( VIOLENCE )

𝐱𝐥𝐢.

THE YOUNG WOMAN SLIPPED her books into her bag before she stood up to her feet, looking forward to the rest of the day she was about to have since she didn't have anyone antagonizing her anymore. It still felt bad that people would avoid her at any cost all because she knew Phoenix as a person, but on the flip side she was glad that she didn't have to deal with any fake people, because a true someone that wanted to be her friend wouldn't care about any of the people she knew, but at the same time she could see where that other person was coming from, so she also didn't bother making any new friends.

She stepped foot outside of her classroom with her eyes still low to the ground while she began to walk through the hallways, unaware of the pair of eyes that followed after her. She was too inside of her own head to notice the person following behind her.

Once she was nearby her next class, she felt a hand make contact with her shoulder, causing her to perk up before turning herself around, only to be met with the brunette boy she hadn't seen in awhile, "Gabriel... H-Hi..! What.. are you doing here??"

"What do you mean what am I doing here? I go to this school..." he shoved his hands into his pockets as he looked off to the side, knowing that he shouldn't be doing what he was doing at the moment, but also telling himself that Phoenix might've not been all that crazy over the girl.

The female let out an awkward chuckle as she crossed her arms, trying to straighten her posture so that she could seem a little more inviting towards the handsome brunette infront of her, "Yeah, right... Sorry, I don't know why I asked such a dumb question, uhh.. it's just.. I haven't seen you in so long, w-where have you been?"

"I've been.. you know... I've been fine, w-what about you..?" He breathed out to Y/N with his heart pumping hard inside of his body. He really hoped that this wouldn't backfire on him at all.

She sent him a soft smile, looking off to the ground before she decided to meet eyes with Gabriel once more, making sure to lock the eye contact this time, "I've been great, actually.. of course I could be better, but... This is only just a start for me.."

"Oh, yeah...? Are you feeling better since.. Phoenix isn't messing with you anymore..?" Gabriel questioned her with his voice getting a little lower at the mention of her bully, or well, ex-bully at this time.

Cocking her head to the side while her lips parted in slight disbelief by Gabriel's words, she allowed yet another awkward chortle past her mouth, showing that she didn't know what else to say to him, "Huh..? How do you.. know about any of that stuff??"

Gabriel bit on his bottom lip as he himself awkwardly laughed out, a little shrug bouncing at his shoulders before he let out his own response, "Well, I mean.. everybody's talking about it.."

That's when Y/N felt a little pang inside of her heart. Almost everybody probably knew about how Phoenix bullied her, and still no one decided to even say something because they were all too afraid, "Oh. Okay then.. I didn't know that much people knew about me getting hurt by Phoenix, this is... well, a little humiliating, but... There isn't much stuff going on between me and him now, so.."

"But... I also heard that the both of you are a thing now..?" The brunette was now confused by all of the gossip he'd heard from his other friends.

The shorter teen then narrowed her E/C eyes up towards the taller teen, a scoff now being the only thing heard from her until she started talking, "What..?! No..! Listen, Gabriel... I don't know where you're hearing any of this from, but... J-Just don't believe every thing you hear from people.. b-because that's a lie..!"

Of course Gabriel didn't know what to believe because the girl didn't seem too believable at this very second, but then again he just thought she could've been stressed because of all of the rumors surrounding her in the first place so he just nodded, preparing himself to say something until he heard the sound of whines hitting his ears.

Y/Ns E/C eyes widened at the sound as well, and that immediately gained her attention. She froze up with her eyebrows knitting as she stared straight up at Gabriel, "Did you just hear that or am I going crazy right now..??"

"Yes to both." The male responded to her, watching her worried expression turn into one of annoyance just by what he'd said.

Sighing out at Gabriel's little joke, that's when she turned her head towards the door, the sound of whining getting a little louder, only resulting in a grimace forming over her features, "That's not funny... Should we.. go check it out..?"

"I.. guess we should..." he shrugged, turning his entire body towards the door to see who that was whining on the other side of it.