To Love a Fighter

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I never had a lunch so...awkward. Venice talked to me for the whole hour, trying to make me feel comfortable but that was just torture. His glares were making me shake. I was sweating and fidgety and barely touched my lunch. I knew that Ven noticed and he tried his best to make me comfortable but, by his looks, he also knew that I was far from it. Gabriel was ruthless, the few words he spoke were only to Ven and, for as much as Venice tried to make us talk, it was impossible. When the lunch break ended, I grabbed my things eagerly and hurried out of there.

Almost jogging to math, I walked in the room a few minutes before the teacher and sat by the window. When Ven walked, his face wasn't as happy as usually, he looked a little mad even. He sat beside me and laid his books on the table roughly.

I had a huge lump in my throat that stopped me from saying that I was sorry. Jodie and Taylor entered a few moments later and smiled at me before walking towards our tables and sitting in front of us.

"So, how was lunch?" Taylor asked, turning to me in her chair.

"It was...nice." I lied, avoiding eye contact. I saw Jodie and Taylor trading curious glances but, fortunately, didn't push the subject.

"Will you seat with us, tomorrow?"

I glanced at Venice from the corner of my eye and he was watching me intently. Before I could answer, he did it for me.

"Sorry girls, Dylan will seat with me." He told them, flashing a bright white smile.

"Oh...ok, then. I guess we'll see you in free period." They smiled sadly before sitting straight, as the teacher walked in.

I whispered quietly.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I want you to sit with me." He said, inocently, giving me puppy eyes. I rolled my eyes at that.

"Why? I don't know if you noticed, but it did not go very well..."

"I don't care, Gabriel is being his normal asshole self so don't mind him." He grumbled. "I like you to sit with me, you're like my little sister." He joked, poking my belly, making me squeal. Mr. Carter looked at us and frowned. I didn't knew how I hadn't notice that Ven had almost every class with me, maybe because I had avoided looking at anyone. Venice grinned at Mr. Carter before opening his book. I shook my head reproachfully at him, making his grin widen even more.

The rest of the class passed smoothly, as I talked to Venice, Taylor and Jodie. Mr. Carter shot us dangerous glances through the whole class, making me cringe away from his judging glare, however, Venice always smirked and waved, making the three of us laugh. That almost resulted in detention but I managed to threat Venice that I wouldn't lunch with him if he got us detention so he stopped, grumbling like a 5 year old.

We were walking down the hall when Ven got a text. He huffed when he read it and then looked at me.

"I got to go, see ya later ok?"

"Ok, bye." I said and sped off down the hall.

Taylor and Jodie walked with me to my locker and, when I was putting my books away, they started talking, with worried voices.

"Dylan...we saw that you sat with...Gabriel, today." Jodie started, stuttering on Gabriel's name. I knew it, I was not the only one who was scared of him.

"Venice made me do it." I grumbled.

"It's ok if you're with him, but...don't be alone with Gabriel. I mean ever." Taylor warned, looking serious.

I didn't want to be alone with him, I would probably start running if I saw him walking in my direction, but I was curious. "Why?"

"There are rumors..."Jodie started, looking at the floor. " He is always in fights inside and outside the school and he already sent a couple of students to the hospital!"

My eyes were wide open. How could he do that and not be expelled?! "Are you sure?"

"Well, that's what everyone says and Paul, one of them, didn't appear for a week..."

I frowned at Taylor, they believed in something that probably wasn't nothing more than a rumor. If there was something that I hated were rumors. They only hurt people and I despised the ones who believed in them without proofs. "Have you ever seen him fight?"

"Yes, many times." Jodie answered.

"Have you ever seen him send someone to the hospital?"

"No, because they always someone to stop him before he managed to do it. Most of the times is Venice holding him back. He almost killed a guy once."Taylor told me, grabbing my arm. "What ever you do, don't approach him. They say he threatened girls a couple of times. If I were you, I wouldn't sit on his table, he hates it."

I nodded, knowing that wouldn't happen. First, Venice wanted me to sit with him, second, he already hated me for sitting with him, but he hadn't actually tried to hurt me, only glared and remained quiet. I could believe easily in the fights but almost killing someone and send many to the hospital, no way. If he did it, it would only happen once and, yet, he was still here, so they were exagerating. As usually. Gabriel looked scary but, if he was agressive, there was a reason behind it.

Saying goodbye to them, I walked outside the building, heading to the parking lot, where my mom was waiting. I was mumbling and thinking about what they had said when I saw a shadow leaning against a dark corner of the building. Dressed in black combat boots, dark jeans and a short sleeved grey shirt was Gabriel, with his arms crossed, showing everyone who passed by him, the bulging muscles of his arms. He had a cigarrette between his lips and was watching his surroundings lazily. I could see Ven, beside him, with his back turned to me, talking to him.

I couldn't believe that Ven would be friends with someone that was as bad as everyone said so I was a little reluctant in believing in Taylor and Jodie, however, he had only showed his bad side to me and, maybe, it was the only side he had ever shown to others.

Sighing, I kept walking to my mother's car, that was already waiting for me. I opened the front door and mom smiled at me.

"Hello, honey, how was your day?"

"It was good, I made new friends." I told her, putting my seatbelt on. "And how was your day?"

"It was good."

Mom started the car and I looked outside the window, watching the students go home. I watched them say goodbye to their friends or just hanging out on the parking lot. The car started moving and it was then that I saw Gabriel, alone, looking directly at me. My breath got caught in my throat and I was expecting him to glare at me. And that was what he did.

His intense stare continued until our car was out of view. Only when we were out of the school property I could breath normally. But then the thought of having to lunch in his table again tomorrow hit me and I groaned.