Ch.30

"We… we had no idea I swear!" Claire says as we just watch this happen. Haley, Luke, and Alex have horrified looks on their faces while I'm just trying not to roll my eyes. 

"It's cool… I'll just… give her a box of 'Cap'n Crunch' and set her in front of the fish tank. That seems to calm her down," Ronnie says making me laugh out loud as everyone turns to me. 

Phil, Claire, Haley, Luke, and Alex all give me a look of surprise and disbelief that I am laughing at this woman's supposed mental health issues. Alex slaps my arm as I cut off my laugh, though Ronnie looks nervous since he knows I can see through his bullshit. Then before he can say or do anything else he quickly leaves back to his house. 

"Gabe! What the hell!" Alex says as everyone seems to agree with her. 

"If that woman had real mental health issues like he described, she would need constant care. Not only that but she would not be able to act 'normal' having full conversations, she would be like a toddler twenty-four-seven. So they were just bullshiting you all," I say as they all go quiet and look over back to their neighbor's house thinking about what I said. 

"How would you know?" Luke says asking the question that is on everyone's mind. 

"My Father is a Doctor, I know he doesn't specialize in that area, but I want to be a Doctor too so I've looked into these things. Not only that but Alex and I volunteer at the hospital so we've seen people with real mental issues, not this fake one they are playing at," I say as Alex nods her head now thinking about it too. 

"Yeah Gabe is right," Alex says nodding her head. Then her family looks back over to the neighbors with angry faces. 

"Then we'll show them!" Claire says and now even Phil seems to be on board with doing the scary theme. 

"Gabe, let's change," Phil says walking inside and going to put on the doctor costume Claire got for him. 

'Shit, maybe I should have kept my mouth shut,' I think to myself as I give a small sigh and walk inside to change. 

I came back outside wearing an orderly outfit and after Haley came inside to do our makeup. I looked like an undead zombie, with Phil looking like a crazy doctor. Ronnie and his wife Amber are looking out their window with annoyed faces that their acting didn't work. While Claire and Phil are taunting them, I just shake my head wanting today to end already. After a while, it seems to finally end with the Dunphys winning the contest and rubbing it in the faces of their neighbors. 

"Seems they are now going to be your guys' enemies… good luck with that," I say as Alex just sighs, while Luke shrugs and Haley isn't even paying attention just texting people on her phone.

As that time flies by with Thanksgiving coming and going, the only real thing that happened was Phil almost ruining it by being the cook this year. At least that is what Alex told me as I went to my grandparent's house on my Dad's side this year for it. Then a couple weeks into December, after coming home from school Alex waved her letter from Harvard to me. 

'Text me when you get home and we can open it at the same time,' Alex texts me after seeing her daily checking of the mail has paid off. 

Getting home I grab the letter from the mailbox along with the other mail. I then FaceTime Alex as we both open the letter at the same time. Opening it I see that I got into Harvard once again in my new life, with the details of when payment will be needed and other important information. I look to Alex to see a flash of emotions, with the most prevalent one being stress, and a lot of it even for her. 

'Oh shit, don't tell me she didn't get in,' I think as I try to think of ways to console her. 

"Alex–" I start to say but she interrupts me. 

"I got in… I really got in…" Alex says as I close my mouth while looking confused at why she is stressed, then I realize she finally achieved one of her life goals. Now the realization of it is coming true and she needs to prepare for going there. 

"Congrats Alex! Seems we will be going together then!" I say as Alex nods her head absent-mindedly before looking at me with wide eyes. 

"Gabe!! We got in!!!" Alex says while laughing very excited now with her stress seeming to have disappeared and pure joy taking over. 

"We got in!" I say feeding off her excitement as Haley and Luke come into the living room where Alex opened her letter.

"What is going on?" they say with Haley looking annoyed at Alex for being loud. 

"I got into Harvard!" Alex says showing her letter while laughing very happy about the situation. 

"Awesome!!" Luke says and jumps with Alex too, though I am not sure if Luke is just doing it too since he gets excited easily or if he really understands why Alex is so happy. 

"That's great Alex… though what about Gabe?" Haley says and it seems they don't know I am on FaceTime right now. 

"He got in too obviously!" Alex says with a still happy smile. 

"I did," I say nodding my head as they look over to see me on FaceTime. 

"Congrats you guys," Luke says while still celebrating with Alex, as Haley looks like she is mad about something thinking about whatever it is on her mind. 

Later that day my parents came home with Olivia and we celebrated my acceptance into Harvard. Alex's family doing the same for her and her entire family coming over to congratulate her. I got a full ride at Harvard not having to pay anything due to my academics and Alex only has to pay the bare minimum. 

