electric touch - lottienat

ii

all of these lines across my face, tell you the story of who i am

so many stories of where i've been and how I got to where I am,

but these stories don't mean anything, when you've got no one to tell them too

- brandi carlilie

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Lottie was used to being alone. Well, almost alone. Her parents were never around, always off on some business trip or extravagant vacation. They never bothered to be with their daughter, especially after she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The only people she saw regularly was the house keeper, Lisa, and her driver Styles. They were more family to her than her own parents.

They were the ones who bought her birthday gifts and Christmas gifts that had meaning behind them. Unlike her parents who purchased whatever wealthy items they could find to send home to their daughter for whatever holiday it was.

She was used to being alone. Which is why she makes sure none of her friends ever feel the way she does. She cares so deeply for them. Answers any call, no matter the hour. She's there for her friends, the way she wishes her parents were.

Lottie believes that people are like books. What people allow the world to see are the words written on the pages. But the smell, the sound of the pages turning, every crease, every annotation, every bend, that's what she learns about people. She loves finding out all the delicate and intricate details about people without them telling her.

She's close with all her friends. But not close where they know her the way she knows them. She doesn't let many people in. She's always been afraid that if they knew, knew the real her, that they'd run from her. Call her crazy and whatever other names that can be thrown at her for being mentally ill. So she stays comfortable in the state that she's in, it seems to be working for her anyway.

She also likes to see the beauty in life. She spent so much of her younger years surrounded by darkness and wilderness and shadows that once she was medicated she started to see the colors of life. Lottie believes that rainstorms are necessary, as a part of survival. But she also believes that after every rainstorm is a rainbow waiting to poke through, to signal the start of a new era.

Teachers love Lottie Matthews. She's a straight A student and always helps out to tutor whenever she can. She doesn't mind helping people. She's even thought about becoming a doctor when she's older, because she loves helping, no saving. She loves saving people.

So when Coach Martinez called her into his office during the school day she was confused. She doesn't ever do anything wrong, by teacher's standards that is.

"Matthews, I need you to tutor Natalie. She's flunking her classes and if she fails this semester she won't be able to stay on the team next semester. We need her for nationals if we get there, so figure it out," Coach Marintez explains as he places his Yellowjackets Girl's Soccer coffee cup on his desk and waves for her to leave.

Tutor Natalie, Lottie thought as she exited Coaches's office and headed back to class. That'll be a challenge for her. She likes Natalie, she does. She thinks that under the blonde girls tough exterior is a kind heart. They were good friends when they were younger, but as they aged so did their friendship. Natalie drifted from her, or rather everyone, everyone except Van. But she was never mean to Lottie. She just chose to not interact with her very much outside of soccer, or any of them for that matter.

The two girls do work together on the field well though. Lottie being a midfielder alongside Natalie. They dance up and down the field making passes to lead the other before they even have the thought to do so. They're a well oiled machine, when Natalie shows up.

Soccer was Lottie's first love. When she was a little kid she asked her mom to sign her up and when her dad caught wind of it he suddenly became interested in his daughter again. He doesn't show up to any games, he never would, but he paid for the most expensive equipment for his daughter. He paid for expensive training sessions with the best private coach he could find. Lottie didn't care for her father's interest in her soccer career. She knew it had nothing to do with her, rather the Matthews legacy. But she loved the sport anyway. When she stepped on the field it felt to her as if the world stopped. Time froze. It was just her and her teammates, finding intricate ways to get the ball into the opponents goal.

In a way, Lottie was excited that Coach asked her to tutor Nat. Maybe this would be how they got their friendship back. Maybe this is how she'll get Natalie to let her back into her life. The truth is, she did miss Natalie. Sure she was a bit of an asshole, but Lottie saw that as honesty. Never afraid to speak her mind. And she always cared for her teammates, of course Natalie never showed it to their faces but when someone was talking shit on Tai and Van for being lesbians, Natalie took care of them.

Natalie was always a mystery to Lottie. She was never able to fully read the book that is Natalie Scatorccio. Before she could even get close enough to figure out the tiny details of her life Natalie would retreat. She always would, whenever anyone got too close. Natalie ran away, she always did.

Lottie thought, maybe they could be alone, together.

The next day Lottie is eager for practice. She's excited to work out the details with Natalie about their tutoring sessions. She thinks that maybe she can save Natalie.

So when she gets into the locker room her heart sinks a little.

Natalie isn't there.

She's not there the next day either.

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Okay next chapter will be the start of the actual story I just wanted to give background information about the two characters before I get started. Hope you enjoyed!.