Fire is Blazing

Pain

Days pass and Angelo acts like I don't exist not only was it breaking my heart, but I was starting to get really pissed off. We were so close, but now he wouldn't even look at me. When our classes end, I rush over to him to talk but he is always a step ahead and gets away. At lunch he disappears and whenever I see him in the afternoon, he's closer but never lets me near enough to have a real conversation. It's like whatever happened after I left changed him forever, causing him to have a barrier up, shutting me on the outside.

"Get up put this on and wash your face." Raven walks into our room seeing me still in bed even though today is Saturday and it is well past breakfast. I want to do nothing but lay in bed because if I leave this room, I will go find Angelo and make him tell me why he is acting this way. However, after the way this week has been going, I want to give him space before I go all crazy chick on him so inside was the choose, I made to keep me from making a scene. As I was about to say no and pull my blanket over my head, she blasts me with a gentle yet fast motion of wind blowing my covers off the bed so I couldn't grab them again,

"Get up now, we're going to the town. I got you a pass." She sings a little as I grumbled a few displease words. Getting up and getting dress felt like I was a brick of clay that was slowly hardening, seeing that I was at least moving she smiles and goes to brush her teeth complaining on why garlic has to be so delicious but so smelly. When she got back, she helps me with my hair as I apply my makeup. We get outside and greeted by Clay. We walk to the town and go to a café Ray recommends. They both ordered a cappuccino, and I ordered a coffee. The warm liquid helps me feel a bit more alive but couldn't do anything to get Angelo out of my head this would be so much better if he was here. We talked and laughed but I couldn't have a lot of fun, not when I know Angelo is so close but so far away all at the same time. A few girls squeal next to us, pulling me away from my own thoughts. We all look and see Mr. Gabriel walking in and ordering something before he spots us. He comes over with a smile,

"Hi, there Apheina." I give a small smile and nod, then Rea coughs reminding me to introduce them.

"Mr. Gabriel..." I start but he cuts me off,

"Please just call me Gabriel."

"Gabriel these are my friends Rea and Clay. Ray is a wind student and Jason is earth student." He smiles,

"May I sit?"

"Yes of course please do." Ray says a little too happy I glance at Clay who get a little defensive as he watches how she fawns over him. Gabriel smiles and sits next to me.

"What are you guys up too?" He asked.

"We're trying to cheer Aphei up." Clay says eyeing Gabriel up and down. I get why Raven is acting the way she is, he is a very handsome man, with is strong jaw line deep brown eyes, honey blond hair and will tone body however no matter I look at it he's nothing compared to Angelo.

"Aphei?" He looks at me and asked, "Why are you upset?" My cheeks get warm as he says my nickname. I can't believe I act like that around him but it's so hard not to his warmth and sweet scent was intoxicating,

"I'm, um, down because my childhood friend has come back into my life after two years, and even though it was only two year it felt like forever, but things have happened since I left, and I don't know what it is I did to make him hate me or why he doesn't want me to be in his life when I've been waiting for him this whole time." I look down at my cup, "I'm pretty sure he keeps me away for a reason, but it hurts. He acts as if I don't exist." Tears start falling hitting my hands one after another. Then Gabriel whips my tears and says smoothly,

"If he doesn't want anything to do with you then he is stupid, cause he's missing out on a great girl." I look up at him and I could tell he was serious. There it goes again; his warmth seeps into my cheek in the place he touches. I felt so much better hearing his words even though Ray and Clay have told me the same thing so many times. All of a sudden, he drops his cup,

"Ow." I look at his hand and it's all red I turn my attention to his cup and see his mug was red like someone heated it up to the point it was going to melt. Ray gets up and use her wind to cool down his hand. I see something out the corner of my eyes I turn to see Angelo walking away,

"I'll be right back." I mutter getting up to chase after him. I told myself that I wasn't going to go look for him to give him some space to give me a chance to get my words together before bombarding him with millions of questions, but he is right there, he is in arms reach, I grab the back of his shirt making him stop in his tracks his whole body goes ridged I notice the way his shoulders tense up and asked,

"What are you doing here?" I didn't mean here on the street I mean here at school after all this time, but he answers,

"I was on my way to my grandmother house." He doesn't look back at me as he answered, nor did he move his body stiff as a board.

