Finding Melody

29: The Girl Pt.1

Natalie had spent the whole day of our wistful Saturday, practically begging me to go on a school trip next week. Now this wasn't a trip to the zoo, nor a trip to a museum, it was to England. Yes, ENGLAND. We're supposed to tour around a variety of castles, and museums. The trip was a week long tour, which was the reason why I was so against going. It's not the best idea to send a person with nightmares to a new place with a new person sleeping across from them. I had the fear of waking up screaming one night and my roommate would totally lose it. It would be even worse if she had gone to my school.

But that wasn't even the worst part, and it was already so horrible. The worst part was who I would be in a hotel with, Zeke. Who I had been trying to avoid. How would I avoid him if we were staying in the same hotel?

While Natalie begged me to go, Nolan was fine with me not going. He even offered to take me there himself, he didn't like the idea of the school being responsible for me, so many things could happen he trailed on with his reasons.

Natalie wanted me to go on the other hand, she wanted me to explore the world with my best friends, yet she still had no clue about Zeke, about Lola, about anyone, even me.

"Nat, you're due anytime this week, I'm not going", I tried telling her as she walked around, with her stomach like a watermelon. The twins were due soon, and I wouldn't risk being across the globe when they came, I couldn't.

"I'll hold them in just for you, just go", she promised, as Nolan rolled his eyes. He knew nothing of her persistent pushing, I knew he just wanted to tell her to give it a rest, but Natalie was fueled on giving me everything she didn't have when she was younger. And to her this field trip, was like giving me a chance to breathe and leave safely.

"Nolan. Tell her that she's missing out". She wanted him to say, but I knew he wouldn't, he would say frankly the opposite.

"The school won't be able to handle all of those kids in England, they're insane for having this field trip... do they need any chaperones?" He asked, making Natalie roll her eyes.

"The baby's due next week, I can't go and you shouldn't either", I tried telling him as he exasperatedly sighed.

"That's why you should go, you don't want to see me in stirrups at the hospital", Natalie said, trying to persuade me so that I would want to go. But I wasn't really looking forward to it at all, I would rather be safe here and ready for the baby to come.

"And not you, your staying", she pointed to Nolan, as he typed on his laptop, pulling Natalie closer as they sat on the couch.

"I'll tell you what, sometime in the next two years, you and I we can go on a girls trip just the two of us, Nola Nancy here can watch our little bubbas", she said, as Nolan looked up surprised at the new nickname he had acquired all of a sudden.

"What did you just call me?" He asked, setting his laptop aside.

"Nolaaaaa Nancyyyyy", she said, really emphasizing what she had called him, I was not about to witness them play fight each other. So I slipped off up the stairs, muttering my goodbyes, as Natalie laughed and giggled from the couch.

I knew my immediate answer to the trip to England was a no. I knew I should take this once in a lifetime opportunity, and squeeze it out of everything to come, but I just couldn't handle the fact of worrying about how to avoid all those people in one hotel.

My phone rang suddenly, as I made my way upstairs. I ran to the phone, searching through my sheets. I picked it up with urgency, upon seeing the name.

"Melody, I'm back home tonight", she said, her voice rushing into the phone as I could hear how raspy she had become, and short of breath as well. She tried to seem jubilant and joyous as she spoke.