The IBM

Chapter 12

"You'll just slow me down." Carla spoke. "You can go. I won't tell Mr. Malone."

Any other day Natalie wouldn't have given a crap and just gone home. Any other day she would've avoided talking to Carla at all costs.

But not today.

Not after that conversation with David.

Natalie needed to know the truth.

"It's okay." Natalie replied as she picked up the banner from the floor. "I want to help with the dance."

Carla rolled her eyes. "That's a first." She walked to the other side of ballroom and sat down where papers lay on the floor.
"Come here then."

Something was off about Carla. Natalie could feel it.

Putting the banner back down, she walked to where Carla was and sat down.

"Here." Carla handed her a paper. "This is a list of vendors I hired for the party. The one's who never made it are marked with red. Call them and make sure they are still coming."

Natalie nodded before going through the list. There were at least 50 companies on it. Did Carla really call all of them alone?

The first red marked company was Andrei Winery. That was weird. "Are you buying alcohol for this dance?" Natalie wondered out loud.

Carla sighed but didn't bother looking up from the page she was reading. "It's dumb to think people won't sneak in alcohol in this dance. I'm just making sure it's the good and pure kind so people don't get sick."

"That's actually smart." Natalie had to admit. Last Christmas dance someone snuck in some off brand beer that ended up giving almost every teenager at that dance food poisoning.

But if Carla is the horrible person David said she is then why would she care if a couple of students get food poisoning?

Natalie stared at the blonde woman sitting and writing something on a piece of paper. The light coming in from the north window made her blue eyes shine even more in the dimly lit gym.

How was it that someone so beautiful could do something so horrible?

Maybe David was lying. Carla was a bitch but she couldn't be that kind of a bitch. She wouldn't stoop to that level. She can't do it. She was too perfect for it.

"If your idea of helping me is staring at me with hatred then get out." She spoke once again not bothering to look up.

"Sorry," Natalie spoke before taking out her phone and dialed Andrei Winery's number. "Do you have a specific contact in the vineyard that I should talk to?"

Carla looked up and blinked. "What?"

Natalie put the phone to her ear. "Andrei Winery. Who'd you talk to the last time you called? Quick!"

Carla tilted her head confused. "Why does it matter? You own that vineyard don't you?"

"I do?" Natalie frowned. Does her family own a vineyard? That would explain a lot considering all the wine she found in her father's cellar with her grand father's name on it.

And then it clicked.

Andrei. Her grandfather's name is Andrei.

"Andrei Winery. How can I help you today?" A sweet toned girl spoke from the other side of the phone.

"Um.. Hi." Natalie spoke and closed her gaping mouth, swallowing. "I'm from GreysWald Academy and I wanted to order some wine."

"I'm sorry, miss but we don't deliver to high schools." The girl laughed.