"Angelo." I say his name in a low voice I fight the tears from coming back as a wave of fear and anxiety crushes down on me my grip on his shirt tightens causing him to finally look at me another wave of fear comes down, my breath gets stuck in my throat. I close my eyes to focus on my breathing when his warm arms wrap around me. In seconds I start to calm down,

"Bunny, are you okay?" A smaller feeling of fear comes but I push it away I'm fine, I am with Angelo I will be fine. I tell myself taking a deep breath inhaling his scent of pine tresses and oak wood.

"I'm fine." He lets go just as quickly as he grabbed me, he was so fast that I stumble a bit causing him to reach out and grasp my shoulders making sure I can stand on my own before he moves away letting go. I try to look him in the eyes, but he glances over my head. Anger surges in me and I cross my arms holding myself to keep me from reaching out again. I try to get a grip on my emotions and ask.

"Did you do that to Gabriel?" He snaps his eyes to mine a bit of hurt and anger was shown and laughs dryly,

"So, it's Gabriel now?" Trying my best to stop my hands from shaking anger and pain was resting in my heart listening to his dry tone as if I was being a nuisance and he was offended by something I said.

"Did you do that?" I ask again my voice shakes a little this time I grasp my shirt, and I clear my throat forcing my anger down to have a conversation. There was so much going on in my head, it was spinning but I have to focus. 'Ugh it's too hard to focus when he is this close!'

"Maybe." Was all he said. I didn't want him to get in trouble, but I need to know why. Nothing right now is making sense.

"Why did you do that?" I couldn't tell if I was asking about what had just happened or for how he has been treating me since he got here, I take hold of his arm moving faster than him this time so he couldn't escape I felt him wanting to get away from me but not this time my anger is starting to boil with the thought of him running away. However, that was a bad decision because now all I can think about is how warm he is and how I just want to hold him so he can never run away again. The words that came out of his mouth wasn't what I was expecting.

"Don't touch me." His voice came out in a low tone as he sucks in a deep breath trying to break free from my firm grip shock by how he is acting my anger bubbles back up this time I'm not able to keep it in check, so I ask in a harsh tone tightening my grip on his arm,

"What's the matter with you? You act like I'm nothing to you and when you do talk to me it's like you are mad at me? Which I like to mention is completely bulls*t since you disappeared on me, we heard there was a fire at your house, I texted, I called you until I got the f*cking disconnected message. You have no Idea how worried I've been waiting for you to show up and when you finally do you pretend like I'm not here, do you get it I've waited, I'm still wait. Yet to you I'm just another f*cking person." I shouted letting go of his arm the look on his face was pure terror his eyes fixated on my hand, as if I could feel this unnerving drop in my stomach coming from him I sigh and turn to walk back my tears were starting to flow down again but I wasn't able to move his hand took hold of my wrist and he pulls me close looking over my hand and arm inspecting every visible skin when he was done he lets out a heavy breath and pulls me into the warm embrace that I have been waiting for since I saw him in the classroom his first day here. I feel my tears come down in bucks as the bubbles of my ugly cry surface. His heart was racing in my ears as he holds me close bearing his face in my neck,

"There is so much I want to tell you Bunny, but I can't, it's best if you just stay away from me all I bring is misfortune." The words send my heart racing, he sounds so broken.

"I don't understand, Angelo just tells me what happened." I pleaded into his chest.

"I can't," He whispers, "I can't have you get hurt too. Bunny, if it doesn't stay, I don't think I will be able to handle losing you too, I can't see you end up like the others." He says his voice barely audible enough to hear.

