Trapped in School (Watty Awards 2012 Nominee)

Chapter Ten: Grounded

My full name is Natalie Genevieve- Ann Harrison. Don’t ask about the double middle name, I think it’s a rich person thing. It’s not the name in itself that is terrifying, it is the way my mother screeched it into the phone that struck fear in my heart.

“Natalie Genevieve- Ann Harrison, why haven’t you been answering your phone? I told you to call me as soon as you woke up, and it’s already two in the afternoon,” yelled my mother. I could almost picture her puckered face as she spat these words; the way her brow crinkled with frown lines and her narrowed green eyes scanned me disdainfully. Her yell was loud enough to be heard over the sound of the History Channel and Lucas eyed me wearily. I looked down and started tracing patterns on the sofa.

“Uh, I’m sorry, I was just preoccupied because--”

“Because what? Natalie, do you know how many calls I’ve been getting about you? The whole neighborhood is talking about my daughter, the one whose trapped in school with some delinquent boy,” my mother said “The least you could do was call me so I could have some piece of mind that you were alright.”

“He’s not a delinquent, Mom, calm down,” I said. Glancing up, I saw Lucas make an offended face. It was obvious he was being sarcastic, his eyes were shining with playfulness, and his expression was so overt I almost laughed. I covered my smile with my hand.

“You better watch your mouth, young lady. As it is, once you get home your already grounded for two weeks for missing that violin lesson,” she said. My smile fell off my face. In my house, a grounding meant no manga or anime. My laptop would be put on lockdown for anything aside from homework, and I wouldn’t be allowed to go in our home library where my mother made sure I kept all of my books.

“What? Mom that’s so unfair, its not my--”

“That’s three weeks.”

“Mom!”

“Do you want me to make it four?”

I shut my mouth quickly. She went on to lecture me for another good ten minutes before saying a curt goodbye and hanging up the phone. I shoved my phone in my pocket and buried my face in my hands with a groan.

I sat there like this for quite awhile; face in hands, mind racing, anger boiling beneath my skin. All I could hear was the rattling of the heat above, the narrator of the television program, and the soft breaths of Lucas. Finally, he muted the TV.

“Your mother?” he questioned. I nodded. There was another moment of silence, and I wondered idly if Lucas was just debating turning the sound back on, but instead he said: “Well. She sounds nice.”

I couldn’t help it anymore. I laughed.

Lucas joined me and there we sat, laughing together as a storm raged outside and the History Channel went on desperately trying to get our attention back without sound. Once the laughing died down, I looked at Lucas with a smile, and then something very, very weird happen.

For the first time, I could see him. Really see him. His blue eyes, alive with post-laughter and the ghost of a smile on his full lips. Something about it made my insides twist. My heart fluttered. And I felt like he could see me too, because his eyes misted over as he stared back at me.

I snatched up the remote and turned the sound back on the TV.

“Hey!” I said in a voice louder then necessary. I gave an awkward laugh as a blush crawled up my face, keeping my eyes glued to the screen. “Look at this! Major General George McClellan just lost another battle!”

A/N-- Oh Nat, your so awkward. Anyways, sorry this took me two days to upload, I've been a busy chickiie! I won't be uploading on Sunday either since I have community theater auditions (wish me luck!) but I will try to make Monday's chapter really long. I'm thinking about providing the rest of Natalie's backstory! Tomorrow's chapter, though, will have a bit of fluffy romance to keep you all happy until Monday. Expect my next update around eight tomorrow night at the latest. Please, please vote, I love you guys!!!!

<3 <3