Log: Gabe and one nasty ex boyfriend Who: Gabe & and Baja’s ex boyfriend Zack When: Monday February 23rd (backdated) Where: Early afternoon. What: Gabe places a phone call that doesn’t turn out quite how he wanted. Gabe’s anger over the whole situation of the presents Baja was receiving in the mail had sat in the pit of his stomach through the rest of Sunday night and in to Monday. His thoughts of a good night’s rest squashing the anger were proven wrong, his night was spent tossing in bed, red rimming the edge of his vision and coloring his eyelids. Zack’s little presents that were showing up had upset Baja more then the boy ever had a right to. He couldn’t accept that she had moved on and was better off without him, so Zack was purposely pushing her buttons and causing her distress in the hopes of upsetting her now happy life. Despite how much Gabe detested talking to the other boy, it was the only solution he could come up with that didn’t involve a trip to California and a possible assault case. With his cell phone in hand Gabe settled on his bed, flipping it open he dialed the number he had taken from Baja’s phone before they had Brea block it completely. He hated doing this without her around, but he knew he wasn’t going to be very pleasant and that was something he never wanted her to see. That didn’t even touch on the fact that she wouldn’t want him doing this anyway, wouldn’t want him bringing stress upon himself when she viewed this as her problem. Gabe waited, his fingers strumming along his leg as the phone rang.
Zack had to admit he was surprised when the first package was returned. He had been sure she wouldn't have been able to part with the animal. He knew how much she liked stuffed animals in general, more specifically foxes. She had quite a collection thanks to him, and Zack figured it'd be a nice little reminder. Not to mention it would piss the new boyfriend off. Which was no doubt why it had been returned. So he'd sent another package, one that hadn't been returned yet. But judging from how mad his sister had gotten, it had been received. Coming home from dinner, he threw his keys on the counter, the sound of his phone ringing making him pause on the way to his room.
Studying the number, Zack didn't recognize it but wasn't too concerned. A lot of people managed to get his number without permission. Or maybe it was Baja from her fancy school. "Hello?" he sounded a little lazy, definitely arrogant, with a hint of amusement. As if the person was already wasting his time.
Even the sound of Zack's voice flared the anger already boiling in Gabe. That anger was what prevented him from sleeping until he attempted to settle things with the other boy. This whole phone conversation could turn into a pissing contest, but if Gabe played it right it could work in his favor. He managed to keep is tone neutral as he spoke, a fact that surprised even him. "You and I need to talk..."
Raising an eyebrow even though the caller couldn't see, Zack took a seat on his couch. The voice was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. "I'm not sure I know who this is. If it's Mike trying to pull some spooky Scream shit, you're really lame dude. You even sound boring."
"No...try again." Gabe cleared his throat, biting back the angry words that attempted to slip out. He wanted to start yelling at Zack for the things he was doing to Baja. But that would only let the boy know he had gotten to her, that he got a victory with his little actions. Instead Gabe stood and started to walk the small path from his bed to the door and back again. He didn't want to formally introduce himself, feeling kind of stupid over it but it was obvious Zack didn't recognize his voice from the last time they talked on the phone. "This is the guy who you should be worrying about kicking your ass if I ever see you near my girlfriend." No anger showed through his voice, though there was an undertone of serious threat there. Gabe had never actually attack somebody physically, but then again he had never been in a situation where somebody he cared about as much as he cared about Baja was put in so much distress.
As the response came over the line, Zack snickered a little. He could tell by the clearing of the throat that whoever it was needed to hold his tongue a bit. How interesting. "Kicking my ass? For going near your girlfriend?" he repeated, sounding more amused than concerned. Like a cat toying with a mouse. "Like it's the first time I've heard that. Though I do sincerely apologize you don't have what it takes to keep her interested. Maybe I could give you some pointers if you tell me who you are? Or at least who you're girlfriend is. To make sure she's worth it."