"I won't, I'm stronger than I look, plus I was told once when I was young that I have someone that will always be here for me. Remember, you said you'd always be here for me. So please let me in Angelo. I see the pain in your eyes, let me be there for you." His hold on me got tighter but it wasn't painful instead it was as if his whole body engulfed me to make sure I was real, I can feel his body shaking and I can feel my shirt get wet, he's crying too. He really has gone through something terrible. We stood there for a long while until we both no longer had any tears left to shed. We finally detangle from each other he turns his head away as he wipes his face, I let out a little laugh as I do the same,

"Sorry." I mutter an awkward feeling falls over us, " Give me your phone." I demand.

"Why?" He asks folding his arms across his chest as if he was holding himself back. I roll my eyes and start to look through his pockets, "Wow, hey." He fidgets as I find his phone.

"Why else, I'm going to put my number in your phone." I huff then proudly pull his phone out of his pocket. I quickly type my number in it as he tries to get it back, I turn, and hunch over a bit hiding his phone long enough to send myself a hi text so I can save his number later. "I'm out with Ray and Clay right now MR. Gabriel just happened to stop into the same place as us and since SOMEONE upset my feelings, they were trying to make me feel better. I don't see him any more than a teacher no matter how young he is besides I don't have room in my heart to like anyone else like that but you." I say my face burning up from the confession.

"I'll text you later we are going to catch up so stop running from me, my pity party of one is over and now you have hit the angry stage don't push it." I look back giving him his phone. "I've really missed you. Now I'm only letting you out of my sight because you were heading to your grandma's, but you won't get away from me next time got it." I kiss his check, but he flinches away, so it was more of a brush of my lips then a kiss and start to walk back to the cafe.

"Where's Clay and Ray?" I ask as I get to the table noticing the lack of bodies, I reach to get my bag and see a message from Raven.

"It seems Ray's sister got into some trouble so her and Jason left but I said I would wait for you. Where did you go?" I take a sit hoping my face isn't as red as it felt,

"Well, I thought I saw who did that to your hand and asked him about it." He pats my hand,

"Thank you." I shook my head,

"No, I should apologize your hand was hurt because of me." He laughs and says,

"There's no reason for you to apologize, when you weren't the one who did it." I look at his hand that was still on mine and my heart skipped a beat. Angelo's face appears in my head and my heart aches it was too much for me I slid my hand away from his and place them in my lap,

"Apheina?" I look up, "Your thinking about your old friend aren't you."

"How'd you know?" I asked surprised.

"Because your eyes turn a light brown which symbols pain and whenever you talk about him your eyes are that color." I didn't noticed Angelo must have been affecting my feeling a little more than I thought, "You should just stop worrying about him and think about something that makes you feel warm and happy." I nod with a smile.

"Come on it's almost time for them to close the gates so let's go." We walked side by side to the school talking about everything and anything. I found out a lot about him, like how we like the same kind of books, movies and have the same favorite band. With him I laugh and smile so I much my cheeks hurt.

"Goodnight, Apheina." He says as he drops me off at the dorms.

"Goodnight, Mr. Gabriel." I say as he walks away.

"Today we are going to learn the dangers of wars effect on the economy." I was in history, 5th hour and Ms. Danielle was putting everyone to sleep when a letter flew onto my desk,

'How was it spending time with Mr. Hottie?' I look a few rows over to see Ray wiggling her eyebrows.

'He was just being a nice teacher and helping his student.' I use my heat waves to send it flying over to her. I hear her snort and few seconds later the letter is on my desk,

'Right cause all teachers have their hands touch their students face for longer than 30 seconds.' I shake my head when I hear Ms. Danielle,

"Is there something you disagree with Apheina." I shake my head and she goes back to teaching. A heat wave makes the note leave my hands I follow it to see Angelo reading it. He then writes something and gives it back,

'Honestly bunny was everything you said yesterday a lie.'

'I was honest unlike someone we know.'

'I thought you said you only have eyes for me I'm hurt.'

'And I meant it. Next time text me back and we wouldn't miscommunicate.' After he reads it, I set it on fire making a point that this conversation was over, I admit I am a little bitter from him not responding to my text. He looks back from his seat that was two rows to my left and up four I roll my eyes but hid a smile. The bell rings and we head to our next class, why does Angelo have to make everything to complicated.

