Nowhere boys: The Forgotten Element

Chapter 10

(A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been super busy preparing for uni. To make up for it, I'll be posting the rest of this story quickly; the next chapter on Tuesday 21st and the last chapter coming out on Thursday 23rd)

It took a few days for Natalia to talk Jake down from his agitated state. At first, they wouldn't talk about anything at all; Natalia contented to just letting Jake work through his emotions. After a while, they started to talk again. It was nothing more than small talk, conversations about schoolwork, family, and the like, but Natalia was grateful for it. At least they were talking, and Jake wasn't bottling it up, hiding away so no one would see his vulnerability. By the third day, Natalia pushed Jake. She knew it probably wasn't the best idea; she didn't want him to explode like he did in the forest, yet she had to try. The longer things were left unsaid, the harder it would be to talk about it and the more dangerous those buried emotions would become.

They had just arrived at Natalia's house; spending time there together was easy due to her dad's working hours. Jake was sat on the bed when Natalia walked in, handing him a glass of water before taking the desk chair. She relaxed into a seated position, planning how she would phrase her question.

"Why was it so important for you to save Saskia? I mean, I know she was your friend, and what happened was horrible, but why did you have to save her?"

Jake sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know."

There was a short pause before he spoke again.

"I guess I felt connected to her. Not in a romantic kind of way, like I do with you, but because we had the same element. It was the same with Andy and the other Ellen. He'd always fancied her, but because their element drew them together, their connection was stronger. I suppose she felt special to me. She was the only person who could truly understand me because of her element."

Natalia nodded. Reaching for Jake's hand, she took it, holding it tight.

"You know there was nothing you could have done. You couldn't have saved her. No matter how hard you tried. And that's ok; it's not your fault. It was horrible, but it wasn't your fault. You know that don't you?"

Before she could say anything more, Jake pulled her close, gripping her body tightly. He buried his head in her neck.

"I know. I just wanted to help her. I didn't want that to happen to her, not after she was so kind to me." He mumbled.

Natalia rubbed his back, comforting him in the only way she knew how. She knew how Jake felt; wanting so desperately to do something he knew was impossible. She felt the same now. She hated seeing him upset, the pain in his face making her uncomfortable. Yet for all her desperation, she didn't know how to cheer him up. Deep down she knew she couldn't, not really. It was something he would have to work through himself. Each day getting a little easier. But that didn't stop her from trying to comfort him. Even just being there, holding him without saying a word, she knew was better than nothing.

It was Natalia who pulled away first, allowing Jake the time he needed to compose himself.

"It will get better. Maybe not easier, not in the way you want it to. It will still be hard to think about it; the guilt will still stay there, never quite fading. But it will get better. The pain will dull; one day it won't sting as hard as it does today. And I'll be here, every step of the way. I'll be here for you. I promise."

Jake let out a sad chuckle.

"When did you become so wise?"

Hanging her head, Natalia allowed her fingers to fidget.