Like Smoke

0.2 Glassy and Funny

Gabrielle watched curiously as Gavino pushed one hand into his jeans' pocket, while the other rested on the desk in front of him. Almost as if it were steadying him. She watched him slowly blink. The way his eyes opened was too slow, in fact, the pair looked glassy.

"Mister Abelló! What do you think this place is? A garden or your living room? Where you can slouch like that, and even dare to smoke?"

On second thought, it did smell slightly funny inside the room. She glanced at Cora, who widened her eyes in shock and acknowledgement of what she had heard. She sniffed some more but she didn't find anything remotely smelling like tobacco in the air.

"This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable-"

"Can I get my slip now?" Gavino looked tilted his head back, his adam's apple in full view, showing off his long sturdy neck.

His interruption only caused Mrs. Tennessee lose steam. "No, no, no! There is no detention for you," she almost sang. "And for God's sake, put that infernal thing out!" she screeched, making Gabrielle snap her eyes towards Gavino's fingers that held what looked like a burning joint.

He's smoking a freaking joint?! In class?!

As soon as Gavino finally finished the task, the teacher's voice growled, "You are going straight to the Principal's office."

Gabrielle expected Gavino's face to fall and see at least an ounce of fear, if not a butt-load, like she would have if she were scolded and sent to the Principal. However, a small smile pulled onto his lips. His eyebrows rose by the ends, as his lids closed over his eyes, when suddenly his head snapped forward and bobbed up and down.

Snickers could be heard around her, making her frown. Boy, was he high!

The head bobbing stopped, as he followed a very fuming Mrs. Tennessee out of the class with his bag mopping the floor beside his feet.

As soon as those two were out, Cora turned to her with her mouth agape and eyes wide like saucers.

"Shit!" she whispered and chuckled hard.

Gabrielle could do nothing but stare at her with a frown.

"Would you believe it? Gavino Abelló, the math whiz and history buff, almost a prodigy, smoking a fucking joint in a fucking class?!" she whisper yelled, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Quit it, Cora! It's not funny!" Gabrielle scolded her.

"Oh, calm it, babe! It sure is funny when someone gets caught while smoking in class. And it's happened for the first time!"

"Cora," she tiredly sighed before Cora interrupted.

"I mean did you see how he was bobbing his head up and down like a bobblehead?" She snickered.

On second thought, it was funny. Gabby couldn't help chuckle and shake her head. "Fine, it was a bit."

"Hah, I knew you'd crack!"

Gabrielle shook her head at the raven head, who clapped her hands in hilarity.

~~~~~~~~

Her feet ached with all the standing she had to do during drama class. Cora was lucky because she had opted for music, her ultimate passion.

Its not like she didn't love music. She just didn't see the point in making it a profession, because she thought she wouldn't love it the way she loved it now, anymore.

Cora hurried out the school doors towards their bikes.

"I so badly want a car of my own!" Gabrielle whined, as she lifted one foot to ease the pain.

Cora smirked, "I should be the one asking for one!"

"You do, when you're in a sour mood! But today, it looks like everything went well! How was class?" Gabby wiggled her eyebrows, grinning.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously when she saw Cora's neck colouring.

For a girl with wheatish brown skin, her blush wasn't easily visible. But she knew the tells. Whenever Cora blushed, her eyes would roll up, before staring at you hard. She had mastered the art through the years, and had managed to intimidate a lot of people with that. Even she was intimidated by her once, when she mocked her or had teased her about her crush. But as she spent more and more time with her, she could now read her as a book.

Nudging her shoulder with her own, Gabrielle jerked an eyebrow up in askance, while teasingly grinning.

"Oh shut it! You know how it goes," Cora's voice taking higher pitch in the end, leaving Gabrielle staring at her shockingly bemused.

Her mouth fell open, slowly, as it all settled into her brain. "You feline! Stop being all vague with me! What happened today?" she practically, squealed as she bit her fingers into Cora's arm.

"Ow!" Cora winced, as she shook Gabrielle's claw-like hold on her. "You call me a fucking 'feline', while you practically scratch my arm off with your fucking," she grabbed Gabrielle's hand to inspect her nails, "non-existent nails!"

She looked up in sheer astonishment. "The fuck?! You scratched me with these?! How the even ever loving fuck's sake, did you manage that?!" she scowled, not bothering to hide her screeching voice.

Wincing, Gabrielle hunched her shoulders to keep Cora's screeching from peeling her ears off. "I'm really sorry," she squeaked, before opening her eyes one by one to see Cora still standing there, fuming at her.

She looked like Spike, the beloved Jack-ass dog of Tom n' Jerry. A giggle escaped her lips.

Oh poop! Her eyes widened when she realised that that giggle hadn't gone unnoticed by her best friend.

By now, Cora was scowling worse than a bull dog. "Something funny, Ms. Parola?" she mocked Gabrielle.

"Tell me what happened today, please! I am dying here!" Well, she wasn't but she had to get away from Cora's impending wrath.

"Nothing happened," Cora finally spoke, before turning and walking to the walls where their bicycles were parked.

"Wait," Gabrielle almost tripped over something and she realised that it was a notebook of hers, that had fallen while she was having the interesting conversation with Cora.

"Cora!" she tried calling out to her.

"Look, I know that you are practically bursting inside to tell me what happened today and since you don't even keep a diary, after having repeatedly lectured," her voice wobbled as she tried to keep pace with a speeding Cora on the bicycle lane, "lectured..on it's advantages, you'd better tell me now!"

"Come on, Cora!" she whined as she saw Cora turning right onto a small street.