Avalanche

Chapter 29

The next several weeks consisted of nothing but class and homework. I was not adjusting to the massive amount of homework well. I was doing well in my classes; it just took a large majority, or 99% of my time to complete the homework.

My social life has been virtually nonexistent. The only thing that kept me sane was Gabe and the few hours I got to spend with him in the evenings after we were both home.

One Tuesday night I decided that I was done studying for the time being so Erica and Samantha were over at my apartment. We were having a stereotypical girls' night. We ordered a pizza and decided to watch Pitch Perfect. After that movie, we made cookies and devoured what little ice cream we had left while Kota sat at our feet, waiting for us to drop something.

When we sat back down, it was 9:45, so I asked, "What should we do now?"

"I say we watch Friends with Benefits!" Samantha exclaimed, seeing it sitting on the entertainment center.

"Yes! Justin Timberlake is sexy," Erica all but yelled. Samantha and I cracked up as I stood to put the movie in.

The end of the movie gets me every time. "Gah, I want a guy like that in my life," Erica whined.

"It's so perfect," I said.

"Gabe is perfect," Samantha admitted.

"I know," I said dreamily.

"Speaking of, where is he?" Erica asked.

"They had a game in Nashville..."

"Oh. So now I know why you invited us over; you just didn't want to be alone," Erica teased.

"Whatever!"

"That's not true!" They both laughed before saying they knew. "Erica, you could have a guy like that in your life. A blind person could see that you and Alex like each other."

"Just like a blind person could see the sexual tension between you and Gabe." She deadpanned.

"Wow. Why do you guys always bring that up?"

"Because we want to know when you guys are finally going to give in..." Samantha said, winking at me. I just sighed and rolled my eyes.

We finished cleaning up the mess we made in the kitchen before Samantha and Erica said they needed to head out because they had classes in the morning.

After they left, I walked into the room Gabe and I shared and pulled a t-shirt out of his drawers before going back to my bathroom and getting a shower. When I decided I had been in the shower long enough, I climbed out and grabbed my towel. When I had dried off, I slipped on a pair of panties and white soffe shorts and a sports bra and Gabe's blue training camp T-shirt.

I made my way out to where Kota was lying in her doggy bed. "Come on, Kota," I said in a high-pitched voice, patting my legs, trying to get her to come to the door so she could go to the bathroom. She finally got up and came over. She went to the bathroom on the little puppy pad we have sitting on the balcony. When she was done, we went back inside and I placed her in her crate. Until she was housebroken, we wanted her to sleep in a crate so we didn't wake up to accidents all over the apartment.

I then went and made sure the door was locked and all of the lights were off in the rest of the apartment before heading back into the bedroom and climbing into bed.

It felt weird Gabe not being here beside me. This is the first time since last season that he has been gone. This year, he was going to be traveling a lot more without me due to the fact that I was in college and just couldn't afford to miss school. I scrolled through my twitter feed and saw that the boys had won the game, which made me happy. I tweeted at Gabe and my brother congratulating them on the win. When I was ready to go to sleep, I texted Gabe saying goodnight and safe travels before I locked my phone and plugged it in on the bedside table.

I felt the bed shift and then someone placing a kiss on my forehead. I scooted closer to them before opening my eyes. "Go back to sleep," Gabe said.

I mumbled before saying, "Hi."

"Hi," he whispered.

"What time is it?" I asked, looking around, noticing it was a little lighter than usual.

"A little after 5, we got back early. Now go back to sleep," he insisted, kissing my forehead.

"I'm glad you're home," I admitted.

"I am too, I love you."

"I love you too," I said, almost immediately falling back to sleep.

When I woke up later in the morning, I got out of bed as peacefully as I could, as not to wake Gabe. I knew that before he got home, he probably had not slept; because I know how hard flights are on him.

I let Kota out of her crate and made her go to the bathroom. While she was outside, I put some bread in the toaster and got the butter and jelly out. I let her back in and closed the door then got my breakfast and plopped down on the couch.

I turned the TV on and found that the movie was still playing from last night, so I decided to watch it again.

Just when it got to the part where they were defining the rules of their relationship, I became aware of someone's presence.

"Friends with Benefits, huh?" Gabe asked.

