Natalia's High School Manual [COMPLETED ✔]

CHAPTER 49: The Bullies [✔]

"SCOTT! What happened? Have you two been captured as well?" I stood up, before asking him.

The officers of the booth pushed them inside, together with us. Becca is frowning, as if she can't believe that she needed to stay here with us.

"Yes. I'm sorry for not answering your calls. I was about to follow Nathan to get the foils but then, those students catch me as if I'm doing something illegal.

"Well, that's how they go. Anyways, how long does we have to stay here?" Nathan asked the other students, and they chuckled.

"Two hours at most, if you don't have a friend to bail you out."

The four of us frowned, before sitting on the ground. We sat there, quietly. It felt awkward, being together again after a couple of months of being enemies with Becca. Scott tried calling some of his basketball teammates, and thankfully, one of them bail us out.

"Thank you, brother. I will never forget this," he stated, before his teammate nodded and leave us alone. "So... What shall we do now? The peek hours is done, surely, we got no customers in the booth. Should we do something fun?" he offered.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Go for the rides?" he asked back, while wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm up to it," Nathan blankly stated, and so I nodded as well. Maybe spending some time with him will make him forgive me.

"How about you, Becca? Do you want to... Join us?" I offered, because she's been silent for the whole time.

"I guess I'll go. But just this one."

A wide smile suddenly plastered upon my face. Finally, she wanted to come with us. We spent the whole afternoon trying the available rides, before thousands of memories came flooding back to my system. I remember the time when the four of us went to the amusement park... That's when our squad started to form and I just hope that this will be the start of our friendship once again. After enjoying the rides, the four of us sat in the bench, looking up in the sky while catching our breaths.

"I hope we can do this again some other time... Even if we are done in high school... I missed this... The four of us, together," I muttered under my breath, making them turned as silent as ever.

All I can hear at that moment is their heavy breathing, as if they wanted to say something but they can't. A bead of tear is threatening to come out of my eyes, so I decided to excuse myself, before running away to leave them behind. None of them followed me, leading me to think that maybe we can never bring back the old squad that we had before.

The next few days passed by so fast, yet nothing special happened. We just found ourselves have the last two months of high school... And everything will be over. I was walking down the hallway when all of the sudden, I heard someone talking in their distinct voice, so once again, I broke the rule number seventeen, which is to never meddle in anyone's life. When I sneak a peek to see who it was, it was no other than Becca and Freeda, talking at the edge of the stairs.

"You're out of the squad now, Becca Valle! Don't you think that I wouldn't caught you being with that Natalia without H girl?"

"But... What's wrong with that, Freeda? I just spend some time with them... I can't deny the fact that they have been my friends as well before I joined in your squad," Becca explained, making me feel happy that somehow, it is not only me who felt that during that moment.

"You traitor!"

Freeda was about to slap her face but then I caught her hand, before stopping her from doing what she's planning.

"What?! Let go of me, you loser!" I let go of her hand in a harsh way, before glaring at her.

"I've been allowing you to bully us ever since the beginning, Freeda. High school is almost over and I don't think that I will be needing anyone's approval anymore once we get into college... You will simply realize that life is not about popularity, Freeda. I just hope that you did before it's too late," I answered.

"Nonsense! And how dare you try to interfere with us? You are nothing but a loser!"

She pushed me, hard enough that make me fall down the stairs. I could feel the pain as I landed on my back. Although I tried to sit up, not seeing anymore damages than bruises and back pain that I received.

"Natalia!" Becca called out in a worried voice. "Are you alright?! Freeda, why would you do such a thing!" she asked her.

"She deserve it, Becca. Now come with me or else, you will be dropped out of our squad," she answered.

Becca looks so guilty, but she was left with nothing else to do but to come with Freeda. She chose to be with her, after all. I know how hard she'd been just to get into their squad, and surely, she won't give it up just like that because of me, especially because I look fine after what happened.

I hugged my knees, as I sat there, crying. I can't believe that I helped Becca out but when the moment comes that she has to do it as well, she completely ignored me. I guess I can't rebuild our squad just like that. I can't do it, not when they are giving me reasons to give up. I buried my face in my knees, before I hear some footsteps coming towards my direction.

"Natalia? What happened to you?" I heard a familiar voice that made me looked up to him. It was Nathan.

"N-Nothing..." I trailed off, hiding my bruises from him.

"Let me take a look."

He tried to reach out for me, but I avoided his hands before it could even land on my skin. I pulled my skirt and sleeves to cover up the bruises, but he just never stops.

"No, I'm fine, Nathan. You don't have to help me."

"I'm just checking you up. Let me take a look, Natalia."

This time, I couldn't stop him anymore. He saw the bruises and wounds that I have, before his face turned into a furious one, as if he wanted to.hirt the one who did this to me.

"Who did this to you?!" he asked, more like concerned and worried rather than annoyed as he saw my wounds.

"No one, Nathan. This is all my fault. It's me. You should blame me instead," I lied.

"What are you talking about? You did this to yourself?"

"Yeah. I tripped over and then I fell down the stairs," I made up some stories, hoping that he will buy it this time.

"You are still such a bad liar, Natalia."

I wiped my tears away, before avoiding his gaze.

"Why do you even care, anyways? You said it yourself... You don't want to be friends with me anymore, right? You're only talking to me because of Scott."

"Psssh. Just please, let me take a look at you and take you home."

"No, I can handle myself from here."

I stood up, before I felt my knees tremble. I almost lost my balance and fall down on the ground but thankfully, Nathan is fully alert to catch me.

"I told you that I will take you home! Why are you so stubborn?!" he furiously asked me.

"I'm sorry... For being stubborn. For not listening to you all the time," I cried, my voice breaking as I tried to apologize. I knew that he knows that this is not just about what happened a few seconds ago, but it was about what happened between the two of us before.

"Shhh... It's alright... Don't cry, Nat. I forgive you."

I looked up to him, feeling happy somehow after I heard his words. He wiped away the tears in my eyes before avoiding my gaze. I tried my best to stand up on my own, and as he saw that I was struggling, he took my hand, making me feel the butterflies in my stomach once again.

"Come. I'll take you home." I nodded, before the two of us finally went home.