Chapter Fourteen: Unforeseen

Gabriela Travers walked through the halls of her junior high school with determination. She no longer had reason to feel apologetic about her clothing or her living style, but continued to act as one untouchable to the outside world.

Nervously she walked into the cafeteria, clutching the bag lunch that Haley had packed for her the night before. She could handle her classes, where academics forced her and her classmates to co-exist, but lunchtime was an entirely different story. Lunchtime was dangerous.

Gabby looked around, searching desperately for a spare spot she could sit and be by herself without feeling like an intruder. She could only see one free spot. Her eyes drifted to the girl next to it: thick, expensively cut dark hair brought out the sparkles in large hazel eyes. She looked slightly younger than Gabby, but considerably taller. As if by magic, she lifted her eyes up to Gabby's and smiled encouragingly. Reluctantly she made her way over to the younger girl.

"Hi," said the girl, as Gabby sat down and began to spread out her lunch on a napkin.

"Hi," said Gabby.

"My name's Jen. I think you're in my math class," said Jen.

"Gabby. I'm Gabriela Travers, but don't call me that," said Gabby. Jen laughed, a rich, bubbling laugh.

"Nice to meet you, Gabby Travers. You're new, right? Lunchrooms are torture when you're new," said Jen, rolling her eyes empathetically.

"Yeah. But you don't look like the kind who'd run into that problem," said Gabby. They were wearing the same uniform, but Jen was infinitely approachable, as approachable as Gabby was remote.

"Oh, believe me, I have. I excellerated, you know? I'm actually only twelve, so I should be a year behind you and people judged me a lot for that," said Jen.

"And you proved us wrong, of course," said a blonde girl on the other side of the table, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, right. Gabby, this is Lily, and this is Delia and this is Kiera," said Jen, indicating first the blonde, then a brunette with very curly hair and finally a dark skinned girl with braids that went far past her shoulders. Gabby's eyes swept over these enviously. "And this is Gabby Travers, who's in my math class."

Gabby surprised herself by being able to talk easily with the three other girls. Try as she might, she'd never really had friends. She was even more surprised when the four of them headed outside and were immediately joined by several boys-obviously Jen's clique was a popular one.

The two girls met up again just as Gabby left the building and prepared to walk down to the sidewalk, where Haley's long black car was waiting for her.

"Who's car is that?" asked Jen, her eyes sweeping over it with envy. Gabby stared into space for a moment, knowing that the moment was inevitable but also painful.

"My foster mother's," she said quietly. Jen nodded.

"Okay. Um, do you want to come to my house?" she asked. She sounded nervous. Gabby looked between the car and her new friend for a moment.

"Uh, sure. Is your Mom coming to pick you up?"

"No, silly. I take the subway, come on," said Jen.

"That's what's silly. Come on, we have this ginormous car at our disposal, we might as well do what we want with it. We'll ride it to your house and I'll send it home," suggested Gabby. Jen hesitated, but only for a moment.

"Jared, this is Jen, Jen, this is Jared," introduced Gabby. Jared winked. In a short space of time, Jared had risen to her top qualification of person.

"Where are you ladies going today?" he asked, his very white teeth gleaming. Jen told him her address.

"Gabby, aren't you going to call your m… your house?" she asked.

"Oh, right," she responded vaguely. It hadn't often been an issue to her. Jen's eyes widened again as Gabby pulled an expensive silver flip phone out of her purse and dialed a number.

"Haley? Hi, I'm going to a friend's. That's okay, right?" asked Gabby.

"Sure. What's her name?" asked Haley, relieved that Gabby had made friends.

"Uh, Jen. I'll call Jared to pick me up when I'm done, okay?" she said.

"Sure, sweetie. Have a good time," said Haley.

"Thanks. Tell Taylor I say hi," said Gabby, hanging up.

The girls sat in silence for a moment, unsure of their new relationship away from the school walls, surrounded by Gabby's luxury.

"Is Taylor your brother?" she asked. Gabby laughed.

"Taylor's a girl," she said.

"Oh. Oh, then she and Haley are..?" asked Jen, looking intimidated by issues so far out of her ballpark.

"Sisters, yeah," said Gabby. She settled down into her leather chair, suddenly feeling less awkward.

Gabby had been afraid for a moment that they would have a large difference in wealth, but the building they stopped at was in a nice neighborhood. Jen waved to the doorman and they took an elevator up eight floors.

"DADDY?" screeched Jen into a seemingly empty apartment. Gabby noticed that it was decorated artistically and not conventionally. Little feet came padding down the hallway, and a small boy in overalls with a thatch of curly hair appeared, shyly sticking his thumb in his mouth when he saw Gabby.

"This is my little brother Benny," explained Jen.

"Hi. I'm Gabby," she said. The boy nodded as larger feet came down the hall.

"Hey Jenny," said a man, appearing around the corner.

"Jen, I'm Jen," said Jen (or Jenny), running to greet her father.

"And who's this?" he asked.

"I'm Gabriela Travers," said Gabby.

"Nice to meet you," he said. The door opened behind them, and a woman with light brown curly hair stepped in. She hugged Jen and then Benny.

"Gabby, this is my Mom," said Jen. Gabby smiled.

"Hi Gabby, call me Peyton," said the woman, sticking out a hand to greet her stepdaughter's friend.

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