the peace to have his scholarship evoked. He'd worked so hard to get here, to Florida and this amazing American University, but all the signs pointed against him going here. Maybe it was best if he left, If he ran away and went home to Brazil. Maybe Wayne was right. He needed to go back where he came from. His chances with Selah were absolutely destroyed, his soccer team position was jeopardized with his injuries, and he was falling behind in classes due to his absences. It was all a lost cause, this had been a waste of his savings. People like Gabe didn't belong in places like Florida.
His head swelled and pounded in rythm, his heart beat skittering irregularly. His skin was turning pink from the sun, his eyes squinted against the excruciating sunlight. The stitches on his face and torso had been disturbed, painfully straining against his skin. The one that had ruptured over his ribs made it so he bled profusely, his hand clutched over his wound as he struggled to make sense of everything. This wasn't fair. At all. Why did jerks like Wayne get girls like Selah? Since when was it cool and admirable to be mean? Gabriel felt like passing out, overexerted in his energy sources. His scalp ached from being bashed at by Waynes rough hands, especailly when the guy had taken a fistful of his hair and thrown him against the diner booth. Whimpering weakly with parched lips, his eyes stung with the salt leftover from his tears as they evaporated in the sun. The humidity made it hard for Gabe to breathe as well, his body squirming with discomfort against the scorching asphalt.
Just when he'd thought he was completely alone, and that nobody would ever look at him again, a familiar voice echoed down the alley. Gabriel inhaled sharply in a gasp, terrified if this person was Selah, coming to scold him or something of the like. It was not, but instead, it was Lorelei, a can held out in her hand as she unsteady entered the alley. She made it clear she was looking for him, although he made no movement to go join her. He didn't feel good about himself, he figured it was a waste if loreleis time to bother her. "I-I am okay, you go away from me," Gabriel rasped, still struggling with shaky breathing. How she even found him was astonishing. Were the police here? Was Selah in an ambulance to go get her nose fixed thanks to him? Had he knocked her unconsious? He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. Gabriel swallowed a painful lump in his throat, his fists curling tightly.
His arm was littered with new bruises from where Wayne had handled him roughly, and sweat soaked his shirt. The blood stain was slowly growing bigger, a shocking red blotch expanding across his stomach. Gabriels head picked up when Lorelei mentioned Selah, and that's when he really payed attention. Gabes eyes, well, the one that wasn't swollen shut, widened at what Lorelei mentioned, his stomach churning. Selah was okay...? Was she? He was relieved, his heart skipping a few beats. She was okay. And, on top of that, she knew it had been an accident. She knew that Gabriel hadn't tried to hurt her on purpose... so maybe not everything was completely as lost as it had seemed. Did he have a chance with her? No. None at all.
Selah liked that big Wayne guy, and the guy liked her back. He was white, a native English speaker, and tall. Strong. Muscular. He was a jock, played sports, and was intelligent in mathematics. Wayne knew Selah for longer, he didn't hurt her, and could keep his temper under wraps. He was charming, and had plenty of friends by the looks of it. Gabriel? Gabriel was the complete opposite. He'd gotten himself almost arrested, he troubled Selah in the middle of the night with his drunken habits, he brought on stress to her alreayd stressful college career. He started fights, he hurt people, and was quick to get angry. He lived in Brazil, he was basically poor, had no idea of his way around Florida, and couldn't do math to save his own life. He constantly caused her scenes, and upset her. He complicated her life.
Gabriel struggled to stand to his feet, regardless of how dejected he felt. He just wanted to clean up and sleep in his own apartment, lock himself in there until he recovered. He never wanted to face Selah again, he was so ashamed. He had never looked so sickly, he almost resembled a zombie with his washed out skin tone, his sickened expression, and his limping gait. Gabe emerged in the alley, peering at Lorelei with a sullen expression. "Take me home," he asked softly, his tone broken and rejected. He had no energy for this. Gabe tried to pick his pace to match loreleis best he could, although sharp pains ate at his chest with nearly every footstep he took. Lorelei unlocked the car for them, and Gabe mumbled thanks. He didn't dare look at her, look at the waitresses that had watched Gabriel from the restaurant window after the turn of events. Gabe was just known for being the crazy foreigner, that he was up to no good. It was a reputation that could kiss his future goodbye. Back to teaching little kids soccer.
Lorelei showed no signs of irritation or hatred towards Gabe, and it made him wonder if Selah had really told her the entire story. It had felt like hurting Selah would hurt her spontaneous roommate as well, but this was clearly not the case with Lorelei. She showed more sympathy for Gabriel and his current unfortunate dilemma than he would have ever expected. It wasn't often that he was taken care of like he had been the past few weeks, pampered and made sure he was comfortable and feeling alright. In his current state, he was drowning in his woes and his sorrows, his regrets and his miseries. He punched, punched Selah in the face. He hurt her. Granted, it had been by accident. Selah didn't know that. She probably didn't even care! He'd screwed her chances with being with that awful white washed Wayne guy that she seemed to adore, and now, he'd become the enemy. No matter how he tried to justify it and turn it around, make it sound better than it really was, it didn't work. He couldn't keep lying to himself that Selah would probably have no problem with what he had done, and accept him into open arms. The confusion stirring in his mind mixed with uncertainty and disgust in the pit of his stomach. The car ride proved to be the longest one he'd ever had in his life, his body throbbing or stinging with fresh new pains despite his immobility. He clutched his chest where his first stitch had tore at his skin from being thrown around, his breathing shallow and careful so as not to rip his skin any more. He just wanted to crawl onto the floor of his apartment and die. To think of the humiliation that he would bring on himself! The video of the fight in the diner no doubt was getting around somehow, since Americans seemed so adept at doing that sort of thing. Going viral, it was called. Soon he'd be the joke of the school, disgracing himself, his country, and worst of all, his friends. He alreayd took it for granted that Selah had lost any of the little interest she had had in him with that final blow.
