Justin Foley | Love It If We Made It

chapter twelve

Natalie remembered setting up for Jessica's party before everything turned to hell. The girls heard the door ring around 6:55. She looked at Jess with an eyebrow raise. "I'll get it." She nods as she walks to the door.

She opens the door and sees the familiar face of Clay Jensen. "Clay?" Natalie barely ever saw Clay at parties but there was a first for everything.

"Is there a party here?" Clay asks, shaking his head around to look and see no cars except for Natalie's jeep, Monty's jeep, Jessica's car and Zach's car on the street.

"Uh yeah but nobody's gonna be here for another hour." Natalie crosses her arms, leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh. I heard it was at 7." Clay looks down, ashamed and a little embarrassed.

Natalie gave him a charming smile. "Well, A, it's 6:55 and B, 7 really means 9." She shrugged.

"Oh right, I'll come back." Clay turns around and heads to the steps of the porch before Natalie stops him.

"No, no, no. Stay. You can help." Natalie said, opening the door for him to come in which he does and Natalie shakes her head at the stench of cologne before walking inside with him, shutting the door behind her.

"Do you know how to tap a keg? Every guys like, let's get a keg and when it's time to tap it.." Natalie starts as she hops on the counter, sitting next to Jessica.

"I told you it was the wrong kind of tap." Zach says as him and Monty carry the keg to the backyard.

"I got this. Everybody settle!" Monty replies and Natalie rolls her eyes.

"He totally doesn't got it." Jessica says, earning a chuckle from her best friend.

"I don't really know how too.." Clay starts and Jessica stands up, handing him two grocery bags from when her and Natalie went to the store that morning.

"Relax. You can do snacks." Jessica smiled.

"Got it. Is there any special order you want? Separate? Mixed? Certain things mixed?" Clay shakes his head.

"Just make a choice, Clay. Be bold." Jessica responds as Natalie walks to Jessica's room to change.

Natalie was having dinner with her family, Bryce still wasn't home which Natalie was happy about until her phone starts ringing. Caller ID says 'Justin Foley', she looks to her mom with concerned eyes. "Natalie, no phones at the dinner table."

It went straight to voicemail so Justin started talking to the voicemail machine. "Hey Nat, it's Justin. Listen, I can't stay at my house so just call me back when you can."

Natalie called Justin back after dinner and dessert with her and her parents. Bryce ended up coming back with Jessica and the two went straight to the hot tub, Natalie getting death glares from Jessica as they walked.

"What the fuck took you so long?" Justin asks on the other side of the call.

"I told Jessica about the party." Natalie starts and Justin started to fidget with his hands on the other side of the call. "But she wouldn't listen to me past the whole you and me thing. But she's here with Bryce now." Natalie says, with a worried tone looking out the window at Jessica and Bryce in the hot tub.