Chapter 10 - This isn't you

I walked around the back of the bar and sat down and started drinking a beer. I saw Gabriella walk out with some guy and she started kissing him. Gabriella walked past me and the guy looked at me and said ''hi dude, are you a tramp or do you like sitting on dirty floors''.

I stood up and looked at Gabriella and asked ''can we please talk Gabby? No contact after nine years''. Gabriella looked at me scared and nervous and she walked away. I chased after her and said ''can we please just met up, Kasey is missing you. Please Gabby''.

Gabriella looked at me and asked ''so how is he?''. I smiled and walked over to her and gave a picture of him and told her ''he is ok, he is moving to the fourth grade. He is in the basketball team. It is like he is taking after us''.

Gabriella smiled and her boyfriend grabbed her hand and pulled her away and he said ''come on, lets get away from this wack job''. I looked at her walking away and sat back on the floor.

I walked back into the club and saw Chad sitting down talking to some girl. Chad looked at me and asked ''was that girl on stage Gabriella?''. I smiled and nodded and sat down and drank a beer and Chad asked ''so who was that guy she was with?''.

I looked at Chad upset and told him ''some jerk who doesn't know how lucky is. God I hate him''. Chad looked at me and smiled and asked ''do you want to go home?''. I smiled and nodded my head and I walked away from the bar knowing this is the place where the person I loved for ever is with another man.

We walked into my house and my dad looked at me and said ''you're back early''. I looked at the picture of Gabriella and sat down on the couch and told him ''I saw Gabs with some guy''. My dad looked at me shocked and looked at Kasey sleeping in his room and said ''as in Kasey's mom, your first love. Who was this guy?''.

I grabbed a beer and sat next to my dad and told him ''some jerk who doesn't know how lucky he is''. My dad looked at me and asked ''you still love her don't you?''. I looked at the picture of Gabriella and told him ''yes dad, I still do. But I guess I have to move on, she has a new boyfriend, a job, she has a new life. I guess Kasey and me are old news, she has changed so much''.

I woke up the next morning and I got changed into my gym clothes. I walked into Kasey's room and I woke him up. Kasey looked at me and said ''I am getting ready, dad''. I sat down on his bed and looked at the photo of Kasey and Gabriella and I told him ''Kas, I saw your mom yesterday''.

Kasey looked at me surprised and jumped out of his bed and said ''mom, where did you see her? Did you tell her you love her?''. I looked at him confused and asked ''how do you know?''. Kasey made his bed and told me ''I heard you and Granddad talking last night. And the way you look at the pictures of her, you smile and you don't noticed anything around you.''.

I drove Kasey to school and he told me ''dad, just tell mom how you feel''. I looked at Kasey, I knew he wanted to get his mom and dad back together but it was a lot harder then that and I said ''I can't Kas, your mom is with another guy and she is happy, I have just got to forget about her''.

Kasey looked at me and got out the car and told me ''mom loves me. When I was little, mom used to say that you were her first and only love, she said it wasn't puppy love, it was real love. When she was away from you she was upset but when she was with you, you brighten up her day. She said if she does get another boyfriend, nobody could compare to you''. Kasey hugged me and ran into the school.

I drove to the LA Lakers basketball court and saw Chad and the rest of the team. Chad walked over to me and asked ''so are you ok, Troy?''. I smiled and grabbed a basketball from the side and threw it in the basket. We were practicing for our game. We played a quick game of basketball and Gabriella walked in.

Something has changed about Gabriella since last night, she seemed more formal, more grown up. Gabriella walked over to me and Chad said ''we will see you later''. Chad and the rest of the team left and Gabriella and I walked into the stands.

I looked at her and told you ''you have changed a lot in nine years''. Gabriella smiled and hugged me and said ''sorry about last night, Troy and I am sorry about the last nine years''. I looked at her, she has changed, the girl who wanted to be a lawyer is being replaced a girl who is working in a dirty club and I asked ''Gabby, where has that girl gone?''.

Gabriella looked at me confused and asked ''what do you mean?''. I looked at her got and a basketball from the side and started bouncing and I said ''you know what I mean, I know you, I know you better than any one, this isn't you''.

Gabriella looked at me and grabbed the basketball and told me ''I don't know''. I looked at her and she threw the ball to me and I asked her ''what are you doing?''. Gabriella looked at me and told me ''it's complicated''. I looked at her and stood near her and said ''it's not complicated''.

Gabriela walked away from me and looked at me and shouted ''you don't know''. I bounced the ball and throw it in the net and looked at her and told her ''this isn't you, this, you going out with that jerk''. Gabriella looked at me upset and she said ''you caught him on a bad night''.

I walked near her and put my hand on her face and told her ''this isn't about him, screw him, what's going on with you, this isn't you and you know it isn't, what is going on?''. Gabriella grabbed my hand and moved it from her face and left the court.