Bother Me

Chapter 10: Plenty of Fish in the Sea

Sitting in the dining room after dinner, Bailey was on her phone while Natalie was sketching. She was scrolling through something on her phone, and Bailey was posing for some selfies. After getting the perfect shot, Bailey started typing at the speed of light and posted a couple photos.

"Ooh!" Natalie blurted out.

"What?" Bailey said, disgusted that Natalie interrupted her posting.

"Oh, it's nothing." Natalie waved her hand and continued drawing.

Bailey lowered her phone. "Natalie, what's so 'ooh'?"

Natalie shook her head and said, "Just this hottie."

"Ah, you're talking about me?"

"Pfft, no, why would I be?"

Bailey frowned and looked back at her phone.

"It's just this guy on here," Natalie explained. "He's hosting the big art competition this year."

Bailey sighed. "All you talk about is either painting, making crafts, or-"

"Actually it's sketching this time."

"I was going to say that next," Bailey murmured.

Natalie went back to her drawing, then thought, "Speaking of guys, you seem to be doing a lot better without Dan."

"Well, yeah, I know he's only dating plastic Barbie dolls, and he's never gonna find someone as pretty as me."

"Of course not."

"Besides," Bailey scoffed, "I don't even find him cute anymore. I noticed he got a pimple on his last selfie that he posted."

Natalie shook her head and continued to sketch. "Wow," she said sarcastically, "what a huge problem."

"Well, it is for someone who knows how to look good."

Natalie closed her sketchbook and an app on her phone. "So, have you had your eye on anyone yet?" she asked.

"Natalie, it's been three months."

"Well, I know, but I just thought maybe you mi-"

"Of course I like some other guys now," Bailey interrupted.

"Well, can you name some off?"

Bailey flipped her fishtail braid behind her back. "How can I trust you?"

Natalie peered through her glasses and reminded, "Because I rarely talk to guys."

"True," Bailey agreed. "And guys barely talk to you. Okay, so I've been thinking about Nathaniel.."

"Nate is a dweeb."

"I know you like him."

"Yeah, I used to," Natalie said.

"Either way, I think he's pretty cute."

"Well, you wanna see if I can hook you up with him?"

Bailey laughed out loud. "What could you possibly know about dating?" she asked. "You couldn't even dump Dan properly."

"Fine, you can do it on your own."

"It'll be easier on my own, anyway," Bailey said, gripping the phone and dialing in some numbers. "I don't even need to try."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Natalie asked.

"Calling him." Bailey waited as the phone rang. Eventually, a voice spoke through and Bailey said, "Hey, Nathaniel! Oh- okay sorry, hey Nate. I'm alright, how about you?"