I would first like to start this chapter by making an important announcement. I'M ALIVE! I also want to apologize for the unannounced and unaccepted hiatus. There's not really any one particular reason for it. Just a culmination of everything and horrible bouts of depression. This resulted in very persistent writer's block. That being said, I really am very sorry for those of you who have been waiting for an update. I have a few chapters written for this story and plan to at least update this one at a somewhat more routine basis. However, I'm not sure what that will be. I would also like to add that I do plan to finish my other story but again don't know when that will be. My writer's block has gotten somewhat better and I have actually written a few more chapters for this story recently. Without further ado, here is the long awaited eighth chapter of "The Pursuit of Something Greater."


"I'm going to call her," Gabriel said as he paced in front of Cyril and Melanie.

"Good for you mate," Cyril commented without looking up.

"You should like totally go for it!" Melanie added.

Melanie had come to Cyril to get an expert's opinion for her latest article featuring clothes that were both fashionable as well as functional when hiking, fishing, rock-climbing, etc. They were sitting on his couch looking through multiple pictures of different articles of clothing and footwear when Gabriel barged in and began telling Cyril about his conversation he had with Kasey a few days prior to this.

He rambled on for several minutes until he noticed Melanie and immediately stopped talking. He had met her a few times when she was with Cyril but she was still practically a stranger to him. After some coaxing, however, they had gotten to the point they were at.

"Okay…" he said more determinedly, "I'm going to call her!"

He left the room carrying his phone, staring at the numbers that were taunting him on the screen.

"I can't call her!" he whined bursting back into the living room.

"Why the bloody hell not?" Cyril asked irritably.

"What do I say?! She'll think I'm boring and a loser and I will lose any chance I have with her!"

"And she would be right mate," Cyril commented placing his hands behind his head.

Melanie elbowed him garnering a grunt of irritation from Cyril. He turned to her and glowered.

"Like, don't talk to your friend like that!"

"He bloody well knows I'm kidding."

"Yeah," Melanie retorted rolling her eyes and motioning at Gabriel. "He like, totally, looks like he got the joke."

There he was staring intently at his feet, shuffling them back and forth nervously.

Melanie stood from her place on the couch and walked over to him, lowering her head so she could look at him.

"Look Gabriel, like I don't know much about you but you totally seem to be a total sweetheart and, like, any girl would love to have you," she smiled at him as he peaked up at her shyly.

"Thanks...I just hope Kasey feels that way..."

"Kasey?" Melanie asked, her dark blue eyes darting between Cyril and Gabriel. "Like, Kasey who?"

"I honestly don't know. She told me Kasey and I was so thrilled that I didn't even think to ask her."

"Just a sec..." she said pulling her cellphone from her pocket.

She stood for a moment saying nothing. Holding her phone in one hand and twirling her bright pink hair with the other, she scrolled through numerous pictures. Finally, she came to the one she was looking for and reached her phone out to Gabriel.

"Like, is that her?"

Gabriel examined the picture closely. Sure enough, there, with her face pressed against Melanie's, was the object of his desires.

"By Jove, I think you've bloody well got it Melanie love. Why the lad's all but got cartoon hearts above his head."

Gabriel glared at Cyril before turning his attention back to Melanie.

"Yes, that's Kasey," he confirmed. "How do you know her?"

"Like, she's totally my roomie slash bestie! Cyril knows her too."

Cyril thought for a second before realization hit him, "Mate, you have a thing for Kasey Davenport? Ezra Davenport's daughter?"

Gabriel's face suddenly turned three shades paler, "The publishing mogul?"

Melanie looked at Gabriel completely confused, "Like, what's your problem?"

"I can't date Kasey Davenport!" he exclaimed. "She was already too good for me and now she's rich too?!"

Melanie and Cyril looked at each other and then back to him.

"Gabriel sweetie, Kasey is totally the best and she was like, super excited about the hottie vet. You, like, need to give her the chance to decide if you are totally good enough for her."

"Besides, she's bloody well SKINT now," Cyril pointed out.

