Chapter Thirty-One:

The brush of cold air and mild weather that always comes upon around this time of year. I can't wait til I'm in New York, where I can experience all four seasons... it will be so great, if I even go. The Chancellor never emailed me back about arranging a date to meet up and talk about school, I'm actually starting to get a bit worried since I emailed her awhile ago and she only applied once telling me she will get back to me with a date. Griffin tells me not to worry and she is just really busy, especially since it's the holiday season now and if anything, his Mom will talk to her that I am so thankful for but I do feel like I'm sort of using my friendship with Griffin to have a advantage to get into this school. I mean, I really want to go but I want to go because of me and my talent, not because I'm friends with someone in the Peters family.

School was shit. Everyone was overly excited about exams going well and that its the last day before it ended for two weeks and a new semester starts after that. Everyone was acting like losers, trashing the school and starting a riot it some of my classes just because it's the last day and teachers can't do shit... even though they barely do shit any other day and also every one of my friends are in a bitchy mood because it's raining today but I don't get why everyone hates the rain so much. It's actually my favourite type of weather, only when I'm inside though. As a early Christmas gift, my Mom finally gave my privilege to drive back and I'm so glad I didn't lose my license from that accident and the driver didn't charge us anything since he didn't really get injured at all, now that is off my consciousness and I can move on from that since everything is sorted out now... almost everything. I drive down to Joe's with Angelica and Leandro, making sure to pack my umbrella this time. Of course, right when the door chimes everyone turns to face it right away.

"Hey Maddie." Rose says cheerfully. I almost drop all the boxes but luckily Leandro comes to my rescue and catches some of them.

"Be careful there." He smiles and I smile back.

"Thanks."

We bring the boxes over to a booth close to where Rose and all of them are sitting,

"Oh the two in your arms are actually yours and Angelica's." I tell Leandro,

"Aw, you didn't have to get me anything but thanks!" She snatches the box from Leandro's hand, shocking him. He thanks me before sitting down and I go to confront my ex and his friends... and my friends,

"I got you guys something." I say,

"I'm guessing 'you guys' aren't me, Liam and Gabriel." Sirena says and I give her a grin.

"Actually I got Gabriel something but I almost picked you up a pack of condoms but then I remembered you don't use them." I say and Sirena crosses her arms. I turn to Gabriel that is confused as I expected,.

"Don't worry, I didn't get you a box of snakes or something... I just thought it would be nice to include you." I say and he nods not speaking a word to me. I hand him the box that is wrapped in the most morbid wrapping paper I can find, grey with a white bow. Thank God he doesn't wear much black or I would probably kill myself,

"I broke the Christmas tradition a little and didn't use any Christmas wrapping paper for yours, aren't you proud?" I joke. Gabriel hates all holidays for some reason and absolutely despises things like Christmas wrapping paper and decorations and if I even thought about wrapping something in red or green, he would probably throw it out.

"That's sweet of you." Is all he says and I hear Angelica groan.

"Stop being a salty bitch and say thank you! You really need to learn how to be polite." She complains.

"And you need to learn how to shut your mouth when things have absolutely nothing to do with you." He fires back before saying,

"Thanks." I give the next gift to Griffin that opens it right away.

"You're the best! Thank you!" He says with a lot of enthusiasm. He picks me up out of no where, giving me a big hug.

"Put me down." I instruct but he doesn't, instead he starts to blow a raspberry on my cheek.

"I love you too, now stop it." I laugh but really I don't want him to stop.

"Ahem." Gabriel fake coughs and Griffin puts me down whispering in my ear,

"Had to make the guy a little jealous." He winks afterwards and sits back down.

"Can you just give Rose her gift then leave, whenever your around you give me bad vibes." Liam complains like usual.

"Be quiet." Griffin tells him, standing up for me. I hand the last gift to of course, Rose that also opens it right away and even though hers was the smallest, she seemed to love it so much,

"You're the greatest, thank you." She gives me a big hug before sitting down and I say goodbye before leaving with my friends.

I didn't stay long because I don't want them to feel obligated to let me sit with them. They were Gabriel's friends before mine and I'm not going to take them away from him, I already have two perfectly good friends that I don't share with anyone.

"You did a good thing." Angelica continuously reminds me while we drive to drop Leandro off but he doesn't seem to think so.

I walk Leandro to his door,

"He didn't ruin me... I wish you could see him differently." I say.

"I don't know why you keep defending him when your not together. It's okay to admit he changed you." He looks away in annoyance,

"Because that's what you do when you care for someone, it's the right thing to do regardless if we are together or not."

"Why do you do this to yourself? If it was anyone else you would treat them like shit Maddie but because it's him you act like he doesn't do no wrong. It doesn't matter what he does to you does it? You will always forgive and go back to him." He starts to walk inside,

"That's not true or I would be with him right now!" I call out but his only reaction is slamming the door in my face, great. Why cant I be civil with a ex without wanting them back, there's no good reasons we should get back together. I walk back to the car and drive off to Angelica's place, not saying anything. Is this what it's like when he's jealous? I thought we agreed that we were just going to be friends and put everything else on hold and him being my friend means he has to support me no matter what... why cant he do that when it comes to Gabriel? I know they knew each other before I moved here but I never asked how, maybe Angelica will say something.

"How do Gabriel and Leandro know each other? They seem to have a hatred for each other that goes way back." I ask.

"They used to be best friends." She quickly replies. I can tell she doesn't want me to ask further questions but I can't help it.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry... I have no idea." She is lying through her teeth, pretending she knows nothing when really she knows everything. I have a feeling it has something to do with why her and Gabriel aren't friends, but I still don't know what could have happened.