Sitting imbetween Gabriel and some peverted boy, I pick at my food with a grimace. Everyone in his group of friends stares at me as if i'm some alien they discovered, but Gabriel doesn't seem to notice, instead eating his food so fast he might as well be inhaling it. My new phone vibrates, and I happily take it out and type a reply to Danny.

Peeking over my side, he rests his nose on my shoulder and sighs. "You could text me.." He mumbles, widening his eyes dramatically. I roll mine, watching the people at the table laugh at my reaction.

Gabriel's popular, there's no doubt about that. His friends are all either stunning, bubbly, or athletic, leaving no room for me, the tiny mute girl, to fit in whatsoever. They look at me different, knowing I don't belong here. I can see it in their makeup-smothered eyes they don't want me here, and trust me, if I had other friends, i'd leave. Since Gabriel's the only one that's stayed with me.. I'm pretty much stuck in this awkward position.

A breezy laugh interrupts the silence that's been hovering over the table for the past twenty minutes. I look up to see a beautiful girl with auburn hair and blonde streaks sit down, green eyes wide as she glances at me from across the table. "You're hair is gorgeous," She gushes, leaning across the table to take a chunk of my hair and examine it further. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, feeling a bit violated at her touch. "Do you dye it?" She asks. I shake my head, feeling a hand grip my thigh and turning to Connor, the kid next to me.

Slapping his hand away, I scoot a little closer to Gabriel, who doesn't object. The girl seems to realize something, dropping her hands away from my face and sitting back down. "Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so strange.." She apologizes, losing a bit of her charm but soon gaining it back. "I'm Belle Keith, and you?"

"Alexxa Ward," Gabriel says for me, taking a bite of my chicken nuggets. I glare at him, but he only smirks. "You wouldn't have eaten it anyways." He has a point there. I roll my eyes, letting him eat the chicken that could probably be revived with a defibrillator.

"Are you new? I haven't seen you around." I nod, smiling slightly. "Oooh, I love foreigners." She exclaims, grinning widely and showing off a set of white teeth. "Where are you from?"

"Ehm, Ireland." Gabriel lies, smiling nervously. My stomach warms at the sight of him, sticking up for me and making me look normal. It almost makes me want to- No..Scratch that.

Not here. Not now.

"Alexxa Ward?" Some elderly woman waddles over to the table, smiling at everyone and locking eyes with me. "Someone's here to see you."

Glancing at Gabriel, i'm somewhat frightened. Who would want to see me, besides Luna? But she's working, and the cafe is always busy.. "Does eight sound good?" He asks, talking about when to pick me up. I nod, standing and giving a half-wave with my finger to everyone before walking off with the woman.

"I was told he's your counselor." She tells me, and I sigh with relief. It's just Sam, the nice man who gave me clothes and money before I left the institution. "You won't be coming back, so I got your things." Handing me my knapsack, I smile my thanks and walk into the front office.

Sam's hair isn't gelled back this time, but he looks younger like that, almost my age. Brown eyes twinkle happily as he sees me, and he nods at the woman. "Thanks, Gale. This is her."

Gale grins proudly, as if being praised by a monk. "You're welcome. Come back anytime." He takes my bag, leading me outside before stopping in the middle of the road.

"I understand we've only met once. Do you trust me enough to get into my car?" He asks, nodding to a little blue convertable in front of us.Biting my lip and debating this, I look towards the clutter of picnic tables where Gabriel sits. I could always take him with me, to be sure I'm safe..

His blue eyes lock with mine for a split second, before he frowns and looks towards Sam. I shake my head, telling him quietly there's nothing going on, and look back to Sam, nodding. He, after all, is the same man who got me out of the place I had been forced to call home for two years, my living hell. Why shouldn't I trust him?

We get inside, me sitting shotgun as he tosses my knapsack onto the backseat. Pulling off, he smiles warmly at me. "Would you like some lunch?" He asks. "We only have an hour, but I'd like to talk." Shaking my head, I point for him to go straight. If I was going anywhere with him, it'd be the cafe, where Luna could watch over us and maybe even meet him.

