***
The boy from his class, the one he saw talking to Melissa seconds earlier, strode toward the gym, passing Gabriel, where a group of his friends were gathered. All were tall and athletic looking and waited for him inside gymnasium. One broke away from the rest and made his way to Kevin.
“Well, what did she say?” he asked.
“What do you think she said, John?” Kevin replied arrogantly. Gabriel now knew the person he spoke to was named John. “She’s meeting me after the bonfire at the keg party.”
“No way man! After last night?” John asked incredulously.
“Are you finally gonna tap that ass, or what?” another of his friends asked as he approached. He rolled his hips in a thrusting motion as he spanked the air with his hand.
“I am gonna tap that ass tonight, whether she likes it or not, Eric!” Kevin bragged and high-fived the boy before him named Eric.
Gabriel, just outside the doors of the gymnasium, overheard the interaction between Kevin and his friends. As he listened, an unfamiliar feeling surged inside him: anger. He thought it impossible for him to feel anything. Yet, the rage he felt at Kevin’s intentions with Melissa was undeniable.
He had just met her, but felt compelled to protect her. She had awakened something in him that could only be described as emotion for the second time that day.
Gabriel glared at Kevin, John, Eric and another boy whose name he had not learned yet as they bounded into the gym to play basketball during their lunch break. The nameless one looked over his shoulder at Gabriel. Gabriel stared unwaveringly at him and the others.
“Come on, Chris!” Kevin called to the boy who looked at Gabriel, only now he had a name. Chris. The name was branded in Gabriel’s brain. Kevin waved his friend near. But Chris did not budge. He did not join his friends immediately.
“Got something to say, douche bag?” Chris asked Gabriel, sarcasm and venom lacing his words.
Gabriel did not mimic Chris’s expression as he had learned to do during downloaded instructional video sessions provided by Dr. Terzini. He did not parrot his sarcasm. Gabriel did, however, lock eyes with Chris, as unfamiliar reactions stormed within him.
The intensity and boldness of Gabriel’s stare warned Chris off for he did not volunteer another word. Instead, he retreated to a rack that held over a dozen basketballs, selected one and began dribbling.
While he warmed up and shot basketballs at the hoop, Gabriel glowered at him from afar. Chris pretended not to see him, but Gabriel saw him glance in his direction several times.
Once the adrenaline surge passed, Gabriel took his eyes off Kevin’s pack. “Whether she likes it or not,” a malignant phrase spoken by Kevin, resonated in Gabriel’s mind. And he knew he would be attending the bonfire scheduled for later in the afternoon and the keg party that followed.
Melissa returned to where Gabriel waited outside the gym. He inhaled deeply as he caught the scent of her faint but intoxicating fragrance. He had never smelled such a scent, save for his first interaction with her. He failed to place exactly what the specific notes of the perfume were that tantalized his sense of smell.
“Ready to go?” she asked.
“Yep,” he answered, dizzied momentarily by the rush of foreign forces that were at work within his construct.
They traveled the rest of the short corridor in silence. They approached the rear exit doors that opened to a student parking lot. Gabriel opened the door for Melissa. He was momentarily blinded by the brilliant golden light which filled the unseasonably warm November morning. He spoke first, inquiring about the unusual weather.
“Wow. It’s so warm. I thought November was a colder month around here. Is this normal?” he asked.
“No. It feels like a day in late April, not November. That’s global warming for you,” Melissa offered.
“In Russia, there is little temperature difference between November and April,” Gabriel began nervously. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Summers on the Kamchatka Peninsula are from June to October. But we lived in a more remote area in the Northern portion of the peninsula. It had more of an arctic climate,” he babbled, tensely trying to maintain a conversation.
“Oh.”
“This feels great compared to winter nearly year-round,” he added.
“I keep forgetting that you’re not from around here. It’s hard to remember that you aren’t American. I mean, your English is better than most Americans.”
“Thanks. I haven’t been here long. But my dad says the same thing. He was born here then moved to Russia for a while. ”
“Oh. So he is American?”
“Yes, he is.”
“So your mom is Russian?”
“I wouldn’t know. I never met her.”
“Did she, I mean, is she,” Melissa stammered.
“Dead? I have no idea. My dad never talks about her. And it’s always been just the two of us.”
Melissa stopped walking and turned to face Gabriel. Her eyes were sympathetic. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.
“I am so sorry. It must be really hard for you. Not having a mom and all. I can relate. Trust me.”
At her touch, Gabriel felt a tremor pass through his stomach. His heart raced again. He identified the response as nervousness but was unsure why he was feeling it.
They continued walking and had wandered across the parking lot and on to a residential street.
“How about you? What’s your family like? Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Gabriel asked.
