Kisses after midnight (WICKED #0) | ✓

9

AMBASSADOR RYDER SEEMED CHARMING. That million dollar smile had already been plastered on his face when he had walked out of his study to greet them, his eyes concerned. It was clear to see where Jay got his good looks from, the man his exact mirror image, only older. His salt and pepper hair was combed aside and the wrinkles around his eyes were faint, as if even time couldn't touch a man this powerful.

Gabriela had told him they were visiting Jay at home to drop off some homework, but when the man said Jay wasn't home she frowned. As he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Jay, she couldn't help but feel like she had snitched on him. This wasn't how she had expected it to go; she had expected to see him lazing around in his big, luxurious home, uninterested in attending a school beneath him.

"Have you been skipping class, Jae-Soo?"

The ambassador sounded worried, a frown creasing his forehead as he grasped the phone tighter. At least he seemed to care for his son's education, which was more than she could ever say for her own parents. Sahar didn't seem on edge either, so Gabriela supposed it was just her own imagination that something was off with the ambassador. She never really had liked politicians that much, so perhaps it was just that.

The conversation surprisingly ended after that single sentence, even though it didn't seem like Jay had replied anything. The ambassador stared at the black screen of his phone for a second, before turning to them again.

"Sorry about the trouble," he said," Jae-Soo can be reckless at times. I thought he'd change now with this new chance to reform but -" He sighed, before shaking his head. "Anyhow, I'll make sure he won't skip class again."

"It's no trouble at all, sir," Gabriela said," we'll wait with you for Jay's return, if you don't mind."

"Oh, there's no need," the ambassador said with a wave of his hand," I can't keep you students here any longer than needed. I'm sure you have things to do."

Perhaps it was her imagination and perhaps not, but either way she had nothing to lose by staying here. Penelope's face flashed in front of her eyes again, blue and swollen, and she shook her head resolutely. She may just have been way off, yet that would be better than finding out how the ambassador would make sure Jay didn't skip school again.

"Not at all," she said," I'll take him back to school with me."

A flash of something crossed his eyes, but it disappeared so quickly Gabriela almost thought she had imagined it. He smiled then, waving at the door at the end of the hallway.

"Take a seat in the living room then," he said," I'll be in the study if you need me."

"You're sweet," Sahar said to Gabriela as they walked towards the door.

"Not really," Gabriela said," I just want to listen to my instinct."

Until now she had never been wrong before. Not about the middle-aged man across the street who had invited her inside when she was twelve nor about Penelope's father, even before the marks started showing. So she was prepared to wait if need be and if not needed, it would just be a personal escort to ensure her tickets to get out of St Joseph would reform once and for all.

The living room was beautiful, but somehow it reminded Gabriela more of a showcase than an actual house. There weren't any personal items throughout the room nor anything else that showed them signs of people actually living here, just new, white furniture everywhere, the occasional black decor placed throughout.

"This is such a contrast to my living room," Sahar said as she touched a black lamp," we only have colorful decor and patterned carpets."

Gabriela thought of her own living room, the run-down state most of the furniture was in, and shrugged.

When the front door opened a while later she was immediately on her feet, impatient to return to school already. The principal would overlook her skipping an hour or two, but more than that and she would definitely be written down. She walked into the hallway, Sahar following suit, only to find Jay standing quietly in front of his father's study.

He didn't seem to notice them until she placed a hand on his shoulder, but when he looked up Gabriela could see from the look in his eyes he just didn't care. There was something hauntingly empty in him, but it was gone when he blinked again and he shook off her hand.

"What are you doing here?" he said.

"You skipped class two days in a row," Gabriela said," as it's my job to reform you guys, I decided to come get you."

"By talking to my father?" he said.

"He didn't seem that angry, Jay," Sahar said," so you don't need to worry. Let's go back now, I do miss your bitter comments all day."

"I can't imagine," he said, though he seemed more tired than sarcastic.

He raised his hand to the door then, but then decided against knocking as he just parted his lips to call out.

"I'm back," he said.

"We'll talk after school, Jae-Soo," his father said.

Gabriela frowned at the fact he didn't even come see his son out, before grabbing Jay by the arm to pull him out. She didn't even seem to need to do so though, he complied quietly all the way to St Joseph. Sahar tried to fill the awkward silence, but he didn't speak a word until they entered their classroom again, both hands in his pockets the whole time. When he pulled them out to open the classroom door Sahar grabbed his wrist, concern in her eyes.

"What happened?" she said.

Gabriela's eyes followed her line of sight, only to widen slightly when she noticed the burn. The skin on his hands was full with faded scars, from fighting she presumed, but the new addition was clearly new and though Jay didn't show any sign of it, it surely hurt like hell.

Sahar grabbed him by his other hand and pulled him along then, Jay complying, though he seemed startled.

"Where are you going?" he said.

"We're going to the nurse's office," she said," and get that burn treated."

"Why?" he said.

Gabriela would have entrusted Sahar to the job, if not for that question. He sounded so empty, so unbothered, that she turned away from the classroom and walked with. None of them spoke until they reached the nurse's office and when they went in, the woman huffed.

"Back again?" she complained," you kids sure like to hurt yourself."

Jay shrugged, before sitting down and letting the nurse take care of him. Gabriela glanced at Sahar, who was watching Jay with soft concern, though no words left her lips.

"I've never seen him smile," she said, so quietly Gabriela almost thought she'd imagined it.

"What?" Gabriela said.

"Throughtout the time I've known him," she said," I haven't seen him smile once."

It sounded sad, but when Sahar looked her in the eye all that disappeared, making way for a big smile.

"But he will," she said.

She seemed like a person who wanted to make everything better: life, the world, him. It made her shine, like she spilled sunlight wherever she went. So though Gabriela wasn't the kind of person for sentimental stuff at all, she nodded.

"He will," she said.