CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
two ghosts
TRIGGER WARNING - descriptions of rape
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Natalie always had the weakness of caring too much. Clay was fleeing town and despite him being the number one suspect of her brothers murder, she still wanted to protect him.
Justin was calling all around to make sure no one had seen Clay. Running made him look guilty. As Natalie prepared for school, she heard her phone ring.
It was an unknown number but she picked it up just in case. "Hello?" Natalie asked.
"Nat." Clay said and Natalie recognized his voice quickly.
"Clay. Where are you?" She said quietly as she closed her door so no one in the house would hear her.
"I have to leave. Please don't tell anyone but I have to go. I need our plan with Tyler to go into motion. Can you take him home from school?" Clay asks.
"I mean yeah but.." Natalie starts, taking a deep breath. "Tyler really wanted us to be at the assembly today. Just tell me where you were, I'll come get you and we'll figure it out like we planned."
"Natalie..." Clay sighed.
"Clay, you're my best friend. I need you to be here. Just come home and we can be there for our friends and we can figure this shit out." Natalie explained. Clay gave the address and allowed Natalie to come pick him up.
If Natalie left now, they'd be at school by the time the assembly started. She hoped. She didn't want to miss it. She owed it to Jessica and she owed it to Tyler to be there.
"Why'd you come back?" Natalie asked as she picked Clay up off the side of the road. "You could've been in downtown LA by now."
"The same reason Justin came back 6 months ago. You said you needed me." Clay shrugged and Natalie smiled to herself, any thought of him killing her brother was out the window. He wouldn't do that to her.
They made it to school around 9:30, walking in the side doors to hear many people standing up, sharing their confidence in being a survivor after the word of Jessica Davis. Natalie knew better than anyone that her best friend was the most inspirational person at the school.
Natalie and Clay stayed close to the wall when entering, hoping to not make a scene. But Justin noticed them and so did Tyler. Natalie gives a smile to Tyler and little did they know, they gave Tyler the same confidence.
But Tyler didn't shock Natalie - she knew he was brave. She knew he was past everything that happened to him. Justin standing up. That's what surprised her. She felt her body shift. She joined the crowd in applauding. Proud of her friends for their fearlessness.
"I'm so proud of you." Natalie hugged Tyler. They were approached by Casey, causing tension in Natalie.
"I just wanted to say I'm really sorry. For being a dick to you in the beginning. You're really brave." She nodded to Tyler and despite Natalie not expecting anything, Casey turned to her as well. "And I guess I judged you too quickly, Natalie Walker. I owe you an apology."
"Yeah, don't sweat it. And I'm sorry for slapping you, that wasn't cool." Natalie chuckled. She would always be the girl with the rapist brother who allowed her best friend to get raped after stealing her boyfriend. But maybe with the support she tried her best to give Tyler, she could be known for more than that. She could make up for her mistakes.
Natalie approached Justin with Clay. "Clay, where the fuck have you been?" Justin asked as he was confused to see him with Natalie.
"I have to go." Clay shook his head.
"What? You can't run now." Natalie exclaimed. "Was that real back then?" She asks Justin but was cut off by sheriffs entering the gym.
"Clay Jensen." They approached. "You're under arrest for the murder of Bryce Walker. Turn around. Put your hands behind your back."
That whole thing about her changing the view on her? Being the good guy for once? Yeah that was out the window after she convinced him to come back just to have him arrested "Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can not afford one, one will be appointed to you by the court."
The crowd began to watch them leave as Natalie called her mother quickly. "What the hell, Mom? Clay just got arrested!" She exclaims to the voicemail.
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"Mom, you have to listen to me. Clay didn't kill Bryce. Monty did." Natalie explained. "Clay and Bryce spent no time together in those last months, I happen to know that Bryce threatened and confronted Monty the night of the Homecoming game. You've seen Monty, he's a roid monster with daddy issues. He acted out and killed Bryce."
"I don't know, honey. It just sounds like awfully a lot. Bryce didn't have too many friends, I can't understand why he would threaten one of the only ones he had left." Nora shook her head. "What was the confrontation about?"
