Because we all need a little more Jo and Gabe in our lives.
"This is your emergency?" Jo said. She was staring at the boy in the pink shirt and cap sprawled out on the counter of the ice-cream shop. The place was empty except for cheery pop music that played out of the one speaker in the upper corner.
"Jo!" Gabe looked up to stare at her. A wide grin spread across his face. "You came! I was losing my mind!"
Jo had her hands on her hips.
"Gabe, you being alone in an ice-cream shop does not warrant…" She pulled out her phone and held it out dramatically, "47 texts."
"But you weren't answering!"
Jo came up to him and he shot up behind the counter and straightened his cap. "Yeah, because every time I tried to send a response my phone kept shutting down because you sent all those emojis!"
He laughed, and started to unwrap a cone.
"I was trying to tell you a story"
"And then texting "help me! I'm about to die!" Jo said. She was losing her will to be frustrated with the jolly kid.
"What's wrong with that?" He asked. Jo couldn't tell if he was still joking or if he honestly didn't seen how ridiculous he was.
"You are too dramatic. I don't even know how we are friends."
He turned to the soft-serve machine and started making filling the cone. "You liked me the minute you met me blondie."
Jo turned and went to sit at on of the small tables right near the register.
"I should have known you just were bored. You know you could have just said I'm bored at work."
"You wouldn't have come," he said from behind the counter.
"I might have. Its not like I have much to do today. My moms out shopping."
"What about your dad?" he asked.
"He's not been around for ages."
Gabe stopped what he was doing. He popped his head over the counter.
"I'm sorry."
"I barely remember him. Don't worry."
Gabe continued working on his cone.
"I initially volunteered for this shift."
"Why?"
"Big family. Its exhausting!"
"For them, or for you?"
Gabe stuck out his tongue and Jo made a face.
"You are such a baby."
Game came out from around the counter. He was holding a large cone twist with rainbow sprinkles perfectly covering the entire ice cream.
"Am not. Usual?"
"Thanks," she said.
"Gummy bears?" He held out a filled ice cream bowl of gummy bears.
"No, Gabe, I have no idea why you like those. The minute they get cold they become rocks."
"They make it a challenge. Better fun for me!"
"You are so weird."
She took a bite from her cone.
"I didn't know you could sit out with the customers," she said.
Gabe leans back in his seat and stretched out. "Not to brag, but I basically run this place. And as you can see, we are swelling with customers right now."
"Want some?" She holds out the cone.
"Ah, I shouldn't…but yes." He takes a bit bite out of the cone. Sprinkles scatter on the table. He hands it back.
"Did you message Balthazar too?"
"No, just you."
"Oh."
He motioned to have the cone back. Jo chuckled and handed it to him. He really was like a big child. He looked at her, at the cone, and then took a huge chunk out of it. Jo gasped and reached over and snatched it from him.
"Hey, I said you could have some, not all of it!"
"I'm an enthusiast, what can I say?"
Jo laughed. You have ice on your face.
"Really? I wonder why!" He motioned to the ice-cream she had quickly taken back.
Jo laughed harder, and took a small bite. She was still grinning until Gabe pushed the cone up into her nose.
"You did not just do that!"
"Oh, I most definitely did," Gabe said. He was grinning ear to ear. The ice-cream was still on his nose.
Jo went for the napkins and got all of it off before throwing her napkins at him.
"You are seriously a child."
"But you like me anyway," he says. He is laughing and playfully reaching out for her melting ice-cream. His gummy bears are left neglected on the side.
Jo rolls her eyes, and pulls the cone further away from him. He grins again and then begins attempting to reach the little bit of ice-cream left on his nose with his tongue.
Jo nods her head at his strange mannerisms and behavior. "I have no idea why," she finally said, more to herself then him.
This piece was a random little bit of inspiration. I always had it in my outline that Jo and Gabe would get their own chapter. Its nice to see how on their own time and terms they are becoming closer. I know its not the Dean and Cass story arc, but I think it was time for some other characters to have their moments. If you want to see more other character chapters or more evenly mixed chapters please let me know. I'll still have the main story be the focus - and I think for chapters like this I'll have different chapter titles so there is clear differentiation.
Thanks!
~IAmAPurpleLewie