New Leaves, No Strings (39 page)

‘I left them in my locker on campus
after swimming last night, so I wouldn’t have to go home again. I just need a
pee, I’ll be back in a second, unless you want to come and do it for me again?’
he smirked.

‘I’ll pass this time big boy, but
hurry up.’

‘Are we going or what?’ yelled Lexi.
I went and stood in the hall with her and waited for Gabe to come out.

‘Gabe, we’re going to miss the bus,’
I called after a couple of minutes when he still hadn’t appeared. He finally
came out carrying my bag, but didn’t respond when I smiled at him.

‘We’d better move or we’re going to
have to pay for a cab as the next one will get us in late,’ said Lexi.

I opened the door and we all
hurried down the stairs and ran to the bus stop, it was already waiting and
started to pull away as we approached. Gabe ran faster and yelled at it to stop
and banged on the side window and luckily it pulled up for us to hop on. He got
on first and asked for three tickets, but Lexi and I flashed our passes at him
smiling. He purchased his ticket and headed straight for the back seat and went
in first, as I went to move in, he put my bag on the seat next to him.

‘Gabe, what’s that all about?’ I
asked as I picked it up and dropped it on the floor and sat next to him.

‘Just giving you some space, isn’t
that what you wanted?’

‘What?’ I asked surprised. His tone
was sullen and he wasn’t smiling.

‘I thought you didn’t like being
crowded, or were you lying about that too?’ he asked as he shot me a dark look.

‘What are you going on about? Lying
about what?’ I asked confused.

‘Nothing, forget it,’ he said
scowling at me.

‘Forget what? I’ve no idea what’s
going on other than you suddenly being really pissed off with me for no reason.
I told you I’m fine now.’

‘There’s damn good reason Mia. Just
forget it, this isn’t the time or place to discuss it,’ he snapped as he looked
at me quickly and then turned away and stared intently out of the window, his
arms folded tightly across his chest.

I sat open mouthed and looked at
his reflection. His eyes had narrowed and he had a real scowl on his face. What
the hell was going on with him? He was fine earlier and now he had this whole
fucked off aura about him. We sat in silence for most of the journey. I looked
over at Lexi, but she was too engrossed in a game to notice. I looked back at
him, but he still seemed really tense.

‘Where are you?’ I asked as I put
my hand on his thigh and I knew I didn’t imagine feeling him stiffen up.

‘Right here with you.
Still
,’
he said as he continued to stare out of the window.

‘No you’re not. You look really
distant, what’s on your mind?’

‘Leave it be Mia,’ he said with a
heavy sigh.

‘Is this about my attack this
morning?’

 ‘No and I told you not now,’ he
snapped and ran a hand over his face.

‘Fine don’t talk to me then,’ I
snapped back, pissed off with him too at this point. ‘But don’t think I’m
letting you off that easily. You won’t even look at me. We’re going to have to talk
whether you like it or not.’

‘O don’t worry, we’ll be talking
about it, but I already told you this isn’t the time or place,’ he hissed,
finally turning to shot me down with a glare before looking away again. The bus
pulled up at our stop and I looked at him feeling annoyed and puzzled at the
same time, before following Lexi down the aisle. Gabe hopped off behind me and quickly
marched away, with my Uni bag on his back, before I’d even had a chance to say
anything or kiss him goodbye.

‘Ok what was that about?’ asked
Lexi.

‘I’ve absolutely no idea,’ I said
shaking my head, shell shocked.

‘He looked seriously pissed.’

‘Yeah he did didn’t he? He didn’t
even kiss me goodbye.’

‘What have you done?’

‘I haven’t done anything,’ I said
indignantly. ‘Why do you assume I’ve done something?’

‘His bloody world revolves around
you Mia, if he’s pissed it’s something to do with you.’

‘Well I don’t know. We were fine
back at the apartment. He was really sweet making sure I was ok. He went for a
pee and came out in a foul mood. I tried to talk to him on the bus and he muttered
something about it not being the right time.’

