Gentility: 3, Reve, Will Update On 6/13

3. Reve
"Mother?" I asked, peering inside my parent's room. "Are you okay?"
I walked inside. She was lying on the bed once again, he arm wrapped in a bandage. Her eyes were glassy. I sighed.
Everything was fine.
I didn't understand what was going on with me. When I tried to avoid Leila by staying up all night, she'd just pay me a visit in the morning. Yeah, I didn't get much sleep. I tried to avoid all thoughts of her, which didn't work out well.
Ah, there she is. Right on time.
I grabbed a knife. "Stay away from me."
She had the audacity to laugh. Then she hopped up and sat on my mother's kitchen island. It was her favorite appliance in the house, before she got diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. Now she's basically a corpse. She didn't want to do much of anything.
"I mean it!" I threatened.
She raised an eyebrow. "A butter knife? Really?"
She hopped down.
"Stay back!" I sputtered.
It seemed to do the trick, surprisingly. Her movement faltered, and her smile turned into a frown. Then she knocked the knife out of my hand at lightening speed. Before I could scream, she was cradling my face. My lips parted. Her hands were warm. I was just so tired, so I let my eyes close. My face started to lean into her. I let a sigh escape my lips.
"Reve," she whispered, "you look exhausted."
I weakly nodded. In response, she removed her hands from my face. I don't know why, maybe I was possessed, but one of my hands captured hers. I saw her smile faintly, and she led me to my room.
"Come on," she whispered. "Time for bed."
She helped me remove my jacket, and pulled the covers over me.
"I'm not tired," I protested.
She traced the bags under my eyes with her index finger. "It's not nice to lie."
"I can't sleep."
"You couldn't sleep," she corrected, "because you kept dreaming about me. Now that I'm here, you can't dream of me, so you can."
"Oh."
That made no sense.
"Sleep," she ordered.
This time I didn't protest.
~~~~
When I awoke, Leila was gone. I let out a smile. I, for once, had a dreamless sleep. A sigh of ecstasy escaped my mouth. Then I head my cell phone ring. A little annoyed at the interrupted silence I glared at the screen.
Mabel.
"Hello," I answered.
"Hey, so I was wondering if you were free at six?"
I checked the time. Six o'clock was in an hour.
"Sure," I told her.
What about Leila, I thought.
Well, that was a stupid thought. I mean, what about her?
"Really? Thanks. Can you meet me at the Tower?"
"No prob, Bel."
She hung up.
~~~~
I smiled as the bell jingled, singling my entrance.
"Reve!" Ba greeted. "It's good to see you. Come, come, Mabel's waiting."
"It's great to see you too," I answered, following him to the table.
Of course, the restaurant was very quaint and I had seen Mabel upon entering. Ba was nothing without common courtesy.
I smiled nervously at Mabel, taking the seat beside her.
"They'll be here soon," she promised. "I know it's not Thursday, but Co Hue called it last minute."
My girlfriend's family is Vietnamese. Her father, whom we call Ba (the Vietnamese word for Father), had taken him and his sister's to San Francisco when his youngest sister had turned 16. Their parents had passed so at 20, Ba had become the head of the household. Co (Aunt) Hue was Ba's second oldest sister, Co Mai Ly being the oldest, and Co Kim as the youngest.
After he and his sister's had arrived to America, he had immediately set off to build the Turtle Tower, a Vietnamese cuisine restaurant located in the Tenderloin: the poorest district of San Francisco. My Mabel had a rich heritage and I admired her family.
They were dedicated to each other so thoroughly that they meet at this restaurant every Thursday afternoon. I was a regular attendant. As well as Co Mai Ly's husband and brother in law and Co Hue's best friend Emma.
"Jimmy, it's nice to see you!" I heard Ba call from the front of the restaurant. "How are the kids? Jeremiah and Julia?"
I smiled. "It's nice you're dad is so friendly. He knows everyone."
Mabel laughed, grabbing my hand. "You say that every time we come here."
"Because it's true. Everyone loves him."
"Look at you, wanting to be like my old man. So cute." She pinched my cheek.
"Stop that," I said, pulling her hand away.
She pouted, weakly attempting to pull her hands away. 
"Nope," I said smiling. 
She continued to try and escape until the bells above to door jingled, and I heard the loud voice of Co Mai Ly. I decided to show mercy and let go of Mabel's wrists. She crossed her arms defiantly. 
"You better wipe that pout of your face before I kiss it away," I whispered in her ear. "I know how much you hate PDA."
To empathize my point, I kissed her hair that was covering her ear. "Besides, we both know you love the attention."
In response, Mabel's cheeks turned bright red, but her glare was just as prominent as her cheeks.
"Darlings," Co Mai Ly's accent drawled. "Save this flirting for later."
I felt Mabel's slap on my arm, and rose an eyebrow at her. "What flirting? I was merely making sure she didn't have a hearing problem."
"Reve!" Mabel scolded. 
I smiled. "Yes?"
"Stop being an idiot!"
"Children, settle down," Co Hue said upon entering. "We've got much to discuss."
Soon, everyone had gathered and settled. We didn't start the gathering until it was an half an hour pass closing time. This was so customers wouldn't interrupt our meeting. Ba and Mabel both work here, and sometimes Co Kim would come over for a shift. 
