Alexis Gardiner has been through the normal ups and downs of a seventeen year old girl, albeit a few pluses along the way but that's beside the point. She's got loving parents, a typical annoying older brother and a best friend that's been more of a guardian angel than anything. But she soon realises how true that really is. Her perfect, normal life spirals drastically out of control when she discovers the truth about him and even herself. Journey with Alexis as she struggles between fantasy and reality and bares the mark of passion, love, betrayal and of an angel.
Chapter 1
New Beginnings…
14th January 2004 5th Grade
“Come on, give it back!” I yelled at the annoying boys.
They laughed and threw my new and amazingly awesome snow globe. My daddy got it for me for Christmas and I was stupid enough to bring it to school. It was empty on the inside but my dad said I could get something put in it.
I ran to the boy holding my snow globe but he only threw it to one of his friends.
“Give it!” I yelled on the verge of tears.
One of the boys rolled there eyes. “Jeeze don’t cry, Alexis, stop being such a baby.” He threw it to another boy.
I sniffed. “I’m not crying.”
They all laughed. When one of them threw it again, someone who wasn’t playing caught it. It was the new boy. I had no idea what his name was I just knew that he was new.
“What are you doing?” He asked them.
They all blinked at him. “Playing with Alex here; we’re having so much fun.”
The new boy turned to me and my eyes widened at the color of his. He had bright blue eyes I’d never seen on anyone before. “She doesn’t look like she’s having fun.”
“That’s because I’m not.” I answered as I wiped my eyes.
The new boy walked up to me, lightly grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the shadows of the tree overhead. It was a great hot sunny day in North Carolina, as usual.
“Those boys are jerks,” I mumbled.
The new boy nodded.
“What’s your name anyway?” I asked him.
He rubbed a hand through his dark brown hair. “I’m Gabriel Thomas. And you…?”
“Alexis Gardiner,”
He held his hand out and I shook and I smiled at him as I shook it. “Thanks for saving my snow globe.”
He looked at it and smiled a very dazzling smile. “It looks cool.
“Thanks,” He handed it to me and grinned wider. “Have you made any friends yet?”
He frowned. “Not really. I haven’t actually talked to anyone but you. So I’m hoping you would want to be…” He rubbed his head. “Friends?
I laughed. “Sure! You helped save my snow globe! Of course I’ll be your friend.
He grinned. “Cool,” The bell rang.
We started walking towards class. “Do you want to sit next to me in class? There’s an empty seat.”
He smiled wider. “Sure!”
I nudged him. “This is the start of a beautiful friendship, Gabriel.”
6 years later…
6th September 2010
I was singing along to For A Pessimist I’m Pretty Optimistic by Paramore as I drove around the corner in my new silver Range Rover; an early birthday present and all. Absolutely adore my parents for it. My mom and dad had been secretly saving for me to have a car since my twelfth birthday apparently. I parked in my old parking space and looked at myself in the rear view mirror.
My brown hair was especially wavy today. First day of senior year and all, have to make sure everything is perfect. I went into my bag and took out eye liner applying it around my green eyes. I fluffed out my hair and examined the small freckles on my tanned face. I spent my summer in the Carribean this year and I had to admit it was the best vacation yet. Despite getting heat stroke… twice.
My eyes scanned around the parking lot before I spotted a familiar white 2010 Camaro. I watched as it parked beside my car and I couldn’t contain my excitement or hide my smile.
I grabbed my bag and stuffed the keys inside. When I walked out, I tapped on the blacked out Camaro window and stuck my tongue out. I knew he could see me. I tugged on my jeans shorts and touched my necklace.
Gabriel stepped out of the car attracting the usual attention from everyone more so the freshman. Every year it was the same. Gabriel’s brilliant looks would attract the attention of the freshman. I couldn’t blame them for looking though.
He locked eyes with me and smirked. The blue eyes that never seize to amaze me stared into mine as I walked up to him and gave him a hug.
“I can’t believe it’s been over three months! I’ve missed you, Gabe.”
He chuckled. “I’ve missed you too. And you’re so tanned. I’m sorry I couldn’t see you when you got back I was out of town.”
I pulled back. “Oh, its fine!” It was so not fine. I missed him too much. “What matters is that I’m seeing you now! God, you’ve changed so much. You seem… larger in a weird way, have you been working out or something? Is your hair shorter?”
He grinned. “A little bit. Gotta stay in shape, you know. And I got it cut weeks ago,” He looked me over and paused at my legs. “And it looks like you’ve been staying in shape too. Your legs are long; have you grown or something?” He compared our height. I was over an inch shorter than him but I was quite tall. I’m 5″7. “Nope you’re still short. To me anyway.” He laughed.
I gave him a peck on the cheek and started pulling him towards the building. All around school, people were talking, reuniting with old friends and laughing. I loved coming back to school. I always enjoyed getting back together with old friends.
“So, Gabriel, senior year! Last year in high school! 12th Grade! The big one-two—”
“Lexie, shut up,”
I laughed. Gabriel was the only one that called me Lexie, and I wanted to keep it that way. Everyone else would call me by my whole name or Alex. “Come on, this year will be fun. We’re both eighteen next month; we’ll have an awesome party this year.”
