[✔️] My Angel ~ Jack Avery & Gabriela Gonzalez

~4~

"Wait, what time is it over there?" Jack asked the girl on his screen. Two hours later, both teenagers were lying on their bed sheets in different positions than before.

"It's the same time, you idiot!" Gabriela laughed. "5:27pm! We're on the same time zone!"

Jack face palmed himself, making the 14-year-old girl giggle even more. "I keep thinking you're in, like, LA or somewhere."

"Nah, I'm not that posh," she explained. "I do visit LA every summer to surf, though."

"So, you're posh enough to visit?" Jack said in a funny voice, trying to mock the girl. His impression sent Gabbie into a fit of laughter. "Hey, fun fact, I was actually born in Burbank!"

"Wow, I never would've guessed!"

"Is that sarcasm?" Jack titled his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"Kinda," Gabbie replied. "I mean, you're wearing skinny jeans and a nice shirt, very LA style."

"Oh," he smiled. "These are actually my sister's jeans. I really love the style that people have in LA; they're so open and free. Not like here. I'd much rather wear cool boots and slim-fitting jeans and long shirts than dirty, baggy pants and heavy worked boots."

"Are people jealous that you have style?" Gabbie questioned. She propped her head up in her hands, resting the phone against a pillow.

Jack scoffed. "No, they make fun of me. People call me gay and stuff. Susquehanna is a small town, and pretty small-minded too. According to my mom, I'm a lot different than everyone else. I stand out, I guess."

"Wow, that's awful that people pick on you," Gabbie sympathized. "I hate people who are rude for no reason. Don't let them get to you."

"Most of the time, I ignore them, but sometimes it really hits the spot if I'm in a bad mood, and then I take all my anger out on them." Jack chuckled. "But, I don't really mind that much anymore. I'm being me, and one day I'll move out of this teeny-tiny town and I'll be a singer in LA, and I'll wear whatever I want."

"I love your motivation," Gabbie admitted. "So, you wanna be a singer, huh?"

Jack nodded proudly. "Yes, ma'am. I want to make people happy with my music, I want to show others that it's ok to have dreams, and to be yourself."

"Can you sing for me?"

Jack's heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. "I-I, uh, yeah, I c-can." Gabriela silently laughed at his sudden stutter. She watched Jack pick up a guitar from the floor and position himself on his bed so that she could see him through the phone. He took in a deep breath and began to strum an unfamiliar tune.

I want to sleep at night
But I can't because I'm thinking of you
You can't stop talking to him
I don't know what to do

Let's think about the situation
Do you think it's fine?
Well do you?
Well do you?
You think you're always right
But you're wrong
And soon I'm gonna be gone

Runnin' your mouth
Tellin' all these lies
Thinking I'm naive
You're in lalalala land

Jack stopped and smiled at Gabbie. She applauded him, unable to control her smiles. Her heart was bouncing in her chest.

"That's all I have written so far." Jack said, glad that the girl enjoyed his performance.

Her eyebrows raised. "You wrote that?!" Jack scratched his neck and nodded. "Wow!"

Before either could say anything else, Jack's bedroom door burst open and in walked Makena. "Jack, why aren't you answering my- oh. Hi, Gabbie!"

"Hey, Makena! Long time no see!" Gabbie waved through the phone.

"Sorry Gabbie, but I need to steal Jack away if you're not busy," Makena glared at Jack.

"Alright, alright," Jack told Makena, laughing. Turning back to the girl on the screen, he said, "Bye, Gabbie. Talk to you later?"

"Sure! Bye, Jack!" Gabriela hung up and rolled over on her bed, hands over her heart, smiling widely. I'm falling for this boy.

"Jack, you didn't tell me you were talking to Gabbie!" Makena laughed with a shocked tone.

"I never told you I wasn't," Jack replied with a smirk, earning a smack from his friend.

He may have been cool on the outside, but his heart was racing just thinking of the beautiful Floridian girl.