Third Time's a Harm

3

NATHALIE's POV

'These were the most boring 30 minutes of my life, just so you know.'

He was... weird, in a way. He could've annoyed me more than he did. But he was obnoxious in a limit, which I honestly haven't met many people respecting. He probably saw I wasn't that friendly, and I was glad about it.

And it's not all about "I don't want to have friends." No. It's about the consequences you have to face after truly becoming friends with someone. You're supposed to open up to them, talk about your problems, your fears, your everything, all with the risk of them leaving you one day. So I just prefer being my own friend instead.

After I stuffed my sketching notebook into my bag and threw what I thought was a complete waste of paper into the trash, I left the class.

'Wait!'

Why did I think I could escape him after walking out of the room? Maybe I underestimated his stickiness to people.

'What?'
'Well, it's...'

In the time before he managed to gather his words, for something so stupid he was going to say we had already reached ground floor of the school and I opened the front door of the building.

Shit.

'That's what you were trying to tell me? That it was raining?'
'Yeah... I guess.'

I knew where he was going with that, and although I didn't like it I knew perfectly well he was just trying to be nice to a new "friend".

'Which way are you going?'
'You wanna share that?'

His umbrella. He had struggled to get 5 words out for a damn umbrella.

I walked past him and added nothing at first, but it would've been simply rude not to reply.

'Not your way.'
'Oh... OK then.'

When I said I didn't want to go with him I really didn't think he'd give up so easily. And now I had to get soaking wet and walk in the rain for about a mile. That's what I get, I guess.

*

'I'm back.'

I was drenched from head to toe and the wooden flooring that was barely holding on wouldn't probably go on seeing another winter.

'Nathalie!'

That was our Mom, in the kitchen. The Mom of me and the rest of the kids in the foster home.

'Nathalie, for Heaven's sake why didn't you bring an umbrella with you this morning? And... and, young lady, what kind of school schedule is that? They told me your classes end at 3, and it's... Oh my, it's already almost 6!'

I was absolutely fed up with the whole day already. That damn annoying teacher, Gabriel Agreste and now Mom. I had to explain her everything that happened.
She had raised me since I was 2 years old and how well I knew she freaked out from everything. She'd probably spent the last 2 and something hours wondering where the hell I was. I have to be calm just for five minutes. I only had a short explanation to give and then I can go on with my day. Or what I had left of it.

'Well I had detention.'

'What?!'
The thing that probably drove her nuts right now was the calmest look I had on my face. But I did that just because I had gotten pretty used to it, so I knew that if I myself had a bad reaction to something I'd project it onto her.

'It was no big deal, really. It was about something I didn't do anyways. I helped someone get out of it.'

She rolled her eyes. She knew me. She knew basically everything that happened just from those words, it was really enough for her. Then I felt a weight surrounding my leg and knee.

'Nathalieee!'

Isabella was really such a ray of sunshine. She was probably the only damn person I was ever happy to see and that managed to squeeze little smiles out of me.
I kneeled besides her after she let go of my calf and I spoke to her.

'Yes, I'm back. But you'll have to wait just a little bit more to play with me.'
'B-but...'

Her lower lip began to tremble and I although it looked like she was about to cry and that somehow had an impact on me, I knew well enough her tears wouldn't roll down so fast. I patted her head and tried to make some form of deal.

'Hmm, let's see. If I braid your hair like a princess will you let me go? And then we can play again together, of course.'

Her eyes lit up. She had the most beautiful set of green irises I'd ever seen.

'Yaay! Do my hair, do my hair!'

*

Crap, it's cold. But then again, it was kind of obvious. It had rained all afternoon and evening and now with the night close it wasn't going to get warmer in any way. I was out at my usual corner trying to sell some of my paintings.

Despite the "church kid" aura foster home children are stereotyped with, it wasn't exactly like that, especially with Mom's kids. We had some sort of freedom, and I, moreover, since I was the oldest. I had this sort of a small business that helped me gather money for when I was going to be left all alone. Being an orphan not getting adopted and turning 18 in a few months wasn't the best idea, but it just happened to be that way. I was trying to save up, but at the end of the day the biggest sales I'd ever gotten at once were a bit over 650 francs*.

Right now I had a damn load of paintings and it gave me just a little bit more hope than usual, but I still didn't think I was gonna have more success than other days.

A drop. And then other, and after that it started full on raining. Frustration was the only thing that came to my mind. Not only I didn't sell anything this time but now my whole stock is probably going to get ruined because of the stupid rain. I couldn't carry them all for my life, and I was ready to shout from all the stress when something stopped it.

Both the rain that poured over me and the canvases, and my angry yell that didn't managed to make its entrance. I was sure the weather couldn't have changed just like that, and I was obviously right: behind me there was an umbrella. And attached to it, a blonde guy.

___
*650 francs ≈ 100€ (the Francs were the official currency of France before Euros)