Chapter 13

"My feet are killing me!” Gabe groaned as he walked back to the hotel with Maria, them taking up the rear of the group, lingering a bit behind. Dinner had been something simple, them taking up a part of one of those family dining chain restaurants. Gabriel caught Bryan looking in his direction more than once throughout dinner, but often looked away.

Still Gabe tried to make sure the pest saw his scowl, not wanting what happened to be thought about by him, let alone spoken of out loud. Thankfully there had been no alarms going off at the museum, no one coming to arrest him, not so much as a whisper. So he was doing his utmost to try and pretend it never happened. Now walking closer to the elevator’s, some of the kids talked about heading to the pool before bed. The only thing he could really focus on was how he would never again choose to wear stilettos, no matter the situation. He was already dreaming of returning to the comfort of sneakers.

Raising an eyebrow Maria gave her feminized brother an odd look. “Well, it’s hard to guess why with those heels. I still don’t know why you chose to wear such uncomfortable shoes all day. I can show you a few things you can do to be more comfortable in them if this is going to become regular for you.” Maria snickered, her mind picturing Gabe back home, his mustache regrown, but wearing a tutu with ballerina slippers on. “I would offer a few lessons right now, something to keep you occupied and out of trouble while most of the students hit the pool, but I have things of my own to do. So best you head back up to your room, hija.”

Pressing his lips together in a line the dress wearing man ignored the addition of the word daughter that she had taken to using to tease him. “Uh, about that.” Gabe stumbled back as a guest at the hotel shuffled past on their way to their rooms. “Any chance we could get me my own room tonight? Last night was so uncomfortable and I don’t want to spend the rest of the evening with a bunch of teenagers.”

“She says.” Maria poked her brother in the stomach. “Dressed as a teen girl, acting as a teen girl because she is a teen girl.” Sneering she watched how uncomfortable her little brother looked in the get up. Panties, bra, Stiletto heels and a modest red fit and flare dress covering everything except his choice of footwear.

It was almost like looking at herself in the mirror to see her past self. She had been a late bloomer, but by the time she was eighteen she had grown into her chest. “Anyway, no way. This trip is expensive and we already had this discussion.”

“Ugh, c’mon, this is ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous is your concept of money. Do you realize how expensive a room here is? We’re not at some motel six, this is a hotel in the middle of DC.” This being by her count the third time they have spoken on this topic she didn’t feel her brother was really listening. His current demeanor, eyes drifting away with a pout on his red lipstick covered lips only added to that. She wasn’t gonna have it any longer, so she grabbed his face, hand under his jaw so that her fingers pressed into his cheeks. Turning her siblings head so that he would look her in the eye.

"Gabriella, how much money do you make a year?" she asked, but as soon as he opened his mouth she continued. "Wrong, you don't make anything because you are a teenage girl who is acting like a spoiled brat and asking for her own room."

Gabe’s mouth would have hung agape at her comment, but the day had truly worn him down. She had no idea what he was going through. Gabriel wanted to tell her this wasn’t his fault, it wasn’t like he wanted this to happen. The airline, the hotel, the students and her were conspiring against him, but he didn’t have the time to explain it to her. Maria opened the door to his hotel room and sternly pointed into it like an angry mother sending her child to bed. “Wait bu-”

“No! Go and sleep off this attitude problem and hopefully tomorrow you’ll be a little more grateful for the sacrifices I made for you.”

‘Sacrifices? All you have been doing is messing with me and practically throwing yourself at Banks.’ He didn't grasp what she was talking about, but at the very least knew that there was no arguing with her when she was in stern mother mode. Like he had done hundreds of times when she was being like this he walked away, only this time he was going to where she directed him and didn’t mention how she wasn’t his mother.

Stepping into the room the door slammed behind him causing a gust of wind to blow up the skirt of his dress. Pressing his hands down to keep the black panties he wore from showing he said a small prayer none of the students were in the room to see him or catch his conversation. Collapsing on the bed, feet and legs sore, mentally and somehow also spiritually exhausted he closed his eyes.

Laying there he didn’t consider how much the dress pulled up with how he plopped down on the bed, he felt so drained that he thought he would need a few minutes in the cool room, on the soft bed to even garner enough energy to take off the stupid footwear. ‘What god, or pantheon of gods, did I anger to be **** to live a life like this?’ Gabriel would gladly pray to any higher power that would make all this end and allow himself to just be himself… be a man again. “Tomorrow, just make it to tomorrow.” He spoke to himself, opening his eyes and looking at the ceiling as his gaze grew blurry from the tears welling up. Recalling the stern, and infantilizing look Maria had given him.

