"Thanks, Mrs. Jackson!"
"Oh dear, I already told you to call me Meghan. You're 21, not 12!"
"Yes, right. Thanks, Meghan." Sam hurried out of the library, making an effort to minimize his embarrassment. In his haste, he bumped into someone, looking up he called an apology to the man and hurried on his way. The man stopped for a second and stared after the hurrying human giant, shaking his head he wandered into the library and walked straight up to the librarian.
"Wouldn't happen to have a copy of Supernatural by Carver Edlund would you?" His voice rang throughout the bookshelf lined room, a bell-like twang floating along the air.
"Which edition are you looking for, sir?"
"Every one that you have." The librarian scurried off and came back a few seconds later with a box full of books. She scanned them each into her database and then asked for the mans name. "Gabriel," he replied. "They call me Gabriel." With that, she tapped away for a few more minutes, and handed Gabriel a piece of paper and signalled that he could be off. He hefted the box of books into his arms and struggled to his car.
Or rather, his bike.
Gabriel plodded over to a sleek and shiny black motorcycle, engraved into the metal was a pair of golden wings. He slid the box onto the back as well as he could and strapped bungee cords over and under. He took off speeding down the main road, which also happened to be the only road in the small town. He carried on a ways after leaving the town's boundaries turning up an invisible pathway and coming to a house in the middle of nowhere. He tugged the box off of the bike and settled down inside his home. A large white couch became cluttered with books and candy wrappers, and also a little slip of white paper with a messy scrawl of numbers written across it. Hours passed, until finally Gabriel stood and stretched, the entire series had been read. Stopping to admire his cozy little area, he noticed the forgotten slip of paper and picked it up.
(309)-299-1606
He read the number in his head once, then aloud a second time. Curiosity overcame him, he reached for the phone weighing down his pocket.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Who is this?"
"This is Sam, you called me. Who is this?"
"Oh thats not of importance." There was a pause at the end of the line. Gabriel froze up for a second. "Gabriel," he stammered, not really one for phone calls.
"Well, uh, hi there Gabe. How'd you get my number?"
"I found it in a library book, figured you might be a decent one to talk to." He could hear the grin through the phone, his improvisation must've worked.
"Which book was it?"
"Supernatural by Carver Edlund. I'm not sure which one, I kind of have them all."
"Oh," elation rang true from the voice on the phone, Gabe grinned. "Would you like to meet for coffee and we could chat?"
"Sure!" Gabe tried not to sound too excited, after all he didn't know the person on the other end of the phone, but making a new friend seemed like a good idea. A house as large as his did feel lonely sometimes, even if he only ever used one room.
"Hate to end the call early but I am afraid I have to be at work soon, would you mind making plans over text?"
"That works for me kiddo." Laughter.
"Kiddo? Haven't been called that in a while. Talk to you another time, Gabe." The line went silent and Gabes phone was once again pocketed.
Sam forced his phone into his pocket and strode into the dusty classroom, if you could even call it that. Computers lined desks, and students were seated in front of each. The blue glare from the screens lit up the room, the lights in this room haven't worked for as long as Sam can remember.
"Hey! Mr. W!"
"Hey Michael." Sam waved at the boy and signalled him to sit and listen for now. "Okay, I'm going to call attendance. You know the drill. Raphael?"
"Here!"
"Anna?"
"Here!"
"Micheal?"
"Here!"
"Jo?"
"Here!"
"Bobby?"
"Here!"
"Alright guys, full house way to go! Now who can tell me what we worked on last class?"
"We worked on hacking, sir." The voice came from the back, Anna.
"Yes, yes we did. Very good Anna. Now, do you guys need more time to practise your hacking? Or would you like to learn something new?" Each student took turns calling out their replies, but it seemed the majority wanted more practise. Sam set them to work, reminding them to ask for help if needed. They weren't doing anything illegal, he had set up a series of fake bank accounts and encrypted files for them to practise with. Kicking his feet up onto the desk, he pulled out his phone, delighted to see a text.
"So. Plans?
G."
Saving the number in his phone he replied gleefully.
"Lunchtime today. Mystery Spot cafe?
S."
Within seconds a reply came.
"12:15, see you then.
G."
Sam sent his reply confirming the arrangement and pulled out his laptop. Busying himself with his computer stuff, he was distracted until the bell rang for his students. Wishing them each a good day, he settled down once more and typed away. Time dripped slowly by him, but eventually 12:15 came around. His stuff was packed into his bag and he was halfway to the cafe, the rumble of his car comforting his electrified nerves. Wandering into the cafe, he ordered a coffee, straight black no sugar. He sat down and pulled out his phone to see a text from Gabe.
"Be there soon. Look for a motorcycle.
G."
Sam slid the phone into his pocket and returned his gaze to the window, a black motorcycle pulled up and a casually clad man strode into the cafe. "Gabe!" The man glanced over to the direction of the voice and saw Sam sitting there. He strode over to the table where he was and struck up a conversation.
"Hey kiddo."
"Sam, please." Gabe shrugged, and Sam caught himself watching the way the light hit his eyes with the tilt of his head. Catching himself before it went too far, he sputtered out whatever words he could. "So, Supernatural. Did you like the books?"
