K*H*W* (go to my profile :)
Chapter Two Jonas' Point of View
"No, well, I don't know." Sammy said, looking at Jonas strangely. "Was she your first?"
"My first what?" Jonas asked in confusion. His eyes went to Sammy scrubbing his face vigorously with a clean cloth. "Do you want to look like a lobster?"
"Ha!" Sammy boomed and set the cloth down on the damp sink. Jonas sighed and began to wipe away the water with a hand cloth. Sammy blushed, his face a few shades pinker because of his vigorous scrubbing. "I've got a lady friend to impress."
Jonas smiled. "Congratulations."
"I'd say. She's pretty, your type." Sammy's words confused Jonas.
"My type?" Jonas echoed. "What does that mean?"
"You know." Sammy said, sounding confused when he looked at Jonas' face. "Almond shaped eyes, long hair. Freckles."
"I like freckles and long hair, but eye shape doesn't matter." Jonas stated and Sammy started chuckling. Sammy eyed his reflection and it was then that Jonas looked at Sammy's attire. "What is with the laid back clothes, Sammy?"
"We're going to watch the sunset tonight." Sammy said, sounding cheerful. Sammy's brown-bronze hair was cut again. "My hair grows too fast," Sammy complained and Jonas smiled, laughing, as he led the way out of Sammy's bathroom.
Sammy made a soft scoff sound and Jonas turned around. "Hm?"
"Was Eva your first?" Sammy asked firmly. "Your first. . ."
"No, no," Jonas started blushing as his thoughts followed Sammy's. "We just kissed, but that was it."
"Oh," Sammy nodded and took a seat on the couch. "Dream about her yet?"
"No." Yes.
"Liar." Sammy accused and Jonas flustered.
Mind reader, Jonas grumbled and joined Sammy on the couch. "I think something wrong though."
"With Eva?" Sammy asked for clarification. At Jonas' worried nod, Sammy blinked his dark eyes. "I don't know about that. She's been quieter, you know."
"Yeah," Jonas hummed in absent agreement. When he had first met Eva, she had been bubbly and a bright light in the confusion spectrum of colors that lit up his world. After a few months, something soured in her and he hardly saw her. Then, just a month ago, Eva had popped out of nowhere and acted like nothing had happened.
The first few days, he had tried to find out if anything had happened, but Eva had only chased him away with half-teasing threats of moving out of the community. Jonas had left it alone after a particularly bad argument.
"Maybe she's. . . Whatever that thing is called." Sammy made a disgusted face. "You know what I mean. The 'time of the month' or some load of-"
Jonas interrupted Sammy before he could curse. "Maybe. Hope not." Jonas huffed and Sammy started laughing again. Jonas grumbled for a moment and eyed Sammy. "Who's the girl?"
Sammy looked uncomfortable. "Does it matter?"
"Yes." Jonas smirked.
Sammy frowned and then he broke into another one of those carefree, envious smiles Jonas wished he had.
"Her name is Andy."
Gabriel's Point of View
Gabriel eyed Eva who was making lunch.
"What is that?" Gabriel asked, his light eyes going to Eva's busy hands. She seemed to be making a sand which of some kind. The sliced, flesh pink meat looked familiar, as did the bread.
"Turkey sand which." Eva answered and deftly made a copy of it on another plate. She handed Gabriel his and they both sat down at the kitchen table. They ate in a companionable silence.
"What's Sammy doing today?" Eva asked and Gabriel swallowed before answering.
"He's with Jonas. Getting ready for something." Gabriel said and ripped a big bite from his turkey sand which. "This is good."
"Thanks," Eva smiled brightly and then teased, "not as good as the potato wedges."
"Aw. I'll tell Jonas." Gabriel squeaked and smiled when Eva kicked him under the table. Her dark green eyes seemed lighter in hue today, and Gabriel wondered why she had been gone a few months before. He had missed her.
The silence that followed was almost uncomfortable. Neither of them knew what to say next. Gabriel then spoke.
"Were you someplace before here?" He asked shyly.
Eva looked at him sharply, one dark apple red eyebrow rising. "What do you mean?"
"Were you someplace before you came here?" Gabriel restated his question.
Eva looked around the empty kitchen and her eyes went to the wall that hid the front door. She looked very uncomfortable and nodded a tiny nod in confirmation.
"What was it like?" Gabriel asked, and Eva squirmed in her chair. "Is it a secret?"
"I, um, I remember what it was like." Eva said after a short pause. "I just don't like to talk about it. I've never talked about it." She emphasized the word 'never' and Gabriel should have left it there.
"Jonas and I lived someplace before here, too," Gabriel said soothingly. Eva seemed like a ruffled cat all of a sudden. What had her worked up? Gabriel had seen Jonas this way a few times before when Gabriel had asked Jonas about the old community.
"Yes, well," Eva faltered. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Why not?" Gabriel should have kept his mouth shut.
