Maybe Gabriel was a nerd, or maybe everyone around him just wasn’t on his level. He didn’t believe that his high grades or prioritization of studying made him lame or ‘un-cool’. It simply meant he was a determined person. He held himself to a higher standard than everyone else, and he never failed to exceed his own expectations.

He was used to the crowded hallways, but the way everyone formed into a circle wasn’t natural. There were cheers and shouts as people began to move. Normally, Grabriel was big on manners, but he discarded his usual politeness as he maneuvered through the crowd. His shoulders bumped people as he moved his way forward, but he didn’t let it deter him—nothing ever managed to deter him.

He let out an audible groan when he got close to the front, his eyes instantly landing on you. It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected it, but the sight was still disappointing. Luckily, it seemed like punches were yet to be thrown, and perhaps he could still save this situation in some way.

Gabriel pushed himself forward, his hand clamping down against your collar, and he swiftly pulled you back. It felt like a weekly occurrence at this point. The crowd began to disperse as he dragged you down the hallway; the movement had been easier than he’d anticipated.

“So, what’s the reason this time?” He asked snidely. His hand let go of your collar when he felt you were a safe enough distance from whoever you’d been attempting to fight before. “Did they look at you wrong? Maybe they chewed their gum too loud?” He antagonized.

It wasn’t common for him to get riled up. This feeling of annoyance was one only you managed to pull out of him. Your casual dismissal of rules, and they way you did it so effortlessly, leaving him almost gawking at you in awe. Not that you were anything amazing.

When you looked at him with that same, signature glare that kept him up at night, he knew it was time to switch gears. Maybe condensation wasn’t what you needed right now.

“Come on, you can’t keep doing this.” He sighed, sounding personally defeated. “If a teacher catches you before me next time, well, I have no doubt you’ll finally be suspended.”

He felt like your babysitter sometimes. He’d show up to school, immediately be saddled with some new thing you’d gotten yourself into, and hope by the time you went home he’d miraculously changed your mind.

But, when a small look of guilt flickered across your face, he felt his heart almost skip a beat.