Get to Know You

Meeting IM5 and Dalton

Gabby's POV*

     We all got out of the car and grabbed a bag so we could claim our rooms. Just as we started up the stairs, another car pulled up. A boy with blonde hair came out holding a suitcase.

     "Will! Gabe! Will's cousin, Gabby!" he yelled. He ran up the stairs to meet us, gave the other two hugs, then stopped in front of me. "I'm sure that you know all about me, but if you don't, my name is Dalton Rapattoni," he said with a small bow. When he stood up, I gave him a small, shy smile. "So where are the others?" he asked.

     "Well, we were supposed to be the first ones here," Gabe said, pretending to be annoyed. "But they should be here in a minute or two." Just as he said that, another car drove in front of the house and parked in the driveway. Three guys got out. One had brown hair that was styled slightly up and was wearing a Spiderman shirt, one had curly hair that was covered by a snap back, and the other had brown hair and an excited smile plastered on his face.

     "Gabby, that is Cole, Dana, and David," Will told me. "Well, let's go get some awesome rooms!"

     We walked up the stairs and already I was amazed. The house was fantastic. "There are three more floors above us, and one below," Will said. "The ten bedrooms are all on the upper three floors."

     We got into an unorganized line with Will in front and me at the very back. The first room that we saw was nice- it had a great bathroom attached to it with a huge TV and a huge bed.

     "DIBS!!" Dalton yelled throwing his bag on the bed. "It's perfect." He still came with us on the tour of our amazing summer house. The next few rooms were pretty nice; David took one with a really nice view. On the next floor, however, I found the perfect room. It had a desk, a big bed, a nice bathroom, and a window seat with an amazing view of the ocean.

     I hesitated, I didn't want to bring the attention to me. Dalton saw that I was struggling with claiming it, so he whispered to me, "I could call it for you, but then you'd owe me," he said with a smirk. I thought it over, then I nodded. "Hey guys! Gabby wants it!"

     "I believe that she can speak for herself," Dana said.

     "Actually, Dana, she's very shy, so talking to a bunch of new guys is not her favorite thing to do," Gabe said.

     "S-so can I have it?" I piped up. Every head in the room turned to face me.

     "All yours," Will said. I walked around the others and went into my new room. Just as I was about to close the door, a hand stopped it, preventing me from getting my privacy while unpacking.

     "Um, may I help you?" I said to the guy, who turned out to be Dalton.

     "You still owe me, so how about letting me help you unpack," he said with a smile.

     "That's how you want me to repay you?" I asked, looking anywhere but at Dalton. "I mean, you got me the best room in the house."

     Dalton chuckled, then said, "No no no. You still owe me. I just want to help you."

     "Oh, um, okay," I said.

     "Are your bags in Gabe's car?" Dalton asked me.

     "Yes," I said. He walked out of my room then beckoned me to follow.

     "So, Gabby," Dalton began. "Tell me about yourself."

     "Well, I, um, I like to, uh, read," I stuttered. My face felt redder than my hair at that point, which was usual for me.

     "How about I do the talking?" Dalton said with a knowing smirk. I nodded shyly. "So I think we're going to that pizza place in town for dinner. Is that okay with you?" Once again, I gave a small nod. By this time, we had reached Gabe's car and Dalton already had my two bags.

     "Why don't we, um, take Gabe and, uh, W-Will's bags in for them?" I suggested. Dalton merely shook his head.

     "So what's your story?" he asked me. "Will told me that you're kind of quiet, do you think that we can change that before the summer ends?'

     "I-I guess so," I said, quietly. "Um, Dalton?"

     "Yes, Gabby?" he said with a serious smile.

     "Th-thank you," I told him.

     "For what?" Dalton asked me.

     "Well, for helping me get that room, grabbing my bags, offering to help me unpack. Thanks for all of it," I said.

     "Wow, that's the most I've ever heard you say," he said with a smirk.

     "To be fair, you've only known me for an hour," I said with a genuine smile. He smiled back at me and by then we were back at my room.

     Dalton picked up my book bag and asked, "Where would you like your library?" I pointed over my shoulder to the desk area while I put away my clothes. "Whoa, sick camera!" I turned around to see Dalton deeply admiring my Polaroid.

     "You like it?" I asked him. He nodded then set it down on the desk. I had already put away almost all of everything else while he had been looking through my books and checking out my camera. "Well, um, that's it, I guess," I said.

     "Wait, what?" Dalton said, quickly turning around. "I was supposed to help you!" He pretended to be annoyed for another second, then said, "Well, now I have to go unpack. See you later, Gab." And on that note, he walked out and downstairs to his room. I was still thinking about that nickname he gave me. Gab. I kind of liked it. I looked around my room, smiled, and then went to go check out the house.

     Just as I walked into the hallway, someone else walked into me. I looked up and saw Gabe.

     "I was just looking for you, red," he said with a bright smile. "Will said we're leaving in 10. You wanna see my room?"

     "Um, okay?" I said hesitantly. He led me a couple doors down into a room with a massive TV and already five Batman posters on the walls. "I like it," I said with a smile.

     "Come on guys! We're leaving!" Will yelled from upstairs.

     "Alright let's go!" Gabe bent down and pointed to his back. "Hop on."

     "Um, alright?" I said as he gave me a piggyback ride downstairs.