AFTER we went home, Nathan left me in the doorstep without saying another word. I stood there, feeling sorry for myself because I didn’t even ask Nathan if he already forgive me or even thank him for taking me home. I sighed, before turning around to get inside. But just as I was about to, the door opened up.on it’s own, revealing my mother behind it who looked so surprised to see me.
“Natalia... Dear, why are you home so late? It’s nearly six in the evening... We still have a dinner in your Aunt Jessica’s place.”
“What?! In Nathan’s house?”
“Yes. I forget to tell you about it yesterday. You two should spend some time together. So Jessica and I decided to have a sleepover there.”
“But Mom...” I trailed off, thinking that she wouldn’t understand our complicated situation even if I try to explain it.
“Come on. Just change your clothes and packed up your sleepover stuff,” she ordered, before preparing the car.
I sighed, thinking that I have no other choice but to follow what she wanted. And so we came to their house, Aunt Jessica prepared a dinner for us, before we watched the television in their living room. Nathan and I kept quiet, while the adults remained having some chit chats for what happened in the past few months that they haven’t seen each other.
“So Natalia, how have you been? I mean, Nathan immediately adjusted in his new environment before. But we decided to get back here, since I can’t be away from my best friend. Although his father said that he wanted to live their, I chose to stay. I think he will visit us soon,” Aunt Jessica stated, while smiling to herself.
“Guess like you wasted money in your divorce papers,” my Mom giggles.
“I’m fine, Aunt Jessica,” I answered before acting sleepy to avoid further more questions.
“Oh, I think your tired. Nathan, son, why don’t you bring her to your room?”
“To my room?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes. You two had been having sleepover ever since you were five years old. What’s with the face now?”
“Fine, fine.”
He motioned me to come with him, so I just followed, thinking that I shouldn’t have acted that way. Because of me, I will be stuck in the same room as he is.
“Here. I’ll sleep as well later on. Just get yourself comfortable. I will just fix my mails,” he stated, before grabbing his laptop.
I nodded, before getting some sheets to bring on the floor. Nathan gave ma a curious look, before stopping me from doing what I was planning.
“Uhm... What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to sleep?”
“I know. But why are you putting sheets on the floor?”
“Because I will sleep on it?”
“Crazy. Come here. My Mom will give me a hard time if I allow you to sleep there. Get on the bed. We always did this before, right? So what’s with this chaos?”
“Oh,” was my short and stupid reply.
I sighed, before getting on the bed. I covered myself using his sheets before turning to the other side of the bed. I can’t sleep, not even until I felt him do the same a few minutes later. I turned around, facing his direction, before smiling to myself.
“Good night, Nathan.”
Two weeks before graduation. Being part of our last year in high school, we are going to have a retreat. One thing that all students of Jackson High are waiting to happen. The announcements about that certain things go on and on until late in the afternoon period, even after our bell rings indicating that all classes are finally over. Tomorrow will be the first day of our three days retreat. And Scott, Nathan, and even I are looking very hyped up about it.
“Nat... I have to tell you something very important,” Scott started off all of the sudden, making me and Nathan turned to look at him.
“What is it?” I asked.
He sighed, before fetching someone from another table. I was shocked, seeing Becca. She avoided my eyes, maybe remembering what happened the other week.
“Becca...” I trailed off, surprised to see her.
“Becca and I... We’re already dating,” Scott announced, making us gasped in shock.
“Dating? Like... It’s official?” Nathan asked and they nodded.
“It took me a while to realize that... Scott... I should have given him a chance a long time ago. I was too blinded by popularity that I haven’t noticed him. Turns out, I will never regret the fact that I have him by my side,” Becca stated, making Scott blushed, their hands are intertwined.
“Congrats, man,” Nathan stated.
“Thanks. Lunch is on me. What would you like to eat?”
“I’ll come with you. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Nathan joked, before pulling Scott towards the counter.
Becca and I was left there, silent and not being able to say anything towards each other.
“Natalia... I’m... Sorry,” she stated.
