Hiya! Ok, I've made a few changes to the original chapter 3, and I'll be doing so to some more Angelo and Gabriel chapters because I want to make them more sympathetic for what I'll be posting as the next couple of chapters. Let me know if you prefer this or the original.
Gabriel pressed the button on the security gates, and they swung open. He limped (as he had exhausted himself in dance class) up the pathway, before opening the front door, and taking off his long dark coat and grey scarf. Upstairs, he changed out of his ugly school uniform into a comfortable pair of leggings and jumper. After tending to his feet, he went into the kitchen and poured himself a cappucino from the coffee machine. He eventually settled in front of the television, ready to watch his favourite programme.
A few hours later, Angelo arrived home.
"I'm home!" he called. He opened the door of the living room to see his only son, slumped in front of the television, massaging his aching feet.
"Hello, Angelo" replied Gabriel.
"Hello, son"
"Did you have a lot of work?" asked Gabriel.
Angelo chewed his lip "Well, yes, but I had to take care of a personal matter as well. I'd like to talk to you later about it"
"Ok" replied Gabriel. Angelo put down his briefcase in the doorway and started to take off his scarf and coat.
"What are you watching?"
"Gossip Boy" answered Gabriel.
"That girly show again?"
"It's called Gossip Boy. It's all about a boy who spreads gossip, not a girl"
"Ok. Fair play. Now I just have to get you to admit that Match Of The Day is not a dating show"
Gabriel laughed light-heartedly, and Angelo stepped into the room after taking off his coat. He'd loosened his tie and untucked his shirt, as well as kicked off his shoes.
"Budge up"
Gabriel moved his feet away from Angelo, and he slumped down. Then Angelo frowned.
"Gabriel, what is wrong with your feet?"
"Nothing" replied Gabriel, tucking them both under him.
"Show me" commanded Angelo. Gabriel reluctantly moved his feet out. They were covered in cuts, blisters, corns, dry skin and bruises.
"Have you been dancing again?" demanded Angelo.
"Yes"
"For goodness sake, Gabriel! It's not healthy! Look at the state of them! And you're so skinny, I'm starting to get worried. You could really hurt yourself, mentally and physically, carrying on like this"
"Angelo, it's fine!"
"What if you sprain yourself? You do know there is an increased risk of osteoarthritis, and anorexia. I hope you know what you're doing"
"I do know what I'm doing!" cried Gabriel "And mine aren't that bad. Look, they're all starting to heal. The girls have much worse feet, as they always have to be en pointe. Us guys aren't usually expected to, I just chose to because I was the only boy and didn't want to be left out. They won't stay this bad, I'm fine, Angelo, I know what I'm doing"
Angelo sighed "Of course you do. You're my smart boy. My sweet boy"
Gabriel sighed, relieved.
"Have you eaten?" asked Angelo.
"Not yet. Have you?"
"Yes, I dined at a restaurant. Why haven't you eaten yet?"
"I was waiting for you" replied Gabriel.
"I hadn't realised. I thought I'd rung and told you to make something. Never mind. Would you like me to make you something?"
Gabriel glanced at his feet "Please"
"I think we have some chicken in the freezer"
"No, Angelo, no meat. I'm vegetarian now, I told you last year. I don't want to eat meat anymore"
Angelo glared at him "You need the meat. You need protein. It helps your bones grow. Especially if you insist on dancing so much"
"No, Angelo, it's cruel. I bought some quorn, and there's protein in that. I'll make it myself if you want"
"It's fine. If you want quorn, you'll get quorn"
Angelo got up, and left Gabriel with an uneasy feeling. They weren't close. It was because Angelo still liked to think of Gabriel as his little boy and expected him to take a degree in law or economics. Neither of this interested Gabriel, and he had began to voice his objections. So Gabriel and Angelo lived in a very tense atmosphere, and sometimes the silence could be cut like a knife, but there was a thin truce and an unspeaked agreement to try and respect the other and their beliefs.
It was hard, as they were both incredibly stubborn and selfish. Gabriel was girly, loved clothes, shoes, fashion, with dreams of being a dancer someday. He was also very passionate about animal rights, being a big fan of animals. Angelo, however, was a charismatic politician, and possibly one of the most powerful men in Verona. In spite of this, he was certainly a ladies man. Gabriel knew he had been married before, and had heard of a daughter, but that was all. Angelo told him he didn't need to know, and so he didn't ask. They tried to stay out of each other's private business and opinions, in case they clashed.