"English Cyril," Gabriel replied.

"That bloody well was English but I'll dumb it down for you Yanks. She's stony-broke mate," Cyril answered, rolling his eyes.

"Wait, I'm confused," Gabriel said, looking between the two of them.

Melanie glared at Cyril, elbowing him again.

"What?! He's going to bloody well find out eventually. Better now than when he's shagging her."

This was met by glares from both parties.

"What?!" he exclaimed with wide innocent eyes.

Melanie turned back to Gabriel, "I, like, can't really give any details and neither can Cyril," she shot another look at him. "However, Kasey is totally great and she is like, totally worth a chance."

Gabriel sighed, "I know she's worth it. I just don't know if I am."

Melanie released a breath of frustration, "Like, hang on a second."

She fiddled around with her phone for a second before putting it up to her ear.

"What are you doing?" Gabriel asked staring at Melanie suspiciously.

"We're, like, going to find out whether Kasey thinks you're worth it or not."

Gabriel looked at her completely confused before finally realizing what she was doing.

"No!" he commanded.

"Too late, it's totally ringing."

He reached for the phone in vain. Melanie dodged him and ran to the other side of the room. He could barely hear a female voice picking up the phone and stopped.

"Hey Kasey! It's Melanie! Like, what are you doing ATM?"

She was quiet for a second before replying, "Awesome! So you remember Cyril right? Well I was at his apartment and it, like, turns out that his bestie is totes adorbs and is totally wanting to see you!" she was quiet for some time before finally speaking again.

"Oh, I totally forgot about you being into someone else." She looked over at Gabriel with a sly grin. "Well that, like totally sucks! I'll tell Gabriel that you're not..." she was quiet again. "Hang on and I'll ask."

She looked up at Gabriel, "Like, what's your last name lover boy?"

"Yazzie..." he answered hesitantly.

"Yazzie," she said into the phone. "Yeah totally! You should come over! No, Cyril doesn't mind. Do you Cyril?"

"As long as they don't go buffin' about my flat," he replied, leaning his head onto the back of the couch.

Melanie scowled at him, quickly changing her expression to one of exuberance, "Awesome! I'll text you the address!"

She turned her attention back to Gabriel, "Told ya! She's, like, totally into you!"

Gabriel blushed brightly, unable to say anything in return. He stared at his hands for a long time in complete silence. Suddenly, the weight of the situation hit him and he started to panic.

"Wait! She's coming here?!" he cried causing Cyril and Melanie to jump slightly.

"Yeah," Melanie answered, cocking her head slightly.

"She can't come here tonight!"

"Why the bloody hell not?" Cyril questioned clearly perturbed.

"Because she just can't!" he cried.

"Oh my goddess! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Melanie yelled. "You like have a totally wonderful girl who wants to be yours and she's a total hottie!"

"I know that!" he yelled in return.

"Then, like, what's the problem? You know you totally want to be with her!"

"Bloody well wanks off anytime he thinks about her..." Cyril commented dryly.

Gabriel turned, glowering at him.

"Well you do," Cyril shot back.

"Anyway!" Melanie shouted. "She's on her way and she will totally be here in like 15 minutes. Stop being so totally nervous. If she didn't want to see you, she like, wouldn't be coming."

Gabriel took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "What if she doesn't like me?"

"Has she met you?" Cyril asked.

Gabriel looked at him with one eyebrow raised, "Well yeah?"

"And you were your usual charmingly befuddled self?

He shrugged and replied, "I guess?"

"And she is still coming to see you so stop being barmy."

Gabriel frowned at Cyril knowing that his friend was right. He knew there was no reason for him to be nervous. From the conversation that they had and the way she cared for Buster, he knew that Kasey really was a wonderful person. So what if she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on.

"There's no reason to be nervous," he repeated to himself.

Repeating this to himself like a mantra, Cyril and Melanie returned to their work. He began pacing around the room.

"I'm not nervous," he said internally.

There was a sudden tapping on the door, making Gabriel freeze in his tracks.

"I'm terrified," he thought as Cyril went to answer the door.