Back to school or not?

Gabriela dug in, as soon as the food was placed on the table. Having her energy restored from sleeping so much, all she needed now was to fill up on food then she would be set.

Amy: "I am glad you have an appetite. Did you have a good time with Philip?"

Gabriela: "Grandmother... I um, well, did he not say anything?" looking up to see her Grandmother.

Amy: Sighing, "He explained everything to me, confused as to why you were crying, then panicking in the park."

Amy: Taking a sip of her tea, "I told him that it would be best you stay homeschooled. That you needed some more time to heal from all you have been through."

Gabriela: "All that I have been through? Did you explain to him what I went through? What did he say, what does he know?"

Amy: She felt a needle prick her heart as she heard her Grandbaby ask in despair what Philip thought of her. 'She must be going through soo much. Keep it together you can't cry now.'

Amy: "Calm down sweety" caressing Gabriela's shoulder.

Amy: "I did explain that you have been beaten, sexually harassed, and bullied, not having any friends."

Amy: She continued to speak as Gabriela was frozen in her spot. "I told him you should be homeschooled to allow you more time to heal. He quickly told me to let you continue to go to school or at least ask you first to see what you wanted. He said he would take care of you. Oh and that he will be waiting for you outside this house on Monday morning to take you to school. If you do not go outside to walk with him to school he will leave you alone."

Gabriela: Slowly coming out of her trance, looking at her Grandmother with hope in her eyes. "He is willing to continue to walk with me to school? I, I scratched and hit him. I yelled at him. Grandmother, did he really say he would continue to protect me? To continue to walk with me? I can continue going to school?"

Amy: "Yes, my sweet Granddaughter. Regardless of what you did to him when you panicked, he still wants to be with you." lightly caressing her Granddaughter's cheek, "If you want you can continue to go to school. We will go to buy you a cell phone after you finish eating. That way, when we come home you will have enough time to call Philip if you wanted to explain things before Monday."

Gabriela: "I can, I will be able to call him?"

Amy: "I also got their home phone number from his mother. He should be home by the time we come back, so you should be able to reach him on the house phone."

Gabriela: "I can call him?! Will he answer me though, he won't know who is calling him."

Amy: "You could try to call him and see what happens or wait to speak to him on Monday." She not only got their house number, but Nancy also gave her their address when they were talking the other day. But with everything that had happened today, she thought it best they just talk over the phone. Hoping that would ease her Grandbaby's mixed emotions.

***********

After coming back home from purchasing a cell phone for Gabriela, she asked her Grandmother for Philips's house number and then ran up to her bedroom. Taking a few deep breaths, excited and nervous at the same time, 'Will he even pick up? If he does what do I tell him?' Her Grandmother's words then popped into her mind, 'You could try to call him and see what happens or wait to speak to him on Monday.' 'That is right, Gabriela, you will need to face him sooner or later, why not now since you won't be looking at him, it will be easier to do.' She gave herself a little pep talk before dialing his home number.

????: "Hello."

Gabriela: silence... 'it's him'

PHILIP: "Hello." he hung up since the line remained silent.

Gabriela: ....click....dial tone.... 'Did he just hang up on me?! Wait, no, he hung up because I didn't speak. Ok try again, you can do this.'

After a few rings.

PHILIP: "Hello."

Gabriela: "Hello."

PHILIP: 'Could this possibly be, no way.....' "Gabriela?"

Gabriela: "Hello," she said in a shaky voice.

PHILIP: Catching her nervousness through her voice, he spoke softly.

PHILIP: "Did you have a good nap?"

Gabriela: "Yes."

PHILIP: "Have you eaten lunch?"

Gabriela: "Yes" inwardly, come on Gabriela, ask him what you want to know, come on.

PHILIP: "Are you feeling better?"

Gabriela: "Why are you not mad with me?"

They both spoke at the same time, then the line went silent.

PHILIP: "What did you say?"

Gabriela: "Um, well, you are not mad at me?"

PHILIP: "Of course not! Why would I be? You had your reasons for what happened today. Actually, I am sorry. If not for the kiss, you would have been ok." a bit frustrated that he could touch her now, but couldn't kiss her.....wait I don't need to kiss her....ugh, he used his free hand to run through his short brown hair.

Gabriela: "Why do you keep being nice to me? The first day we met I threw you, yet you apologized. I kept my distance, but you kept getting closer to me. Today, we fought, we, um bumped into each other and I ran away crying as if you did something horrible to me. Then I mistook you for my Dad, kicking you and scratching you, even yelling at you, but you just did your best to calm me down instead of leaving me alone or taking advantage of the situation, why? I don't understand it."

PHILIP: Listening intently to her speak, as she poured her heart out, he didn't fail to hear her say 'Dad'. Keeping that in mind for a later time, he paused a moment before answering her when she finished talking.

PHILIP: Wishing he could hold her in his arms once more as he heard sniffles while she was speaking.

PHILIP: "Honestly, you caught my eye the first time I met you 'little kitten' and I had hoped we would have some classes together, but instead, I just heard students talk about you. I couldn't help but laugh when they started calling you 'Miss studious', but at the same time, it also made me sad since they had classes with you and I didn't. Then at lunch, I was jumping for joy when I saw an empty seat beside you. Apparently, you don't like nicknames nor being touched. Lesson learned the hard way." (He had hoped she would laugh at him, but only heard her breathing. Gabriela remained silent as she listened to his every word. He wondered if she had fallen asleep again, but continued speaking.)

PHILIP: "You were simply misunderstood and I wanted to understand you. I want to get to know you, Gabriela. To be your friend, to see you happy, I want to continue walking with you to and from school, to continue hanging out with you."

Gabriela: "What else is there to know?"

PHILIP: "Plenty, like... "

Gabriela: Her voice cold, laced with sarcasm, "Like how strong I am? You found out today, no? If I am smart, I told you I skipped a grade, didn't I?

PHILIP: "Gabriela!" he called her name loud and clear, startling her.

PHILIP: "Listen to me ok?" His voice is strong and clear.

PHILIP: "I enjoy spending time with you. Please say you will allow me to continue to walk you to school and to your house after school, that you will continue to hang out with me."

Caught off guard by his plea, asking her to continue to walk together and hang out, just like she also wanted, left her confused.

Gabriela: "You, you don't plan on bullying me, ignoring me, or fighting me, after learning what I went through?" she asked cautiously.

PHILIP: He couldn't help but smile, since his 'little kitten' seemed to not only change her attitude in an instant when in front of him but also over the phone as her voice went from sounding shy, to sad, to cold, then to shy and nervous all over again.

PHILIP: "Of course not little kitten, I have never, nor will I ever do something to hurt you."

Gabriela: Felt like she could believe him. (Ignoring the fact he called her 'little kitten'), leaving her with a small smile on her face.

Gabriela: She sincerely said, "Thank you, Philip." "My Grandmother said you would be picking me up in front of my house Monday. What time should I be ready?" She felt that if he was by her side, she would be ok.

Philip was happy to hear her ask. They discussed the time and a few other things before Gabriela had to hang up, as her Grandmother called her for dinner. Neither one of them noticed they had been speaking with each other for hours.