"How's school?" He asks. I smile slightly, giving him a so-so gesture and sinking farther into the seat. "Got some friends?" I nod, thinking of Danny, Hunter, and Gabriel.

Does Gabriel even count as my friend? He seems like more of a stalker.

"A boyfriend, maybe?"

Blushing, I shake my head and look at my phone just as Gabriel texts me. Groaning inwardly and blushing deeper at his message, I close the tab. The beach, maybe? I know you haven't had time..And I want to go swimming :) He had written. The smiley face and the thought of him swimming in just shorts was enough to make me fluster, with a mix of excitement, happiness, and worry. Had I got some flab from that thai food earlier? Do I still fit in my bikini?

Pointing to the cafe, I let him drive into the small lot and park in the front of the glass doors. I hop out, using a pencil from my pocket to pull my hair into a loose bun and tie it together with the wooden stick. It lets the warm air to my hot neck, and I'm immediately a bit cooler. Yeah, sure. Are you staying over? I reply, gaining enough courage to send the text and opening the door for Sam. He smiles his thanks, walking inside and going up to the counter. "What would you like, Alexxa?" He asks.

Luna grunts, somewhat used to my ditching behaviors. "Hazelnut, cream and two splendas. What are you doing with my kid?" She asks in a monotonous voice, staring up at the tall man.

He chuckles. "You must be her guardian. I'm Sam Knox, her councelor from the institute."

She immediately relaxes, and she even smiles at him. "Oh, hello, Mr.Knox. I apologize for my rude behavior." She says, pouring my coffee and handing it to me. "I'm just a little stressed."

"I understand. Call me Sam." She nods, and I swear she swoons a bit at his smile. "What would you like?" She questions dreamily.

He smirks. "Your number, but now might not be the best time." I crinkle my nose at their pointless flirting, and Luna laughs, cheeks reddening.

"I'm Luna." She introduces herself. "I wasn't aware they'd be taking Alexxa out of class today."

He nods. "Some schools don't take appropriate lengths to letting students out of class. Unfortunately, Autumn's one of them." She sighs, handing him his coffee. He digs into his jeans pocket, looking for money, but Luna shakes her head.

"Don't. It's on the house." Smiling, he nods.

"You're very generous, Luna." He looks at his watch. "I only have twenty minutes, which isn't enough time to cover what I wanted to talk to you both about. When aren't you busy?" He asks, looking between us.

Grinning, she glances at me. "Tonight, for dinner. If you'd like." He smiles, looking down at his hands for a moment before writing his phone number on a slip of paper. "It's around eight, usually." She says.

My eyes widen, and I shake my head, trying to find a way to remind her of my date with Gabriel. She sighs, touching my hand and giving me a stern look. "Gabriel can just come here, right? You can watch movies and have a sleepover or something."

"Gabriel?" Sam glances at me, somewhat confused.

"Her boyfriend." Luna explains. I shake my head, flushing and attempting to change her words. She laughs a bit, looking back at him. "Well, her friend. That's a boy."

He nods, but looks a bit concerned. "Are you aware of underage sex?" He asks seriously.

I turn away at this, going to sit in the corner of the shop. They laugh, talking about something else, while I check my phone.

Gabriel Hawthorne: (1 New Message)

Obviously.

I roll my eyes. Of course he would say that.

To: Gabriel Hawthorne

Change of plans. My counselor's coming to talk to me tonight.

I wait for the reply, sipping my scalding hot coffee and pulling out a cigarette. Lighting it and putting it in my mouth, my phone buzzes in my palm.

Gabriel Hawthorne: (1 New Message)

No beach..?

I sigh.

To: Gabriel Hawthorne

No beach. Want to just watch movies or something?

Looking up, Sam hovers over me with a look of disapproval on his face. "Those things can kill you, you know." I shrug, taking another drag of my cigarette and looking out the window. "I'll see you tonight, okay?" Nodding, I watch him walk out, starting his car and driving off.

Could this day get any less interactive?

*

"Answer the door, sweetie!" Luna calls out from the kitchen. I stand, straightening my knotted sweater nervously and uncoiling myself from the strange position I was lying in. There's one more knock, and I open the door to see Sam, dressed in a polo shirt and khakis. My nervousness fades away, as it isn't Gabriel, and I smile.

