Natalia LeBeck watched him walk away. She had expected this kind of homecoming, at least with him. But it didn't matter, he didn't want to see her and she needed to see that he was doing alright.
'Get real LeBeck,' she thought, 'he hates you now with a passion.'
She turned toward an empty classroom and started toward it. She felt like she could beat her head against a wall. Trying to talk to him was like trying to move a brick wall. It always had been.
A blonde haired boy stepped in her path, "Hi you must be new."
"Yes I am. Please let me by," Nat said impatiently. She wasn't going to have time to reflect on anything now.
"You're pretty. I'm Nathan. Why don't you come with me?"
"No thank you. I really have to get to class," She moved to walk past him but he grabbed her arm, "Let me go."
"Why would I want to do that?" Nathan asked tightening his grip.
"Mr. Taylor. I believe you have class," a dark haired man said walking forward, "And I would suggest letting her go."
"Sorry Dr. Oliver. I was trying to escort her to her next class," Nathan said forcing a smile. He released her arm and he saw Natalia give a involuntary shudder.
"I'll find someone to take her to her class Nathan. But thank you anyways," The man identified as Dr. Oliver turned to Nat as Nathan walked away, "My science class is right over here. Let me go grab someone to help you."
"No thank you sir," Natalia said looking at her feet and swallowing hard. It was the proper respect toward him. Thats what had been beat into her many times before, you never looked a man straight in the face unless you wanted to be punished.
"I insist just wait right here," Dr. Oliver said disappearing into the classroom and a minute later returning with Conner. He didn't look happy at being recruited to do the job, and also by the looks of it he had become more outgoing. She could hear Dr. Oliver say, "Thanks Conner."
When he disappeared into the classroom she wanted to call him back out. But she couldn't instead she would endure every hateful thing he'd have to tell her and she wouldn't cry. All her tears were used up by now and she was positive of it.
He was frowning,, "What class do you have?"
"English with Ms. Barnewell," she said softly and avoiding his face, "Conner please let me have a chance to tell you everything. Its not fair you not letting me tell my side of the story. I was hurt in the process too. I lost my best friend in the world."
Conner heard her voice catch but his expression remained angry. He started walking quickly, "I was deserted by my best friend. And here she is having nerve enough to bring it back up. I want to forget all of the time we had together Natalia. I want to erase it from my memory that way I don't have to remember how we got along. I want everything about you gone from my head and sooner or later you'll leave and I know it."
"You have every right to be upset. But let me tell you my story please because you have no idea," Nat said surprising herself for talking back, "I can find my own way thank you very much Conner."
Conner latched his hand on to her arm and turned her toward him, "No I told Dr. O that I would show you to your class so I will."
He watched her face pale and her breathing grow shallow. Something was up with her and he couldn't put his finger on it. She started thrashing her arm, "Let me go. Please let me go I'll do anything you ask."
He released it, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing is," She replied looking at her feet again.
"Look me and the face and tell me that," He demanded.
"I have to get to class. Please let me get to it."
"Of course. Its right here," He said pointing to the door to his right. He watched her disappear into the classroom.
This wasn't the girl that had been his best friend for six years. The girl he knew had been hot tempered, sweet and the best ballerina he had ever seen. The girl he had just seen looked to be just as terrified of her own shadow as she had been of him.
Slowly he made his way back to science thinking about how she had pleaded. How her eyes had went small when he grabbed her arm and how she refused to look him in the face.
He entered the classroom and recieved a worried look from Kira's face which he returned with a smile and shrug. He took his seat and settled in for a very long day of learning and of seeing Nat.
=====================================================================
At the end of the school day, Natalia hurriedly stuffed her books into her backpack. If she wasn't home before Lionel was, then there would be hell to pay. She slowed down to pull her hair back and into a bun before she all but ran for the door.
Nothing today had been going right. She had seen Conner, been late for most of her classes and had thrown up her lunch she had packed last night and now she was already ten minutes late home.
She almost sighed in relief when she didn't see Lionel's car in the driveway but then she saw the garage door open and the red sports car sitting in it. She wanted to turn and run far, far away but it was like something was compelling her forward.
