Angel on a Mission

Chapter 23

Gabrielle's POV

"Good morning," I greeted the guard, Officer Grant as I stepped outside my apartment building, inhaling the crisp morning air that carried a hint of freshly brewed coffee from a nearby café.

"Good morning, Miss Elle," the guard replied, his face breaking into a bright, friendly smile that added warmth to the chilly morning.

I returned his smile, feeling a sense of comfort in our brief yet familiar interaction.

The residents of my building were exceptionally nice, and ever since I moved into my new place, I had developed a fondness for these small but significant exchanges that made me feel more at home and more connected to my surroundings.

I made my way to my car, feeling the pleasant vibrations of the world waking up around me. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I took a moment to appreciate the little things—the way the sunlight streamed through the windshield, the sound of distant laughter coming from a group of children playing nearby, the soft hum of the engine as I prepared to set off on my journey.

Since I didn’t live far from my school anymore, there was no longer a need for me to be teleported to class, which had been an unusual but exciting experience in the past.

In just 15 minutes, I pulled up in front of my campus, the familiar sight of the large stone building and the bustling student body filling me with anticipation as I parked my car in the student parking lot, ready for the adventures that lay ahead.

As I stepped out of my car, a group of guys spotted me and called out, "What’s up, Elle?" Their casual camaraderie made me smile as I returned the greeting, feeling a boost of confidence from their attention.

They cheered in excitement as I walked past them, which filled me with a lightness that carried me through the crowded hallways of the school.

Navigating through the bustling hallway, I couldn’t help but notice the familiar sights and sounds around me. Lockers slammed shut, laughter echoed off the walls, and the chatter of students filled the air.

Heading straight to my locker, I opened it, retrieving a few essential items needed for the day, and then firmly closed it behind me.

Just as I was about to head to class, I heard a familiar voice call my name.

"Elle!"

I turned around and spotted Mika coming toward me, her hair bouncing with each step, a broad smile framing her face.

We embraced in our customary hug, a simple yet comforting gesture that reminded me how much I valued our friendship.

Mika and I exchanged a few words, laughing and trading snippets of our lives, all the while heading through the hall and toward our first class of the day.

As we walked, I glanced out the windows lining the hallway, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the day. The sky was a bright blue, dotted with the occasional fluffy white cloud, and the gentle warmth of the sun pouring in made everything seem perfect.

What a lovely day it was.

The first few classes passed uneventfully, a steady rhythm of lectures and assignments. Mika and I settled into our usual seats, taking notes diligently and offering each other playful comments here and there.

Occasionally, I noticed several students stealing glances in my direction, whispering to one another. While this had become a familiar occurrence for me, I chose to remain unfazed and focused on my studies.

Time seemed to fly, and before I realized it, the ringing of the bell signaled the start of my next class: Science Lab.

I made my way to the lab room, pushing open the door and scanning the seats for an unoccupied spot.

"Elle, over here!" a classmate I was acquainted with waved enthusiastically, her face lighting up with excitement as she motioned for me to join her.

Just as I was about to walk over, the teacher’s voice rang out, cutting through the noise of the room.

"Class, today we will be working in pairs for our experiment," the teacher announced, her tone authoritative yet encouraging. "To make things easier for everyone, I will be assigning your partners."

I turned back to my classmate, who pouted in disappointment, the expression adorably overdramatic. "I was really hoping we’d get paired up together. I wanted to get to know you more"

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her expression. "Maybe next time, Giselle. I promise."

The teacher began calling out names, pairing students together one by one in a rhythm that seemed to hold everyone in suspense. I listened, only half paying attention, until I suddenly heard my name announced.

"Elle, you’ll be partnered with Alex."

My eyes widened slightly in surprise as I turned to find Alex standing there, his own expression equally unimpressed and unamused.

"Great," he muttered under his breath, sarcasm dripping from his words.

I sighed, knowing this was going to be a challenge. "Let’s just handle this and get through it together, okay?"

"Fine by me," he replied, rolling his eyes as if to emphasize his reluctance.

The experiment involved mixing different chemicals to observe the reactions; it should have been simple enough, yet working alongside Alex proved to be more challenging than I had anticipated.

"You’re doing it wrong," he declared, abruptly snatching the beaker out of my hands with an authority that caught me off guard.

I raised an eyebrow, incredulous at his tone. "Excuse me?"

As he poured the solution into another flask, he glanced back at me with an incredulous look on his face. "You weren’t following the instructions properly."

I crossed my arms defiantly, my irritation growing. "Actually, I was! I’m paying just as much attention as you are. Maybe if you took the time to actually watch me instead of trying to micromanage every little part, you’d see that."

His jaw clenched, the tension in the air palpable. "I’m not micromanaging. I just don’t want to fail because of you."

I scoffed, my frustration slightly boiling over. "Trust me, Alex. If anyone should be worried about failing, it’s not you."

For a fleeting moment, he looked like he wanted to argue further, but he sighed instead. "Let’s just finish this."

I smirked, feeling slightly victorious that he had relented. "Glad we are finally on the same page then."

Despite our bickering, we managed to complete the experiment without any catastrophic explosions—neither chemically nor verbally. The teacher came around to evaluate our work, and upon checking our results, she nodded in approval.

"Good job, you two," she praised us, her tone warm and encouraging, before moving on to the next group.

Alex and I exchanged glances, an unspoken regard passing between us. Our earlier tension seemed to dissipate, if only for a moment.

"See? We make a good team," I teased, a playful grin spreading across my face.