“No brothers or sisters. My mom died when I was seven. It’s just me and my dad.”
“It must be hard for you,” Gabriel said and could see pain plainly in her eyes. Oddly, her pain created a strange clenching sensation in his chest.
Melissa looked over her shoulder at him as they walked. Her eyes were moist with emotion and the clenching tightened.
“You’d think that with all the time that has passed, I mean, it’s been ten years, I wouldn’t miss her so much,” she said earnestly. “But I really do, especially now. There are so many things I want to tell her and things I want to ask her about.”
Melissa stopped talking abruptly. Her cheeks turned rosy. Gabriel had never seen such a response.
“Whoa! I’m sorry,” Melissa said wiping under her eyes with her fingers. “I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t mean to turn in to an Oprah guest on you.”
Gabriel immediately made the connection between her reference to the renowned talk-show icon and her emotional response. The parent-child connection was powerful among human beings. Though he had no such relationship, he found himself undergoing something more than a mere glitch in his psychological configuration. He was inexplicably overcome by a flood of emotions, emotions he had knowledge of but no firsthand experience with. He was created to be devoid of sentimentality, had lived as such for his entire existence. Her effect on him was baffling.
Unequipped to deal with the sudden rush of feelings, Gabriel realized he had connected with her despite the nature of his composition. He floundered, defenseless against sympathy for the loss of her mother. He sensed her sadness and began to feel what could only be described as sympathy. He felt compelled to wrap her in his arms, inhale her sweet fragrance and offer her comfort. He was unsure of precisely how to execute such an act, had no practice with such matters, yet felt bound to do something.
Gabriel opted not to embrace Melissa. Instead, he placed his hand on the small of her back and leaned in slightly and spoke.
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I can’t imagine what you go through every day. It must be so hard.”
Gabriel hoped his words were helpful and that the physical contact was appropriate. He did not wish to offend her. Though Melissa did not tense at his touch, he worried that his actions were too forward. Hesitantly, he removed his hand from her ba
ck and backed up.
They began walking again.
“What about you? Here I am whining. At least I have memories of my mom. You don’t even have that,” Melissa stated.
Gabriel considered Melissa’s question and statement. He searched for an adequate response. He did not want to lie to Melissa more than was necessary to preserve his and Terzini’s safety. His silence was interpreted as offense; Melissa began apologizing. He had deliberated on the topic for far too long.
“Look, Gabriel. I am so sorry. That was a stupid, insensitive thing to say.”
He watched as she chewed her lower lip nervously, agonizing over the presumed offense. Her cheeks reddened again.
“I say really dumb things sometimes. I mean, really. You don’t know me. But if you did, you’d know that my mouth might as well have a sign that reads ‘insert foot here.’”
Gabriel held up a hand and interrupted her. He would not allow her to feel guilty.
“I think you’re great. Please don’t call yourself dumb anymore, okay? You’re great. Really,” he asserted.
“But,” Melissa tried to interject.
Gabriel continued.
“And you didn’t upset me or anything. I was just thinking about how to phrase what I wanted to say,” he admitted. “I didn’t know how you would take me saying that I am not bothered at all that I don’t have a mother in my life. I don’t have any memories and that’s fine. Can’t miss something or someone you never had, right?”
Melissa stopped walking. She looked pensive. He hoped he did not seem uncaring or remote by saying what he said.
“I guess I see what you’re saying. I mean, things are what they are, right?” Melissa offered.
“Yes. I just didn’t want you to think I was cold or anything.”
“You just met me. I mean, what would you care what I think.” Melissa touched her hand to her forehead before saying, “That came out all wrong. I just meant to say why would you worry about me judging you?”
Then, under her breath she muttered, “I should not be allowed to speak.”
Gabriel surprised himself by taking Melissa’s willowy arm in his hand and turning her to face him. In the sunlight, her eyes were a kaleidoscope of subtly varying shades of green. The complexity of the color was layered, emerald with hints of olive and turquoise. Gabriel felt his breath catch in his chest. He tried to compose himself before he spoke.
“I’m not sure why, I know we just met, but for what it’s worth, I do care what you think of me. I don’t worry that you’re judgmental. As I said before, I think you are great,” he said honestly.
Suddenly aware of their physical proximity and the implications of such closeness, Gabriel released Melissa’s arm.
Her face glowed, radiant. Gabriel’s heart threatened to beat out his chest as he regarded her lustrous features.
But all too quickly, Melissa glanced at her wrist watch and noted the time.
“Oh man! We’re late. We’ve got to get back to class, like, right now or we’re going to miss fifth period,” she said.
Crestfallen, Gabriel turned and followed Melissa as they doubled back at a jog toward Harbingers High School.