‘International man of mystery that
one. Slow down I want a fag before we go in.’

‘Lexi,’ I exclaimed giving her a
look.

‘What?’ she said as she fished one
out and dangled it from the corner of her mouth as she rummaged for her
lighter. I nodded to her stomach.

‘O for fucks sake,’ she said rolling
her eyes at me. ‘Like it makes a difference Mia. I’ve smoked and been wasted
countless times since it happened and it’s not like I’m keeping it.’

‘Doesn’t it just feel wrong though?
Now that you know?’

‘No,’ she replied forcefully.

‘Really?’

‘It’s my body, when did you become
master of it?’ she said flashing me a glare.

‘But Lexi you’re pregnant, it’s not
just you now.’

‘I don’t need this shit, especially
not from you,’ she snapped and stormed off.

I plonked myself down on a bench
and put my head in my hands. I was having a really great morning. I heard a
gentle cough and looked up and saw Milo standing over me.

‘Hey, everything ok?’

‘Hi Milo, yes I’m fine thanks, you?’

‘Well you don’t look fine Mia.’

‘Sorry,’ I sighed. ‘Actually no,
I’m really not, I was just trying to be polite. Do you ever just have one of
those mornings where you
think
everything’s fine, but for some reason
everyone gets mad at you?’

‘Yeah I’ve been there,’ he nodded
as he sat next to me.

‘Well today’s my day. Would you
like to storm off now and get it over with? I’m sure I can do something to piss
you off in the next five minutes.’

He put his arm around me and
squeezed me to his shoulder. It felt really comforting. ‘I don’t see how you
could piss anyone off Mia, you’re so easy to be around.’

‘Thanks Milo. Tell me about you,
how’s your week been?’

‘Ok,’ he said as he let go of me. ‘I’ve
discovered the student bar and pool hall and had a great night with some of the
lads from my Italian group.’

‘You’re studying Italian too?’ I
asked surprised.

‘Well, I’m already reasonably
fluent and I figured I ought to make the effort seeing as how it’s part of my
heritage. I plan to go backpacking around Italy with Jenny next summer. How
about you? What are your plans for the summer?’

‘I don’t even know what my plans
are for Christmas yet Milo and that’s so not like me. I like having control in
my life, knowing what’s coming up, but lately that seems to be completely shot
to hell.’

‘Maybe that’s why you’re feeling
out of sorts. Come on, or we’ll be late.’

I linked arms with him and we were
laughing and joking as we approached the doors to English and I saw then open
and Gabe walked out. He froze staring at Milo and I laughing and I watched a
dark cloud come over his face as he looked at our linked arms and I let go of
Milo immediately.

‘Gabe I …’

‘Your bag’s on your table,’ he snapped,
then turned and quickly strode away.

‘Gabe? GABE?’ I called, but he kept
walking and didn’t look back. What the hell was going on?

‘Wow, you’re right you’ve really
pissed him off. Is he always this moody or just when he sees me with you?’

‘No,’ I sighed. ‘He’s probably the
sweetest and most caring guy I’ve ever met Milo. Something’s up though, I just
don’t know what.’

We walked in and I saw my bag on my
usual table, Lexi was already there and had taken the seat away from Andrew
again.

‘See you later,’ smiled Milo as he
went to find his place and left me to sit at mine.

‘Sorry for being a bitch,’ said
Lexi without even looking at me.

‘No I’m sorry Lex, I shouldn’t have
said anything. You’re right, it has nothing to do with me.’

‘Yes it does, you’re my best friend.
I’m going to need you to get through this.’

‘You’ll always have me Lexi.’ I reached
under the table and squeezed her hand.

‘So Gabe’s
seriously
pissed
off. He had a word with Jenkins then dumped your bag on the table. He asked me
where you were before he left.’

‘He just saw me in the corridor
with Milo, god if looks could kill Lex. He just walked away from me and didn’t
even look back. I just don’t know what I’ve done.’

