A RIDE WITH GABRIEL

As Luna turned to Alexander and Gabriel, giving them a high-five and praising their performance, I felt a pang of...disappointment? I wasn't sure why, but I had expected her to turn to me, to acknowledge my contribution to the music.

Instead, she was laughing and smiling with Alexander and Gabriel, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. I watched, feeling a sense of detachment, as if I was observing the scene from outside my body.

Alexander and Gabriel were grinning from ear to ear, clearly thrilled with the praise. "Thanks, Luna!" Alexander exclaimed, high-fiving her again.

Gabriel chuckled, shaking his head. "You're the best, Luna. We make a killer team!"

Luna beamed, her smile radiant. "We totally do!" she agreed, her eyes shining with excitement.

I stood up, feeling a sense of restlessness. "I'm going to go practice some more," I said, my voice a little gruffer than usual.

Luna turned to me, her smile faltering for a moment. "Okay, Xavier," she said, her voice neutral.

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "I'll see you guys later," I said, turning to leave.

As I walked out of the music room, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing out on something. Something that Luna, Alexander, and Gabriel shared, something that I wasn't a part of.

I walked out of the music room, feeling a sense of unease. Why did I feel like I was on the outside looking in? I was the one who had grown up with Alexander and Gabriel, who had known them since we were kids. But somehow, Luna had managed to insert herself into our little group, and I felt like I was the odd one out.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. This was ridiculous. I was Xavier, the calm and collected one. I didn't get jealous or insecure. But as I walked down the hallway, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

I decided to head to the library to study, hoping to distract myself from my thoughts. But as I sat down at a table, I found myself unable to focus. My mind kept wandering back to the music room, to Luna's smile and her laughter.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. What was wrong with me? I needed to get a grip.

Just then, I heard a noise behind me. I turned to see Luna walking towards me, a book in her hand.

"Hey, Xavier," she said, smiling. "I saw you sitting here and thought I'd come say hi."

I felt a surge of...something. Irritation? Annoyance? No, it was something else. Something that felt almost like...happiness.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "What brings you here?"

Luna sat down across from me, opening her book. "Just studying," she said. "I have a lot of work to do."

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief. Maybe this was exactly what I needed. Some quiet time with Luna, studying and...just being.

As we sat there in silence, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Maybe, just maybe, I was starting to understand what was going on inside my head.

As Gabriel and Alexander walked into the library, they immediately started joking around, their loud banter filling the quiet space. Luna smiled and laughed, clearly enjoying their company.

I, on the other hand, felt my calm demeanor start to slip. I didn't mind Gabriel and Alexander's joking around, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance that they were interrupting my quiet time with Luna.

"Hey, guys, keep it down," I said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably.

Gabriel and Alexander just laughed and continued to joke around, completely ignoring my attempts to shush them. Luna, however, caught my eye and smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

I felt a pang of...something. Maybe it was affection, or maybe it was just frustration. Whatever it was, I knew I needed to get a grip on it.

"Seriously, guys, quiet down," I said, trying to sound more authoritative.

Gabriel and Alexander finally started to simmer down, grinning at each other like idiots. Luna, however, just kept smiling at me, her eyes never leaving mine.

I felt my heart skip a beat. What was going on here?

As Luna checked her watch and announced that she would be leaving, Alexander and Gabriel immediately volunteered to see her off. I felt a pang of...something. Disappointment? Irritation? I wasn't sure.

"Hey, we'll walk you out, Luna," Alexander said, standing up and stretching.

"Yeah, it's getting late," Gabriel added, nodding in agreement.

Luna smiled and nodded, gathering her things. "Thanks, guys. That's really sweet of you."

I stood up, feeling a sense of awkwardness. "I'll...uh...see you later, Luna," I said, trying to sound casual.

Luna turned to me and smiled, her eyes sparkling. "See you later, Xavier," she said, her voice soft.

As Alexander and Gabriel escorted Luna out of the library, I couldn't help but feel a sense of...left-out-ness. Why was I feeling this way? I didn't even like Luna that way...did I?

I watched as Alexander and Gabriel walked Luna out of the library, feeling a sense of unease. Why was I feeling this way? I didn't even like Luna that way...did I?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to focus on my studies, not get distracted by...whatever this was.

As I sat back down at the table, I couldn't help but notice how quiet the library seemed without Luna. It was as if she had brought a spark of energy with her, and now that she was gone, the room felt dull and lifeless.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. What was wrong with me? I was Xavier, the calm and collected one. I didn't get distracted by girls or feelings. I needed to get a grip.

Just then, Alexander and Gabriel walked back into the library, grinning at each other. "Dude, Luna is so cool," Alexander said, plopping down in his chair.

Gabriel nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's amazing. We should hang out with her more often."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a pang of...something. "You guys are really into Luna, huh?" I said, trying to sound casual.

Alexander and Gabriel exchanged a look, and then Alexander spoke up. "Yeah, man, we think she's awesome. But we're not the only ones, are we?"

I felt a surge of...something. Denial? Panic? "What are you talking about?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Alexander grinned. "Come on, Xavier. We've seen the way you look at Luna. You're totally into her."

I felt my face heat up, and I knew I was in trouble.

Gabriel suddenly stopped and pulled out his phone. "Hey, Luna? Yeah, it's Gabriel. I just remembered, I'm supposed to pick you up for school tomorrow, right?"

Luna's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah! I completely forgot. Thanks for reminding me, Gabriel."

Gabriel smiled and hung up the phone. I felt a pang of...something. Why was Gabriel picking Luna up for school tomorrow?

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "You're picking Luna up for school tomorrow?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah, I offered to give her a ride."

I felt a surge of...something. Jealousy? Possessiveness? Why was Gabriel spending time with Luna?

As Luna walked out of her house with Gabriel, she couldn't help but notice the way he was looking at her. His eyes seemed to be drinking in every detail of her appearance, and she felt a flutter in her chest.

She smiled to herself as she walked beside Gabriel, her hips swaying slightly as she moved. She knew she looked good, and she could tell Gabriel thought so too.

As they arrived at school, Luna could feel the eyes of her classmates on her. She and Gabriel were chatting and laughing, and she knew they made a cute couple.

People were staring, and Luna could hear the whispers and giggles. "Look at Luna and Gabriel, they're so cute together!" "I had no idea they were a thing!"

Luna just smiled and waved, enjoying the attention. She knew she and Gabriel were just friends, but it was nice to have people think they were something more.

As they walked through the hallways, Luna felt like she was on top of the world. She was with her friends, and people were looking at her with admiration and envy.

But little did she know, someone was watching her from across the hallway, their eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion and...something else.