"You look very nice, Alexxa." He greets with a compliment. I smile my thanks, standing to the side to let him pass by and peek out the side of the door. The dark street is silent, no sign of Gabriel's black truck anywhere. Sighing, I close the door after checking my phone one last time. There aren't any new messages, and he's already fifteen minutes late.

Where is he?

Padding with bare feet to the kitchen, I lean up against the fridge as I watch Luna and Sam greet each other. She's blushing, and he's a little flustered himself. They clearly like each other, but aren't making any move to advance any more than childish flirting.

Eventually, they realize i'm here, and shut up. "Should we sit down, so we can go over what I meant to earlier?" He suggests. Luna nods, sitting down across from him at the table while I sit on the side. He gets this serious look to his face, and pulls out a file. "I understand you're legally mute now, right?" I nod, swallowing hard and playing with my fingers under the table. He jots something down on his notebook. "You could speak, though, if you wished." Nodding again, he smiles warmly.

"What is your real name?" He asks. My eyes widen, and I meet eyes with Luna. She looks as if she wants desperately to tell him, but I shake my head furiously. Frowning, she nods, restraining herself.

"Alexxa," She says quietly.

He sighs. "If you say so.." He mutters.

The doorbell rings. I immediately straighten, and Luna relaxes a bit. "I'll get that," She says, standing before I can object and getting the door. Sam looks at me, sadness filling his eyes.

"You don't have to be this person, Alexxa. You could be the old person, whoever you once were." He tells me softly, a pleading tone to his voice. I shake my head, looking at Gabriel as he takes a seat across from me with a smile. He's wearing a black shirt that buttons up, and his surfer bracelet is on his wrist as usual.

"Sam, this is Gabriel." Luna introduces them.

He nods, tilting the corners of his lips in a smile. "Hello, Gabriel."

"Hello." He manages to smile, but it doesn't meet his eyes. I can tell he doesn't like him, and kick him under the table to get his attention while Luna and he strike up conversation. Tilting my head to the side in a questioning gesture, I glance at Sam and then back at him. He frowns, shaking his head. "Tell you later." He mouths, and holds up a bag of peanut butter crackers. "I brought you food." He says, louder this time. I smirk, taking it from him and putting one in my mouth.

"Dinner will be done in ten minutes. Put those away." Luna scolds lightly, trying to take the bag of crackers from me. I cradle them to my chest, a mock-horrified look on my face. Gabriel laughs, and I flick a cracker at him. He catches it in his mouth, chewing it and grinning afterwards. "Alexxa.." Luna whines, but by now she's amused, too. I sigh deeply, handing Gabriel the crackers and hanging my head dramatically.

After Sam's done cracking up, he looks between all of us and realizes he's here for business. "We keep getting sidetracked," He mutters. We sit in silence for a moment, until he decides to blurt out, "How old are you, really?"

I look up from my staring contest with Gabriel, shocked at his question. Luna seems as bewildered as I, running a hand through her hair. "Eighteen. Her birthday is August 17th, 1995." (A/N: This story is preset to be in the future, so don't worry. I did my math right ;) )

He nods, blowing some air out of his mouth. "That's what I thought. I apologize for my bluntness."

"It's alright." She says quietly, although it definitely isn't alright. Who does he think he is, trying to get my backstory out of me?

"There are only a few questions left, Alexxa, and I'll be on my way." He assures me. I sink farther into my seat, playing with a piece of hanging fabric on my sweater. "Who are your parents?"

Lowering my eyes, I try and calm my racing heartbeat. Luna stands, pushing her chair in. She looks angry. "I'm sorry, Mr.Knox, but you have no right to force these things out of her. I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."

He nods, closing his notebook and pulling on his coat. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be asking these things so early. Have a good night, all of you."

As he walks out, I can't help but notice the tears that fill Luna's eyes. "Not so late, you two." She mutters, planting a kiss on my forehead before locking herself in her bedroom.

*

The song is Suppose by Secondhand Serenade.

Just a cutesy little song, I thought it fit the chapter ;)

Vote, comment, do whatever you'd like to my story but steal it c:

xoxo.