she never knew

chapter 2

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  After the first few periods of the day I was already tired; the bell rang shortly after 5th period. I then started walking to lunch. When I got to the cafeteria I tried spotting the boys at our usually table or in line. After not seeing them I decided I would go to the lunch line to get food alone. "Hey Emilia, looking good after the summer." I heard an all to familiarly annoying voice in my ear. "Hi Tanner, can you please step away from me I can practically smell the desperation on you." After I said that Tanner put his hand over his nonexistent heart. "Don't be that way Emilia; I just want to get to know you, if you know what I mean," he said with a wink. "Ew Tanner, I would never do that." I laughed with him. I tried to hate Tanner, his smug attitude, his cockiness, the fact that he would do anything to go on a date with me, but I just couldn't. I didn't want to think he was cute but he just was. "You know I'm just messing with you Emilia," he said while tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I blushed from his touch; I then thought of the boys and how they would react to me and Tanner. I tried walking out of the line when Tanner started speaking to me again and touched my arm. "Come on Emilia, I'm not that bad am I?" I looked around "Tanner stop, I can't talk to you." I said quietly. He pulled me in to him " Why not Emilia?" He sounded hurt that i couldn't talk to him. "Tanner your hurting me." I said as his touch grew rougher, tears falling down my cheek from the pain in my arm. Tanner let go immediately after seeing my tears. "Oh Emilia, don't cry, I didn't mean to hurt you." Tanner was stopped by being picked up and pushed up against a wall by Gabriel. "What did you just do to her, Tanner." "You might want to rethink your actions next time Tanner." Tony said with raging fire in his eyes. Stefan was holding Tony back while Alex was holding me wiping my tears away. "It's ok Emilia this asshole won't go near you again we promise," Alex whispered in my ear as I cried into his blazer. "Thank you." I cried out.
After Gabriel was finished threatening Tanner and I was finished calming Tony down the bell rang signaling the last period of the day. The last class of my first day was mind numbing; well all my classes were since I don't have any with the boys. As I started packing up at my locker I felt a person behind me. "You're going with me today right?" Gabriel said. "Yea, let me text my brothers who's taking me home," "ok cool."

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  On the drive home Gabriel kept his hand on my leg rubbing circles into it comfortingly, "I'm sorry about Tanner, he's such a dick," "no, don't be. He wasn't that much of a problem, I swear." Gabriel sighed at my words, "stop being so forgiving Em. Tanner's a douchebag and you know it." He was looking at me while saying this, "maybe you and the rest if the guys should be more open minded. He's really nice when you get to know him. In a cocky way but still nice." I tried to reason with Gabe. "He's not nice Emilia." he scoffed. "Tanner was just threatened by all of you, that's why he acted like that. I mean every guy in the whole school is scared of you, Alex, Stef, and Tony, thats why I can never get a date." I whispered the last part so Gabe couldn't hear it. He scoffed at my words, "can't get a date?" he said in a mocking tone, "Em you don't need to be going out with anybody you're to naïve and innocent." I rolled my eyes, "oh shut up Gabe," "seriously, Em, don't tell me to shut up." "Well it's true, I have never gone out with any guy ever and it's all of your guys' fault. You and the boys can be so annoying!" He moved his hand back to the wheel. I saw the hurt in his eyes after the harsh words I had said. "Look Gabe I didn't mean it. You know tha-" "Are your brothers home right now." Gabe grunted out. "Um, I don't think so, but I'll be fine." "No you won't, I'll just stay over for a bit, ok?" his eyes now on mine and not the road, "yea, that sounds great." I smiled and so did he. The boys can never stay mad at me for too long.

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  Gabe and I started on our homework, it was more of just Gabe staring into space completely bored. "What are you looking at?" I giggled. "You," he said looking at me dreamily. "Stop," I said trying to hide my blush. "You are totally blushing," he said sitting up on the bed moving closer to me. "You wanna do something, I'm bored of this stupid homework." he said towering over me even sitting down. "Uh, yea, I mean... we can.. um, I mean yea." I was a blubbering idiot with him next to me. I felt the heat running through my body and up in my cheeks. "Haha!" Gabe's deep laugh sent shivers down my spine "you're so cute, you know that?" I shook my head so fast it felt like my head was going to fall off. "Ok let's go watch a movie." he pinched my chin between his pointer and his thumb to stop my nodding.