“I heard something about that but you’re still Trent’s girl just look at those eyes.”  He points to me.

“What?”  I blot my eyes with my fingers.

“You are about two minutes away from crying over him.”  His eyes reflect disappointment or agony I can’t tell which.  “I’m not asking again Madgirl.  I will wait for you outside your door.  You have five minutes.” He walks out shutting the door behind him.

I reluctantly throw the comforter off me getting out of bed.  I guess a shower is out of the question so I shrug on my shorts and t-shirt.  We are in the middle of an Indian summer so I want to make sure I am comfortable on whatever excursion Gabe is planning for me today.  I brush my hair, putting some mascara on my lashes.  I grab my id, phone and money and open the door.

Gabe is resting against the wall playing with his phone while girls stare him down as they walk by.  He walks me around campus showing me the places to get the best food, quiet places to study and bars to check out.  We lick our ice cream cones from his favorite place laughing over funny stories he tells me about places we pass.

By the end of the day my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much.  I hadn’t remembered a day I had so much fun lately and I can’t believe I had Gabe to thank.

In the following weeks Gabe and I spend a lot of time together.  He takes me to the rec center to workout, to the library to study together and even to a party.  Except this time I behave myself and he stays by my side the whole time.  Trent hasn’t contacted me since before Gabe came to my room that day and it struck me that I haven’t even noticed.

We start meeting regularly for dinners on Friday nights and occasionally meet up on Saturday at a bar or a party.  He tells me how he wants to be in business for himself and not have a boss.  When all the lay-offs happened at the candy plant by us and he saw everyone around him lose their jobs he knew then he didn’t want someone else to be responsible for his success.  The way he talks about his family it is evident how much he loves them.  Football is everything to him and it is hard being at school and not playing but he is still close to a lot of the guys.  There are so many things about him I don’t know, each one bearing a window inside of him.

I find myself telling him things no one knows about me except Mackenna, Bryan and Trent.  I discuss my parents’ divorce, my mom’s extracurricular activates which he isn’t surprised with.   I tell him how bad I want out of Belcrest and don’t understand how Jack can just go back after graduation.

The topic we never touch on is Trent, as though it is taboo.  I am not sure why Gabe never brings him up but it is hard enough being around Gabe.  He looks so close to Trent and talking about him is still hard.

Gabe drives the three of us home for Thanksgiving and I decide to stay at the Bassos.  Since Gabe is home I slept in Doug’s bedroom who can’t make it back from Washington.  I call my mom but since I have only heard from her twice while I have been away I don’t think she is very concerned where I am spending the holiday.  Jack is going to his new girlfriend Lindsey’s house.  Trent doesn’t come home either.  With soccer season he had practices so he would have dinner at the coach’s house.  I want to sleep in his bed to smell his pillow and sheets but I know it is a bad idea so I stay in Doug’s.

Thanksgiving dinner is hosted at the Bassos.  The house is filled with extended family making the house full of love and warmth.  I never feel like an outsider even without Trent there.  They are my family more than my own.  Of course the house is more old school than new school in the fact that the men watch football all day and the women cook and clean.  I am in the kitchen after dinner helping Mrs. Basso clean the dishes when some of the men come back in for more food.

“What are you boys doing in here?  Didn’t you have enough to eat?” Mrs. Basso glares at Gabe and his cousin Reed taking the bread and turkey out making themselves sandwiches.

“We’re growing boy’s mom.”  Gabe winks at me.

“Gabe you were grown at sixteen.”  Mrs. Basso hits him with a dishtowel.

“There are some girls that would disagree with you there mom.”  Gabe laughs.

“Gabriel Thomas Basso, I know you didn’t just say that not only in front of your mom but Maddy too.”  She points her finger at him.

“Sorry mom, sorry Madgirl.”  He looks sorrowful to his mom but when she turns her back he is chuckling to himself with Reed.

“I hear you boys.”  She says without turning her back.

They make their sandwiches taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“Why aren’t you in there watching football?”   I motion towards the man cave the Basso’s family room turned into.

“Half time” they both say with their mouths full of food.

I grab a soda sitting at the table with them.  “It must be nice to sit around watching football and eating all day.”  I start rubbing my feet.

“It’s awesome, you should try it one year.”  Reed grins over to me taking a bite of his sandwich.  He is a freshman in high school.  He just started growing becoming taller than the girls but his face still had acne on it and braces fill his mouth.  Since he is the son of Mrs. Basso’s brother he doesn’t share the blonde hair Gabe and Trent have but has almost black hair.

“How about we trade spots next year?”  I raise my eyebrows in curiosity while massaging my toes and rotating my ankles.

“Not on your life Maddy” Reed replies.  We all start laughing.  I abruptly stop when someone grabs my feet.

Following my legs with my eyes I see my feet in Gabe’s hands kneading my foot with his fist.  I can’t do anything but tip my head back closing my eyes.  It feels so good.  All of a sudden I realize our surroundings.  It wasn’t unusual for things like this to happen between Gabe and me but never in front of other people.  I wonder if he forgot where we were when he grabbed them.  When I try to pull them back to me, he holds them tighter on his lap.

“Thank you Gabe.”  I say smiling but when Mrs. Basso and her sister walk by giving us curious looks it falters.  I don’t know if Gabe sees the look on his moms face but I see the disapproval after she comprehends what she is looking at.

“Anytime Madgirl.”  Gabe winks with his sly smile.  It makes my heart go up a beat.  He only calls me that nickname with other people around but when it is just us two it is either Mad or Maddy.  I can tell we are getting closer and I can’t describe our relationship anymore, the lines are getting blurry.  I am not sure how I feel about it.

That Sunday I pack my bags and bring them downstairs to the kitchen.  Gabe wants to get back early to study for some test.  I place my bag down at the end of the stairwell walking towards the kitchen when I hear Mrs. Basso talking with Gabe.

“I don’t know what is going on with the two of you but you need to stop it Gabe.”  She says firmly.

“Mom, we are just friends.  Might I suggest you were the one who asked me to check up on her to make sure she was ok.”  Gabe is pouring a bowl of cereal.

“Friends are fine but nothing more.  She is Trent’s girlfriend.  He would never forgive you and I wouldn’t blame him.”  I hear her slurping her coffee.

“First of all she isn’t Trent’s girlfriend.  He gave that up when he decide to break her heart so he could get laid in college by god knows how many sluts.  Second, if I wanted her I wouldn’t give a shit what Trent said” Gabe’s voice has a finality to it and his mom senses it.

“Just remember what I said.”  She leaves it at that.

I walk back over to my bag so I can put it down loudly and they won’t know I overheard them.  When I get into the kitchen they both smile acting like the conversation I heard never happened.

After that morning Gabe seemed to distance himself from me a little.  He would have study groups or exams.  We no longer texted or talked everyday but a couple times a week and it was usually texts as to why he couldn’t meet me.  I didn’t know how to take it.  Was he worried I was getting the wrong idea or did he not want to upset his mother by having a friendship with me?