Chapter 5

The ride from the field was fairly quiet, except for the dull voice of the radio speaker describing what was happening in the game. The Cubs were winning 6-2. Derrick Lee was up to bat.

"Strike one!" The announcer called through the speakers. "And the pitch...Swing...It's gonna be a HOME RUN! Second one for the night!"

"YES! GO DERRICK!" Gabi almost jumped through the roof of my Toyota Camry. I laughed at her.

"Hey! What's so funny? Can't I get excited that my favorite team of all time is kicking ass?" She retorted. She looked like she hadn't just sworn so loud the whole neighborhood could hear us. I was laughing so hard, I could barely keep two hands on the wheel.

"I'm sorry, Gabi. It's just that you can be so easily excited."

"It's fine, Troy. I know I can get a little too enthused. But you need to learn, you need to just lighten up." She patted me on the back.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied like a soldier ready for battle. She laughed.

"That's better."

At Gabi's House.

I am STARVING! I didn't get to eat lunch today, so I'm really hungry. I almost sang when Gabriella asked, "Hey, Troy. Do you like Chinese?"

"Yes. Yes. Very much. I do love Chinese. Can we order some? Please. I'll pay." I pleaded. Chicken Fried Rice sounded SOO good right now.

"All right, All right. Calm down, Troy. I will go call right now." She laughed. I heard her ordering all of my favorite dishes on the phone.

"Troy!" Gabi yelled, "Come here!" I slowly walked over to where she was sitting on the counter.

"Yes, Gabriella. How can I be of your service?" I joked.

"Can you please give him directions to my house?" Oh yeah. Gabi doesn't turn sixteen until August. Her birthday is later than everyone in our "gang."

"Sure." I leaned over and kissed her softly.

"Troy! Phone!"

"Right." I said and picked up the phone. It was hard to comprehend the man on the other side of the phone line. He had such a heavy Chinese accent. Thankfully, I got through the directions with out biting the guy's head off.

"He said it will be here in about forty-five minutes." I told Gabi once I hung up the phone.

"OK. Thanks, Troy. You know I have trouble with location." I laughed, then gingerly kissed her. She returned my kiss, and we began passionately making out on her counter top.

30 min. Later.

I heard the door bell ring when Gabriella and I were just talking quietly on the couch. "I'll get it!" I jumped up to get the door. A short, skinny man of oriental appearance was at the door. Obviously the Chinese delivery man.

"Your total is $24.50." He told me, with such an accent I could barely understand the poor guy. I pulled out my wallet and gave him $27.

"Keep the change." I told him as I took the paper bag from his hand. I walked into the kitchen and set the bag on the counter.

"Gabi!" I called out.

"Yeah, I'm in here." She called from the bathroom. "I'll be out in a sec. You can get plates and forks out if you want."

"OK." I replied. I went to work setting the table. When Gabi came out of the bathroom after about five minutes she looked kind of out of it.

"Gabi." I called to her. She then totally snapped out of it and came over to our smorgasbord to dig in. All of this great food...where should I start?

After about five minutes of eating in silence Gabi struck up a conversation.

"Troy? There's something I should tell you."

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! I really appreciate them. If you would like the next chapter up you can review. Because I have decided if I don't get 20 reviews I'm not puttin ch. 6 up. :) (nice of me huh?) Do you like the cliffie? Please give me suggestions for better writing and for what happens next! Thanks again for the reviews. Have a GREAT day.