Don't You Dare

Chapter 6: Homecoming

Friday, October 23, 2015

The week leading up to Homecoming had been a blur for Andrea. Each day seemed to pass in a rush of anticipation and nervous energy. Gabriel had made it a habit to wait for her outside every class, leaning casually against the wall with a playful smile that sent her heart racing each time she saw him.

They spent every afternoon together in the library, studying side by side. Their conversations would often drift from schoolwork to their favorite books, movies, and dreams for the future. Their shared glances were filled with an intensity that neither of them could quite put into words. Despite the closeness that had developed between them, they hadn't kissed since the night of the party, though the tension between them had only grown stronger.

Each time their hands brushed as they exchanged notes or their eyes met across the table, Andrea felt a spark, a magnetic pull toward him that was hard to resist. Gabriel was different from anyone she'd ever known—gentle and patient, yet passionate in ways that made her heart race.

They had also started texting during class, a habit that was as exhilarating as it was distracting. Andrea would feel her phone vibrate in her pocket and glance up at the teacher, making sure she wasn't caught, before sneaking a peek at Gabriel's latest message.

Gabriel: Heathcliff or Darcy?

Andrea: That's like comparing apples and oranges.

Gabriel: Okay, fine. Favorite Mr. Darcy: Colin Firth or Matthew Macfadyen?

Andrea: Hmm... Colin Firth. Definitely.

Gabriel: Good choice. We're still friends then.

Andrea: Were we ever not?

Gabriel: I don't know. You tell me.

Andrea couldn't help but smile at her phone, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. Every interaction with Gabriel seemed to draw her closer to him, and she found herself looking forward to their texts and brief encounters more than she was willing to admit.

At lunch, they sat with Megan and Ryan as usual, but things felt different. The four of them had settled into a comfortable rhythm, with Gabriel and Ryan joking around and Megan occasionally shooting shy glances at Ryan. But Andrea couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every time she glanced up, she caught Jessica, Gabriel's ex-girlfriend, glaring at her from across the cafeteria.

Jessica's stares were piercing, her expression a mix of anger and resentment. Andrea did her best to ignore it, but the tension was hard to overlook.

Ryan, sensing the shift in atmosphere, leaned forward, his usual playful grin in place. "So, Gabe, when are you coming back to the team? Coach has been losing his mind without you, and the guys... well, they miss you, man."

Gabriel glanced sideways at Andrea before looking across the cafeteria to the table where the rest of the soccer team sat. The jocks were loud and rowdy, the same as always, but Gabriel's old seat was noticeably empty, a reminder of the place he'd left behind.

Andrea followed his gaze, her chest tightening with an irrational fear. For a brief moment, she imagined him getting up and leaving her to sit with them, going back to his old self—the easy-going prankster surrounded by his friends, the guy she had watched from afar, convinced he would never even know her name. She had grown so used to having him by her side that the thought of losing him to his old life, his old friends, made her heart ache.

"I've been catching up on all the work I missed," Gabriel said, his gaze returning to Ryan. "Thanks to Andrea here, I'm finally back on track, even in English Lit."