Natalie woke up in her new bed on Friday, and for the first time, she didn't panic about where she was. She finally remembered that she was supposed to be under this strange roof, in a scratchy but mostly comfortable bed—she was thinking about buying herself better sheets, but she didn't want to make Quinn's parents feel bad—with the faint sounds of someone making a real breakfast down the hall.
It still didn't feel like home, and she doubted anything ever would until she went back to her real home, but she finally felt comfortable here. So comfortable, in fact, that she actually wore her pajamas out of her bedroom for once. All week, she'd carefully dressed for the day before taking a single step out, making sure she presented the best possible image of herself to Quinn's parents.
Today, she wasn't going to be the weird one at the breakfast table.
As expected, Quinn and Damian were both in pajamas too. Annette was halfway dressed for the day, though she didn't quite have her full professional courtroom attire on yet.
"Unicorns. Very cool," said Damian, giving Natalie a nod. "I'm more of a pegasus guy, personally."
"Dear, please," said Annette, sliding waffles onto his plate.
"I'm going to school today," Natalie announced without preamble.
Damian nodded. "Glad to hear it. Do you need a ride, or are you taking the bus with Q?"
"...I can take the bus."
"Don't let those waffles get cold, Jenny," said Annette, coming back around with a glass of orange juice. "The bus will be here in about thirty minutes, and you don't want to miss it. Damian's driving might make you sick, and then you'd have to wait all the way til Monday again."
As Natalie and Quinn headed outside, school things in hand, her ears caught a snatch of their conversation down the hall before she closed the door.
"...another hospital bill?"
"It'll be fine. I can pick up extra shifts."
"But what about our—"
"We'll just have to put it off..."
The door clicked shut. Quinn hadn't noticed her hesitate. He'd already gone downstairs to the street level, so she hurried to catch up.
Riding the morning school bus was a whole new experience for her. The early city bus was a quiet affair, and even the slightest noise drew annoyed glares from everyone around. In stark contrast, the school bus was practically a party by comparison. In particular, the younger kids toward the front made a whole lot of noise. Natalie and Quinn were early in the route though, and she made it to the back row with only a few loud whispers and pointed fingers before the whole thing filled up. The whole ride would be a piece of cake, compared to packing into the tight city bus with the morning commute.
So she assumed... until she saw who had just boarded just two stops after theirs.
Blake Sinclair didn't notice her, already deep into a tirade over some sixth grader who'd strayed a bit too far into the aisle. Lydia Jennings, only a few steps behind, cackled mercilessly at her jokes. It was so typical of Blake, too—calling out her choice of clothes, her ragged backpack, her messy hair. Just surface-level things... but Natalie, whose eyes were now so much stronger than before, could see the girl's face in the wide mirror hanging just above the windshield.
The other girl was crying.
Why's she crying? They're just saying stupid things about nothing. I wouldn't care if they said stuff like that to me. Natalie had way scarier things to worry about than if Blake Sinclair thought her new pointy ears looked dumb. Which they totally don't. But still... that girl doesn't deserve that. She's just a kid compared to me. Blake's such a... b-word. Someone should say something.
Natalie watched and waited... but nobody moved. The kids in the nearest rows kept chatting or goofing off as if they hadn't heard Blake and her friend. Even the boy sitting next to the girl in the same seat didn't move, or react in the slightest. Quinn, sitting across the aisle from Natalie in the very back row, didn't react either, though it was easily possible he hadn't noticed. Except... he was watching Blake, and his eyes narrowed slightly... and he didn't do anything.
Nobody was helping her, even as they all saw Blake reduce her to tears in the middle of the bus with just a few words.
What if I—
No.
But I could just—
What would you do?
Natalie frowned. The voice wouldn't let her budge. Blake deserves to be cut down a notch, doesn't she?
You aren't involved. Stay secret. Keep to yourself.
I can help her though.
No one helped you.
Natalie stayed where she was, and as the bus finally pulled into the school parking lot and the doors opened wide, she watched—along with the rest of the bus—as the girl bolted away and into the building, as fast as she possibly could.
Nobody mentioned it.