Weirdly enough, our birthdays were close together. His was two days before mine and we’ve had this thing where we have a joint birthday party every year.
He shrugged. “Sure if you want to. I don’t mind.”
I can read him like a book. “Of course you mind. You want this party as much as I do.”
He held back a smile. “Of course I don’t mind. You’re my best friend you can have whatever you want.”
I laughed without a lick of humour as we made it to the desk to get out new schedules. “You make it sound like I’m spoilt.”
He chuckled and said thanks to the woman at the desk. She gave me mine and both of us skimmed through it.
Homeroom, AP English, Music, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, Lunch, Spanish, Free Period.
The rest of the week is almost the same except I have AP Literature at one point.
I have such a great schedule! Sarcasm.
Gabe grabbed my timetable and looked at it. “We have Chemistry, English and Calculus together. We don’t have homeroom together this year.” He paused. “We have AP Chemistry first.”
I frowned. We always had homeroom together.
I sighed. “Alright, let me go to my new locker and I’ll see you in Chemistry.” He frowned too and walked away.
Gabe and I have been inseparable since the 5th grade. This is the first time we haven’t had homeroom and most of our classes together.
I frowned to myself as I made it to my locker and entered my new combination.
“You know, it takes more muscles to frown than to smile.” I heard a familiar voice say.
I closed the locker and looked at my good friend Tracey. I smiled and squealed. “Ohmygod! How long has it been?”
She scoffed playfully. “Over two months! Duh! I’ve missed you so much!” She pulled me into a hug. “How was your summer?”
“Hot. What about you?”
She rolled her brown eyes. “Cold. My family took me over to England. English boys,” She winked. “Their accent was hot though, so that kept me going.”
I laughed.
“Anyway, are you in any AP classes this year?”
I rolled my eyes. “Some,” She raised a brow. “Okay most of them. What about you?”
“World History and Calculus. I’ll see you in Calculus; I have to go to my new homeroom. Have you got Mrs Davis?”
I shook my head. “Mr Gifford.”
“I’ll see you at lunch then.” She gave me one more hug and strolled off down the hall.
I closed my locker and made my way to my homeroom. When I entered the room, people I knew but didn’t really talk to, spotted me and gestured me over.
I said my ‘Hey’s’ and ‘How was your summer’s?’ to everyone.
They all gave me there typical answers of ‘It was great!’ or ‘I had so much fun!’.
Before I knew it half the day went by in a flash and it was lunch. To be frank, sometimes school was awesome, sometimes school sucked ass. But what could you do?
I walked out of the building to the school gardens when I spotted Gabriel sitting under our usual tree with Brian, our other good friend, but my attention was drawn to Gabriel. He looked so surreal. He was relaxing under a tree with a book in his hand. The wind distrubed his soft brown hair, brushing against his forehead.
I made my way over to them and he spotted me halfway. He smiled at me and lifted himself up. When I sat down he lay his head down on my lap and I ran my fingers through his hair
“Hey Alex,” Brian said. “How was your summer?”
I smiled at him. “It was great, yours?”
“Spankin’.”
I raised a brow.
“It’s my new word.”
I rolled my eyes and looked down at a relaxed Gabe, his eyes were closed; his breaths coming out shallow and relaxed. I looked at his shirt and noticed it was a long sleeve. It was a warm day. “Gabe, why are you wearing a long sleeve, it’s quite warm today.”
I saw something new and weird flash across his face but it was very subtle. Like he knew I would see it. “I didn’t really feel up to wearing a short sleeve today.”
Bullshit.
He opened his eyes as if he heard me.
To be honest I felt a little bit hurt. We told each other everything. And I knew he was lying to me. I let it go and resumed raking my hands through his hair. He stared up at me with those intimidating bright blue eyes. I smiled as if reassuring him that it’s fine.
Whenever I looked into his eyes I felt like I could see things I weren’t supposed to. Even though I say he tells me everything, I’m never entirely sure. Gabriel has always been there for me. No matter where it was, he was always there. And I want to be there for him.
I met his parents in the 6th grade. They’re lovely people.
Joe and Elizabeth Thomas; Joe owns his own company up in New York and is hardly ever home; at least that’s what Gabriel told me. I’ve only met him a couple of times. His mother stays at home, doesn’t really do much for herself but she’s awesome. He has an older sister and older brother; Maryanne and Tristan. She’s great and so is he; she’s on her last year of Duke University now and he’s on his second year.
Tracey came over but I didn’t pay much attention to her.
Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows at me as if he were in pain.
Was he?
Was there something he was keeping from me?
“Hey,” I whispered to him. “Are you alright?”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m great,” He half smiled. “Don’t worry about me.”
I cupped his jaw. “Of course I’m going to worry about you.”
He opened his eyes and stared at me.
“If you two are done with your little ‘moment,'” Tracey interrupted. “We should talk about how school is still as shitty as last year…”
She prattled on as I thought about what could possibly be wrong with Gabriel.
I came up with absolutely nothing.
But I’ll find out.
I always do.
After all, it is the beginning of the new school year. Everything, no matter if you want it to or not, changes.