Having gotten our acceptance letters, the rest of the school year flew by as all we had to do was prepare for Harvard really. There was the usual drama at the house during this time, but Alex and I were too busy preparing for our future. As the day of High School graduation approached Alex and I had prepared everything for Harvard. 

The only thing left was to attend the campus tour during summer vacation and at the same time, we would pick out an apartment nearby to live there. Alex and I discussed what we wanted to do and decided we would get an apartment nearby. My family was more than happy to provide that for us, especially since they are rich and I got a full ride to Harvard. We would move into the apartment two weeks before school started, so we had only a few months left to spend with our family before leaving for our next step in life. 

With the day of the Graduation approaching and me being the Valedictorian again. I gave the speech, it was short but everyone seemed to like it. 

"Never be a sheep. The world and society will often tell you what you can and cannot do. But very often these rules and expectations will hold you back. Now that you are out of high school there's no one to tell you what to do. You don't have to do anything. Which means that you can do anything. So, choose your own path. Have faith in yourself, the person next to you, and the people of the world. Everything around us has been built by people barely different than ourselves. Our DNA is basically the same as every other person on earth. Humanity has created amazing things. So, the next time you think your dreams are too big, remember the potential that lies within being human," I say to my class as they clap after hearing it. Then everyone throws their hats into the air celebrating our graduation. (AN: I stole this speech from Alex Li, in 2020)

Then we headed to my Grandparents on my Dad's side since they would host the party with them having a very large house and yard for it. Alex, Carlos, and I are sharing our graduation party with both sides of our families coming. Even my Mom's side from Spain will be here for it. The only one not physically here is Phil as he was on a business trip and his flight got delayed. So he had us step up a mini robot that he could drive around remotely with an iPad attached to it so he could FaceTime the party. 

Mitchell was showing Alex and me pictures of when she was younger that he gathered and turned into a scrapbook. I was laughing at some of the pictures with Alex getting embarrassed but laughing it off too. 

"Alex, can I borrow you for a minute?" Claire says coming up to us holding a small gift and wine glass. 

"One sec," Alex says wanting to keep looking at these pictures with her Uncle and me. 

"Uncle Mitch, this is amazing! I can't believe you kept all of this," Alex says with a happy face. 

"Oh, it's nothing special. It's just a handmade scrapbook," Mitchell says playing it cool, but I can see he is very happy Alex really likes his gift. 

"Of every note and drawing you ever made me," Mitchell says while looking back down at his hard work. They both laugh while looking at the book. 

"You, you gotta be kidding me," Claire says under her breath but I hear her, it seems she is made Mitchell has gotten Alex such a heartfelt gift. 

"This is a report card you made for me as an Uncle and you gave me a B-minus," Mitchell says with a laugh while pointing at a child-like report card. 

"I was mad because you wasted your vote on Ralph Nader," Alex says with a chuckle. 

"But today, you get an A-plus! Because this is the most thoughtful gift ever!" Alex says as Mitchell smiles and they hug. 

"Oh, Mitchell, where did you even find the time for this?" Claire says with a smile but an evil look in her eyes. 

"Uhm, you know…" Mitchell says not wanting to answer as Claire glares more at him. 

Alex and I then go to greet some of my family, and I see in the background Haley talking with Andy and Andy's girlfriend in the background glaring over at them. 

'Fuck… They better not break out in a fight today,' I think knowing Haley has a thing for Andy and Andy's girlfriend can see that obvious fake which Andy seems blind to. 

Then I see Gloria talking with her cousin who came to visit her, as the two seem to be arguing. Jay standing there looking like he knows what is going on, but I doubt he really does know what they are talking about. 

"Gabe! Can I talk to you for a sec?" Carlos says to me as he drags me away before I can really say anything. We've remained close as ever over the years, but just haven't hung out as much since we both got girlfriends. 

"What 's up?" I say to him as we stand in the corner out of earshot from everyone. 

"Haley, she is single right?... Who is that guy Andy?" Carlos asks me as I give him a confused and then surprised look. 

"Wait…what?" I say as Carlos gives me a look of 'really'. 

"Yeah, I think she is single. Though that guy is Andy and I think she likes him. Though he is dating that blonde over there," I say to Carlos who is nodding his head taking mental notes of what I am telling him. 

"I know what you are thinking and I suggest waiting until she gets over Andy. If you jump in now you might just be a fling, unless that is what you are looking for, then go for it," I say to Carlos who gives me a thoughtful look while nodding his head. 

"Thanks for the info bro," Carlos says while walking away deep in thought. 

"What was that about?" Alex says coming back over to me and seeing Carlos finally walk away. 

"Carlos wants to ask Haley out," I say with a shrug as Alex looks at Carlos and then at Haley. 

"I think they'd be good together," Alex says as I nod my head thinking about it too.