Forbidden

Two hours later, Gabriel sits impatiently in the first class lounge. He rubs his temples as he tries in vain to block out the loud voices next to him. Sadie and William are still arguing with Nicolae over the tickets.

  “Look, it’s no big deal. The tickets weren’t that unreasonable,” Nicolae insists, obviously wishing they would just drop it.

  “You just bought four first class tickets to Romania and you want us to believe that they are cheap?” Sadie cries. “Do I have LOSER written across my forehead?”

  Nicolae sighs. “Fine. The tickets were seven thousand apiece. Happy now?”

  William jerks upright, spilling his fancy espresso. “Good night! Where did you come up with that kind of cash?”

  “My parents. Just trust me, the money will never be missed.” Nicolae folds his hands over his lap and leans back to get some rest. Gabriel hopes Sadie will take the hint, but that just isn’t in her nature.

  “So your family is, like, rich or something?”

  Nicolae groans as he opens his eyes. “I’m a foreign exchange student. Do you think that’s cheap?”

  “Huh,” William mutters, scratching his jaw. “You know, I never really thought about that.”

  “Well, there you go,” Nicolae says. “End of story.”

  Gabriel frowns at his answer. “What about your visa? Are you allowed to come back?”

  Nicolae sighs, resigned to playing twenty questions. “No. It’s a one-time deal. I hop on that plane and goodbye America. That should make one of you very happy,” he says, staring pointedly at Sadie.

  She squirms. It’s no secret that she has spent the past couple months loathing the guy but now, as Gabriel watches the emotions shifting over her features, he realizes she might actually miss Nicolae. Girls! They are all screwed up.

  “I feel weird sitting here,” William says, sinking lower in his seat as gawking travelers pass by, peering in at the four teenagers who must have found a way to sneak into the private lounge.

  “Don’t worry about it. Your ticket says you’re first class and that’s all the flight attendant’s care about.”

  “I’m still jumpy,” Sadie says, rubbing her arms as she darts a glance around the empty space. “Mom and Dad are going to flip when they figure out we aren’t coming home tonight.”

  William waves her off. “It’s couples dancing at the country club. You know Mom. She’ll have a few too many drinks and come home tipsy. Dad will carry her up to bed and probably pass out too. They won’t even know we are gone until morning.”

  “Maybe,” Sadie frowns, “but Mom was pretty ticked about Gabriel sleeping over. She’s probably pacing the kitchen right now waiting to tear me a new one.”

  “Yout two will stil be alive when she gets done with you. I was supposed to be heading to Notre Dame this week to view the school,” Gabriel mutters, fingering his ticket. “There won’t be anything left of me when Steve’s done.”

  Nicolae gives him a curious stare but says nothing.

  “Now boarding: Flight forty-six to London Heathrow. All first class passengers are welcome to board at this time,” a robotic voice calls over the loud speaker.

  “London?” Sadie questions, looking down at her boarding pass. “I thought we were going to Romania.”

  Nicolae smirks as he offers to help her to her feet. “That’s just the first stop, love.”

  Thirty-Eight