Alright, Chapter 3! I'm still trying to figure out how this will end or what's going on...I keep thinking that I'll end up like covering the 2 of them until they're old and grey! lol
DISCLAIMER: i dont own N2N...I think we all know that by now.
Henry didn't call. Not for four days. He avoided Natalie at school, mostly because he was afraid she'd be really mean to him. He missed her so much. So that Sunday night he called her cell.
Natalie was finishing up a Literature essay when her phone rang. The customized ringtone Henry recorded started playing: "It's the love of your life. Pick up, girl. I love you. Answer your phone. Jeez, what's taking you so long? Answer. Oh hey Mr. Goodman...Nothing, just recording Natalie's ringtone. Nat, pick up!" She couldn't help laughing when she thought of how her Dad walked in on it. She missed Henry too. So she had to pick up.
"Hello?" she said slowly.
"Nat, it's me-"
"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. "No, I'm sorry," Henry said. "I didn't mean for it to end this way. I'm ready to talk. Let's talk right now."
"Well, I'm sorry for being pushy," Natalie said, closing her laptop and sitting on her bed. "You shouldn't be forced into talking about something so painful."
"But it's okay. I want to talk. I know how much it means to you. I'm ready."
Natalie sat there, waiting for him to say something. There was no sound for a while, just some breathing. Then suddenly her bedroom door opened. Henry stood there; then he came rushing towards her, lifting her off her bed and into his arms, and kissing her harder than he ever had. Natalie was really quite enjoying it. He gently layed her on the bed, him on top of her. Then Natalie pushed away.
"I thought you wanted to talk," she said breathlessly.
"Oh, right." He laughed a bit, getting off of her. They sat side by side on the bed. Henry took a deep breath. "My parents told me today they are definitely thinking about divorcing. Things aren't working. I personally don't get it. I'm kind of angry at them, but then I'm also sad and worried about them. Mostly about my mom. She's never been alone, she could never be alone." Natalie shivered at the spooky familiar ring to those words. He leaned on her and sighed. "I guess you're all I have left."
"Your parents still love you," she said. "A divorce won't change that."
"But they won't love each other, which changes everything."
"Oh, Henry." She kissed him softly, sweetly. They sat there silent for a few minutes. Then Henry stood up.
"Tomorrow at school, things will be different," he said. "I'm going to forget about my stupid crazy parents and focus on you and me. We should go off campus for lunch, we should make out under the bleachers, do something cool."
Natalie giggled. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yeah." He turned to go, then turned slowly. "Do you love me?"
She smiled. "Yes," she said. "You know that."
"Just checking," he grinned.
At school, things were different. Henry was waiting for Natalie at her locker with a red rose. In all of their classes, they did something they'd never done before: texted! Natalie was so afraid of getting caught, but it was worth it. She was so happy that Henry was back to normal.
Then there was lunch. They were laughing about the memory of their first "date" when a familiar blonde came over.
"Thanks for the call last night, Henry," Ashley said. "I'm glad you wanted to talk. It made things easier for me too. We should do it again sometime." And then she walked to the popular table. Natalie looked to Henry, furious.
"You called her last night? Before or after you called me?" she asked.
"Natalie, it's not what you think," Henry said. "I was just-"
"Before or after?"
"Before."
"Okay, so let me get this straight. I waited four freaking days for you. And then you call Ashley before me. And you act like you had some huge revelation."
"But Nat, I did have a revelation," he protested. "And that was all thanks to Ashley. I wanted you back so much, but I still wasn't ready to talk. Since Ash was going through it too, I thought I could call her, let it out a bit, and then talk to you. Don't think for one minute that I lied to you last night or something."
"Wait..." Natalie said. "Ash? Since when do you call her Ash?"
"It's her nickname."
Natalie could feel herself falling apart a little bit on the inside. "Look, I have no idea what you're up to. You've never lied to me, you never keep things so shut up. I want my old Henry back: that goofy, crazy, sappy, honest, faithful Henry. And I'm not going to wait much longer for him."
"But I did open up. And I most certainly am still those things, especially faithful-you know that. I don't know what else I can do."
"Well then, you have a lot of thinking to do."
And for the second time in her life, she cut the rest of the school day.