Unchanged (Wednesday Or Thursday Updates)

Part 3

I let Gabe go first though the doors. The group argued quietly about if someone should go with us to supervise.... But I knew they wouldn't. We'd be at the office by the time they decided and we could be adults. It's not like we were going to strangle each other for real... Probably.

He looked down at me from his space three feet to my right, and I looked back at him. His face was mostly blank, but there was a weird look in his eyes. Like he wanted to say something, but was biting it back-which wasn't like him. Not that I knew him, it had been years since I'd seen him and I'm sure he'd changed some-I certainly had. Not that he'd be able to tell from the way I'd been acting.... But it was so fun to push his buttons! I didn't get a lot of fun in my life, so I snatched what I could of it and kept it close. It helped me through the... other... moments. I wouldn't break this silence first-it was a thing with us. But I wondered, how much had really changed? Shouldn't this dynamic change as well? Why had he come with me as though nothing had changed? What was he doing here? How long would he be here? How long until they all left again? Would they even see the school year through? Where had North and Silas come from? And what else had changed? My brain kept going back to that question....

"What?" Gabriel broke first, snapping at me, the words ripping from his lips.

"Why did you come with me?" My voice was softer than I'd like, and I didn't add in a cuss word. If he didn't cuss, I wouldn't-but for every word he said I'd say one. I wondered how long it would take him to figure the pattern and screw with it....

"Because I was cussing in class according to that woman."

"You're not in elementary school anymore, you can figure that out without coming to detention. You did it on purpose. Why?" I wasn't going to let this go, it was bugging me to much-but we were at the office. He stepped forward and opened the door, motioning for me to go first. The gesture surprised me, and I stopped for a moment, eying him warily. He sighed.

"It's what we do."

"I've changed, I'm sure you have too, why is this the same?"

"Why can't it be?"

I didn't have an answer to that, so I stepped through the door, keeping my head turned just enough so I could see him close the door and step up next to me-I appreciated that he didn't stay behind me. I didn't like people behind me-and though I knew that wasn't normal it just was and I dealt with it. He took another step though, and I could feel the heat of his body less than a foot away.... It did funny things to my insides-things that I hadn't felt before. I frowned, not sure what was going on.... Then I pushed the feelings aside, focusing on the person at the desk.

"Miss Sorenson, you haven't been in here before. May I ask why?" The woman, who I can't remember the name of because in general I avoid woman, frowned at me in concern, eying Gabriel with distaste and something else I tried not to think about.

"I was caught cussing in class." I said it blandly, and the woman laughed.

"Of course-but you? Cussing? From what I've heard you never cuss." I just smiled at her, though she was clearly fishing. She turns her attention to Gabriel. "You're with the Academy, correct?" He glanced at me, then sent her a smile-his blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Yeah, I was going to ask if you could contact Mr. Blackbourne for us? There was a slight misunderstanding-" the desk phone rang, cutting him off. She raised her hand for him to wait a moment, and turned to answer it. There was a lot of hmm's and uh-huh's, then she said thank you and hung up. When she turned back to us? Her face wasn't nearly as friendly and open.