Free Gabrielle by Lucy Kevin

teeth, let alone do any homework. I pulled the covers all the way up over my head and dreamed of forests full of evil witches and innocent maidens who were trying to run away from them, but who never quite managed to escape.

CHAPTER TEN
    Dylan wasn’t at school the next few days. Not until Friday, when he came and found me in a practice room. He looked like he hadn’t slept since the last time I’d seen him.
    I’d had three days to think about what Missy had said.
    Damage.
    Looking at him now after his unexplained absence, I knew she had to be right.
    â€œI was wondering where you were. I looked for you everywhere.” God, had anyone ever played it less cool? “Is everything okay?”
    â€œBetter now than it was,” he said, before sliding against me on the piano bench.
    I knew what he wanted to do. What he needed. And so without even speaking, the two of us started playing songs from the Metallica album that I had listened to at the used record store.
    When we’d made it all the way through the songs, I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
    â€œSaturday. Are you free Saturday night?”
    I couldn’t believe I had to say no to him. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I’ve got to go to something with my grandmother.”
    He slid off the bench. “It’s okay. I get it. It’s probably better that we don’t do this thing anyway.”
    What thing? Us? What was that, anyway?
    â€œWait a minute. Stop walking out on me,” I told him. “I’m free tonight.”
    His eyes moved back to mine. “How about now?”
    I looked back at my notepad full of ideas for the song I’d been working on. It could wait.
    â€œNow is good.”
    He picked up my bag. “You hungry?”
    I wasn’t really, but I knew he liked to feed me, that it was one of the ways he was trying to take care of me. So much for being the bad boy he claimed to be.
    â€œI know a place. It isn’t fancy but the food will blow your mind.”
    â€œSounds great.” And it did. Any reason just to be with him.
    We took the train to another station I’d never been to. The signs on the stores were in languages I didn’t know. After a couple of blocks, he steered me into a restaurant.
    â€œEver had Afghan food before?”
    I shook my head and he smiled.
    â€œGood. I like being your first.”
    I was glad the restaurant was dark so he couldn’t see how deeply I blushed.
    His first.
    Despite Missy having teased me before about wearing a chastity belt, the honest truth was that I’d never been with anyone who had made me even consider not being a virgin anymore.
    But from that first moment on the piano bench, Dylan had me considering.
    He’d make those jokes about not messing with virgins, about not knowing many girls he’d slept with, but somehow what he’d just said took it to a whole other level.
    We sat down at a small table in the far corner of the room and ordered. Once the food came just minutes later, I decided to ask, “So where were you this week?”
    He didn’t raise his eyes from his plate. “It’s not important.”
    But it was. I knew it.
    Damage.

    â€œDid it have something to do with your parents?”
    His head shot up. “Where’d you hear that?”
    â€œNowhere. It’s just after what you told me in the park I kind of figured...” I didn’t finish my sentence, wasn’t exactly sure how I would have.
    He stared at me so intently, I almost felt like he wasn’t seeing me at all. More like he was looking right through me.
    In a low voice he said, “I want to trust you.”
    I wanted to reach out and take his hands in mine. But for some reason, even though we had kissed, I felt shy and unsure.
    Fortunately, the words, “Of course you can trust me,” came out naturally, without any hesitation. But then, before I could stop my brain from going there,