When It all Falls Down

Chapter 4.2

CJ
I sat down next to Gabriella, afraid that she'd ask about what happened in the hall with Matt. She was silent for a few minutes, but then turned to look at me. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked, and she rose her eyebrows at me.

"For getting Matt away from me," she said.

I knew exactly what she meant. I just didn't want to talk about it. Matt knew how to get under my skin, and whatever his plan was, it was working.

"Oh, yeah you're welcome." I shrugged.

"Don't do that. Don't do something nice, and then turn around and act like you regret it," she stated and crossed her arms.

She's becoming more confident. "I don't regret it. I'm sorry, okay?"

"For?"

"For being a prick, as you would put it." She smiled.

"Kaleb and Sam talk so highly about you. So why are you being, well, a prick to me?" I laughed.

"They talk highly about me because I have no friends," I said sarcastically, and she shook her head with a laugh. "I think they're trying to get rid of me," I whispered.

"Well, let's be friends then?"

"The last time I asked someone to be my friend was elementary school," I stated. "But fine. I suppose we can be friends."

The next words that came out of my mouth shocked me. "Let's hang out after school then?" Even Kaleb turned around. He gave me a thumbs up and winked.

Even Gabriella wasn't expecting it. "Didn't you just break up with your girlfriend?" The comment stung.

"I'm not taking you on a date Gabriella," I smirked, and her cheeks turned pink.

"Don't call me that," she said after a few moments.

"What, Gabriella?"

"Yes Gabriella. I hate it," she said, and I laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"You introduced yourself to me as Gabriella. If you don't want people to call you that just save yourself the time and say your name is Gabi. That's what I do," I stated.

She rose an eyebrow at me. "You say your name is Gabi?" She couldn't even get through her joke with a straight face. After she calmed down she asked, "what is your actual name?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said, and she nodded.

"That's why I asked. Is it like embarassing or something?"

"What do you think it is?"

"I bet it's Caleb. And you say your name is CJ to avoid confusion," she said as if she's solved the greatest mystery of all time.

"It's not though. Although that would be weird."

She frowned. "So it's embarrassing?"

"I never said that."

"Give me a hint," she pouted.

"It starts with a C," I said, and she groaned.

"That's not even a hint! That's common knowledge." She pulled out her phone and started reading names off of a list. "Carson?"

"That's cheating!" I yelled and snatched her phone away from her.

"Chester? Clifford? Chandler?"

I said yes to the last one. "Really?"

"No. I just like the show Friends." She groaned. "You never said yes to hang out tonight." I changed the subject.