"Don’t push your luck, Elle," he replied dismissively, but I noticed the hint of amusement in his eyes as a tiny twitch at the corner of his lips hinted at a suppressed smile.

Later, at lunchtime, I met up with Bella and Mika in the cafeteria, the atmosphere buzzing with lively chatter. We found a table near the windows and settled down with our trays, ready to dive into some food and conversation.

"So, how was lab?" Bella asked, an eager smirk playing on her lips.

I groaned dramatically, making a show of rolling my eyes. "You’ll never guess who I got paired with today."

Mika gasped, her eyes shining with intrigue. "Who? It can't possibly be Alex, right?"

I let out a theatrical sigh, relishing the suspense. "Oh yes, it was indeed."

Bella burst into laughter, unable to contain herself. "Oh my gosh, I would’ve paid to witness that! How bad was it?"

I sighed again, this time with a hint of exasperation. "Let’s just say we barely finished without having a loud argument."

Mika giggled, clearly entertained. "You guys finished. That’s definitely progress, at least!"

As we continued to chat and eat our lunches, I suddenly felt a familiar presence looming behind me. The aura was unmissable.

"Hey, Elle."

I turned around to see Tobi standing there, his signature smirk lighting up his face, making it impossible for me not to smile in return.

"Oh hi, Tobi," I greeted him, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Is there something you need?"

"Just wanted to see if you’d like to join me and the guys," he proposed, his charming grin making every girl around us swoon over him.

Before I could formulate a response, Bella interrupted, a hint of protectiveness in her tone. "She’s already sitting with us, Tobi."

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Relax, Bella. I’m just asking, not trying to steal her away."

Mika nudged me playfully, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You should totally go if you want to. It’s not every day that Tobi invites someone over to their table"

I smiled back at Tobi, appreciating his invitation but keeping my loyalty to my friends intact. "I’d really love to stay with my friends. Maybe next time? As in, when that invite includes both my girls."

He pretended to pout, his voice rising in playful disappointment. "Alright, sure. I’m really holding you to that," he replied over his shoulder as he walked away, his retreat leaving an air of intrigue.

As I turned back to my friends, I couldn’t help but notice that in the football team's tanle Alex was glaring intensely in Tobi’s direction from across the cafeteria, his face etched with a look that betrayed a hint of jealousy.

What was with him? Why was he glaring at Tobi suddenly? This was starting to seem interesting—and perhaps a little complicated.

After school, Bella and Mika successfully convinced me to join them as we watched the football team’s practice. The three of us made our way to the bleachers, laughter and excitement bubbling in the air as we found a seat that offered a good view of the field, eager to witness the practice unfold before us.

"Okay, I’ll admit," Mika said, her voice laced with playful skepticism as she glanced at me, "football practice isn’t usually my thing, but this is surprisingly fun and interesting to watch"

Bella grinned widely, her excitement infectious. "I know, right? Plus, we get to watch these guys show off."

I rolled my eyes playfully, unable to suppress a smile that crept across my face. "And that’s the real reason we’re here, isn’t it?"

"Partially," Bella conceded with a wink.

As the practice continued, I found myself caught up in the vibrant energy surrounding us. The players executed drills with precision, running through routes and perfecting their throws, the sounds of sneakers skidding against the grass and the sharp whistles of the coaches filling the air like music.

Then, they had their water break.

Suddenly, Tobi jogged toward us, his playful demeanor on full display as he stopped right in front of me, a twinkle in his eye that made me smile.

"Enjoying the view?" he teased, wiping sweat off his forehead, which only accentuated his athleticism.

I smirked playfully in return. "Of the game? Sure. It seems everyone is doing well. Especially you"

He chuckled, clearly pleased with my response. "I’m glad to know you’re paying attention! Maybe I should teach you a few things about football sometime."

Bella nudged Mika, her eyes dancing with delight. "Flirting alert!"

Mika giggled, clearly enjoying the playful banter.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help but smile back at Tobi. "I think I’ll survive without a lesson, Tobi. I’m more of a ‘watch and cheer’ kind of girl, you know?"

He feigned a dramatic gasp, clutching at his heart as if I had dealt a severe blow. "Ouch! Shot down just like that."

"You’ll live, don’t worry," I teased back, our light-hearted banter easy and enjoyable.

As we continued to talk, I suddenly felt the weight of someone’s intense gaze on me.

Curiosity piqued, I glanced over toward the football field, and, sure enough, there was Alex, watching us intently with a look that was certainly complex—his expression remained unreadable, but there was something in his eyes that hinted at irritation or perhaps something else.

Before I could dwell on his staring or interpret its meaning, the coach’s authoritative voice called for the players to huddle.

"Duty calls," Tobi said, sending me a cheeky wink before jogging back to rejoin his team, his energy captivating.

Bella nudged me again, her curiosity evident. "Okay, what was that?" she asked, unable to disguise her interest.

Mika nodded eagerly in agreement, leaning closer as if waiting for a juicy confession. "I think he likes you, Elle."

I shook my head, chuckling at their assumptions. "He’s just being Tobi. This is who he is—flirtatious and friendly with everyone."

Bella smirked knowingly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, based on that look, Alex doesn’t seem too happy about it."

I turned to follow her gaze and noticed Alex was still focused on me, his jaw clenched as he redirected his attention back to the game, his body language tense.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but tilt my head to the side curiously.

Why does it seem like Alex is upset with me when I'm not even interacting with him at the moment.

This was getting really interesting, indeed—and I had a feeling this was only the beginning of a much complicated story that I can't predict.

What would happen next?

I was about to find out sooner or later.