What's Real..?

Chapter 11: Playing Hookie

Mia's POV:

Natalie and I spoke more regularly now, except not in a way that you'd expect. We didn't just sit next to each other and have conversations, we still went to school every morning in silence, but instead of an awkward tension, there was more of a flirtatious tension. We did talk though, but it just through text message. We had constant text messaging conversations late into the night, every single night. I mean, sometimes we'd talk on the phone late into the night, but it was mostly texts.

The texts we sent were more or less that of which a couple would send to each other. We'd taken to calling each other "babe" and saying that we missed each other, but for whatever reason saying these words out loud just seemed to cross some unknown line between the two of us. I didn't think she was ready to cross that line, I still hadn't told Mariana about myself, or Natalie for that matter, so I continued with how we were.

We go to the exact some school, with only one class together, and instead of saying 'hello' while we were in the hallway, passing each other, we'd send a text. It was completely lame, but every text message I sent or got from her, sent a rush of heat to my face. Soon, instead of shying away from it, I'd embrace it.

My phone vibrated. Hmm...

Natalie: Where are you?

Speaking of which...

Me: Going off campus for lunch.

Me: Come with?

We hadn't had many "dates" since the soccer fields, so this would be a great opportunity for us to actually talk to each other about the whole texting thing. I needed to understand more clearly what it was that she wanted, what we could possibly be. I just wanted everything that we were put into audible words if she wanted them to be.

Natalie: Yea.

Natalie: Coming now.

I waited in my car, this time with the doors unlocked, for Natalie. She didn't take long. I saw her coming from the side of the school moving as quickly as she could without running. The sun was out and she glowed as it cast its shine on her. Nothing's' more beatifiul.

She finally got to the car and tapped on the window, without trying to open the door first. I laughed to myself. No matter what she used those damn taps. I waved my hand at her letting her know that door was opened already. She got into the car and settled in.

"Hey, we're going to Chik-fil-a." I told her.

"I've been craving that," she said and smiled at me. Yup, I guess good.

I pulled out of the parking lot, then turned on the radio.

"It's undeniable, that we should be together..."

Brian McKnight blasted out of the radio. I bobbed my head as I drove, then I felt Natalie's eyes on me.

I glanced over at her. "What aha?"

"You really like this song, huh?" she asked me smirking.

"..so one, you're like a dream come true.."

"It's a great song."

"It's a really nice love song.."

The way she said "love song" made me turn and look at her. I raised an eyebrow and she just looked out of the window. Hmm, weird.

I sang a little bit of the song, just mumbling to myself after a while. "If ever I believe my work is done..then I start back at one."

She was the one staring at me now, I could feel it, but I refused to look at her. I knew I could sing, on the low, but I didn't like to broadcast it. I could get really shy about it. There was no way I could actually sing for her if she'd asked me to. I'd freeze up and my voice would crack - just no.