Gabe made that circuit from bed to door to bed again, his feat moving in slow measured steps as he kept his mind in control and not his anger. Zack's amused tone as he repeated what Gabe had said pulled an unseen sneer to his lips. "While I don't doubt that statement and how sad it sounds, I don't give a shit and certainly don't need your sympathies and pointers." The cursing was his first signs of anger before he made a mental note to keep it in check. "Let's try the person who you fucked up and lost...yet can't seem to let go for whatever neurotic reason. Or do I need to get the crayons out and draw you a pretty little picture?"
"I'm sad? Who's calling up some guy and whining about how you can't keep your bitch in line?" Zack snorted a little, shaking his head. This was amusing if nothing else. Random guys calling to threaten him was a common occurrence. Considering how much he cheated on girls and how many girls cheated with him. Only a certain type of guy could appreciate that. The cool kind. Of which this guy was not. At the next words, his lips widened into a smirk, as the call just got that much more interesting. "Ah I see. You're my little mami Bee's boyfriend. Greg was it? How nice of you to call and thank me for making her more happy than you can." He completely ignored whatever else the guy said, concentrating on his newfound amusement.
Gabe actually snorted a laugh at Zack. Was this guy serious? He shook his head at the whole situation because Zack indeed was! He was so full of himself, a pompous ass if there ever was one. Gabe wouldn’t sink to his level, or give him the satisfaction of knowing his words stirred a serious anger in him. That would just add to Zack’s obvious amusement. “Oh? More happy, I highly doubt that. Did you get that second package back yet? No…wait…of course you didn’t….that one went straight in to the garbage compactor. Thanks the flowers made it smell nice for once. ” His tone at the end had a cheerful tilt, hoping it would rub Zack the wrong way.
Zack shook his head at his answer, snickering a little. "Wow. It's nice to see her boyfriends have certainly taken a personality hit since we broke up." He couldn't believe this guy, but it was obvious from the phone call that Baja had liked the presents. And had likely gotten upset. "Let me guess. She thought the first one was from you? And was so excited, but when she asked you about it you denied it like the idiot you are?" he mused, knowing how Baja worked. They'd grown up together after all. "And then you made her throw it away, which made her sad. Probably bought her a gift, feeling like a jackass, but couldn't quite get the same reaction?" He smirked despite being millions of miles away. So much fun. He ignored the personality jab, it wouldn’t do any good to comment because then he would just be playing in to Zack’s hands. Gabe pursed his lips and decided if he should play it safe or go with what he wanted to. Zack didn’t know him from a hole in the ground so there was really know way he could figure out Gabe’s tell and find out he was lying. “No….I seem to remember she was so distraught over how ugly it all was she packaged it up and sent it back.” "Really? Because my sister kicked my ass into next Tuesday after that package got there. And then spent half the night on the phone. So I'm guessing the ugliness wasn't what distraught her." He made a tsking noise with his tongue, spinning his chair a bit as held the phone to his ear. "So are you calling to beg me to take her off your hands? I know she must be missing me terribly. And I can't wait to see her in that second gift." Now that made Gabe chuckle, the thought of Lannie giving her brother a beat down was satisfying. “Haha…you let your sister kick your ass? Now who is the sad one?” He laughed loudly as he moved to sit in his own chair. Gabe was going to pace a hole right through the already worn carpet in his room. His laughter died away as he settled in to his chair. He had to swallow back anger before he answered Zack’s second statement with his own short and clipped ones, his voice taking on a dismissive tone instead. “No….quite the contrary, we’ve been having a grand time. Oh…..and that second gift, that was the only part that didn’t go down the garbage compactor……if your itching to see somebody in it there is a hobo in town whom I am sure would be willing to model it for you.” Zack didn't care that the other guy seemed to think Lannie kicking his ass was amusing. "My sister's butch man. I know you've met her. I don't hit girls, so she's got an advantage." Shrugging out of habit, he snickered as the talk turned to the gift he'd sent. "Oh I'm sure. You just keep her so satisfied right? Which is why I've been receiving phone calls from her? You might need to have a talk with little Bee," he pointed out. Of course that was a lie, but Gabe wouldn't know if it was for sure. Zack was banking on the relationship being aloof. "It' looks really good on her through the web cam. All that