"I just don't want to!" Eva snapped and Gabriel shrunk into his chair. Eva, frustrated, blew stray dark red curls from her face and set her empty plate on the counter by the sink.
"Sorry, Eva, I-" Gabriel tried to apologize. Eva had never snapped at him before. He should have never asked.
Eva walked to the kitchen door but stopped, and turned around. She lingered by Gabriel's chair. Gabriel looked up at her, hating that he could feel guilt budding in his eyes. Eva smiled softly, remorsefully, and touched his hand on the table.
"My community wasn't. . ." Eva mumbled. She seemed unsure on how to explain. "I'm not proud to be from there."
"Jonas isn't, either," Gabriel murmured and Eva kissed Gabriel on the top of his head.
"I'll be able to talk about it," Gabriel was shocked to see tears budding in Eva's eyes. "Just not today. For a while."
"I understand." He understood that it was painful. Maybe Eva had left people behind in her old community, like how Jonas had left Lily and Father and Mother.
Eva smiled again. Gabriel looked away politely when one of her hands went to her eyes. She mumbled something Gabriel couldn't catch and then she left the house.
Gabriel looked around the empty home and felt frustrated. He left the table and slammed the door to his room when he reached it. Gabriel jumped onto his bed and fell on his stomach, angry.
Gabriel fumed from his spot on his bed. "Why does no one talk about where they've been? Was it so horrible that they cry about it?"
A voice behind Gabriel made Gabriel freeze.
"Some communities are like that." Jonas' voice said and Gabriel looked behind him. Jonas looked upset. "What did you tell Eva?"
Fury made Gabriel snap. "I didn't tell her anything! I just asked what her old community was like! She snapped at me!"
Jonas blew out a gusty sigh of exasperation and sank down on Gabriel's bed. "Some things can't be brought up."
"Why?" Gabriel demanded. "Words can't hurt anyone."
Jonas shook his head, looking sad. "Yes, they can. Anything can hurt someone."
"How?" Gabriel was still angry.
"It depends on who the words are coming from." Jonas said, and something in his tone made Gabriel look up at him.
"What did Eva say?" Gabriel asked, now feeling cold. His anger evaporated like dew in the bright afternoon sun.
Jonas sounded angry when he answered.
"She said that if anyone asked her about her old community again, she was leaving."
"Again? For how long?"
Jonas scoffed. "She said 'forever', but I don't know, Gabe." His hand went to Gabriel's back soothingly. "Something terrible must have happened in her old community."
"Like what?" Gabriel asked mutinously, saddened for Jonas. He and Eva seemed to like one another. Gabriel felt angry at himself. He had messed things up for the two of them.
"I don't know." Jonas said, and then something in him made Jonas straighten up.
"What is it now?" Gabriel asked, sensing an impending duty. Jonas was up to something.
Jonas' light eyes went to Gabriel.
"Tomorrow," Jonas sounded excited. "We'll figure out what's wrong with Eva tomorrow."
Gabriel nearly scowled at Jonas' idea. He wasn't making sense. "How so?"
"We'll go to the city council and ask where she's from. If we tell them it is an emergency, they won't keep it a secret."
Gabriel smiled, and then he began to see the faults in Jonas' plan.
"Only family members can ask about old communities, Jonas, unless other people share," which no one is doing, Gabriel felt frustrated all over again at the secrets that their community hid.
Jonas smiled, mischievously.
"We'll tell them you are her stepson," Jonas hopped off the bed, "and that I'm her fiancé."
Gabriel beamed.
So, when will you officially propose? Gabriel knew how it worked from what Sammy used to mumble about whenever he stayed over the night after drinking elixirs Gabriel wasn't allowed to touch.
According to Sammy on those nights, Sammy longed to be married. Sammy thought that Eva and Jonas should have been married a long time ago.
"You will be her fiancé for real, though, right?" Gabriel asked, trying to not sound hopeful.
Jonas froze and scowled at Gabriel. "Not you, too!"
"What?" Gabriel asked innocently.
"Sammy just raked me over the coals about kissing Eva last night!" Jonas said, and then he became a statue.
Gabriel digested what Jonas had said, and exploded the very next second.
"You kissed Eva?" Gabriel gasped.
Jonas raced out of the room and Gabriel followed him, barreling Jonas over.
Gabriel was filled with glee. So Sammy was right. They do like each other.
"What was it like?" Gabriel demanded, and Jonas relented.
Jonas looked up from Gabriel, who had him pinned to the floor, and began to speak.
The entire time Jonas talked, Gabriel realized that Jonas was playing with his fingers. It was a sign of wistfulness.
And a sign of indecision.
Gabriel was sure of it then: Jonas wanted Eva, but he wasn't sure if Eva wanted him back.
And Gabriel was sure of another thing: Jonas wanted to ask Eva to marry him, but he wasn't sure if she would say 'yes'.
Being in love must be complicated. Gabriel mused.