As she entered the house a hand snaked around arm and jerked her forward, "Where the hell have you been? You are ten minutes late. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Lionel I... I'm sorry. One of my teachers asked me to stay after class to discuss something with her. It isn't my fault." Nat babbled but she knew what was coming.
Lionel throw her into the wall and bent down eye level wit her, "What the hell did you talk about? You didn't tell it about this did you? You know what would happen if anyone found out about you? I'd kill your mother."
"Leave her out of this," She cried subconciously playing with the locket. Her mother couldn't get hurt, especially if it was her fault.
Lionel made a grab for the pendant, "Or maybe I'll just kill your little boyfriend. How would you like that? For the hell of it I'll kill them both."
"Please leave him out of it. I won't tell anyone about this I promise. Just leave Conner out of it."
He had enough of her whining and begging. The next half hour was filled with screams of agony and flesh hitting flesh. The last thing Natalia saw was blackness consuming her.
=====================================================================
Conner kicked the soccer ball as hard as he could. He had tried eating dinner at home with his family and told them about Nat being back. His mother had taken it well while his father had all but blown up about that "trash" being back.
He dragged his hand through his hair as he remembered the last game Nat had been at. When he had scored the winning goal she had jumped up, screamed, and ran out onto the field enveloping him into a big hug. He had laughed at her and kissed her forehead like he always did.
He loved her anymore he'd openly admit it. Back then he was young and stupid, falling in love with his best friend and he hated that fact more than anything now. Everytime the phone rang he'd answered it hoping, praying that it would be her. For a year he did that but then it just hit him that she was never going to call and it hurt more than he could describe.
"Lost in thoughts huh?" Trent said standing beside him.
"Yeah. I don't know why though. It isn't anything important," He replied sitting on the grass and stretched acrossed the grass.
"Who was that girl that you were trying to talk to today?"
"An old friend. Thats all there is to it."
"Is it? Conner she was crying after talking to you. Nathan got a hold of her."
The shock of anger toward Nathan surprised him," Trust me Trent. Its nothing to worry about. Its not likely I'll become friends with her again. I have Kira, you and Ethan. Thats all I need."
'Is it McKnight?' he asked himself. He knew the answer was no and didn't know how the hell he was going to get Nat off his mind and out of his heart for good. There was just something that needed to be done and hopefully it was soon.
'Get real LeBeck,' she thought, 'he hates you now with a passion.'
She turned toward an empty classroom and started toward it. She felt like she could beat her head against a wall. Trying to talk to him was like trying to move a brick wall. It always had been.
A blonde haired boy stepped in her path, "Hi you must be new."
"Yes I am. Please let me by," Nat said impatiently. She wasn't going to have time to reflect on anything now.
"You're pretty. I'm Nathan. Why don't you come with me?"
"No thank you. I really have to get to class," She moved to walk past him but he grabbed her arm, "Let me go."
"Why would I want to do that?" Nathan asked tightening his grip.
"Mr. Taylor. I believe you have class," a dark haired man said walking forward, "And I would suggest letting her go."
"Sorry Dr. Oliver. I was trying to escort her to her next class," Nathan said forcing a smile. He released her arm and he saw Natalia give a involuntary shudder.
"I'll find someone to take her to her class Nathan. But thank you anyways," The man identified as Dr. Oliver turned to Nat as Nathan walked away, "My science class is right over here. Let me go grab someone to help you."
"No thank you sir," Natalia said looking at her feet and swallowing hard. It was the proper respect toward him. Thats what had been beat into her many times before, you never looked a man straight in the face unless you wanted to be punished.
"I insist just wait right here," Dr. Oliver said disappearing into the classroom and a minute later returning with Conner. He didn't look happy at being recruited to do the job, and also by the looks of it he had become more outgoing. She could hear Dr. Oliver say, "Thanks Conner."
When he disappeared into the classroom she wanted to call him back out. But she couldn't instead she would endure every hateful thing he'd have to tell her and she wouldn't cry. All her tears were used up by now and she was positive of it.
He was frowning,, "What class do you have?"
"English with Ms. Barnewell," she said softly and avoiding his face, "Conner please let me have a chance to tell you everything. Its not fair you not letting me tell my side of the story. I was hurt in the process too. I lost my best friend in the world."
