This chapter was 5 pages long in word! Awesome :D That's the longest chapter for this story! Sorry it took so long to update, but with Christmas vacation I decided I needed to update some of my stories. Hopefully I will be updating more of them in the next few days, but no promises. I am super busy New Year's Party and tickets to see Aaron's last N2N show! :O He will be missed! The owl outside my window is going to drive me insane or my cousin is going to kill me so I am ending this author's note and on with the story! Enjoy and review! :D As always -Greengirl16
Disclaimer: I don't own Next to Normal and if I did I'd be Mrs. Tveit. :D
Hospital machines echoed through the white room. Everything stood still, Dan sat in a uncomfortable chair his eyes dark, showing no emotion. Diana fidgeted with the end of her scarf, twirling the loose strands around her fingers. They had been sitting beside Natalie's bed for 48 hours and she hadn't woke up, or improved for that matter. The doctors told them there was still brain activity so there was still a chance she'd wake up…
Dan couldn't bear losing his daughter. She had so much to live for. If he hadn't had to pick Diana up at the doctors… if he had gotten to her sooner she wouldn't be in a coma, with an 80% chance of living.
"Dan," Diana's small voice broke the silence. Dan jumped out of his chair and looked at her. "I am going to the cafeteria to get coffee, do you want anything?"
"No, I'm not hungry."
"Dan, I am sure she'll be fine…"
Dan looked away. Diana sighed and left.
Once out in the hallway someone beside Diana let out a sigh. "Thank god I am out of that tense environment, it was starting to give me a headache, and the machines beeping are so obnoxious!"
"Gabe," Diana said sternly, "Your sister isn't doing so well."
"You think I couldn't tell?"
"I don't know what Dan would do if…if she didn't make it out of this. Our family is already screwed up as it is."
"Don't worry mom, I am watching out for her."
Diana smiled and embraced her son in a hug, "Thank you."
Natalie woke up from her deep sleep and rubbed her eyes. She let out a groan; she still had a killer headache. Natalie opened her eyes and looked around her bedroom seeing all the awards which she never received or knew existed. "Great." She muttered realizing she was still stuck in this screwed up alternate reality of some sort. She wasn't even sure what to call it.
She trudged downstairs and sat down at the table.
"Natalie!" Her mom's chipper voice called out, "You're finally awake! It's almost noon! Did you sleep alright?"
"Yes." Natalie lied.
"Are you sure everything is okay. You seem a bit…different lately. Even your brother mentioned something to me; you didn't even recognize him in school yesterday? Is everything okay sweetie?"
"For one, don't call me sweetie and two since when does Gabe care about me?"
"He's your older brother; of course he cares about you! In fact, he's planning on taking you to Eric's party tonight. You need to get out of the house; it will be good for you!"
"Morning sunshine," Gabe entered the kitchen and rustled Natalie's hair. He went over to the cabinet and grabbed a snack. Natalie narrowed her eyes. Why couldn't there be a happy medium, one family doesn't acknowledge her presence and the other one won't leave her the hell alone. She clenched her jaw together in frustration.
"I was just telling Natalie about how you were going to take her to that party tonight."
Gabe's eyebrows rose and he nodded at his mom, finishing chewing his granola bar. "Hmmm, Eric's? She said she'd go?" He seemed surprised.
"Yes."
"No. I didn't." Natalie spoke up.
"C'mon Nat! You'll have fun! Mom and I agree it will be good for you."
"Since when do you give a shit?!"
Gabe seemed taken aback.
"Natalie! Language!" Dan said sternly, entering the kitchen.
"Morning dad!"
"Good morning Gabe, at least someone is in a good mood…"
Natalie looked back and forth between her dad and Gabe in shock… "What the hell?" She muttered under her breath.
They all looked at her.
"What?!" She exclaimed throwing her chair back.
"What is up with your behavior?" Dan asked shocked.
"She needs to take a valium." Gabe joked.
Natalie choked on her breath. "That is not even funny."
Diana stopped snickering and went over to put her arm over Natalie's shoulder. "Sorry sweetie, I don't remember you being so sensitive…Gabe apologize to your sister!"
"Sorry Nat." He smiled and hugged her.
"Now Natalie, apologize to your brother for being rude."
"Sorry." Natalie muttered through clenched teeth.
"No hard feelings?"
"Nope." Natalie pasted a smile on her face and pretended everything was perfectly fine.
Later that night both Gabe and an irritated Natalie were ready to go to the party.
"Do I have to go?" Natalie whined again.
"Yes." Gabe said, fixing his shirt. "Who knows you might meet some guy." He winked at her.
"Ugh! We are so not having this conversation!"
"How do I look?" Gabe asked.
Natalie turned around to see Gabe wearing a dark blue shirt, which showed his toned arms and made his eyes pop. "You look…" Natalie was at a loss for words…how do you compliment a brother? "Sharp."
"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself. I am not sure if anyone has told you Nat, but purple is your color." He put his arm around her, grabbed his keys and escorted her to the garage. "Bye mom!" He called out.
"Bye guys! Have a good time!" Diana called back as Gabe shut the door.
Gabe and Natalie pulled in front of an enormous house with all the lights on. The driveway was long and stretched up to the house, which was sitting on the hill. Cars lined the driveway, so Gabe had to park on the street. "Sorry Nat, but we're going to have to walk."
"It's fine." She left him to turn off the car and walked rapidly up the driveway, leaving her brother behind. She entered the house, music was booming and people were shouting and bumping into her. She cursed under her breath. How long was this party? She went over and sat in the corner. Soon she heard people shouting. Members of the basketball team were shoving someone around and mocking them. Natalie approached cautiously. She gaped in horror at what she saw some guy lay at the center of the circle bruised and not moving.
She shoved through the crowded and knelt beside the scrawny boy. "If you don't want to be behind bars you will get the hell away." Natalie hissed. The crowd backed up, recognizing Natalie as Gabe's sister. They all worshiped Gabe, him being the captain of both the football and basketball team. They knew Natalie would tell him and they feared his wrath. The crowd dissipated within a few minutes.
Natalie rolled the boy over and winced as she saw his swollen lip and bruised eye. He started to cough and she grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler beside her. He opened his eyes, or at least tried to and sat up, flinching from the pain. She helped him to sit up and handed him the water, opening it for him.
"Thanks…Natalie right?" He said taking it.
She nodded and then gasped in shock, "Henry?!"
He nodded embarrassed.
"Oh my god, what happened?"
"Well…I was trying to get some punch when James shoved me. I confronted him about it and before I knew it I was being swarmed by all the jocks…"
He tried to stand up and Natalie helped him to the sofa. She quickly got a cup of ice and offered it to him. "I couldn't find a bag."
"It's fine…Aren't you Gabe's younger sister?"
"Yes…" Natalie answered not sure where he was going.
"Why are you being so nice? We barely know each other and I am such a geek your reputation could be ruined now that you're associated with me."
"You think my reputation matters to me?"
"Well… I guess…"
"You'd do the same for me and I owed you one anyways. You saved me."
"I saved you? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing." Natalie smiled going into a reverie. "Nothing at all…"
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