I went with the Wyatt's to their lake house in Tennessee during the break. It was so much fun (like the lake house always is) but I missed a certain someone.
Two weeks away from West Hampton. Meaning Yoda, Mobius, and Scarlett.
And the team! I missed the practices and luncheon we had. But me finally backflipping on the wake board is so worth it.
So worth it.
We got back last night and I stayed with the Wyatt's again.
I was going home. But why go home when you can go see the girl who is basically your girlfriend but not your girlfriend yet?
I hadn't overthought my decision to come over until after I rang the doorbell. I should have texted first.
But the door swung open.
"I hope this isn't a bad time?" I looked at Mrs. Santoro as she answered the door.
She smiled and brought me inside, "Not at all. Are you cold? We were just making some hot chocolate."
You don't need hot chocolate. Just talk to Scarlett. Say no. "That sounds amazing actually."
She clapped her hands together, "Awesome! I'll take your jacket." Diane reached for the black cloth.
"You don't have to-"
"Oh please." She slid it down my arms, "You're a guest in my home. Scarlett is in the kitchen. I hope you like quiet. Gordon took Chip and Henry out to New York for a Rangers game and Angelica insisted she had to stay in her room this evening."
"I love quiet, Mrs. S."
She smiled at me as we walked into the kitchen, "Mrs. S makes me feel old."
"I figured it was better than Mrs. Santoro."
She winced, "Yeah, much better. I love that you are polite. It shows how well you were raised." She nodded at me as we reached the bright room, "But call me Diane."
I smiled at her, "I'll work on it."
Scarlett's head looked up from the plate of cookies and her eyes grew wide, "I thought you were with Sydney tonight?" She looked down at her outfit and ducked down behind the counter and out of sight, "Mom! You could have warned me?!"
Diane laughed, "This is hilarious. I didn't warn you for this reason." The grin on her face was maniacal and it made me think there was something behind it.
I looked between them and fought the smile on my lips.
Diane sighed and glanced at her watch, "Look at the time! I have got to get into bed." She looked at me, "Early flight to Monaco tomorrow morning to review some plans." She shook her head and smiled at us, "Goodnight girls."
"Night Diane." I smiled back at her then went around to the other side of the island, "What are you doing?"
"Hiding." She put her arms above her head and buried her face into her knees, hiding her face more, "We just baked."
I kneeled next to her, "So?"
She looked up at me. And I started laughing. Because Scarlett had flour all over her. And she was wearing a '#TeamEdward' shirt with the picture of Robert Pattinson standing in the kitchen in that ridiculous tracksuit.
"This is the greatest shirt I've ever seen."
She rolled her eyes, "I thought you were with Sydney tonight?"
My palms started to sweat, "Wanna throw some shoes on and go for a drive? I feel like we always talk in your house."
She sighed and stood up in one swift move. "I'll be right back."
I stood up next to her, "I can't come up to your room?" A little smirk.
She glared at me and crossed her arms, "I didn't clean."
20 minutes later (because Scarlett couldn't decide on which Crocs to wear) we were in the car.
She looked over to me for the millionth time, "Where are we going?"
"I told you 10 minutes ago." I glanced at her, "It's a surprise."
She groaned and crossed her arms, "You can just tell me."
I rolled my eyes as I pulled onto my street. Ironically, Wilson Street.
Scarlett's neighborhood was less of a neighborhood and more of a few people stretched across miles of land who never see each other. Ever. My neighborhood had a park down the street and a sidewalk that runs over our driveway. Her house has a garage for each member of the house. We have two. Both full of lawn equipment.
"This is the way to your house!" She looked at me, "We're going to your house?"
I nodded as I pulled in front of the yellow house with ivy all over the front. My mother's doing. My father would rather have a plain gray home. Filled with no personality. He just can't bear to change any of it. Neither can I.
"I thought I could show you my room." I shrugged and opened the door, "Melly's probably here too but we haven't really been talking."
She looked at me, "Are you sure you want me here?"
I raised my eyebrows, "Why wouldn't I?"
"Sydney told me you don't ever bring anyone home. Ever."
I looked at her for a moment, trying to find the best response in my head. "I just hate being here. And my dad's never here anyway so it's not a thing." I looked away and shook my head, "It's not a thing."
She put her hand on my back, "It's not a thing, then."
We walked straight through the front door. All of the lights were off. But the curtains were open, letting the evening light in.
She looked around the living room and then looked at me.
"Right." I nodded and turned towards the stairs, "My room's this way." I held out my hand for her to take.
Once she did, I led her up to the attic. It was the biggest room in the house and when I turned 13, I decided I wanted it.
When we reached the very top of the stairs, I turned back to look at her, "It's not much. Honestly, it kinda sucks. And I have an O'Reilly jersey hung up but that's not who I am anymore."
She giggled, "Show me your room, dork."
I sighed and opened the door.
The room was cold. I haven't been up here in a week so the heater hasn't been on. And it's October.
She smiled at me, "This is so you, Natalie."
I glared at her, "It is not."
She looked around and turned back to me, her smile still on her lips, "It so is."
"Shut up."