When the show ended, Gabriel grabbed the phone and dialled his best friend, Juno, to talk about it. Juno was his oldest and closest friend and probably the only person his age he actually liked. They'd met a few years ago when they both began secondary school, and having similar interests, had struck up a friendship.
"Why won't they just admit it?" Gabriel lamented "They are made for each other!"
"I know! It's like the writers are torturing us or something" Juno answered.
"They should totally get together. They'd be a great couple. When they scheme together, it's cute in a slightly sweet, but slightly evil way! I mean, he's an aggressive psycho who's never known love and she's a bitchy ice queen who wants people to accept all the different parts of her personality. They're like, perfect for each other!"
Angelo walked back in carrying a plate of food for Gabriel "Talking to your boyfriend?"
Gabriel placed the phone to his chest "He's my best friend, not my boyfriend. I'm not gay"
Angelo made a 'tsk' sound, and set the plate down on Gabriel's lap. He took the phone away, as Gabriel protested.
"He'll call you back" he said to Juno. The he turned to Gabriel "I have to talk to you"
"About what?" asked Gabriel "Are you sick?"
"Of course not" Angelo shook his head. Gabriel poked a piece of food with his fork, and watched Angelo talk "You know I was married to a woman before your mother?"
"Yes?"
"You aren't an only child, Gabriel"
"I kind of guessed"
"You have two sisters. Rosaline is a year older than you. She goes to the same school as you"
"You mean Rosaline Oftmoro?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
Gabriel's mind turned to Verona Grammar's Queen Bee "There's only one Rosaline"
"And you have a younger sister, Livia. She's younger than you by a few months. I'm not sure, since I was already married to your mother before I even knew that my ex wife was pregnant with her"
"You threw your wife out when she was pregnant?" gasped Gabriel.
"I didn't throw her out, she walked out" Angelo explained "I had an affair, which was how you were conceived, and then Camilla, Rosaline and Livia's mother, found out. She demanded a divorce. I had fallen for your mother by then, and we were divorced within six weeks. But the thing is, Gabriel, after last year..."
He moved closer to Gabriel, and reached to take his hand.
"I realised how short life was. You're fifteen now. I need you all in my life. Just now, I went to see Camilla and my daughters, your half-sisters. I want them in my life. And so I have given them some money and I'm going to start seeing them regularly, if that's what they want"
Hurt flickered through Gabriel's blue eyes "You knocked two women up at once?"
"I did not 'knock two women up' I fathered two different children with two different mothers at once, and then choose to be with the one I thought I loved"
Gabriel's lower lip trembled "And you're only telling me this now?"
"It hasn't been easy, son, I admit that"
"But why now? You could have kept in contact, you shouldn't have had an affair"
"For pity's sake, Gabriel, I regret a lot of the things that I've done. Don't play point the finger with me, because I could point three at you. But I don't regret my affairs, because if I'd never had them, I'd never have had yo-"
Gabriel was speechless for a few moments "Why now? You said you wanted to try and get on with me. You said you spent too much time at work. You said you'd try and make time for me, and now you want to bring two sisters I don't know, have never met, into our life?"
"Shut up, Gabriel! I need you to listen to me!"
"You don't listen to me. You don't talk to me, or look at me seriously. All you care about is your stupid job and sucking Escalus' cock all day long. I know why you want to talk to Rosaline and have a relationship all of a sudden when you can't be bothered with the kid you already have. It's because you hate me, and want to get at me! So stop pretending to be all fake and caring, and just...just..."
"I don't hate you. I find you hard to cope with and understand. None of my work colleages have sons like you!"
"And now you're attacking me for being different? What is your problem?" cried Gabriel.
"I am not attacking you for being different. I am proud of you for being an individual, but you take it too far. You could put your talents to other things, and be great, but you don't. But this isn't the point. The point is, I want you to be nice to your half-sisters, and-"
Gabriel sniffed, holding back tears. He'd always been somewhat of a crybaby. An overly dramatic, overly sensitive, crybaby. He couldn't fight like the other boys in aggresive, hateful Verona. So he had to hide it behind a bitter, manipulative, calculating exterior.
"Don't. Don't say anything. I'm going to ride my horse"