"The girls and I watched it last night. We didn't turn the DVD player off, so it has been replaying all night. When I turned the TV on, it was playing, so I decided to watch it again," I said, sticking my tongue out.

"It's not because JT's in it?" he asked.

"Well, that may have something to do with it," I teased.

"I see how it is," he pouted.

I laughed as I stood up and pulled him toward the couch. I fell backwards onto it and Gabe hovered over me. "You know you're the only one for me," I said, kissing him on the lips.

We made out for a while before he collapsed on the couch beside me. We finished watching the movie, and then decided we would go out for lunch.

When we got back, I begrudgingly started on my homework. I ended up calling Samantha and demanding that she get her butt over here so we could work on the anatomy assignment together. After 3 hours, we had completed all of the online assignments due, as well as the pre-lab and notes. This class was going to kill me before the semester was over. I slammed my book shut, saying, "DONE!" Kota jumped up at the sudden noise.

"Praise the Lord!"

Gabe walked out of his bedroom saying, "You're just now finishing that?"

"Next time I'll let you do it. We'll see what you say then," I teased.

He placed a kiss on the top of my head on his way to the kitchen. "I'll leave that for you."

"You're so kind, dear," I teased.

"I try, sweetie pie," he teased back.

"Gag," Samantha said.

"Hush," Gabe replied. Samantha just stuck her tongue out at him.

I loved how well Gabe and Samantha got along. We could all tease each other endlessly and it wouldn't change how we acted.

Gabe decided to be an awesome person and make Samantha and I dinner. He grilled chicken breasts and steamed fresh vegetables. It looked quite delicious.

When he sat the plates down in front of us, Samantha said, "What is this? I thought Sadie was lying about you cooking. I never believed such a thing, but now that I see it with my own eyes..." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ha, ha."

"It looks good, Gabe, thank you," I said.

"Dig in," he replied.

"Don't mind if I do," Samantha said. After stuffing a big bite into her mouth, she added, "Gabe, this is great!"

"Why thank you."

After we finished eating, Gabe said he would do the dishes so that Samantha and I could finish our homework. When we finished that, we moved out to the balcony and talked about life.

"You know, if you asked me this time last year what my life would look like in a year, I would most definitely not have said like this..." I said.

"I know what you mean. A lot has changed."

"You can say that again," I said. She chuckled.

"But really, I'm glad it changed. You have become one of the best friends I have ever had."

"You too," I admitted. "It's crazy to think that I haven't even known you a year, yet I feel like we've been friends for forever."

"I agree," she said.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before I said, "So, how are things with you and Derek?"

"They're good, I guess."

"You guess?"

"It's just; it has been weird since he decided to go to school in Utah."

"I'll be the first to tell you long distance sucks. But you can make it work."

"Like you did?"

"Derek is not like Austin."

"How do you know?"

"Do you guys talk regularly?"

"Every day."

"See, that's already better than Austin and I. When I moved here, we talked maybe, maybe, once a week. Austin didn't even try."

"I'm just scared that it'll get old."

"There are going to be days where you're not going to get to talk, because you have to realize that you're both in college now. You're going to be a lot busier than in high school."

"You're right."

"Aren't I always?" I joke.

"Not at all," she teased. I pouted. "Thank you," she added.

"Anytime, girly," I said, giving her a hug.

After Samantha left, Gabe took her spot in the chair on the balcony. "So, what were you two talking about all this time?"

"Life."

"What about it?"

"About how much it has changed in the last year," I said, grabbing his hand and intertwining our fingers.

"Is that all?"

"What do you know?" I asked, giving him a questioning look.

"I heard you two talking about long distance relationships..."

"Gabe..."

"No, I know."

"She's nervous it's going to mess up her relationship. By contrasting it from my failed attempt at it, I think she's going to be alright." He still had this sullen look on his face. "Gabriel, look at me," I said, standing up and placing myself on his lap. "You're the only one I want. I do not have any regrets or wishes with anything pertaining to Austin. I was simply telling her that neither of us cared enough to try anymore. I told her that neither of them are like that. They want it to work more than anything. And Derek is nothing like Austin." He had put his head down again. I placed my hand under his chin and lifted it so that he had to look at me. "I love you, Gabe. Nothing, I mean nothing, is going to change that. Okay?"

He nodded slightly. "Okay." He then placed a kiss on my lips.