"No!" He blurted forcefully, his eyes widening. He wasn't going back there, never ever again on his life. It was too much to handle, and just the sheer shock and thought of going back under a needle to get his body back into prime playing shape was just torturous. Excrutiating. Already, it was a dent in his career, both professional and athletic. "I just want to go home," he amended softly, shrinking back into his seat in apology and embarassment. The apartment was safe. At the apartment, he'd be alone, in the quiet, and nobody would be starting fights that he'd lose. He was thirsty, dizzy, and a bit delirious from a lack of sleep and a disorienting schedule. During the drive to what he trusted would be the apartment, Gabriel kept his head in his hand, his elbow propped on the arm rest of the cardoor, his non-swollen and stitched eye being shut. Black dots danced behind his eyelids, and he fought the car's pull when they stopped and accelerated with Loreleis sharp driving.
He couldn't have prepared for their destination when he opened his eyes again. Lorelei had slowed down, a shift from her high speed maneuvering from just moments before. He'd thought that theyd arrived at the complex and she'd been dropping him off at the curb, but he was so wrong. His bloodshot brown eyes flickered across the all too familiar sights, horror and disdain filling his expression. "Here-? No hospital, Lori, I don't want it," Gabriel wheedled, shaking his head and wincing at the jarring pain that jolted through his skull. At that point, he felt nothing but brisk anger at the driver. He'd requested to go home, how hard could it have been just to drive him home? He didn't need the care, he didn't want it. He jsut wanted to be left alone! What would it take for a miracle to bless his sorry turn of events?
"No!" Gabriel howled once again, hearing Lori ask the same exact question she'd asked him on the start of their drive. He was tempted to break out of the car and just start walking, but he knew he wasn't going far with his conditions. That, and a paramedic or nurse would have taken him down on a stretcher for certain. He fumed and steamed as grouchily as he could, glowering straight ahead. In his current state, he admittedly did look intimidating, scary, and unforgivingly creepy, like someone who'd walked out of a zombie movie. Gabe had just been about to argue again with the last few ounces of strength he thought he'd be able to muster up, but Loreleis widened gaze and expletive caught his attention. He turned his head and followed Loreleis eyes, and he regretted that he even got in the car to begin with.
Their eyes locked, Gabes with fear and genuine concern, Selahs with bitterness and malice. Her nose was bandaged in some spots,and the severity seemed to make Selah move about in a different way so as not to hurt her nose more than he had. He hated, hated Lorelei. Why would she do this? Had this been the plan? Selah briskly entered the vehicle via backseat, her cold attitude shattering any possibility of his speculations thar she still cared or even wanted to associate with him. Those words hurt, and they hurt more than any bruise or rib fracture could. Gabe grit his teeth in dismay, his eyes feeling hot and watery. The atmosphere was tense and heavy, while Selahs eyes burned through his headrest. Seconds passed, and no one said anything. Gabe couldn't stand it. "I- Lori was drive me to the... the apartment and she stop here," Gabe tumbled and tripped over his words, his voice quiet and wavering.
It was silent again, and the noiseless pained his ears. He'd never felt so... unwanted. It burned inside of him, it tore his heart into little Itty bitty pieces. The girl he'd fallen for despised him. Couldn't stand him. At this point, he couldnt see any chances of them going in another date ever again, not even a slim one. It was gone. He was crushed and deflated, his expression flat and miserable. He decided to turn in his seat as Lorelei murmured a few words, inhaling sharply as his side stabbed at him. "Selah... I'm sorry," he whimpered, close to losing his mind again. "I wanted to punch Wayne, but... your came close, it was accident, it was accident I swear ! I would never punch you on purpose-!" His tone was shrill frantic as the words spilled faster from his mouth and as the pain became unbearable.
His head pounded and sweat beaded down his neck, but he kept going. "How bad is it? I pay for the hospital bill, I'll do it," he said withe weak determination. He was broke. He'd meant to pick up a job as soon as he got here for part time. He not only had his bills to deal with, but living costs. He was poor enough as it was. He really, really couldn't have afforded Selahs bills, but here he was, desperate to do anything to make her at least not tense at the sight of him. He'd lost a friend, essentially his only friend. He wondered if his soccer buddies still cared. Gabes fsce was crestfallen, his eyes flickering away from Selahs. He couldn't keep it up, the whole eye contact thing. Sinking back into his seat, Gabriel swallowed a thick lump in the back of his throat. He just wanted to "go back where he came from" at rhis point. He was just a lowly brown kid anyway.
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Muse A has been studying abroad for their last semester of college and it’s finally the second to last day before everyone flies back home for graduation. Muse A meets up with a group of classmates for drinks before everyone must pack up and return to the states. While out at a bar/party, Muse A encounters Muse B, a charming local. Muse A and Muse B feel an instant chemistry between them. They talk for hours, even long after the rest of Muse A's classmates have moved on to another location. Though Muse A is leaving in 24 hours, Muse B promises to show Muse A a time they will never forget if they spend the following day with them. Thinking it might be exhilarating to soak in the foreign city with an attractive native, Muse A agrees to spend the entire day with Muse B before they have to depart. The next day, Muse B is true to their word and shows Muse A an amazing time. Feelings blossom quickly. When the sun sets, neither one wants to part from the other, so they spend the night together too, eventually falling asleep in each other’s arms. On the morning of Muse A's flight home, Muse A realizes that they’re not ready to leave yet. Despite the inevitable backlash they’ll face from their parents for blowing off graduation and the possibility that the spark between Muse A and Muse B will fizzle over time, Muse A purposely miss their flight to take a chance on a summer romance with Muse B.