sheer lace. With those perfect breasts right on display. You know how they look right? Well maybe you don't. They have a tendency to be perky, perfectly shaped, with those nice little nipples?" He made a satisfied noise as if imagining this. “Well it seems your sister has no qualms hitting girls, or are you just a special case?" Gabe pushed up from his chair, not being able to sit idle anymore. The pacing helped him manage his anger, anger he found flaring back up as Zack spoke. Zack was trying to bait him, he knew this and sadly it was working. The longer the boy spoke the redder Gabe’s vision became. "Has she been hitting you then? I'll have to tell her to calm herself." Zack enjoyed hearing Gabe get a little annoyed, or at least try to make a comeback or two. It meant he had a little something under the surface. Maybe very little, but there. Gabe’s clenched his teeth, hissing out his answer over the phone, the look he was scowling was known to send a good amount of people reeling in the opposite direction. "I don't need to talk to her about anything, because you are a useless chunk of shit who means nothing to her anymore. So as much as you would like to live in your little delusional fantasy world I know you are just talking shit in the hopes of getting a rise out of me. So say what you what Zack...because I know for a goddamn fact you are a lying waste of space. That was why you had to fabricate your sad little story to your loser friends about her, saying she was sleeping around on you. You never got what you wanted from her and you never will. And it’s sad really…..that a person can’t accept it when they know they have lost. These pathetic attempts to get back something you threw away and never deserved in the first place. And that’s what it is pathetic. You’ll never be a part of her life, ever again.” The tone in the other's voice made him snicker, though the words did their part to start the first seeds of his own irritation. His own anger. Those words were true on some counts. Baja was the one girl who had actually dumped him. Most girls just forgave him for cheating until he got rid of them. But not her. Taking a breath, as silently as possibly, he let Gabe finish his little rant. Using the time to try and calm his own anger. "What's worse? A person trying to get back what they lost or trying to hold onto something they know is out of their league?" Dropping sarcasm and taunting for low blows, Zack did his best to make sure his tone was calm. "It's nice to see she's got you trained so well, but just remember that I know her better than you ever will. I've lived with her practically all her life. I know every little thing you may think you know, but you don't. So I can keep this up forever. She's got to come home sometime." Sure, Zack only wanted her back so he could dump her like it was supposed to be, but still. No one else knew that. Gabe only chuckled because Zack was still trying to bait him knowing full well that it wasn’t really working. Yeah it brought his anger to the surface but Gabe wasn’t about to give in to the insecurities Zack was trying to plant. There where no insecurities. He knew how Baja felt about him, and she knew how he felt. Their relationship may have developed quickly but it was more serious and more intimate then anybody he had ever seen in a relationship. They both truly believed they had found their missing piece in the other. And nothing Zack said was going to worm him between them. "You may think you know her Zack....you know the Baja she put forth to please you, the fake Baja that she has done a wonderful job of destroying. So sure...if that is what helps you sleep at night keep telling yourself that." He snorted another laugh, Zack's comment about Baja coming home was true but Gabe knew wherever Baja went he would go. "You're right, she does have to go home eventually. But she wouldn't be coming home alone.....I've been meaning to see Cali again when we aren't on such a time constraint and stuck in a hospital."
Gabe picked idly at a piece of fuzz on his shirt, hoping his bored demeanor carried over in the tone of his voice. He entertained the notion of letting Zack respond to what he had to say, but it was growing increasingly obvious that this was going nowhere and was never going to end the way he had planned it to. Better to cut his losses and hang up now while he had is opportunity. Taking a breath and starting off again, cutting Zack off just as the boy started to speak Gabe continued. "You know, God knows why I thought this would go any different. You don't have a shred of decency to know when to stop. So much for giving somebody the benefit of the doubt? So do yourself a favor Zack, keep your presents to yourself or if you insist just throw the money in the garbage can because that is where they are all going to end up. It's over....you've lost. Accept it and move on with your life." Before Zack could answer Gabe snapped his phone shut, ending the call with a hard click.