Conner heard her voice catch but his expression remained angry. He started walking quickly, "I was deserted by my best friend. And here she is having nerve enough to bring it back up. I want to forget all of the time we had together Natalia. I want to erase it from my memory that way I don't have to remember how we got along. I want everything about you gone from my head and sooner or later you'll leave and I know it."
"You have every right to be upset. But let me tell you my story please because you have no idea," Nat said surprising herself for talking back, "I can find my own way thank you very much Conner."
Conner latched his hand on to her arm and turned her toward him, "No I told Dr. O that I would show you to your class so I will."
He watched her face pale and her breathing grow shallow. Something was up with her and he couldn't put his finger on it. She started thrashing her arm, "Let me go. Please let me go I'll do anything you ask."
He released it, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing is," She replied looking at her feet again.
"Look me and the face and tell me that," He demanded.
"I have to get to class. Please let me get to it."
"Of course. Its right here," He said pointing to the door to his right. He watched her disappear into the classroom.
This wasn't the girl that had been his best friend for six years. The girl he knew had been hot tempered, sweet and the best ballerina he had ever seen. The girl he had just seen looked to be just as terrified of her own shadow as she had been of him.
Slowly he made his way back to science thinking about how she had pleaded. How her eyes had went small when he grabbed her arm and how she refused to look him in the face.
He entered the classroom and recieved a worried look from Kira's face which he returned with a smile and shrug. He took his seat and settled in for a very long day of learning and of seeing Nat.
=====================================================================
At the end of the school day, Natalia hurriedly stuffed her books into her backpack. If she wasn't home before Lionel was, then there would be hell to pay. She slowed down to pull her hair back and into a bun before she all but ran for the door.
Nothing today had been going right. She had seen Conner, been late for most of her classes and had thrown up her lunch she had packed last night and now she was already ten minutes late home.
She almost sighed in relief when she didn't see Lionel's car in the driveway but then she saw the garage door open and the red sports car sitting in it. She wanted to turn and run far, far away but it was like something was compelling her forward.
As she entered the house a hand snaked around arm and jerked her forward, "Where the hell have you been? You are ten minutes late. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Lionel I... I'm sorry. One of my teachers asked me to stay after class to discuss something with her. It isn't my fault." Nat babbled but she knew what was coming.
Lionel throw her into the wall and bent down eye level wit her, "What the hell did you talk about? You didn't tell it about this did you? You know what would happen if anyone found out about you? I'd kill your mother."
"Leave her out of this," She cried subconciously playing with the locket. Her mother couldn't get hurt, especially if it was her fault.
Lionel made a grab for the pendant, "Or maybe I'll just kill your little boyfriend. How would you like that? For the hell of it I'll kill them both."
"Please leave him out of it. I won't tell anyone about this I promise. Just leave Conner out of it."
He had enough of her whining and begging. The next half hour was filled with screams of agony and flesh hitting flesh. The last thing Natalia saw was blackness consuming her.
=====================================================================
Conner kicked the soccer ball as hard as he could. He had tried eating dinner at home with his family and told them about Nat being back. His mother had taken it well while his father had all but blown up about that "trash" being back.
He dragged his hand through his hair as he remembered the last game Nat had been at. When he had scored the winning goal she had jumped up, screamed, and ran out onto the field enveloping him into a big hug. He had laughed at her and kissed her forehead like he always did.
He loved her anymore he'd openly admit it. Back then he was young and stupid, falling in love with his best friend and he hated that fact more than anything now. Everytime the phone rang he'd answered it hoping, praying that it would be her. For a year he did that but then it just hit him that she was never going to call and it hurt more than he could describe.
"Lost in thoughts huh?" Trent said standing beside him.
"Yeah. I don't know why though. It isn't anything important," He replied sitting on the grass and stretched acrossed the grass.
"Who was that girl that you were trying to talk to today?"
"An old friend. Thats all there is to it."
"Is it? Conner she was crying after talking to you. Nathan got a hold of her."
The shock of anger toward Nathan surprised him," Trust me Trent. Its nothing to worry about. Its not likely I'll become friends with her again. I have Kira, you and Ethan. Thats all I need."
'Is it McKnight?' he asked himself. He knew the answer was no and didn't know how the hell he was going to get Nat off his mind and out of his heart for good. There was just something that needed to be done and hopefully it was soon.