‘You ok?’

‘I don’t know, I feel … I don’t
know … unsettled I guess, hurt even.’

‘So when he comes back in try and
get him to meet you outside and talk.’

I nodded, she was right, he needed
to explain his behaviour. I decided to text him.

Why are you so mad at
me? I don’t understand what I’ve done. Let me know before you come back into
English and I’ll come out to see you

I kept checking my phone for a
response, but by 3 p.m. I knew he wasn’t coming back. It didn’t stop me from
looking over at his empty seat and imagining I saw him there, smiling at me like
normal. I was up and out of my seat like a gazelle at five and raced out into
the corridor and rang his number, but it went straight to answer machine.

‘
Gabe what the hell’s going on? You’re
so pissed at me and I don’t even know what I did. Please call me, I need you to
talk to me.
’ I sighed as I hung up, when did I turn into the needy
girlfriend? I was supposed to be protecting my heart, not letting myself be
affected by another guy and I was already letting him get to me and chasing
after him. Lexi came out as I put my phone back in my jeans pocket and raised
her eyebrows questioningly and I bit my lip and shook my head. She put her arm
around me.

‘Come on I’m buying you a latte and
then we’re heading over to that pool and I’m going to kick his arse right into
it.’

‘You’d do that for me?’

‘If he’s fucking around with you
and upsetting you, of course. I already warned him I would.’

‘Lexi we can’t go, we have our
thing at six.’

‘What thing?’

‘Counselling.’

‘O shit I’d forgotten about that,
hey there’s Doug up ahead. Doug, Doug, DOUUUUG,’ she yelled.

He stopped and turned and smiled
when he saw the two of us and waited for us to catch him up.

‘Hey girls.’

‘What the hell’s going on with
Gabe?’ Lexi demanded as she stood in front of him and folded her arms. He
looked shocked, she was so tall she was intimating when she wanted to be.

‘I don’t know. I was just about to
ask you two the same question. He called me earlier to say he’s blowing off practice
again
and wouldn’t tell me why. What’s going on? You two have a fight Mia?’

‘No,’ I said shaking my head. ‘Why’s
everyone blaming me? What did he say?’

‘He said he had something that he
needed to look into. He sounded really pissed off.’ Doug picked up the camera
around his neck and quickly took a picture of Lexi and then myself.

‘What the hell?’ said Lexi angrily
as I squinted from the flash.

‘Sorry, bad habit. I like catching
people when emotions are running high, makes for a better picture.’

‘Well don’t do it again, if I see
some bloody exhibition somewhere with a picture of me with a face like thunder,
you’re so going to get it,’ she scowled.

‘I’d always ask permission if I
wanted to publish any pictures. Do you like leather?’ he asked Lexi.

‘What?’ she asked looking stunned.

‘I bet you’re into leather gear,
you’d look really hot in it. I’d like to take you out, how about it?’

‘He’s bloody mental,’ she said to
me shaking her head and grabbing my hand. ‘If you see Gabe, you tell him if he doesn’t
call to apologise to my girl and sort his shit out he’ll have me to answer to.’

‘So is that a yes?’ he called after
us as she dragged me away.

‘Lexi, he just asked you out,’ I
said as I tried to keep up with her.

‘Am I into leather? The kinky
fucker.’

‘Well you are, it just makes you
better suited doesn’t it?’

‘We have enough problems on our
hands at the moment don’t you think without me getting Douged as well.’

‘Getting Douged?’ I laughed, it was
nice to take my mind of whatever was eating at Gabe. We downed a coffee and I picked
at a blueberry muffin and we headed down to the Student Services desk and were
told to take a seat.

‘Shit I’m nervous,’ said Lexi,
rapping her fingers on her knee.

‘Lexi, just imagine it’s me in
there that you’re talking to. I’m going to do the same.’

‘You’re going to imagine you’re
talking to yourself?’