Natalie looked around before taking a breath. "I can't say. It's private." She says slowly.
"Well then that proves nothing. I'm sorry, Natalie. I know you like to see the good in people but Clay Jensen is bad news." Nora responded, causing an upset Natalie to storm out of the room.
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Her mother was right about one thing. Bryce didn't have many friends left - he had Monty and he had Natalie. Their lunch break and free period happened to coincide so once a week, they would hang out for lunch despite Natalie lying and said she had extra homework to her friends.
That Homecoming day, they visited their mother on their lunch break. "Good class, teach." Natalie winked at her mother as she walked into the yoga room Nora was in.
"Teacher in training." Nora corrected with a smile. "I'm still finishing my hours."
"Well that's some tough looking shit." Bryce said, earning a glare from his mother causing him to correct himself. "Sorry. Stuff. Sacred spence."
"Not sacred, but spiritual, I hope." Nora says, causing a chuckle from Bryce. His sister punches him in the arm lightly. "Don't laugh!"
"I'm not, I'm not." Bryce shook his head. "It's really cool that this is all working out for you." He limped over to his mother after a bad day of weights.
"You're injured?" Their mother questioned.
"Oh no, my legs just cramped. Practice was nuts yesterday and I have nerves on top of it for the big game tonight." Bryce shrugged.
"I can help with all that." Nora smiled. "You guys can take your first but not last class at the studio."
Bryce tried to deny but the girls forced him too. Even though he spent most of the time laughing about the names, it helped them both. They let loose and had a good family time.
As Natalie stretched her leg out, she heard sniffles from next to her. "Bryce, are you okay? Are you hurt?" She asked as she stood up, getting closer to them.
"I don't know what happened, I just started crying." Bryce shook his head.
" It's okay. It's good. It's okay." Nora reassured them both. But Natalie wasn't so sure, he barely ever cried and one of the last memories she had with her brother was watching him cry in her mother's arms while doing a yoga class.
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After her argument with her mother, she met Justin at the police station to wait for Clay. He was pacing and she hoped she could calm him down. "He's still back there."
"Jesus." Natalie shook her head as Justin sat down next to her. "You'd tell me if you weren't okay, right? Cause I mean I don't always know."
Justin began to get emotional and shaky as she could tell by his hand that was connected to hers. He began to talk slowly. "When I was five, my mom had this boyfriend. Fucked up guy who would just get high with her." He squeezed her hand a little bit. "And when she passed out, he would just come to my bed. At first, he would just put his hands on me. Then he started making me put my hands on his. He.." Justin began to breath heavily.
"Hey, you don't have to keep going." She said, resting her other hand on Justin's neck.
"He only lived with us for a couple of years. On and off." Justin takes a deep breath. "Our first month on the streets, back when I told you I had a job. I lied. You were doing so well and I just couldn't tell you. I would do stuff to guys. Sometimes it would go farther but it stopped quickly. I just felt like I was five again, I mean it was all my fault all over again."
Natalie stopped him quickly. "Hey, hey, no. Look, I'm so so sorry. I mean all this time, I had no idea."
Justin interrupted her, fully turning his body to her. "You couldn't have handled it, Nat. You were willing to do anything to keep us alive, it would've broke you. I care more about you than anything else. My shit couldn't get in the way of your shit."
"No. It's you and me forever. I'll be there for you until you get tired and you're done with me." Natalie smiled.
"We both know that will never happen." Justin chuckled as they both smiled. She wrapped both arms around his neck. "I love you." He whispered.
"I love you too." Natalie responded. Justin was her soulmate and as time built up, she just became more confident in that. She had so many dreams that she had with Justin of starting a family and being together forever.
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Natalie got a message from Zach asking to meet up. And Zach never asked for anything so Natalie needed to be there. The lawyers had arrived so there was progress being made. Natalie met Zach in the weights room of the school.
