In Riptides

08 | invisible string

But he wasted no time jumping to get a ride with me in Rob's absence, which means he wasted my time by taking advantage of sleeping in later.

I weave through the clusters, headed for the junior hallway with a natural path clearing as people take notice and get out of my way. A girl actually grabs her friend's arm and pulls her to the side, as if I'm going to trample her into a pancake if this precaution isn't taken. I roll my eyes to myself and keep walking, looking on the bright side of having them all part like the Red Sea so I can get to Lia faster.

And there she is at her locker, meticulously sorting her books for the new semester. I'm struck by her knitted turtleneck sweater as I walk up to her. Sure it can get cold in Californian winters, but not really Oceanview, and certainly not today.

"Hey, I know you're still mad, but can we talk?" I say as soon as I reach her, but she doesn't acknowledge me at all, continuing with her books. "Lia?"

Nothing. You'd almost think she was lost in music, but her tucked back hair shows her ears free of anything except the usual silver studs in her lobes.

"Lia," I repeat, touching her shoulder and causing her to give a violent jolt, the book in her hand dropping to the floor.

"God!" she gasps, holding her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I didn't. You were zoned out," I say as I pick up her book.

"Oh." She slowly takes it from me. "Sorry."

"I'm the only one who should be apologizing right now, Lia," I say, determined on getting her to listen now that she's not asleep. "I'm not expecting you to forgive me for what I did, but I really need you to know how sorry I am and how much I regret it."

She blinks, her washed out face pinching. "For what you did..."

I blink back, my own face pinching. She has this blankness about her as if she has no idea what I'm talking about, like someone waking from the depths of sleep, hazy with disorientation. Like I only startled her awake a minute ago.

"With Alex." I fill in the blank.

A frown grows, and she puts the book in her locker, taking out an Advil bottle. "It's none of my business what you do with Alex," she mutters. "Not like I'm your girlfriend."

"Look, I came back to the party to find you, I looked for you—"

"I know."

I feel my head tilt, wondering if she dodged me that night. "You do?"

She wavers for a second before she opens the bottle. "You said you were going to, so I figured."

I watch her pop a couple of pills, clutching at her head. "Are you okay?"

The slightest wince overcomes her.

"I'm fine... just a headache," she breathes, glancing at me for a second. "You're not exactly helping it."

I sigh, leaning on the neighboring locker. "I'm really—"

"You're sorry. I know, but I don't know what you want me to say." She faces me, bringing her gaze to mine. "I can't..." her voice fades, swallowing her words.

"Can't what? Trust me, forgive me? Whatever it is, I know it's going to take time—"

"No." She shakes her head, fidgeting with her sleeve. "I can't do this with you anymore."

I push off the locker. "Please don't say that. Is this because Matt came over yesterday?"

Her expression washes with surprise. "What? How did you know that?"

"Your mom told me when I came to see you," I say as she closes her locker. "Did he want to get back together or something?"

"It's complicated."

"How? You either got back together or you didn't."

"Just drop it, Nate!" she snaps, her eyes blazing into mine, and then they flit behind me and her expression washes with something else. Something I can't place.

I look over my shoulder at Matt and Carter and their group of friends walking in. The sea parts for them too, but not out of fear. Out of awe.

"Maybe it's better if we talk—" I turn back to her, but she's already halfway down the hall. "—somewhere else," I finish to myself.

Swinging my fist on a locker, I swing around and see that Carter is staring after Lia, and Matt is staring at me. A slew of sharp knives twisting into my face. He makes a start toward me and I brace myself. 

That anger about kissing Lia has been simmering since the start of winter break, spiking with added heat if she mentioned me in the breakup, so I'm ready for it to boil over. I'm ready to kick off this semester with a fight like Rob and Tyler kicked off last semester with. All the detentions that followed. I'm ready—but apparently he's not.

Matt holds those knives in my face, walking straight past me. Continuing in the same direction Lia went.

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a/n: I hope you liked this one since it wasn't as heavy as the last! nate's chapters will generally be lighter than lia's, but maybe more frustrating because he's in the dark about what happened. you win some you lose some 

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