Apparently, today's meeting was going to be a bit more unusual than normal. Co Hue had brought Amanda, which was expected. The middle-aged man, who she was holding the hand of, was unexpected. I had never met him, but Mabel and Ba's eyes were wide with disbelief. The rest of the family looked at him with similar expressions. Except Co Mai Ly looked at the man with borderline fury.
"Ba, Mabel," Co Hue stared, "You know Ethan."
"Tell me, Hue. What is you ex husband doing in my diner?"
"Ba," Co Hue said. "We're getting remarried."
There was a dooming silence. At the would remarried. Re. They had been married before. Crap. 
I circled my thumb across Mabel's hand in reassurance. The atmosphere was tense. It made my heart be react erratically. I half expected Leila to show up. It felt that murky. In my paranoia I took a sweep across the diner. No Leila: I was safe. A relieved sigh fell from my lips.
Mabel looked curiously at me in response. In an effort to pacify her I let out a small smile. Then the yelling started.
At first I was completely lost, so many different, angry voices. Their accents mashed together, all with different tones and opinions. I could feel the awful energy surrounding everyone. It made me restless. My figures fidgeted, my foot tapped. Mabel looked out into space, completely silent. She was always one to keep a level head under pressure.
Ba was the loudest of the group. Normally old Baloo was the calmest of the group. Only looking for the bear necessities. Right now, he resembled Bageera the over protective panther. His face was red with aggravation, his voice loud with fever. His hands flew as he talked, a vigor unacceptance somehow creeping into his booming disapproval.
Co Hue's future husband looked... awful. He was as pale as Elmer's glue. He was a thin man, with a blond goatee and gently balding hair. He didn't look like much, but that's because he was next to Aunt Hue's large form. She was still shorter than him. He was like a stick, lean and long, while Aunt Hue was more of a round table. Ha, ha, good thing she can't hear my thoughts...
Also, it appeared Elmer's Glue guy was turning a natural green. I peered curiously at him, awaiting the aftermath of his sickly green shade. Predictably, he ran, nearing the trashcan. Unfortunately, he missed.
"Not all over the floor, you insolent!" Ba complained. "Awe, how could this have happened?"
"Ba, Ba please. Let us sit down and explain. You're scaring Robert."
"Pah! He will always be a coward."
Robert. That was the Glue Guys name. Eh, I think I like Glue Guy better.
Sure enough, Robert--Such a boring name--stumbled back to Co Hue.
"Sir," his voice was a slur.
I think it was a result of his nervous personnel.
"Sir," he repeated. "If you would, please, listen."
"No, I will not listen!" Ba protested. "You cheated on my beautiful Dau. I will not listen to a cheat."
"Ba, please," Co Hue protested. "You must hear reason."
"I will not! You will not marry Robert Anderson. That is final! This meeting is over."
Nobody protested as they made their way out of the Tower. Co Hue's large form certainly didn't match her quiet personality. She and Robert were the first to go. Mabel patted her father on the back, before grabbing my hand.
We headed out the door and went up the hotel Mabel and Ba made residence in next door. We walked up the stairs. The floors were dirty and the place smelled of cigs. Admittedly though, despite not having wiggle room, it was arguably the best Hotel in the Tenderloin.
Once we had climbed up to the third floor and made out way to room 28, Mabel and I flopped on the couch. The room was small. There was one door that leads to a small bathroom. The kitchen was on the left side of the room, and two mattresses on the left sidewall. The couch we were currently sprawled on was placed in the middle of the room, facing the small cable TV on the far wall.
"That was interesting," I said.
"Yeah," she responded. "I'm sorry you had to see that. They see you as a part of the family now."
I smiled. "It's alright. When I asked you out they became my family too."
I took her face into my hands. "Should I ask about Elmer's Glue Guy or just kiss you?"
She laughed. "You could pass as an Elmer's Glue Guy too."
"No!" I rebutted. "I am so tan."
"You are so not."
I flicked her nose before my hand returned to cradling her face.
Her eye trickled with mischief and I knew what she wanted. I leaned forward, gently caressing her lips with my own.
I was bothered when the fire didn't ignite like a kiss from Leila would set off.
~~~~
The next morning, Noah woke me up bright and early.
I grumbled as he proclaimed, "It's Saturday, we gonna get you a life outside of Mabel!"
I only half protested against the rude awakening. In actuality, I was grateful. Throughout the whole dream Leila had been trying to gain my attention. I pretended she didn't exist. It was the hardest thing to do--ever!
"So where are we going to get me a life?" I asked groggily.
"Airsofting!"
"Foss, we do that every Saturday."
"Oh," he said. "Right. Well, it's still the manliest thing you've ever done."
"Whatever," I said, while heading down the stairs.
"Maybe we'll pick up some chicks!"
"Chicks?" I asked. "In an Airsofting Arena?"
"Yeah!" he said, his brown hair falling lazily in front of his eyes with his nod. "The hot babes who know how to shoot."
"Well, you can pick up you're 'babe', but I'll stick with Leila."
"Leila?" he asked.
"I meant Mabel."
"You said Leila."
"I say a lot of things. What I meant was Mabel."