Somewhere Only We Know

Just another day

"Paul, do you believe in soul mates?" Gabrielle asked as she laid her head on his stomach as she gazed up at the warm unusually September night sky. 

"If I say yes, what will you give me?" Paul replied with his smirk. The same smirk that drew her in the first time she had seen him.

Laughing she lightly hits his stomach and sits up on the red and black plaid blanket they had set up in his back yard. She shakes her head with a smile and reaches into the picnic basket that had been discarded to the side. She pulls out a grape and pops it in her mouth.

"I'm serious Paul. I like to believe that there is someone out there who was made to be your match for life. Someone who was made to complete you." She says pulling her legs up and leaning her head on her knees. Paul sits up and leans his arms behind him. Staring off into the woods behind his house, his face grows solemn. 

"No I don't believe there are soulmates. I used to, from the stories dad would tell or Billy, at the bonfires. But ever since dad split from my mom, he never could seem to find a woman who would stay. Treat me as her own. So no I don't." He finished glancing back at Gabrielle.

"Maybe your dad's soulmate just hasn't arrived yet? Maybe she is stuck in a situation that she can't leave yet. It's never too late for love Paul. Terrance will find someone again. Just has to be all in good time." Gabrielle replied softly as she leaned her head back feeling the warm breeze blow through her mocha hair. 

Paul sits up and faces her. He cups her cheek with one hand and gently moves a few stray hairs of hers behind her ear with his other hand. Looking straight in her eyes he then proceeds to tell her, "Well, no matter what I believe, I have you. And I will not be letting you go anytime soon. I don't care what your parents think about me, or what anyone else says about me. I know I have anger issues, I know I can't always control it, but being with you makes that all the more easy. You make everything easy for me. I love you, and I will marry you one day. We can leave this God forsaken town once we graduate next year, and then we can start our lives together. Soulmates or not, you are who I want."

With tears in her eyes she slams her lips against his in a short kiss. The feel of his chapped lips against hers is something she never thought she would like, but yet now can't go a day without. Gabrielle pulls away from the kiss and leans her head against Paul's forehead. "I love you too Paul. I can't wait until we can finally get out of this damn town. Away from everyone who doubts us, away from all of the crap. I want to move far from here and start our lives together. Me and you against it all." She whispers out and sniffles. The two embrace and sit that way for a while. Not noticing anything else going on around them; no cares in the world.

But Terrance was listening. He was standing at the screen door that lead to the small house he shared with his teenaged son. He knew what they dreamed of would never happen. He knew Paul was headed in a direction that would soon force the two young lovers apart, even if they had been together for 5 years now. The anger he saw in his son on a daily basis was getting worse. He knew it was only a matter of time before the change happened. The change that had been bestowed on him as did his ancestors before him. The very change that would make his son a man. Terrance sighed and turned around giving the kids some privacy, and walked down the hall to where his phone rested upon the wall. He grabbed the receiver, held it to his ear and started dialing a number. Upon the 4th ring the person he was calling bellowed out a firm 'Hello'

"Sam, this is Terrance Lahote. I think it's time we had that talk." He said glancing down the hall to the screen door. Where just outside his son rested with his girlfriend. 

" I'll be there tomorrow before he returns from school. I've been watching, I believe we only have a few days." Sam's voice floated through the receiver.

Terrance hung up without another word and walked back to the screen door. "Paul, it's time to come in now. You have school in the morning."

Paul jerked back from Gabrielle and shot a look towards his father. "I'll come in when i'm ready dad!" He yelled out. Gabrielle jerked back from him and stared wide eyed at him. His temper had been worse than ever lately. To the point she was starting to worry for him. She glanced up and saw his dad's retreating form. He was shaking his head as he walked away. Using her fingers she removed the hair that was blowing in her face and looked up to the boy in front of her to she he was visibly shaking. 

"Paul, honey it is ok. I need to get going before dad puts out an APB on you for kidnapping." She said with a smile trying to ease up his mood.

Paul looked at her with his head cocked to the side. "Oh so now you are leaving too? Go ahead. I'm bored anyway." And with that he jumped up and ran off to the door of his house and swung it open with a force. He disappeared inside leaving a very confused Gabrielle to clean up their things.

She neatly folded the blanket after dusting it off. Looking inside the basket she saw all of the food had been eaten. She looped her arm through the basket's handle and headed up to the porch with the blanket as well. When she looked up she jumped a bit seeing Terrance standing on the porch.

"Sorry to frighten you. I'll take those back in the house. Go on home Gabrielle. It's late. Just let Paul cool down, but think about what he was like tonight. Don't let his anger slide." He said and held his hands out to the teenager. Gabrielle handed the things to him with her eyebrows furrowed. With a small wave she turned on her heel and started her small trek through the path in the woods to her house. 

All the while she was thinking. Paul's anger had been as bad as it ever has been. Never has she seen him snap at someone over something so little. And to his own father. Let alone to her. She had always been the one who could calm him down, and had never been on the other end of his wrath. It frightened her a bit. Shaking her head she finally entered her back yard and made her way up the steps to her house. With a sad sigh she made it inside only to find her father still gone. A note on the fridge stated he would be back in the morning some time. She turned around and locked the back door and made her way down the hall to her room where she stripped down to her shirt. She walked over to her closet and pulled a pair of sweat pants out of the dresser she had. She pulled them on and walked to her bathroom to brush her teeth and her hair. 

As soon as she grabbed her toothbrush she heard a loud bang which caused her to jump and let out a screech. She dropped her toothbrush in the sink and ran to her room where she thought she heard the noise. She couldn't see anything and was about to turn around when she saw something on her window. Shoved between the window and the pane was a piece of paper. 

-Sorry

Love you, P.L

Rolling her eyes she locked her window and pulled the curtains shut. She was in no mood to deal with him anymore tonight. Forgetting about her toothbrush that lay in the sink, she turned and flopped on her bed and curled up against her pillow while pulling her blanket around her. Within a few minutes she was asleep, but she was not alone. 

Outside stood Paul. He was waiting for her to open her window and let him in like she usually did. This time though, she locked it and pulled the curtains closed. Hurt was evident in his eyes and he turned around slowly and walked back to his house. His fists by his side opening and closing. His whole body shaking. He didn't know what caused him to snap. But he was scared. Scared something very wrong was happening, and felt it was only getting worse.