His Advocate

Chapter 7

Gabriel POV

Arthur didn't bother me today. It was nice for a change, even though I knew it wouldn't last very long.

My last class of the day was droning on, it didn't help that the teacher had a deep, monotone voice that gave off a hum of drowsiness. He was a rather robust man, with a barrel chest, thick, heavy eyebrows and an even thicker greying, walrus mustache. The tiny, round spectacles perched on the tip of his potato nose were smudged. I stared out the window, my chin resting in my palm.

I wonder what Azrael is up to.

A deep blush spread across my cheeks and I burried my face in my arms to hide it. Why do I have to feel so sheepish around him. The constant, magnetic pull to be near him can't be normal. We talk just like old friends, our conversations are refreshing, in all honesty. I shifted in my chair, crossing my ankles under the desk. And he's so handsome, too. I can't look at him for too long without getting mesmerized. How often I've had the urge to stroke my fingertips against the plains of his face, just to make sure he was real. I thought of how when he smiled, it was always slightly crooked.

I sighed.

The bell rang and everyone packed up to leave.

As I took things out of my dented locker, someone tapped my shoulder. A girl with short blonde hair and foggy blue eyes was smiling up at me.

There was something off about her smile.

"Hi, Gabriel. I was just wondering if I could talk to you in private for like a sec?" She spoke in between loud, smacking chews of her gum. With every word she uttered, my eyes unintentionally fixated on the gooey, pink wad stuck to her back molar.

What impolite social behavior.

She clasped her hands in front of her and rolled her shoulders forward, squeezing her breasts together in order to show more cleavage. Was this supposed to be attractive?

"Um, sure. Is there a problem?"

I don't like this.

I don't feel safe.

"Oh, there's no problem at all silly!" She giggled, it sounded so forced.

She led me away from the safety of the crowd and around the corner. There she stood before me, shifting her weight and jutting out her hip.

"Well you see, me and my friends were talking, and I guess since like you're sort of cute we kind of like, feel bad for you. And since I'm like, the hottest, you could get popular for being near me. So you can like..."

I could see her subtly grit her teeth, and then she put on an even bigger fake smile.

"Go out with me."

It wasn't even a question.

"Um, I'm sorry, but I can't take you up on your offer."

"What? Why not? Am I not pretty enough for you?" She snapped.

"N-no! You're very beautiful, and I think that you will definitely find someone that will love and treasure you."

I gripped the hem of my jacket tightly.

"What is it then?" She snarled.

"I'm just not looking to date right now." I put my hands up in defense.

"Bullshit, everybody's dating," She shot back, jabbing a pointed finger into my chest.

I sucked in a deep breath.

She's really starting to piss me off.

"Girls just aren't really my preference, okay? Jeez."

My voice was kept low. My gaze fell to the floor. I had always left that fact about myself unsaid. My reasoning being that a lot of the people in school were homophobic. I immediately regretted my decision to say anything. I should have just said no and walked away. Looking up, I watched her face contort into a grimace.