Bitter Sweet Life

Five

A/N: Chloe's pic on the side.. She is just as cute as Maddy.. ;)

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Five





When the school bell rang, I was already in my seat on my first class. I didn't look up as Nick pass by me to seat at the back of the room. Since I came early, I took the privilege to seat in the front so that Nick wouldn't torment me in class. And for each and every class I have with him, I did the same. I silently don't deny that I was scared of him after the confrontation this morning. And, I don't have much energy left in me to fight him.



As lunch came around, I sighed with relief that Nick ignored me for the rest of the morning. Maddy met me in the entrance of the cafeteria with Tony in tow and Rob beside him. I was shocked to see him with them and slightly happy that he did. I thought he was angry with me for provoking his cousin.



"Hey, how are you since this morning? Did he do anything to you?" he said as he met me half way.



"I'm fine, Rob. Thanks for asking." I said with a soft smile. "He just ignored me the whole morning." I added with a sigh of relief.



"Uhm... That's new." He stated, saying it softly to himself.



Before I could ask him what he meant, Maddy dragged me away from him towards the cafeteria. Since last week, I ate lunch with Maddy and Tony in their table with some of our classmates in music and art class. They are a neutral bunch, hardly gets into your business. But today, they're showing otherwise since Rob decided to seat with us.



"Hey guys, you don't mind if I seat with you?" he asked, smiling his perfect smile.



The boys almost drop the food in their mouth and the girls stop eating all together to look at him. I get the appeal the guy has but that overreaction to it, I just don't get. Sure he was handsome and popular, and hot, and can be a gentleman if he wants; well, maybe he is that appealing. Damn it.



"Really, guys?" I asked, trying to get them back to reality.



Chloe grab my arm and sat me down beside her. "Why is a Sanders seating in our table?" she whispered in my ear, frantically.



Chloe is the only other girl besides Maddy who I've become acquainted with. She is in most of my classes including music and art, though we never sat together, which was weird. I am not that fond of her unlike Maddy but she has her own way of keeping me at bay. She's a newbie in the school last year and Maddy's friend; that might be the reason why I put up with her in the beginning, but she is cool when I get to hang out with her.



"I don't know. He just invited himself." I answered back in a whisper. "And, why are we whispering?" I added.



"Nothing." She said, in her normal talking voice. She faced Rob, who was standing behind me. "Grab a seat, Robert. You can seat beside Nat." she said to him, pointing at an empty chair beside me which Maddy usually seats.



"But, that's... Hey!" I started but stopped and shouted when Chloe grabbed my arm again.



"Don't worry Nat. Tony and I can seat across you." Maddy said with a smirk and giggled to herself.



"What's your problem Chloe?" I asked, a little annoyed at my newly found friend.



"You're being uncooperative in the mission." She answered calmly like it was an obvious thing to say, and turn back her attention to her food.



"What mission?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. Sometimes she says thing that are random.



"So Robert, what brought you here in our lunch table?" Chloe asked, leaning forward to look at Rob.



I leaned back to give her a good view and grab my sandwich.



"Do I have to have a reason to be here?" Rob asked back with a smirk.



"Good question. Well, it's quite new to see someone of your kind to be here." She stated and faced Tony. "No offense Tony." She added. "So why are you here?" she face Rob again and asked.



"Do I really need to have a reason? Can't it be because I want to seat here?" he asked back, his lips twitching and his eye glistening with amusement.



"Huh. So you're not telling me why." She said after staring Rob for a few seconds. She squint her eye in suspicion.



"Are you two done or do you need me to seat elsewhere since I'm in a middle of something here?" I asked, tired of leaning away to give them a better view of each other.



"Don't feel left out my Natalie. Chloe will never leave you out of anything." She said with a smile, hugging my arm and fluttering her lashes at me.



"You sure have some weird obsession Chlo." I mumbled, but didn't shove her off me though it was becoming uncomfortable.



Chloe beamed even more and hugged my arm tighter. From across the table, Maddy started giggled to herself and even Tony coughed to cover his chuckles. I looked at them, confused as to why they were laughing and look at Rob. He was ignoring us and concentrated all his attention on his food, and they laugh even more. When Chloe let go of me and we silently eat for a while, my phone rings.



I open the message and it said:



Mom: we need to talk... come home after class.



I was shocked for a second, but calm down since I know what this is about. She knew he was here already. I replied to her.



Me: okay. How did you know? p.s. chill mom.



This is not going to go down good and to think I've been in town for two week and a week in school. It'll be sad if she decides to move again. My phone buzzed since I put it to silent.



Mom: your grandma told me. I'm calm don't worry. See you this afternoon. Have fun in school. Love you.



I sighed. Grandma sure is a reliable source of information. She always keeps us warned when he comes to close to my mother. I replied her an 'I love you too' and switch my phone off. I didn't want to have the same conversation about his presence with grandma, since I know for sure she would call me.



"Are you okay?" Rob asked his voice thick with worry.



I turned to look at him but stiffen at his closeness; his face was just inches away from me. I pulled away from him and gave him a soft smile. "I'm fine." I answered.



"Hey, have you heard about the skyscraper they are going to build downtown?" Chloe asked, giving her my attention.



"Yeah. I just told Nat about it. Pretty cool right?" Maddy said, smiling.



