Summer Relations

Chapter 11

The pic on the side is another pic of Natalie!

"Oh my god, you're doing it wrong!" Olivia cries. "Spencer, come in here and control your girlfriend!"

"I'm not doing it wrong! I'm following what the box says. What's the worst that can happen anyways?" I cover my head in the hair dye.

She screams and grabs me, picks me up like I'm a stick, and turns on the shower. I start screaming.

Spencer comes in, worried. "What are you doing to her?" He demands.

Olivia washes out all the hair dye. "Where's your Uncle?" she demands. I open my mouth to shout for him when he walks in the bathroom.

"Go get it done. Get it trimmed. It's looking dead."

"Bitch." I mutter, taking the keys.

He grunts in response and follows me downstairs.

"Can I go to the mall?" I ask.

"For?" He asks.

"To get clothes that aren't black."

He sighs and hands me his debit card.

"Thanks. Do I have a limit?" He shakes his head. "Just try not to spend a million."

"I won't." I laugh.

"Well just...stop buying shit when the card says it's denied. I'm going out. I'll drop you off and pick you up later. Just call me, okay?" I nod and walk out the door, waiting for him.

He drops me off at the mall and I go in the salon in there.

After an hour wait, I finally get to go.

"What are you looking for today?"

"Less gothic, more me." I show her a photo of how I used to look. "And a trim." I say.

She nods and gets to work, first coloring my hair, and then washing out the dye, and then she blow dries it. She did my eyebrows too, and she washed that out. She trims it, too. "Ready?" She asks. I nod. She spins the chair and shows me the mirror. I let out a content sigh.

"Finally." I thank her.

When I pay at the register, the lady says I look unrecognizable.

I go into the mall and start to shop.

I spend so much time in Papaya and Forever 21 and Wet Seal.

****

I changed in a bathroom and brushed through my hair.

I walk out of the bathroom, having called my Uncle ten minutes ago. I go outside and wait. When he pulls up, he rolls down the window and starts looking around for me, even though I'm throwing bags into the back of his car. I get in the passenger and he looks at me and his eyes widen. "You actually look approachable again."

I keep my comments to myself and just thank him.

I hand him the card.

He stops and picks up pizza, and then we drive home.

Everyone is longboarding in the driveway.

He shuts the car off and I get out.

Everyone stops what they're doing.

"You're going to help me carry shit, right?" Uncle Albert demands.

I lean into the car. "Did you suddenly break your arms?" I ask.

****

When I walk into the building on Monday, Spencer is casually leaning against the wall, waiting. He looks up right when I walk in, and his eyes brighten. People stare as he pulls me into a hug. He sighs softly. "I've missed you." He whispers.

"I've missed you too." I mumble.

He pulls away and kisses me.

I kiss him back, but Justice starts whistling from across the room.

When the bell rings, we go to class and pass notes the whole time.

****

Spencer isn't at lunch yet, but Seth, Justice, Gavin, and Olivia are.

I stand up to go in the line for food when some guy walks up to me. He has jet back hair and blue eyes.

"You're hot." He leans in and kisses me.

"Hey!" Justice shouts at him. I shove the guy off of me and look around, panicked, for Spencer.

He comes out of nowhere and punches the guy in the face.

I stand there in shock, and pissed as hell that the guy kissed me.

Justice and Seth and Gavin jump into the fight.

Uncle Albert is running, along with teachers and the school cop.

SPENCER'S POV

Natalie hits the ground.

I shove the jackass that kissed my girlfriend as hard as I can. He falls on his ass.

Panicked, I look at Natalie.

She's unconscious.

Uncle Albert is on the phone with an ambulance.

I know damn well I didn't punch her because I wasn't even near her. It was either Gavin or the guy that kissed her.

I can only say one thing.

I've never seen Uncle Albert so angry in my entire life.

"Sit down." He says, pointing to the chairs, pissed.

"But," I begin, dying to lean down and pick Natalie up.

"Don't touch her." He snaps. "I didn't see everything? What started the fight?"

"He did." The guy snaps, pointing to me.

I glare at him.

"That's technically true, but-"

"But nothing." Uncle Albert snaps. "You fought him and hurt my niece doing it. Since I'm in charge of her, you can't see her, and you're getting expelled."

"What the fuck!" Justice snaps.

"He kissed Natalie and then Spencer punched him! He didn't hurt her! He was protecting her!" Gavin shouts.

Uncle Albert looks at the guy.

"They're lying." He snaps.

Uncle Albert is right.

I did hurt Natalie.

I mean, my fist didn't hit her, but I started the fight.

"Fine." Uncle Albert says. "All of you are suspended for three days until Natalie tells me what happened. I can't trust any of you."

I leave willingly.