Raela

Chapter 6

Raela POV

We walk into the entrance and start to walk along the trail. I’ve  always loved leaves and trees and the sky. I love walking along this trail because the trees just make me feel at peace.

“So uhm, hi” I say looking down at the ground watching where I step

“Hi” Gavin responds

“So…….”

“So, what do you like to do for fun?” Gavin asks

“Oh jeez I hate this question” I laugh, “I am so boring. I like to watch movies and listen to music and color and read and have sleepovers with Anna.” I look up at him and then away quickly when I see he’s looking at me “Sometimes I wait until its super late and I come here and just sit and think for a while. What about you? What do you like to do for fun?”

“I sit at home and watc tv, drink a little. But I work a lot so I don’t do much”

“Hmm interesting”

“What’s interesting?”

“I don’t know, you seem like you would party more or something” I say just as my phone goes off

I pull it out to check and its a text from Ashley

Hey Rae, can you babysit James tonight? I need a sitter from 4-10, I can pay you $40 and can you come early? I want to talk to you about something. Lmk thx

“Is everything okay?” Gavin asks

“Yeah. it was just Ashley asking if I could watch James for her tonight.”

I text her back 

Hey Ashley, of course! You know I’m always down to spend time with the handsome little chunk! And yeah I can be there early. Is 3:30 okay?

Ashley texted back immediately 

Yep 3:30 is perf! C ya then!

I put my phone away and looked at Gavin, we were at the end of the trail, coming close to a few benches near the fountain. 

“Do you want to sit?” I aks pointing over at the benches

"Yeah sure" he said and we head over for the benches. 

We sit and look over at the trees. 

"So how do you know Hunter?" I ask

Jay shifts in his seat looking a bit uncomfortable

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked" I hurriedly say

"No no it's fine. Hunter and I went to school together. We were in the same grade. We knew some of the same people. Just didn't get along" Gavin explains

"Oh okay. Well my sister Frankie is dating Hunter. And boy is she p****d at me about what happened* I chuckled 

"Why the f**k is she p****d at you for what he did?!" Gavin yelled

"Relax, Mr Grumpy tough guy" I touch his arm "it's just her being pissed that Hunter is mad at her. On top of her not believing me." 

Gavin seemed to relax a bit and I laughed

"You have a bruise on your arm where he grabbed you. How does she not believe you?"

“She just doesn’t” I shrug it off, “She believes what Hunter says, and Hunter believes what Miles says. And nobody believes what I say. Plus I learned a while ago, not to speak out against Miles. So it's whatever. Don’t worry about it. Its life” 

“It pisses me off. Your own sister doesn’t believe you” 

“Its fine” I respond

We go back to just sitting quietly watching people pass and children frolic 

GAVIN POV

“Ooo look, a blue bird!” Raela explaims excitedly

“Uh I don’t see it” I say looking around for it

Raela playfully shoves me laughing and scoots closer to me on the bench and point it the bird from my angle of view, “Right there” she says 

“Oh! I see it now” I say

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Raela asks, seemingly memorized by the bird

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“It is…. But I am looking at something even more beautiful” I say watching her

She looks up at me to see what I’m looking at and sees me looking at her and quickly looks away staring down into her lap blushing. 

I pick her face up and look her in her big chocolate brown eyes with flecks of amber and gold,

“You are beautiful” 

Her cheeks glow bright pink, “I’m really not. Plus I’m sure you say that to every girl.”

“Tell them they’re pretty? Sure. Mean it? No. Go sit in parks with girls? Never.” I tell her truthfully.

“So, why are you doing it now then?”

“Because I feel drawn to you. I can’t explain it” I tell her honestly.

She slightly smiles

“So, what's your favorite color?” She asks

“Green, what's yours?”

“Purple” She says simply

“Favorite movie?” I ask

“Mean Girls for sure, what about you?” She asks in return

“Fast and the Furious series”

“Really?” She asked

“Yeah. Whats wrong with them?”

“I don’t know. Not my cup of tea I guess…”

“Have you ever actually watched them?” I ask amused

“Nope and never will.” Raela says matter of factly

I chuckle “Never say never”

I pull my phone out and check the time

“Hey Raela, its 2 o’clock, we should probably get going since you have to meet Ashley at 3:30.”

“Oh uh yeah! I can’t believe we’ve been here this long. It feels like time flew by!” She says

“Yeah it does.” I say as I stand up and offer a hand to her

Raela takes my hand and stands up “Lead the way” she says

We head to the train and make our way back to the park entrance and leave. 

“Where are you headed? Ashleys or home first?” I ask 

“Uh home then Ashleys. I am gonna change into pjs so that me and James can watch movies.”  Raela explains

“Want me to walk you home?” 

“You don’t have to. I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”

“It’s not any trouble at all. Here, why don’t I walk you home, then to Ashley’s?”

“That sounds perfect.” Raela says with a smile. 

Answer head off to her house. When we get there I stay outside and she runs in and comes out a few minutes later in these Hello Kitty pjs. Fuzzy shirt and pants with feet. She looked adorable. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What are you laughing at?” Raela asks trying to sound tough

“Nothing. Your pjs are cute” I say while chuckling “Can we go now?”

“Mhm that better be why you’re laughing, let's go. Ashley lives in the apartments over on Briardale” Raela said while trying to sound intimidating

“It is. Now let’s go.” I laugh

We head off on our way to Ashleys talking and laughing. We get there pretty quickly.

“Welp, here we are.” Raela says walking up to the main entrance of this brick apartment building.

 It's maybe 3 stories high. Nothing fancy but it does look nice. We stop right at the door. 

“So Raela, I had fun today. Not my usual thing, but it was fun” I say

“I had fun too. It definitely beat sitting in my room watching Harry Potter alone all day.” She says in response. 

“Maybe we can do it again sometime when you ARE NOT cutting school.” I emphasize the not cutting school part. 

“Yes definitely.” She says with a  glowing smile “Can I have your number so we can maybe set up next time?”

“Yeah of course” I say as she hands me her phone. 

I put my number in and hand it back to her

“Text me so I have your number too”

“I will as soon as I get in here.”  Raela says opening the door “Thank again for rescuing me from Miles when you did”

“Anytime.” I say and turn to walk away

“Hey Gavin,” Raela says 

I turn around and look at her

“Thank you for today. Really. I needed it.” She smiles and walks in the door

I start making my way back to the garage. Smiling mindlessly thinking about today, about Raela. What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t think about girls like this. I try to shake it off.  When I get to the garage I head to the office and find Jay in there eating watching Ouran High School Host Club. 

“Eating when you’re supposed to be working?” I say loudly making him jump

“Man shut the f**k up. You were f**king when you should have been here at work” He laughs

“Actually, I wasn’t. We had lunch, walked the trail at the park and spent time at the park then I took her to her little babysitting gig” I tell Jay

‘So you did nothing with her?” Jay asks confused

“Nope, didn’t even kiss her. I actually like her bro” I confess “but it may get complicated now.” 

“Why?”

“Its a long story” I say

“I got time” Jay says pushing the matter

“Okay but you can’t tell anyone.” I say 

“Cross my heart hope to die” Jay says making a mockery of me being so serious about it

I plop down next to him on the couch in the office and start to tell him everything. He just laughs

”Yeah bro you probably got no chance if she finds that out”

“Yup, thanks for that” I say rolling my eyes