"I know." Chloe said enthusiastically. "They said it's more like a hotel and resort thing and it's going to be huge. It'll attract more tourists in this town of ours." She added.



"I can't wait for it to be finish." Maddy said beaming. "But, we can't see it since well be off to college before it's even half way done." She adds, her enthusiasm gone.



"We could visit and stay there during spring break or summer break." Chloe offered, smiling.



I sat there listening to them with a grim look. I really don't have the same mindset as them right now, but it is nice that Walker is expanding to towns like this.



"Did you know the Walker family is pretty loaded? Too bad the heir died three years ago." Chloe said. I stiffen at her words.



"Yeah. They didn't really say about his cause of death. It was very controversial then, but the media didn't give much information." Maddy agreed and added sadly.



"Maybe the family bribed them for their silence, they are pretty rich." Chloe agreed.



"Say, didn't that guy have a sister or something." Rob interjected.



I looked at him, shocked. This topic is not going well, for me at least.



"Oh yeah. I don't know what happened to her. There was a rumor about sending her somewhere isolated. Turns out, she was partly the reason why her brother died." Chloe said in deep thought.



"Wasn't the girl and the boy twins?" Tony asked, bringing all our attention to him.



"Really?" Maddy asked him, her face shocked.



"I heard about that rumor too when I was in my first year. My cousin used to study in the same school as them. But, the boy was a year ahead of her. So, that was just a rumor." Chloe said, bringing the attention her.



"What's the name of your cousin?" I asked, finally speaking out.



"Gordon Williams." She answered me as she took a bite of her apple.



"So, what happen to the girl?" Rob asked after a few seconds of silence as Chloe chewed on her apple.



"I don't know really. They say she transferred schools." Chloe answered after she swallowed her food.



My heart was pounding really fast, my ear was ringing, and I was numb in my seat. My mind was swirling around the thought of them finding out the truth about that story. The girl, who was reported to have disappeared and transferred and ran away from it all, was me. But before my worries became prominent, the bell rang ending that conversation and lunch. I stared at my half eaten sandwich for a moment before standing up and go to my next class.



I was in auto pilot from then on with my class. I sat through a discussion of our next activity in gym and stared at my empty sketch pad in music and art class. If I was an interactive person, people would notice my change of behavior. But, I wasn't interactive and I stick to myself; if not, I'm with either Maddy or Chloe. Both didn't find anything odd in my actions being a walking zombie, but somehow Maddy caught on and offered to drive me home. I didn't understand her intentions then, but it became clear to me when she insisted on staying in my apartment for awhile.



"Why does Tony drive you around town if you have your own car?" I asked as we settled down in the living room sofa.



"Because he wants too. Besides, it helps us save gas." She answered directly like she has been asked about it before.



"So why are you here again?" I asked, looking at her suspiciously.



"I didn't say. Can't I be here because I want more girl time with you?" she asked back, giving me her puppy dog eyes.



"You sure know how to work your charms. But please, spare me that look. That only works for Tony and anyone from him species." I stated, tsking and chuckled.



Maddy laughed at what I said and I joined in, unable to resist her enthusiasm.



"Why were you so glum this afternoon?" Maddy as she we stop laughing.



"Did I look glum?" I asked back. I grabbed my bag and pretend to get my hands busy so that I won't fidget from the lie.



"Natalie, you know you can tell me things. I promise I won't tell." She said seriously and made an x mark in her heart.



"Nothing is wrong really, just some things with grandma. It's nothing serious." I said, sighing. My heart was pounding and a sweat slowly formed in my forehead, giving a sign of my uneasiness.



"Oh. Okay. Is she alright?" she asked looking at me directly.



"Yeah. She is fine." I answered, looking away in the window. I look back at her and smiled and stood up. "Do you want anything to drink?" I asked as I pace a few meters away from her, trying to get away and come myself down.



"No. It's okay." She answered and looked at her watch. "I still need to get Tony from practice." She added as she stood up.



"Oh. Okay. I'll walk you out." I offered and lead her to the door.



We silently walked out of the apartment to her car. Before she steps inside, she paused and looked at me.



"Thank you for opening up to me today, Nat. I really appreciate that." She said with a smile.



"The pleasure was all mine." I said and gave her a smile in return.



Out of nowhere, she hugged me and gave me a gently squeeze. "I'm glad to be your friend." She whispered in my ear.



"As am I." I whisper back and pulled away slowly as to not hurt her feelings. It was beginning to be uncomfortable.



I stood there for a few moments watching her car drove away on the street before deciding to get inside. I never had a friend before who cared and thought about me, the only person who has the same emotional level as her is my mother. But it is her job to love and care for me, so apparently this would be my first experience to feel what people called friendship. For a moment, I feel happy and relieved of worry. I also felt that for the first time I wasn't alone. Is it possible to be happy in a life that I know only bitterness comes?



As I enter back of the apartment, I notice a letter in the floor in front of the main door. I pick it up and read who the sender was.



J. Walker

p.s. Please don't tear it.



Looks like I found the answer to my question.



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Hey my lovely readers.. this is it.. the slow unraveling of Natalie's life... what do you think really happened to her?

please tell me what you think and leave a comment...

and if you like the chapter, I would appreciate a vote..

Til next chapter..

...Melon Diaries...