It was a look he had seen on his mother from time to time, it made him feel small and like a child in trouble. Gabe had been on the receiving end of it from his madre a handful of times and each time it hit him. While he had seen that look from Maria maybe hundreds of times and until now it never felt like anything of consequence. Right now though he never wanted to see that look again.

Then came a knock to the door, forcing Gabe to stand back up. Blinking away his tears he moved closer to the door, expecting one of his students to be there after forgetting their keycard. Instead he found Becky standing there in a one piece deep blue bathing suit, a pair of blue denim shorts and sandals. “Hey Gabby, I noticed you weren’t down at the pool.”

It wasn’t a question, but the way the girls said it made Gabe feel like he should explain himself. A feeling that not often darkened his mind. “Yeah, I mean, Si. It is quiet here and today…”

Becky giggled at how the girl corrected herself after using the correct word. She could understand the need for alone time, and it did sound kind of nice after an active day around so many people. The girl was also sure that Gabby needed the time to reflect on what she had done to Bryan of all people. She could admit his cocky arrogance could be charming at times, but it wore on her quickly. “That sounds good, mind if I join you?”

It was a polite question, but the dark haired girl asked it as she walked into the room. ‘Why did I hold the door all the way open?’ Gabe asked himself. “Why not.” Gabriel answered, sure the day couldn’t get any worse.

Holding up a tv remote, something the chaperones had collected from the rooms, Becky waggled it in the air. “Got this from Miss DeLeon. Hopped up on the bed after kicking off her sandals so she could lay on her stomach. Knees bent, feet in the air she turned the tv on. “How about I find us something to watch and you get changed into something more comfortable.”

The uninvited guest already making herself at home at least had a good idea. ‘Good bye dress, goodbye fucking high heels.’ He made a promise to himself that he would never ask a girl to wear them for him again, but his heart wasn’t in it. Following Becky’s advice he soon was laying next to her on the bed back in the pink pajamas, feet very much enjoying their freedom.

“Look what I found!” Pointing to the television with one hand and hitting the accept button on the remote with the other Becky started the first episode of the show she was talking about earlier. Unlike at home the hotel had on demand and she was able to find the show Pan Am for her friend to enjoy. “You are going to love this!”

It wasn’t some girly show, a period piece about an old airline that was the first to traverse the world. Their slogan America’s Airline to the world. Despite his actual interest in the show Gabe found himself drifting off to sleep.

His exhausted mind not even so much as giving him a warning before powering down. It wasn’t till he heard two people arguing near him did the tired man stir. There was no sign of Becky, a blanket had been pulled over him and the tv was off, but standing in the room now was his hormone driven roommates.

Feeling entitled Bryan spoke up to Sarah as she hogged the bottle. “C’mon! You can’t keep something like that all to yourself!”

Pulling away from her taller friend's reach Sarah glared at him. “Sheesh jerk! I paid for this with my own money!”

Like that, Gabe’s peaceful silence and nap was gone. Once more forcefully returned to reality where he had to engage with students as if they were his peers. “What are you… huh?” He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind, his eyes and spotted a clear bottle with a gold colored cap in Sarah’s hands.

If he had a problem with drinking, Gabe could call himself a professional alcoholic, but it didn’t take someone that had consumed as much **** as Gabe Keg DeLeon to recognize what was in the blonde girl’s hand with the little gold flecks floating in the liquid. “What’s going on? How’d you get that?”

Huffing, Sarah shoved the bottle into Jake’s hands as she walked off to the bathroom, not bothering to answer Gabby’s question.

Gabe’s eyes stared hungrily at the bottle with a label that read, Goldschlager. Not that expensive all things considered, but legendary for its **** content. A dingy lil beer found at a gas station was four percent ****. The bottle Jake had in his hands had just over forty percent ****, ten times that of beer he was sure. The cinnamon schnapps was more than a bit stronger, and he didn’t recall when it was lowered from one hundred and seven proof to eighty something.

While Gabe gazed lustfully at the bottle of **** before him, everyone else only saw Gabby looking at Jake practically with hearts for pupils. Sitting down on the bed next to the girl who didn't seem fully awake enough to conceal her feelings she explained. “It’s like this, Sarah somehow smuggled this over on the plane ride and wanted to share it with Jake.” The red haired girl pointed at the only person in the room with facial hair before moving her finger over to the tall blonde boy. “Bryan overheard and so now he wants a taste, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind some too. But Sarah’s being a bitch and doesn’t wanna share.”

Sitting up on the bed Gabriel looked between the students, the desire for a drink rising.

