Keep Up || Nate Parker

Chapter 2 - The Good The Bad and The Dirty

Chapter 2

I walk myself home after the embarrassment at the park and sit on the sofa watching re-runs of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I have to say it did cheer me up but the fact I was home alone just made it all worse. My parents were constantly fighting over who will get custody of me and my brother Cody. I guess he doesn't exactly count as he's moved away for university now but he still come home at the weekends.

My family was a mess, my mum kicked my dad out and she never comes home because she doesn't want to be reminded of him. Nothing could keep it all from my head. My fingers were fumbling with my phone and unlocking it and dialling a number that I had never thought of dialling before.

"Maisie? Is everything okay?" The voice came from the other end of the phone.

No word came out, just tears and more tears. My life was falling down just like my family.

"Shit, I'll be right over."

"No, no.." I stuttered hoping they didn't hang up. "Just talk to me, I like your voice."

"I'll talk to you when I get there."

And with that they hung up and I felt utterly betrayed by my mind and my eyes and the water inside my body and my tears, mostly my tears.

The doorbell rang about two minutes later and I opened it, seeing there a rather sweaty and a rather breathless Nate Parker.

"You.. Ran?" I sniffle, wrapping my arms around him tightly and placing my head into the crook of his neck.

"Of course I ran, why wouldn't I?"

"Because you have a car," the words come out more of a muffle because my mouth is pressed into his t-shirt.

"Running is quicker, now let's get you inside." He ushers me back to the sofa I was on and he laughs at my choice of TV show. "Good choice."

"Thank you, it would usually be Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars but I felt in the need for some laughing," I say strongly and place myself into the dent in the sofa where I was previously sitting and Nate sits down next to me. I place my head onto his shoulder and his arm snakes it's way round my waist.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"You said never to get into detail," I remind him of the term he had told me earlier today and I frown.

"That's only because last time I got into detail with someone they left, it didn't go well," his body relaxes into mine for the first time and I feel more at home than ever.

"Tell me about it."

"You won't know her, she left a few months ago," he starts and clears his throat. "Well about a year ago? Yeah, a year ago, I did what we're doing with another girl but it was different. She convinced me into it, told me to keep to myself but I never... I started falling for her and I told her everything thinking she would tell me the same in return some day to find out she was leading all of my friends on and was using me to get to Levi. I was heartbroken, she left about a month after that due to her dad finding new work or something out in Australia. I've never opened up again since... Since now really."

"Australia?" The lump in my throat grew as the pieces fell into place.

"Yeah, her name was Blair."

"You mean, my best friend Blair who lived next to Dylan before she moved. I'm so stupid, I should've known... I knew she was messing with someone I just didn't know it was you. You loved her?"

"Maisie I don't see why you care."

"I don't care."

I sigh and decide to calm down, the anger still boiling inside of me but I will deal with it when I'm with Dylan and Hunter.