"Yeah. You could say that I did, I enjoyed the sister heroes."
"Let me guess. You found the fandom made pornography of them together?"
"No. I enjoyed the chemistry, them dying for each other over and over. Their love for the other was all they had left and all they had growing up, it adds a little reality to the fantasy storyline." Gabe stopped and watched the way Sams face changed, a little light went into his eyes and a smile lay just beneath his expressionless face.
"Okay. What about Christina, the angel?" Gabe replied thoughtfully, making sure to include all of his speculations and theories. Sam sipped at his coffee between his own replies, and the two had soon spent hours in the cafe pouring over every detail and possibility that universe held. Sam was leaning on the table, head in hands, he was talking to this man whom he had never met before now and he was actually enjoying it. Eventually talk shifted, and Gabe asked sam a question about himself.
"So, where do you work, kiddo?"
"I teach a computer class at the high school. One 45 minute period a day, every other day. Doesn't pay great but its enough to get by on. Do you work?"
"No, I was born into money. Moved out here recently, to keep a low profile and also to help out around here. It seems like a lot of this town is kind of falling apart."
"Yeah, its an old place. We don't have much money here, we all help each other out. The only thing here thats up to date and half decent is the library."
"Saw that. Why is that? Thats generally the first place to run down."
"I do my best to keep it going, thats my way of helping out. I donate my own books when I can and I often take long road trips, coming back home with a box or two of books I've picked up. I even wrote up the database for Mrs. Jackson. Uh I mean, Meghan." Sam chuckled to himself and tried to hide his embarrassment. Here he was, in a cafe with a fellow adult and he was calling the librarian like he did when he was younger. The ever present smile on Gabes face grew.
"Why do you call her Mrs. Jackson?"
"I've known her since I was a kid. Shes been the librarian for a few years, I guess its a hard habit to break." Talk got quiet for a few minutes, Sam busy with his memories and Gabe busy with Sam. Gabe couldn't help but imagine what that lions mane of a haircut would look like in the morning, waking up after a night of sex and sleep. He also noticed the look of sadness that had crossed Sams face, he decided to make an attempt at lightening the mood.
"So, no work tomorrow for you?"
"No." The answer came quickly but quietly, Sam seemed to be lost in his remembrance.
"Would you like to maybe come over to my place then? We could watch a movie or something…" Gabes sentence trailed off as Sam looked him in the eyes.
"What movie are you thinking?"
"I have a huge collection. Its really up to you."
"Wizard of Oz?" The two men chuckled.
"Hell yeah. Lets go." Setting off in their own vehicles, Sam followed Gabe out of the town and down an invisible pathway. There, he met with a mansion.
Gabe was leaning against the hood, as Sam clambered out of his car. With a grin, he led Sam up a gravel path and through an extravagant doorway. Once inside, his surroundings changed.
The outside of Gabriels house was decorative, with intricate carving in window ledges and doorways and an expert use of flowers and colour. The inside however, was a different story. Dark wooden flooring covered the main floor, and the only decoration was a TV hanging on the wall. A white couch sat in an alcove, books lined the floor. The area in front of the TV was filled with two large black couches and several shelves of books and movies. The entire main floor had a feeling of relaxation, stacks of books were scattered about and the couches looked lived in.
"Nice place."
"Yeah, my father designed the outside. Only way I could have control over the inside."
"Ah, so thats what the difference is."
"Yeah, you're the first person I've ever brought here." Gabe laughed under his breath, "thirsty?"
"Parched." The two of them wandered over to a small bar hidden in the corner, Gabe pulled out two glasses.
"Alcohol? Soda?"
"I guess I'll have a drink if you are." Gabe grinned and began mixing cocktails. The two sat down with some colourful concoction of Gabes doing.
"Sorry if its a little sweet to your taste buds. I have a bit of a sweet tooth." Sam took a sip and cringed at the drink. "Would you like something else?" Gabe was trying to be a good host, but it was hard, Sam kept distracting him.
"No. Its fine, nice really. Sugars a bit of a shock, but its a change." Gabe breathed a sigh of relief and slid the DVD into the machine. Sitting down next to Sam, he found his hand wandering closer and closer to the body next to him. If Sam noticed Gabes hand, he certainly didn't make a fuss about it. After the two of them had drunk up, the movie was coming to a close. Sitting unsteadily they both swayed to the music of the credits and Gabe turned off the TV and DVD. When he went to sit back down, he found that Sam was drunkenly looking up at him sprawled out on the couch. Knowing neither of them was in a condition to drive home safely, Gabe offered Sam a bed in his house.
Stumbling up the stairs took a huge effort on both parts, and several times Sam suggested sleeping on them, but they persevered. Flinging open a door the pair made their way to a king-size bed, Gabe tucked Sam into the sheets and turned to leave.
"Stay?" Gabe turned to see Sam staring at him with puppy like eyes, they were glazed over with his drunkenness though. The single syllable was the only thing that Gabe understood of Sams babbling, but he's sure there was more to it. With a groan, he slid into bed beside his drunken friend.
They both fell unconscious fast, and at some point in the night their hands found each other under the sheets. They awoke with intertwined fingers.