Chapter one
A long day at work dealing with a few angry and demanding customers and all Natalie wants to do now is just vege on the couch for a bit and be lazy, maybe watch a few horror/fantasy movies or something like that. Natalie would rather not work but there isn't much a person living on their own can do about that, you need money for bills and what not and Natalie has quite a few of those; her being accident prone quite a bit added up the bills, well the hospital ones at least. Being a hairstylist may pay more than some jobs but it still isn't enough or at least what she wants for herself, thus why she works part time as a Secretary at Chicago Mercy Hospital. What Natalie really wanted to do was take a break and see her friends after not seeing them in a long time; all her friends lived in different states. Her friend Becky lived in Florida, Ella lived in New York and her friend Katie still lived in Minnesota where most of them grew up at; basically it was impossible to see each other and go on vacation since they all had busy lives.
The one person Natalie missed the most was Ella who was practically her twin, she's the one person who she could tell everything to no matter how serious or embarrassing it is and wont have to feel like she's stupid. Ella or on official documents Elenoora Veera Lindstrom but no one but Natalie is allowed to call her that or even know that. She's a full blooded Finnish born girl, she moved to the State's when she was thirteen with her parents, her dad was offered a better job. Natalie and Ella met in the eighth grade, immediately Ella began to teach her Finnish so that the two could talk to each other without anyone knowing what they were saying.
Now Natalie was at home half way into the movie Pan's Labyrinth, eating some chocolate pudding with kiwi's and banana's thrown in and then all of the sudden her cell phone rang, "Hello?"
"Nat, hey Love it's Ella, how are you doing?" her friend Ella asked her.
"Nothing really, had to work today and now I' m watching some movies, you know the whole fantasy movie fest thing, " she told her and turned the volume down on her TV so that she could hear Ella. "What about you, whats up?"
She heard Ella sigh at that, "I miss you, I need a serious girls night out and well all the girls here are either too fake or don't have the prefect you like features. I really need you, stupid Walt broke up with me on our anniversary, the fuckass, and now I want to have a movie fest with you." she told her.
"Ella, I'm sorry about Walt but well there's a problem with seeing each other since you're in NY and I'm in Chicago, kinda complicating but if it helps the next movie I'm watching is going to be Lord of the Rings or Underworld like our tradition or arguing over which is first." she said to Ella.
When Natalie and Ella were in high school they started the Friday night tradition of having a movie fest as Natalie was doing. The two would watch the whole trilogy of Lord of the Rings and then watch any Vampire movie they could get their hands on; it was the movie tradition that was never broken even when they were in different states and watching them alone.
"I know and that totally sucks, I wish I could just magically appear at your place and hang, but sadly me have no magical powers," she said using me instead of I trying to be a bit childish.
Natalie laughed at that, "Yeah me and you both but we both know there isn't much we can do. Maybe this summer we can go on a vacation together or something of the like," Natalie suggested to her.
Ella scoffed at that, "Yeah if only, I'm always working and you are too and so is Becky, it sucks that it's hard for the three of us to even get a glimpse of each other, maybe a phone call once every blue moon." she said, all of which Natalie agreed with.
"I know me being a hairstylist and a secretary all at once isn't the best thing in the world, then you doing your dancing thing, Becky being the teacher and then Katie works nights all the time as a bartender which is like a full time job with how late she works and sleeps in; basically we're always busy no matter what. We can't get around it, unless of course we all quit our jobs and live off the streets which no way can I give up showering. " Natalie said to her. "I mean you know that money thing kind of helps each month." she said a tad bit sarcastic to her.
"True, very true but it's the evil of evilnesses." Ella said to her.
"Hey that's so my word, can't steal other people's words its just not right." Natalie said to her growling at her over the phone which made Ella laugh.
"Did you just growl at me, Natalie you've stolen or as you said borrowed my words I can do that to you so ha get over it." Ella said to her, it was obvious she was smirking over the phone at Natalie.
"Whatever you say Ella, you're just jealous because you can't growl so realistic like I can." she said to her.
"Yeah and I think it's a good thing I can't, but anyways I should go start on my own movie fest alright. I'll talk to you later alright, I can already tell I wont like this phone bill.." Ella told her sighing. "Are you gonna be home tomorrow so I can tell ya all the gory details about me making evil Walt pay back while at work?"
That made Natalie laugh a bit, "I'm not gonna be home I'm heading out to Vegas tomorrow, I need a vacation from work so by the time you call me I'll be on a plane." she told her sadly. "Besides there's a sword/weaponry kind of convention going on and I'm bringing three of my swords to be added to the collection and judged at the best of whatever categories it is that they are put in."
"Wicked with the swords huh? But that so ruins my plan of gossiping over stupid idiot boyfriend. Oh well, You better call me when you get there or else. Seriously though I need someone to tell all the awesome details to." Ella said to her a bit put out because Natalie will be in Vegas without her having fun.
Natalie laughed, "Don't worry Ella I promise to call you the second I get to my hotel and I'll bring you a special awesome gift home." Natalie told Ella who was about to interrupt when Natalie continued. "And no it wont be a musician."
"Awe you got my hopes up though," Ella said jokingly.
"Maybe next time I go on vacation I will." Natalie said to her sarcastically.
"You better, but anyways I gotta go love so talk to you later." Ella said to her as which Natalie did as well and the two hung up.
While watching movies Natalie wasn't exactly paying attention she was staring off into space, thinking about everything in her life; about how it has gone so far and what she wishes she could change about it. There were a lot of things she wishes she could change, a lot of regrets she has from not doing something or not being more social and out there like a lot of her family and friends were like. Wishing she was more confident or tried more in school but it just wasn't her thing. Natalie wasn't ever that interested in he things they taught her in school, it bored her to death so she didn't pay much attention; maybe if they would have taught more interesting subjects she would have been more willing to study and try harder.
Natalie knew that her family wasn't that proud of her for some things she has done in her life, she knows they wish she was different but there isn't anything she can do to change it. At times she used to think the world and her family would be a lot better if she would just off herself; Ella made a quick work of changing that view in Natalie's mind and nearly tore her head off for even thinking like that. No matter what her family was her family and she loved most of them but sometimes they treated her like an outsider instead of really being apart of them.
Soon enough Natalie fell asleep, right on top of her duffel bag that was for her time in Vegas; earlier that night she flung it there so she wouldn't forget it the next morning. It wasn't a surprise that she fell asleep working two jobs can get really tiring and when someone doesn't ever take a day off it gets to you sooner than later.