𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍

twenty

『 twenty 』

THE STUDENTS AT WEST VALLEY HIGH were as excited to get back into the classroom as they were every other year. That being, that they weren't. 

No one was seeing their friends for the first time in over two months. Some students started their years embarrassed when their parents drove them right to the front. The teachers were already getting back into the habit of scolding anyone who walked incorrectly. One freshman girl got dress coded two minutes after walking through the front door. 

Any smiles or laughter would have been the product of someone tripping over their own shoelaces. 

The rough starts to the new year were being experienced everywhere. 

Hawk's mom insisted that she drive him and Natalie to school once more. Hawk fought tooth and nail to take himself, or go with one of his friends. His mom simply would not have that. 

The drive to the school was torturous, to say the least. Because of seniority, Natalie sat in the passenger's seat. Hawk was in the back. His mom tried to engage in conversation on the drive down the highway. Natalie was the only one responding to her. 

She pulled around to the front of the school. "Alright. I'll see you two tonight. Natalie, your mom said it was okay for you to join us for dinner. How does Chinese sound?"

"Go to the back," Hawk commanded. 

"What?"

Natalie looked back to him. "This is fine," she assured his mom. "No one's gonna see you."

"Go to the back," Hawk said again. "Just go around."

His mom looked at the wheel. "I have to get to work, Eli. I don't have time to-"

"Now!"

Natalie sighed and nodded to his mom. "Just do it. It's easier," she mumbled. 

Hawk's mom brought the car out of park and made her way all around the building to the very back parking lot. The two got out immediately, but not before Natalie stopped to apologize to her. Hawk was already twenty feet away from the car by the time she shut the car door. Natalie jogged to catch up with him. 

"You know, you shouldn't be that rude to your mom," Natalie told him, trying to keep a gentle tone. "She's just trying to help."

Hawk ignored her and continued on to the cafeteria doors. He met up with a gang of his new friends, pretending as if she never spoke. Natalie sucked in a deep breath and rerouted for the front doors. She, Miguel, Aisha, and Tory were supposed to rendezvous there. 

She had been doing very well in controlling her temper around him and his actions for the past couple of weeks. Ever since their fight at home, she had made a vow to herself never to become like him. 

He resorted to violence, not civility. It was one of the bigger topics of their life sparking disagreements. Natalie was fairly calm and civil when it came to these things. 

Normally, disagreements wouldn't warrant disputes like that. But they were relentless. 

Natalie had fancied herself an impressive streak of not lashing out. She was very proud of herself. Given how often her brother tested her, it was one of her greatest accomplishments over the past six months. She would not allow herself to break that streak on their first day back at school. 

She couldn't find her friends anywhere. No one was anywhere to be seen. 

The crowd pushed her indoors. The entry hall was full and crowded to the brim with students and facility. Natalie claimed a clear spot by the award display case to get a hold of her bearings. She texted Aisha, then Tory. Aisha was the only one to respond.