She rolled her eyes, "Make me."
I raised my eyebrows, "Challenging me, Santoro?"
She shrugged, "It smells like weed in here, Wilson."
I raised my eyebrows and inhaled through my nose, "It does not. I haven't had weed in here-" I looked at the vent, "Thank you lord."
"Wha-"
I ran to the vent and stood on my bed to reach it properly.
It's gonna be old as hell but I'm praying it'll hit.
Last year when I was starting to get sober, Sydney hid the rest of my stash. She must have hid it in the vent. It only has one screw so it's so easy to move. I used to hide alcohol there.
As soon as I opened it, I saw the small mason jar.
"Natalie. Do you have weed in your vent?" Scarlett moved and stood right next to my bed.
I grabbed the jar and looked down at her, "Rolled and everything." I looked in the jar and counted 3 blunts and at least a dozen joints.
"That looks like a lot." Her eyebrows were at the top of her forehead and she looked borderline scared.
I jumped down and sat on the bed, "Yeah." I looked up at her, "But when I was in the process of getting sober, I still had weed left. So for like, two and a half weeks, I would roll a blunt or joint and put it in here. Sydney hid it when I was completely out."
"Oh." She nodded and sat next to me, "Are you gonna... smoke it?" She looked down at the jar then back to my eyes.
I shrugged, "Maybe here and there. I don't smoke that often anymore. And I never do it alone."
She nodded again and scooted back against the wall, "Can I ask you a question?"
I set the jar under my bed and sat back with her, pulling the quilt my grandma made over us, "Now you can."
She smiled gently and laid her head on my shoulder, "You don't have to answer if it's too deep, okay?"
I know where this is going. "Okay." I nodded once.
"What was it like? When you... were struggling with your... problems." She cleared her throat, "I remember you were out of school for like, a month. And no one knew what for because Sydney wouldn't say anything. And people made up the craziest shit-" She shook her head and waited for me to talk.
"I-" I don't know. What was it like? "It was honestly really fucking horrible." I slapped my hand over my mouth, "Sorry."
"It's okay, Nat." She put her hand on my knee under the blanket, "If you don't want to talk about it, I don't mind. I just- I want to know all of you. And that part of your life is really important."
God. She is so perfect. So beyond perfect.
I kissed the top of her head and leaned mine on top of hers, "It's just hard. I don't ever talk to anyone about it." I sighed, "It was really hard. I think when I first started smoking it was more because I hated feeling emotions. When in reality, drugs heighten them. My mom had just passed. Dad sent Melly away. It was rough and Nathan Myers had a lil something something." I elbowed her playfully trying to lift the utterly dreadful mood I was setting, "It took everything away and I couldn't stop." I shrugged, "I literally had to get more and more and Dad never knew. Every time he would give me money for the weeks while he was away, I would use it to supply the need. And it only stopped when Sydney's mom-" I looked out the window and swallowed away the lump in my throat.
"Take your time, Natalie." She squeezed my knee.
I took a deep breath and leaned my head against the wall, "I was at a party and I got crossed. And I blacked out. Apparently, Alex drove us to Syd's house and gave me Oxy. I overdosed in Mrs. Wyatt's bathroom. Jenny put my in rehab for three weeks because my dad was in Japan and 'couldn't make it home.'" I scoffed, "Your kid comes that close to death and you can't check on her." I shook my head, "Sorry. That was a lot to lay down." I looked down at her.
She sat up and looked at me, tears in her eyes. She put her hands on the sides of my face, "I am so sorry you went through that." She looked between my eyes, "I will never, ever let something like that happen to you."
I wiped the tear that fell down her cheek, "Wanna know something that makes me like you so much?"
"Duh." She sniffled.
"I know you won't let that happen to me."
She nodded and glanced at my lips.
I laughed, "Scarlett Santoro." She looked at me, "You know you can just kiss me?"
She smiled, "I wasn't sure if you-" She shook her head and kissed me gently.
I smiled and kissed her back, putting my hand on her waist.
She giggled and threw her head back, "Stop tickling me!"
"I barely squeezed your side!" I leaned back.
"Natalie!?" Malachi's voice echoed up the stairs. "I thought I saw you pull up!" He started walking up, "I wanted to know if you could take me to get food?"
I groaned and moved away from Scarlett a bit, "I have a friend over, M."
He got to the top step and glanced at Scar, "Oh." He looked at me, "Oh!" He nodded, "Oh..?" He raised his eyebrows and put his hand on his chin.
"What?" I glared at him.
He shrugged, "I know Angelina. We talk." He looked at me, a smile forming, "Can we go to Schucks?"
"You want to go eat fish, Malachi?"
"It's Melly." He barked. But then he immediately straightened himself out, "Sorry." He nodded once, "I was to go there for the endless chicken basket."
"Oh, I'm so down for that!" Scarlett hit my shoulder. When she looked at me, her smile fell, "But we don't have to."
I looked between Scarlett and my brother. They both looked helpless. Or probably hungry. "Fine." I threw the blanket off and stood up, "But I get aux."
Melly groaned, "I'll pretend I like it."
I slid my crocs on, "Assholes."