"I haven't been in here in a while" Natalie chuckled as she saw Zach sitting with his crutches on one of the benches. When he didn't laugh, she knew something was wrong. "Zachy, what's wrong?" She says as she sits down in front of him.
"I have to tell you something. I know I should've told somebody a long time ago or said something and I know you'll probably never speak to me again after this, but I have to tell you." Zach said and Natalie's eyebrows rose. "I killed Bryce."
"What? That's impossible. I was with you that night." Natalie took a deep breath, feeling like her whole body was shutting down.
"It's the truth. I can't let Clay go to jail for this. I have to go to the cops." Zach said as Natalie tried to collect her thoughts.
"I don't believe you. You wouldn't do that. Not to him. Not to me." Natalie said as she began to cry. "You're saying that to get Clay off the hook. Thats not true." Natalie continued to cry as she sat on the bench. She couldn't stop him. Zach went to the cops.
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Natalie went back home after crying for a while. She noticed her mom on the couch in living room
getting off the phone. "Is Zach going to jail?" Natalie asked with tears.
"Honey." Nora took a deep breath. "Zach didn't kill Bryce."
"I'm so confused." Natalie shook her head quickly.
"Bryce dyed by drowning. Zach left him on the ground unconscious. My understanding is that they got into an altercation. Somebody finished off the work." Nora said in obvious tears, just like Natalie.
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"Hey number 85." Chloe said to Zach who smiled to see Natalie and Chloe.
"What are you doing here?" Zach asked the two.
"Chloes still your official cheerleader so I thought her and I could party hard for our two favorite liberty boys." Natalie said, high fiving with Chloe.
"We got our own fan club." Zach told Justin with a chuckle who hugged Natalie one last time before the game. Zach gave Chloe a hug as the team ran off before them.
"Hey, Chloe. Wait up." Bryce said and Natalie took a deep breath to herself. They had a lot to talk about. Technically speaking, that was the last time she heard his voice but she left quickly.
"Hey, I'm gonna go grab us some seats." Natalie said as she ran up to the stands. Whatever they talked about - it wasn't good. Natalie betrayed her brother by knowing about the abortion and never saying anything.
Natalie watched Bryce and Zach going at it on the field and she should've had a feeling about Zach but when you have the relationship they did, she didn't think he could do that or he would.
Natalie saw Zach on the ground and quickly began to run on the field for him, not realizing Bryce had broken his knee. His mother had left so she rode in the ambulance with him. She had told the story from there. He told her he would run home and then meet him later. But she would find out that was a lie.
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Despite everything, Natalie remained selfless. She had to be there for Tyler as he told his story to the police. With tears, she went back to the police station for the third or fourth time that day. She sat in the chairs with her friends but everyone could tell the shift in Natalie, she didn't want to speak to any of them. So Zach did something - but this was just the beginning. She didn't know who she could trust.
Many people said Bryce deserved to be killed but Zach was right about one thing - he wouldn't count on Natalie ever speaking to him again. The audacity he had to spend the night drinking coffee with Chloe and Natalie after almost killing her brother. It was unforgivable.
Natalie went home and found every pill she could. Anything to make it go away. But before that, she went to Monet's where she knew Jessica would be.
"Natalie, hey. I heard Monty was arrested. This is good news for us." Jessica said as Natalie took the seat next to her.
"Yeah." Natalie mumbled.
"Is everything okay?" Jessica raises an eyebrow.
"Jessica, I know you killed my brother." Natalie said confidently. When she found out Zach didn't do it, the pieces finished the puzzle for her. One thing everybody underestimated about her was that she was smarter than most all of her friends. Everybody was lying to her and she knew that.
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A/N: So here goes the downfall of Ms. Natalie Walker. It's gonna get freaking crazy from here! I hope y'all are enjoying these daily updates. My per chapter question is WHAT RELATIONSHIP OF NATALIE'S WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE EXPLORED? I would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you for the amazing support and love on this story. Don't forget to vote, comment and leave feedback and answer the per chapter question if y'all are enjoying!!!
word count - 2550