Dying to Breathe

5.1: sparks and fireworks

A/N: seriously lower your expectations, I just wanted to hype you up and let you down exponentially because I'm really good at that. Ask my mom. :)

Okay, here you go lovelies. This is also a good song -- probably better suited for another chapter but idc enjoy.  

Chapter 5, Part 1: Sparks & Fireworks

Penelope felt like she was holding her breath.

She was wading in murky waters as she barely kept her head afloat. Monday swirled into dizzying colours as she blindly walked through the hallways—her thoughts on the box under her bed. Her thoughts on Millie and what she was doing with the box under her bed. What did Millie get herself involved in? And why leave it for her to find?

"Elly," A familiar smooth voice spoke, a finger brushing her cheek gently, as if knowing she wasn't fully awake.

She blinked, finding her eyes caught in her favourite colour of blue. She felt her cheeks warm up as he smiled at her gently, watching her patiently come back to reality.

"Where'd you go?" Gabriel tilted his head in curiosity, looking down at her as he captured a loose strand of her hair in his fingers.

She lightly shook her head up at him, trying to smile as the knot in her stomach tightened.

"I tried texting you," He hummed, his eyes flickering to the dark strand that he gently wound around his index finger.

Biting her lip, she felt the guilt cinch her tied up tummy even further. "Sorry." She mumbled, unable to look away from his sparkling, dark blue eyes.

His eyes flickered along her face, uncertainty shown in his smile, "Did I do something wrong or get the wrong idea?" He dropped her hair, running his fingers through his messy locks as redness crept along his sun-kissed cheeks and nose. "I feel like, maybe you've been avoiding me since the kiss—I mean, you did run out afterwards and would barely look at me all day yesterday." He chuckled embarrassedly.

Penelope's flushed face steadily became a deeper red, memories arising of his soft, perfect lips on hers. In truth, she was avoiding him—finding out he not only was Nina's stepbrother, but also Poppy's ex who she had on a leash? It was too much of a headache to even think about.

And yet, looking into his eyes now—she wanted to forget about it all and melt back into him like at the club.

She sighed frustratedly, even to herself she wasn't being honest; she hadn't even really thought about him since the moment she ran out of his arms. Millie was running through her thoughts, day and night, and who could blame her when there were unanswered questions and thousands upon thousands of unexplained dollars currently hidden under her bed?

She was worse than 'on edge' she was almost drowning.

Why would Millie even need that money? And where in the hell did she get it? She knew for certain it wasn't at the ice cream shop they had both worked at on the weekends.

"You're doing it again." Gabriel chuckled awkwardly, his lips tilting upwards in apprehension.

The bell rang out as Penelope gave a strangled look to the awaiting boy—debating with herself in her head. Arguing against the sound logic of why not to give in, she could practically hear Millie's voice in her head:

"You're not dead yet, L. Live a little!"

Finally, with a loud exhale, she made up her mind. Taking hold of the lapels on his school jacket, she hastily pulled his shocked face to hers. Mumbling "fuck it", their lips collided.

Sparks and fireworks—that's what Gabriel felt like. The knot in her stomach suddenly disappeared as the butterflies fluttered freely again inside of her belly. Catching up to the situation, Gabriel's sizable fingers dug into her narrow hips as he pulled her into his bent muscular form; her grip on him holding him down to meet her short height. Their rough breaths intermingled as their lips clashed against one another—an insatiable hunger growing inside of Penelope with each teasing taste she got.

"Fuck," Gabriel hissed out appreciatively as Penelope nipped his bottom lip; trying to pull him in deeper to fulfill her sudden craving. Unwinding her stiff fingers from his now wrinkled jacket, he laughed breathlessly against her starved lips as she tried to follow him up on her tiptoes, "Later." He promised in a low voice, making her bite her own lip as he managed to escape her clutches with a quick kiss on her cheek.

His curly brown hair was a mess as he grinned down amusedly at a profusely flushed Penelope, "Jesus. What am I going to do with you?"

Pushing her hair behind her ear, she rocked back on her heels embarrassedly, "Mm, sorry." She didn't even have alcohol to blame it on this time as she was hit with the déjà vu.

Shaking his head, his smile wavered with a wonderous expression. "Don't be." Breaking eye contact, he glanced at the clock in the vacated hallway before walking slowly backwards away from her. His smile didn't falter as he gave her a sly smirk, his voice teasing as it held a light harmonious note "Text me back, Penelope."

Penelope wasn't sure how much more blood her head could hold as she blushed even deeper from the reminder of her guilt. Nodding solemnly, he laughed pleasantly before turning around and jogging towards his classroom.

Biting her lip to keep her smile from hurting her cheeks, for one exhilarating minute, Millie was no where in her thoughts. 

End of part 1

A/N: I should have made it a box of dildos. Would have made it a more exciting surprise. Money is so obvious. But wtv ITS NECESSARY to the plot so don't come at me too hard. 

What do you think? Where do you think the mula came from??? 

Thank you! 30 more votes to 300, say whaaat.