“Yeah, think about it!” Bryan plopped down on the other side of Gabby, putting his hand on her leg. He was sure she had been pissed at him for rejecting her earlier and he couldn’t blame her and was not sure he would ever stop kicking himself for literally running away from a hot girl that wanted to blow him. “We could play Kiss or Dare with something actual to drink.”

Looking into the bottle in his hands Jake swirled the liquid about to see the little gold flecks in it swish around. “Why not play ‘Never have I ever’? That usually goes with **** more.” Jake said with a small amount of concern in his voice, not much interested in a repeat from the previous night.

Bryan scoffed. “Like any of us have anything juicy to ask. We’d be going ‘never have I ever got a parking ticket.’ C’mon, I wanna have some real fun tonight.”

Sarah returned from the bathroom, now in her pajamas, a satin gold colored cami negligee with black satin shorts. Crossing her arms she glowered at the group of people she was **** to share a room with, wishing it was only her and her Jake. “Looks like it is just one big party.” Once more she huffed, while rolling her eyes. The idea of the game giving her an idea on how to get what she wanted anyhow. “Let the games begin!” She declared like she was the queen bee, dictating what everyone would be doing.

His mind finally kicking into gear, Gabe shook his head as he got up from the bed. ‘Under age drinking, they are really going to try pulling this in front of me…’ The thought drifted off a bit at the reality of the situation, but he was still a teacher and an adult, there was no way he could let them continue on this course.

Reaching out he plucked the bottle from Jake’s hands easily, a small scowl on his face at the idea of students drinking such a strong alcoholic beverage and a bit at Jake. The kid was nice enough, but it galled him that the eighteen year old got to have a perfect beard, needing to shave every day, that feeling amplified with his current situation. “Kids shouldn’t drink!”

Bottle in hand the disguised teacher moved to the room’s door with a purpose, intending to end this and letting the teenagers reap the consequences of their actions. Thoughts of his sister and what she had said to him flooded his mind, how she repeatedly referred to him as a teen girl, how she called the students his peers, how she treated him like a child. If he told her about this she would somehow put blame back on him, like it was his fault. ‘I really need a drink.’ He thought, one hand on the door knob and his gaze peering at the bottle in hand.

“Boo! You’re really gonna narc on us? Lame!” The voice of Bryan called out, Jennifer joined him in with added boos, while the other two stayed silent. Jake only shrugged, trying to think of a way to keep the group out of trouble, while Sarah watched her bottle and her plan go up in smoke, glaring daggers into Gabby’s back.

‘If I have to pretend to be a girl, then at least I can have a drink.” back still to the group, hand lingering on the door handle a smirk crossed Gabe’s lips. ‘Guess Gabriella isn’t always a good girl.’ The thought of going against the rules and doing something he knew would annoy his ‘mother’ filled him with a sense of joy he didn’t realize was possible after the events of the trip. Hand dropping from the door handle he turned around to face the room, unscrewing the cap from the bottle before taking a small sip, letting that familiar burn move down his throat.

Worry drifting off his shoulders a broad smile came to Jake’s face. “Wahoo! You had us so good!” he called with a chuckle in his voice.

Sarah let her sneer melt away into a small smirk for the girl that got one over on all of them. “Spanish girl has jokes huh? You spin first.”

“Wait, wait.” Jake held his hands out. “If we are going to do this, let's do it right. Everyone get ready for bed, then we will each have a few shots. Then…” he rubbed his hand over his trimmed beard that he worked hard to maintain control over every day. “We have some fun with…” Jake rolled his hand in Bryan’s direction. “Your game.”

A few shots ended up meaning a few swigs of the bottle, each passing the burning cinnamon flavored **** around. Bottle in hand Gabe took his fourth pull from the bottle since opening it, all of the kids seemed so much less of a hassle now that his nerves had calmed down. “You know what this is good for?” He asked, running his finger down the bottle. Goldschlager was not near the top of his list of things he enjoyed drinking, but in a pinch and in an instance of it being the only option it would do. “Some Bailey’s cream, butterscotch schnapps and this… I swear it is like me madre’s oatmeal cookies.”

“Umm.” Jennifer cocked her head a little to the side at the comment. “Where did you try that?”

Gabriel’s mouth went dry as it dawned on him that he had just fucked up. “Ah, well, ah, how do you say… No es algo de lo que deba estar hablando.” He was well aware of how to say it wasn’t something he should talk about in English, but he had deviated too far from who Gabriel was supposed to be. ‘Don’t dig a deeper hole, Gabriella is supposed to be an eighteen year old girl, what would she know about making different shots?’

“You don’t say?” Sarah spoke up with a sarcastic tone. Thanks to it though all Gabe had to do was look embarrassed, something easily done considering how it was a constant emotion lately and others left the topic alone, though Jake did give the latino a lingering look.