“Becca... It’s alright. I’m glad that you’re back... But how about Freeda?” I asked her, remembering the last time that the two of them are together.
“Screw that bitch. I mean, I should have stay in our squad. I shouldn’t have attempted to get Nathan from you. Scott has always been there for me, but I refused to see that because I was mad that Nathan rejected me. But now... Our friendship is what matters to me the most. I’m sorry that I haven’t been there during the times that you needed me the most,” she cried, and I immediately stood up to give her a hug.
“I forgive you, Becca. And thank you, for being my friend once again.”
She chuckled, as well as I did, but tears are still on our faces. I badly wanted to laugh at the fact that both of us are too happy to cry... But that doesn’t matter right now. The point is, Becca is back, and it is not yet too late to create happy memories with her.
The next morning came. It was dawn when I woke up, ready to come to our school to catch the bus that will take us towards the place of our retreat. I opened up the door, surprised to see Nathan out there.
“Nathan? What are you doing here?” I asked him.
“Uhm... Nothing. I just thought that... You know, Scott and Becca are coming together so I decided to fetch you as well.”
“Really?” I chuckled, making him scratch the back of his neck out of apparently embarrassment.
“Yeah. Let’s just go, alright? Or else we will be too late to catch the bus,” he stated, before grabbing my bags from my hands.
“Wait... I can take care of myself,” I answered, but he just ignored me, walking straight towards our school.
I just smiled to myself, thinking that maybe sooner or later, everything in between Nathan and I will be finally alright. We arrived at the bus, and there, we saw Scott and Becca sitting together. Nathan signaled Scott for them to change seats, but Scott didn’t even bulge. Instead, he stuck his tongue towards Nathan in an attempt to tease him.
“Whatever. Come, Nat. Looks like we are going to be seatmates today,” he stated, before taking my hand to pull me towards a seat.
From the corners of my eyes, I saw Freeda looking upon our direction, before she glared at me, seeing Nathan’s hands holding mine. We sat on the bus, and I panicked, seeing that she followed us all the way in the back.
“Hi, Natalia!” she greeted me using her irritating voice. “I was just wondering... Would you mind changing seats with me? I mean, I feel uncomfortable sitting on the three chairs with Lia and Jake. The two of them are fighting so–”
“It’s alright. You can have my seat,” I answered, tired of hearing her nonsense explanation.
“Really? Thanks!” she screamed out of happiness.
“Actually, I do mind, if you care to ask,” Nathan interrupted our conversation, making me stop from getting my bags.
“What?” Freeda asked him, looking disappointed.
“I do mind if I won’t be sitting next to Natalia. You can have this seat. We will just go and find another one. Here,” he stated, before helping me grab our stuffs and find another seat for the two of us.
I could feel Freeda’s remorse as she watched us both walked away. When we finally found another seat, Nathan turned to look at me, before glaring.
“Why would you allow yourself to give in to her request?” he asked me, as if annoyed.
“Nothing... I just find it kind to allow her get what she wants.”
“But how about you?”
“I’m used to giving ways, Nathan. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“How about considering what would people around you will feel, huh?”
That question made me stop, before looking out of the window to avoid his gaze. The driver finally started the engine of the bus, before we began traveling towards our location. Nathan and I remained quiet for the few hours of the trip, before he finally spoke up, ending the inevitable silence between us.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you not talking to me?” he asked, as if he forgot what just happened earlier.
“Uhm... Because you are mad at me?”
“I am not, stupid.” He flicked my forehead, before shaking his head.
“Sorry. I just thought that... You know. I got used to you being grumpy all the time,” I casually answered, before leaning in to the window, hoping to get some sleep before we arrived.
“Psssh. Come here. I don’t want your head being bumped by that window. You will look like a demon with a horn in your head,” he stated before pulling me closer towards him, making my head rest upon his shoulders.
“Nathan... What are you doing?” I asked him, as the butterflies started to flutter inside of my stomach.
“Giving you a shoulder to sleep on,” he casually answered, before I smiled, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I haven’t lost my best friend yet.