Through Pain We Survive

Chapter 5

"He was so nice! He bought my hot chocolate, and told me a bit about himself. He is quite knowledgeable about literature," Gwen was telling Sara about how her first class went and how Damien invited her for a coffee to talk more about their favorite books. "The entire class I was enthralled with how he interpreted just the first chapter."

"That's great! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Damien was telling me about you, too," Sara said. "He found your points quite interesting."

"Really?" Gwen blushed. "I didn't think I made that much of an impact."

Sara giggled. "From what he said, he really enjoyed getting to hear your thoughts."

Gwen was taken aback. "You're kidding."

"Nope. He was very intrigued with you."

Gwen shifts a bit uncomfortably. "Well, he will have to understand I'm here for the class, not anything else."

"He knows. But he told me he enjoyed having someone intellectual to speak with."

Gwen blushed again. "I was just stating my opinion."

"It certainly made an impact on him."

"Did you want to see how the new costume for the musical is going?" Gwen changed the subject, trying to take control of herself again. "It's coming along quite well."

"Alright. Then I need to spend time with Nate. I feel I've not seen him a lot lately."

"You both have been quite busy." Gwen pulled out the fabric she had been modifying into the latest costume.

"This material is pretty!"

"Thanks. I feel it really embodies the main character well. This," she grabs another part of the costume, "goes with this."

"Oh, that will look awesome!"

"Thanks. Well, go on up to Nate. I'll not keep you any longer."

Sara went upstairs to Nate's room. The door was closed, so she knocked.

"Come in," Nate called out.

Sara came in the room. Nate was sitting at his computer, shutting it down.

"Hi! Sorry, I was talking with Gwen. I'm all yours now."

Penelope brushed against Nate's leg. "You're fine. Glad you're up here now." He smiled. Bending over, he picked up Penelope and put her on his lap. Penelope looked at Sara and hissed.

"Hey, P'Nelope, that's not nice." He got her down and stood up. Penelope took off. "That's weird. She normally is nice with people a first. She does occasionally get  Gwen."

"Oh well. She may be reacting to my perfume or something."

"Maybe." He walked over to her and gave her a hug. "How have you been?"

"Good. I've started on a new project at work that's going well. What about you?"

"Glad to hear your new project is going well. I'm doing alright. We've been having a lot of late nights lately."

"When don't you?" She laughed.

Nate chuckled. "More so then usual, I mean."

"Well, that's okay. It just means it's going to be a great project."

Nate's phone alerted him to a text. He picked it up, glanced at it, and put it back.

"You gonna respond to it?" Sara raised an eyebrow to him.

"It's from Becca. I'll talk to her later on. I'm here with you."

Sara smiled. "Okay."

Nate's phone sounded another alert. He looked again. His eyebrows furrowed.

"What's wrong?"

"Becca sent another message. This one just says 'SOS.'"

Sara's phone rang. She looked at the caller  I.D. "You know, go ahead and answer her. I have to take this." She walked out of the room and downstairs to the patio outside.

Nate called Becca.

"Nate! Thank goodness. I need your help."

"Becca, what's going on?"

"There's this creep at the coffee shop who won't leave me be! I need you to come get me! Please!"

"Okay, where are you?"

Becca told him where she was, and Nate told her he was on his way.

Nate rushed downstairs.

"Woah, where's the fire?" Gwen asked, rounding the corner from the kitchen almost colliding with Nate.

"Sorry, Becca needs me. There's a creeper at a coffee shop she can't shake."

"Okay. I'll tell Sara. Be careful."

Nate grabbed his keys and left. Sara walked in right as she saw Nate leaving.

"Where's Nate going?"

"Becca had a creep hitting on her and couldn't get rid of him, so she called Nate to help her."

"Oh." Sara seemed upset.

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"No, I mean, yeah. It's fine. I was just telling Nate how we haven't seen each other much lately and he goes off to meet another woman."

"Woah. You know it's not like that. Becca is in trouble. She and Nate have been friends for years. Nothing has ever been between them, and from what they both have said, nothing ever will. You don't need to be worried about her or him."

Sara just looked at Gwen.

"Nate is not the kind of guy to cheat. He's had it done to him before, and he knows how much it hurts. He would never do that to anyone."

Sara stood there silent. She then turned and walked out the door.

Gwen rolled her eyes. She sent Nate a text that Sara left and was not happy. "Good luck Nate." She said under her breath.