"What happened to the letter?" Ray asked,

"There was a noise person who wants to finally act like I'm here." I answer she gives me a look like she knew I wasn't upset about him too much anymore.

"Apheina, just who I was looking for." I turn to see Mr. Gabriel walking towards us. "I have the book we were talking about, and I thought you might like to read it." I smile and meet him halfway,

"Thank you." I say taking the book, "But I thought it was forever lost in your room?" He laughs,

"Yeah, I thought so too but when we talked about it, I thought you would like to read it, so I searched all Sunday for it and even cleaned up all that mess." I chuckled,

"Well, thank you for finding it for me."

"No, thank you if I wasn't so determined to find that book I wouldn't have cleaned."

"Then you're welcome." I smile at him. 'This, this how you act with a person.' I thought as I think back at how Angelo has been.

"Your smile is really pretty." Mr. Gabriels words caught me off guard. I was going to thank him however someone else steps in.

"Mr. Gabriel, I don't think hitting on a student is a good look for you." An arm wraps around my waist I look up to see Angelo, "Hi, there bunny." He looks down at me I start to feel annoyed and taste a little bit of metallic in my mouth, I open my mouth to yell at him however I wasn't really mad at him I like that he is holding me, but slight anger keeps surfacing then Mr. Gabriel speaks first.

"Oh, so this is your old friend." He says it like he just found out something amazing, "Well, Angelo I'm not doing anything wrong unlike you who seems to only hurt Aphei where I make her smile all you do is make her cry so who's in the wrong here?" He says pulling me out of Angelo's arms. Angelo glares at him,

"Is that what I'm doing Bunny?" He asks in an angry tone keeping his eyes on where Mr. Gabriel was holding my arm his heat seeping into my skin calming my anger, but it seems Angelo get taken a back and angrier than before.

"Well, I think that's exactly what's happening since a few moments she was smiling but now she seems upset, and I say that's similar to hurting her." Red flares in his eyes however Angelo doesn't say anything and walks away. My mouth fell open a bit stun that just happened I didn't want him to leave I want to talk to him more and I wasn't able to even say anything before he walked away.

"My um, arm." I whisper looking down at my hand that Gabriel held. My face flushes as he let's go,

"You should um get to class." He says shyly. He was really cute it's obvious why everyone has a crush on him.

"I will thanks." When we didn't move, he rubs his neck and then the bell rings.

"Ugh, right I have to teach." He says running towards his class.

"That was the cutest thing ever!" Ray says as she links her arm in mine.

"Would you two hurry up, we're late." Clay says running pass us.

"Well, Aphei just had romance happen that I couldn't miss so I don't mind, why are you running late?" Clay rolls his eyes,

"No, response."

"You fell asleep in the library, didn't you?" Ray says as we get closer to the classroom. When he didn't say we both agree,

"He fell asleep in the library again." We say in unison.

"Shut up." He pushes the door open, and we slip in. After class Mrs. Hassan starts to give us an ear full so as she goes on, I look out the door and spot Gabriel he makes a face and I couldn't help but smile,

"Apheina are you listening to me?" I look back biting down on my lip and nod,

"Yes, of course."

"For someone who says she has no time and lectures about being on time, she has no problem making us late to the next one. I mean seriously we have two minutes left till class starts and I have to go to the other side of the school." Ray complains as we leave the room.

"I thought you guys might get in this situation." We look to see Gabriel next to the door.

"Here." He hands us each a pass, the moment Ray and Clay have them, they say thank you and splits their separate ways. Gabriel and I start walking,

"Thank you, you seem to be my savior today. "I laugh.

"It's nothing. I've been there that lady can talk." He smiles at me warmly. I stop as I reach my class door which was next to his class.

"Here, looks like I didn't need it." I smile and hand him the pass. Our fingers brushed and it sent heat through my fingertips and all through my body. I lost all ability to talk,

"No problem." He speaks with tone of ease but my cheeks flush pink.