Dying to Breathe

7.2: enough

A/N: short & bitter-not-sweet chapter ahead, i'll post another part later today!

Chapter 7, Part 2: Enough 

The day passed in a blur. Already, Penelope's near-death experience was behind her as doors threatened to slam in her face, food basically threw itself at her, and objects on the ground appeared before her out of no where. She was a walking disaster, and she couldn't figure out why. All she knew was that it felt eerily like Final Destination crap.

By the time the lunch hour rolled around, Penelope decided she would go back home and hide out. Maybe she could buy a Ouija board—contact the beyond to figure out what in the actual f—

"Heads up!"

—would have been nice if it was said before the badminton birdie hit her square in the head.

She let out a loud exhale, grumbling as she hurled the shuttle back to the team of players (probably a bit too hard as it bounced off someone else's head). Rubbing the new soft spot on her temple, she continued towards the empty football field.

Penelope stopped at the bottom of the bleachers; her eyes dimming even more as she noticed the vacancy. Even she was aware that she didn't exactly know Gabriel as much as she should, but one thing she did know was that he had never been late for her. Not even once during the study sessions had he shown up after her. He was always the one waiting for her.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she climbed up to the top—in sociology she was taught that there was always an exception to the rule. Even if he hadn't been late before, he could be late now.

Smiling to herself, she nodded in determination as she took in the beautiful scenery—the mid-September day unusually warm as she removed her school jacket. She had to have more faith in him than that.

...Of course, that faith began to diminish after the bell to the next period sounded out and her texts went all unanswered.

Maybe his phone died, and he forgot.

—would have been a good excuse if his phone went straight to voicemail. It didn't. It rang.

Maybe he lost his phone... oh, except for the fact he was online, commenting underneath mutual friends' photos.

Leaning back into the railing behind her, she shut her stinging eyes. At least up on the vacated bleachers nothing bad seemed to happen. Nothing fell out of the sky and hit her, so that was—

"Elly." A familiar voice rushed out, making her open her annoyingly watery eyes.

Silently, she followed his form with her blurry eyes as he jogged up the bleachers, his hair damp and eyebrows furrowed. Her heart constricted at the sight of him—both anger and hope fluttering to the surface as she pouted pathetically.

"You waited the whole lunch hour?" Gabriel mumbled, crouching down to her eyelevel as he reached her. His deep blue eyes filled with unreadable emotions.

Her voice refused to work through her clogged throat as she nodded, feeling pathetic. She had never been stood up before. She decided she really didn't like it.

Millie wouldn't have been stood up.

"I'm sorry." He reached out, smoothing her reddened cheek with his thumb.

She looked down, clenching her hands around the hem of her skirt. She could remember the conversations from before she met him—the day she met the girls downtown. Something about Gabriel finding a distraction before Poppy inevitably took him back.

Was she the distraction? Was that all she was to him?

God, her stomach hurt.

"Hey," He murmured, wrapping her black hair around her ear. "What are you thinking about, sad eyes?"

Millie wouldn't do this. Millie always smiled in front of people. She never showed them her weaknesses (did Millie even have weaknesses?). Millie wouldn't ask about her status in somebody's life—she would just make an even better status. She'd force them to accept her. She wouldn't leave them with a choice.

Maybe she could be like Millie, too.

Plastering a small smile on her face, Penelope looked up—her drying eyes forcefully connecting to his despite the sting of pain in her heart. "I just missed you is all." She fed him the line, placing a barely noticeable trembling hand on the back of his that was on her cheek. "Thank you for showing up even though class has started."

He watched her for a minute, his lips twitching upwards with relief in his expression as her bad acting fooled him. "I'll always come for you, Elly." He promised.

The sound of his voice was something she thought she could drown in.

It was enough, Penelope told herself with a small exhale. His promise was enough. Him being there right then and there was enough. Nothing else mattered.

It was enough.

She leaned into him, taking hold of his warm face as she kissed him lightly on his soft, sweet, minty tasting lips.

"Good."

End of Part 2

A/N: Who's gonna tell Penelope that suppression is one hell of a psychological fucker upper? 

What do you think Gabriel is up to... why is he late?! Why did he stand her up? :(

Thank you for reading! I can't believe how close to 1k reads we are. Excited!!! Thank you for your support even though I've been pretty quiet this month. It means a lot xx