CHAPTER 4

It was 6:30 PM Gabe took his bath, he couldn't wait for the party tonight. After two good years spent on excessive training, this was the only party he would be attending for a long time.

And this time he won't be attending alone, he will be going with his best and only childhood friend.

He drove his car and went to the Cooper's to pick her up.

He knocked on the front door as promised, and Olivia opened up and saw him, because of last night's encounter it wasn't a new sight for her to behold. So she opened the door and Gabe entered. He just dropped a bag of chocolate on the desk and ran up to Clara's room.

He knocked on the door, no response from her end.

"Clara... Clara, it's me Gabe" he kept knocking.

Clara woke up due to the noise and went to open the door looking unkempt.

Her hair was messy, her face portrayed a sleepy one.

"Oh no I slept off, what is the time? I hope we aren't late."

"Come on the party is just two towns away from here. It may take us at least 2 hours and 30 minutes to drive because I know a shortcut. So go get ready, I'll wait for you downstairs."

"Oh great, will be ready in five"

So she rushed into the bathroom, to sort herself out. While Gabe went downstairs only to find Clarissa, Olivia, and Xander all stuffing their mouths into the cake he brought when he came in just a while back. They are indeed a greedy group of people, they didn't even mind who brought the cake. They just ate away carefree, without any thoughts in the world.

"Hey Aunt, how is uncle doing?"

"He will be fine soon, how have you been Gabe?"

"I have been okay. How are you, Aunt?"

"Great truly, look at you all grown up," Clarissa said feigning a smile

"Hey Xander, what's up buddy?"

"I am cool, where have you been dude?"

"I had to be somewhere important, my parents took me there, and you know how they can be"

"Yeah, unfortunately, I do."

"I am still here guys, don't talk about us like that"

Clarissa said, making everyone present laugh. That was one of the few times the coopers laughed out loud.

So Gabe sat down waiting for Clara because ever since he shape-shifted he has always been able to sense when someone is lying, scared, or being truthful.

At first, he viewed it as a curse, but now that he was amid the Coopers he viewed it as a blessing. Because he could see through their hypocritical facade.

Just then Olivia came up to him to extort more money from him like she did last night.

"Uncle Gabe, give me like 100 grand, I need to get something from the store nearby"

"What about the other one I gave you just yesterday? Don't tell me you have spent it."

"I did spend it, uncle, when I went for extracurricular activities back in school I had to use it"

"Fine then, here you go."

"Thank you, you are the best," Olivia said, running away to her room.

"So what brought you here tonight Gabe?"

"I came to take Clara out"

"Whoa!! That's great, can I tag along?" Xander asked

"Nah it's just me and my best friend, maybe next time. Will take you along what do you say?"

"Fine then, what else did you bring from your mystery journey? Don't tell me it's only caked you got for me"

"Here" Gabe handed an envelope to Xander and this made him grin.

"Look at you, nice one. Thanks, dude" with that said he went out to God knows where.

Immediately after Xander left Clara came out, at last, all dressed up in her crop top and crazy Jean trouser, her hair tied up in a bun leaving two thick strands to fall at each side of her face and her shoe was some high-heeled female sneakers to make her a little bit tall in a cute manner.

She looked beautiful, very different from who Gabe saw immediately after she opened the door earlier.

"You look good, Clara," Gabe said.

"Thank you, you look good too," Clara said

"Okay let's be on our way now, shall we?" Gabe said.

"One minute... Mom, and Dad is going out" There was no response from either of them. "That's our cue to leave now we can go," Clara said

And they both entered Gabe's car and they drove to the party miles away.

'Clara is really a strong person. She easily puts up with her family, after how awful they treat her she still loves them. She can be enduring, I hope she finds happiness in life. Maybe my parents will send me back to the mountains never to come back but before they decide to do that I need to spend time with my best friend, she needs me now more than ever.' Such were Gabe's thoughts.

"Hey, Gabe, why are you so quiet? This drive will take at most, let's say 3 hours. Do you intend to stay quiet all through the ride?"

"Ha...Ha... Come on Clara, how could the ride be so quiet when I have a chatterbox here with me?" Gabe teases Clara and they both laugh heartily.

"So now I am a chatterbox huh? Fine I won't talk till we get to our destination then maybe you will not call me one anymore" Clara said holding her lips, this made her look weird and funny.

Gabe couldn't stop laughing.

Then Gabe hit her shoulder and she spoke again

"Why did you hit me?"

"Thought you said you weren't going to talk?"

"I wasn't you, actually made me talk"

"Now you are still talking

"No am not"

"You still are"

She wanted to say something again and she held her lips again. They both laughed

"Okay, I admit I am a chatterbox, only when I am around you, Gabe. I have lots of things to talk about''

Gabe smiled hearing this and so he said

"I love it when you talk, so never stop being my chatterbox"

So they asked a lot of questions amongst themselves for the rest of the trip.