This is dedicated to every Next to Normal fanfic reader and writer for be such an inspiration. I feel like I am thanking someone for a Tony award, but I am serious. Thank you everyone.
If I owned Next to Normal, a certain someone would be engaged to me and not some other girl I am extremely jealous of.... :| Since I am not wearing a gorgeous diamond ring on my left hand I don't own Next to Normal and probably never will, but hey it's nice to dream right? :D
'We'll get by…' It was a lie her mom had promised her only four hours earlier. Why was she surprised that her mother had lied and was gone?
Her phone rang on her nightstand beside her bed. She grabbed it and through her blurred vision made out Henry's name on the small screen. She let it ring, regretting her choice immediately. Her phone beeped; one new voicemail. She hit listen and held the phone to her ear. "Hey it's me." Just the sound of his voice was enough to comfort her. "Nat, not this again. I thought things would be better after tonight! You seemed to be enjoying yourself at the dance… Did I do something wrong? Is everything alright? Call me as soon as you get this." There was a slight pause. "Please, I want to talk to you." Natalie heard the click as he ended the message and hung up. She went to dial his number when another call came through. She read the screen: Mom.
Natalie froze. A feeling of resentment washed over her. She let her finger slide over to the ignore button. She could not press it and hated herself for still caring about her mother even after all the bullshit she had put her through in the past sixteen years. Natalie closed her eyes, swallowed the lump in her throat, and answered the phone.
"Hello?" Natalie?"
Natalie was silent. She did not know what to say. What she wanted to say was 'Why the fuck did you leave? Are you insane?' She found that she could not be that harsh even if her mother deserved it so she stayed silent.
"Natalie, sweetheart, you don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I just wanted to let you know that I am safe and that I am staying with your grandparents." There was more silence. "It's going to be okay, we'll get by, you'll see."
"No mom, I don't see. How is this going to be alright? You left. How is running from your problems going to make them go away? Now we just have to pick up the pieces, as always."
"Natalie, I couldn't stay. I wasn't getting better. It killed me to leave Natalie, but it needed to be done. You just need to trust me; things will get better. We just need time to heal."
"You had sixteen years mom. He didn't go away. What makes you thing he will now?"
"I am hoping that it will change and everything will get better… I have to go…tell your father I am alright, I still love him and that I said…hello."
"Mom, he's a wreck right now I don't think that would be the best idea."
There was a silence, "Oh…well…Bye Natalie."
"Bye mom." She clicked off the phone and let out a shaky breath. It felt as though a four hundred pound weight had been lifted from her chest, but now she had to help her father through and it was going to be a long bumpy road.
She held the phone, still open in one hand. She stared at the screen that still light up from its recent use. She dialed Henry. He picked up on the second ring.
"Natalie? Is everything alright?" His worried tone asked.
"She left."
Henry understood and she was thankful she rarely had to explain anything for him. "I'll be over in a few minutes." He said urgently.
"No. I am okay. Just talk."
"Okay…" Henry did not sound convinced.
The two talked until the early hours of the morning. Natalie found that just by talking to Henry the pain started to subside. Maybe her mom was right, maybe things would get better…