Ch. 8 I Thought They Were My Friends

Nathan sipped on his soda, reading a gripping book called Gregor the Overlander. He wore a sweatshirt and jeans, living in the 'cold' part of California. This meant, in short, they did have winter. (AN: Play along with me, okay?). He continued to read as he heard his sister get home from her therapy session, his Mom home from work as well.

"Hey Mom," Nathan called from his chair.

"Hey honey," she murmured wearily. It was hard having a depressed daughter.

Nathan went back to his book, when suddenly his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he murmured, picking up.

"Nathan!" it was Daley, and she sounded hysterical.

"Daley? Daley what's wrong?" Nathan began, now worried.

"Could you come over?" Daley sniffled.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Nathan hung up quickly and ran to his car. He drove as fast as he could to Daley's house, worried.

He knocked quickly, and Lex answered.

"She's in her room, and really upset," Lex explained.
Nathan took off to her room, and found Daley crying on her bed.

"Daley! What happened?" Nathan ran over and held her.

"I… I…" Daley continued to cry in his chest.

"Come on, Daley," Nathan rocked her, "tell me. Maybe I can help…"

"I…. Tabitha, Sharon, Lisa, and Monica said that I… I wasn't aloud to be their friend anymore…"

"Oh Daley," Nathan held her closer.

"And in front of the entire Student Council and Winter Dance committee, and dissed you six (not Lex) and said that… well…"

"What?" Nathan held her closer.

"That I was falling totally head over heels for a boy who won't work out, which made me really angry, and they… they just got super bitchy. But I'm just sad…. We've been best friends since the 6th Grade when Liam died and the 4 of us split up… I mean Liam died and I got new friends and you and Mel just stopped talking to me after I said it was over…. And that reminded me of how Liam died of Leukemia and my real Mom had just found out about her cancer…. And I just got hysterical…"

"Daley, it seems to me that these were never good friends. They didn't approve of me and Mel, and they made you stop being friends with us. Even though I was really angry, I could tell somehow that you didn't want to do it. And now you have the moral fiber to actually stick up for us, and I'm proud. But I remember Liam well. We were the dangerous 4 in Elementary School…. Good times… but I miss him too. Thanks for sticking up for us."

"Your welcome," Daley smiled through her tears, "but they also dissed Liam! They called him a weakling… all because of his stupid cancer…. I just…" Daley continued crying into Nathan's chest.

"Don't worry, Daley," Nathan rocked her back and forth, "it's going to be okay. I'm here, and… I don't plan on leaving," Nathan smoothed her read tresses, "ever. I'm never leaving. How can I?" Nathan smiled, "those girls are complete idiots for leaving you. You are amazing. They're going to completely miss out, and that's their own fault. If they ever beg to be your friend again, just laugh and walk away," to me, Nathan added mentally.

"Yeah, yeah! That's right. Thank you Nathan," Daley smiled at him.

"No problem," he pressed his forehead against hers, "I love you."

Daley snuggled in Nathan's chest, "I love you too."

Nathan held her happily as they rested confidently, neither wanting to move. Both couldn't stop smiling.

"Nathan?" Daley murmured after a long, long time.

"Yes?"

"You are amazing too, you know," Daley grinned.

"Thanks, I try," Nathan laughed.

Daley leaned up and kissed him. Nathan automatically wrapped his arms around her waist, and Daley lifted her arms around his neck. Their kisses grew more and more rapid, and they were almost horizontal.

"Nathan?" Daley panted, pausing the kissing.

"Yes?" he gasped.

"Um… if my Dad saw us like this we'd be in huge trouble," Daley admitted.

"Oh," Nathan nodded, realizing what they would look like to an outsider.

Both laughed nervously and sat up.

"Want to go grab a bite to eat?" Nathan asked.

"Sure," both got up, grabbed hands, and laced fingers. Daley rested her head on Nathan's shoulder, and they walked out of her room.

29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN29DWN

Taylor walked up to her popular, dumb friends the next school day. She figured that she should alternate between the 29 Down Gang and her old friends.

"Oh," one of them, Kelsey, snarled, "it's you."

"Yeah…" Taylor gave them her clueless look.

Another one, Sammie, gave her a death glare, "where were you yesterday?"

"I was hanging out with my other friends. You know, from the crash?" Taylor nodded.

"You can't hang out with them and us," Kelsey snarled.

The other girls nodded in assent. Yet another one, Liana, smirked to herself. The other two, Barbara and Kristen, laughed dumbly.

"So Taylor, who's it going to be? The geeks you lived with for a year, or us? The people exactly like you- rich, stylish, and know what's really important," Sammie stared Taylor down.

Taylor didn't have to think long, "I know we've been best friends since the 8th Grade, but honestly? I have never been closer to any group of people in my life like I'm close to my fellow survivors. We lived together for a year. And honestly? They're a lot nicer than you," and Taylor stalked off, leaving the dumb girls (ahem) dumbfounded.

Taylor walked over to Eric's locker, where Eric was finishing his homework (as usual) before the bell. He snapped his book shut, shouted "YES!" and looked up.

"Hey Taylor! What's up?" he asked, standing up immediately.

"I just wanted to talk to you," she said truthfully, "and get a hug."

"Well, you know that I'm the mass producer of hugs," he laughed, and hugged her tightly, "but why do you need one now?"

"To congratulate me on a job well done," she murmured softly, and Eric took that for an answer.

(1, 010 Words) Yay frequent Updates!