It's About Time

I Really Need to Talk to You

The rest of Natalie's week passed in a haze of loneliness.  She drove herself to school every day, ate lunch by herself, and avoided her 'friends' like the plague.  She had tried to apologize to Sabrina and Scarlett again on Thursday but they had seen her coming and turned around quickly, walking in the other direction.  

She called Emma a few times throughout the week to whine and she had called some of her other friends, realizing that she had not talked to them nearly enough since she had left, but that was the extent of her socializing.  Every day after school, Natalie would come home and do her homework before climbing into bed and sleeping until the early evening.  She had missed dinner on Tuesday and Thursday but her appetite was pretty much gone anyway, so it didn't matter much to her. Somewhere, in the recesses of her mind, Natalie knew that she was probably being more dramatic than necessary.  It had been less than a week since her multitude of fights but after leaving her friends in Michigan, she had quickly gotten attached to her close group of friends in North Carolina.  She missed Sabrina's crazy stories and Scarlett's flirting advice.  She missed the dismayed looks Sarah and Oliver would give the other two when they started to get out of hand.  She missed riding to school with Grayson and crazily, she missed the constant bickering.  This week of radio silence was the most alone Natalie had felt since the move and she hated the feeling it left in her stomach.  

Friday started no differently than any other day this week.  Natalie drove to school alone and went immediately to her classroom.  This had been the habit as of this week.  She would get in early- ten or fifteen minutes before the bell rang- and then Grayson would stride in just before the final bell chimed and slump into his seat where he would spend the next seventy-two minutes shooting Natalie sidelong glances and pretending to not notice her peeking back.

Then she would go to her next class and ignore what's-her-face and then to her next class and ignore Sabrina.  Then by lunch she would be ready to go crawl in a hole and die.  And today was no exception.  She grabbed her lunch and made her way slowly to the cafeteria, finding her little table in the corner.  She set her stuff down on a chair and perched on a different one, picking slowly at her lunch and playing on her phone to keep up the illusion that she was not a total loser.

Just as she was about to fail another sports question on Trivia Crack, a small black rectangle slid over the top of the screen and she saw a new message from her mom.  For reasons unknown to her, Natalie's stomach clenched and she pressed the notification.  

Mom:  I have exciting news when you get home!!!

Cue the beginning of the day's strange events.  Natalie sat for a minute before responding.

Natalie:  ...Okay...?

Mom:  You'll find out soon! I'm so excited!

Grace's 'news' was at the back of Natalie's mind all day and by the time she got home she honestly could not wait to hear it.  After the week she had been having, some good news seemed deserved. Pulling into the driveway, Natalie saw her mom's car was already in there- the first time she had been home before five o'clock since they had moved to North Carolina.  The way Natalie had tried to throw herself into school and new friends was the same way Grace had tried to throw herself into work.  

Stepping out of her car, Natalie climbed the porch steps and entered the house, breathing out a sigh.  She kicked her shoes off in the entryway before rounding the corner and running into her beaming mother.  Her mom reached a hand out to steady her before grabbing one of Natalie's wrists and leading her to the couch, pushing her into a sitting position.  

There was something slightly manic about the excitement on Grace's face and she was literally bouncing up and down, squealing under her breath.  Natalie laughed at her mom's antics as she waited for an explanation.  Taking a deep breath, Grace launched into her explanation.****

Her mother's announcement rested in Natalie's stomach like a rock as she paced around her room.  There was a knot in her stomach the size of Texas and she had chewed her nails down to the quick.  Her mother's words ran through her mind over and over again like a glitch.  They were the words she had been wishing to hear for the last six months but suddenly, the words did not seem as inviting as she had imagined.  Instead, they put a lump of panic in her that she could not quell.  

Natalie needed to talk to someone before she lost her mind and as she racked her brain, the perfect person came to mind.  Grabbing her phone, she typed out a quick message, crossing her fingers for luck and hitting send.  

Natalie:  I really need to talk to you.  ASAP

She took a deep breath and threw her phone back on the bed and continuing her precession around the room.  Her steps faltered as her phone buzzed and she checked the message.

Sarah:  ...What is it?

Natalie quickly typed out her message, asking Sarah to get Scarlett and Sabrina to go to her house but not tell them about Natalie.  She was reluctant at first but luckily, Sarah was a softie and she relented without much pressure, agreeing to let Natalie come over and promising to shoot messages to the others.

Less than twenty minutes later Natalie was standing on Sarah's stoop being greeted by the helpful girl herself and not ten minutes after that, Sabrina and Scarlett pulled into the driveway, looking suspiciously at Natalie's vehicle.  

"What did you tell them?" Natalie asked as she and Sarah made their way towards the front door.

"I told them to come over because I needed to talk to them and it was really important."  Natalie took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm as the doorbell echoed throughout the house.  

Natalie watched as Sarah pulled the door open and ushered the girls into the house, noticing them scan the area.

"Why is Natalie's car here?" Sabrina asked shortly.  She looked irritated and her voice was sharp.  Deciding that this was her cue, Natalie stepped out from the living room.

"Because I need to talk to you guys."

Scarlett scoffed and Sabrina rolled her eyes, both turning around and making a beeline for the door.  However before they could get there Sarah moved forward, blocking the front door with her short frame.  Both girls huffed and turned around to face Natalie.

"Look, I know you guys are mad at me but this has nothing to do with the fight."  Natalie took their silence as a sign to go on and she took a deep breath before blurting the words that had been plaguing her all evening.  

"I'm moving back to Michigan."

__________________________________________________________________

Sorry it's short but I wanted to leave it at that cliff hanger *insert evil smirk* Please don't kill me guys!! xx