Atomic Love [2]

Chapter 35 - Nathaniel's Birthday

TW: Swearing

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Chapter 35

June 5, Saturday

No one's POV

Nate, Jeremy and Kathrin were sitting at the treehouse, just chilling-- trying to pass time.

It was Nate's birthday that day, but he really didn't feel like celebrating it. I mean, it's been a shitty couple of weeks for him. He got beat up by Josh, whom his ex-girlfriend is supposedly seeing, and yet he gets to live comfortably outside of jail since there were only minor injuries. And on top of all of that, his ex-girlfriend was still ignoring him.

So the best thing he could think of doing was sulk. Well-- to summarise, he was sulking alone in his room, but then Jeremy showed up out of nowhere and forced him to go cheer up since it was his birthday, but then they ended up following Kathrin to the treehouse, and they kind of just... stayed there.

"Y'know, I've had sex multiple times here, so-- like, you should go." The girl spoke up, not even looking up from the book she was reading. "I don't even care anymore. What's the point of moving? What's the point of everything? What's the point of living if I can't even be happy?" The blonde boy murmured.

Kathrin rolled her eyes at him. Couldn't he just find someone else to be happy with?

"I mean, how did that dude-- what's his name?-- even know where I live? Like, what the fuck is he doing in his free time? Stalking people?" Nate continued saying, until his eyes lit up ever so slightly. "Wait-- is he actually a stalker?"

Jeremy glanced over at him with furrowed eyebrows. "And how exactly are we supposed to know?" The dark haired boy quizzed.

Kathrin finally shut her book, putting it beside her. "Okay, old man, trying to figure out if beard-for-jawline is a stalker or trying to get your ex-girlfriend back after a whole year of pining for her is not going to make your life any better.

"What you need to do is get up off your ass and do something with your life. Because being caught up with this thing is only going to make you all depressed and shit; move on." The brunette girl lectured.

"You're the one who told me to keep fighting for her-- for what she and I had. And now you're telling me to give up?" Nate exclaimed, a maddened look masking his face.

It was true. She practically devoted her life to save this friendship of theirs. She practically devoted her life saving the relationship of a boy she's hated her whole life and the girl the couldn't be bothered to even talk to her. She kept holding onto something that slipped between her fingers, like water would in a shower.

But then, the fight happened. Kathrin seemingly used her final attempt, she made a fool of herself for the very last time; she was no longer to allow them to embarrass and belittle her anymore.

And even with the final rejection, she was still willing to fight-- fight Josh, to defend people who don't seem to care about her. That was when she realised how lame she was. She needed to move on. Nate needed to move on.

"Yea, and that was back when I thought our friendship meant something. She doesn't care about me anymore. She doesn't care about you anymore." Kathrin practically yelled out, the two boys staring up at her wide-eyed.

Nathaniel's POV

I was taken aback. I've never seen Kathrin this serious before. She always just seemed to be... joking around. She never yelled at anyone out of anger before.

But maybe this was what I needed. I mean-- maybe she's right. Maybe I should move on.

"I should go..." Jeremy started saying, climbing out of the treehouse, leaving the two of us alone.

"I'm sorry if that came off harsh, but... but you need to hear it." Kathrin then stammered, running a hand through her hair.

"No, you're right. It's about time I move on." I rasped out, feeling tears creep up to my eyes.

This silence fell upon us, while my head hung low as I tried to hide the tears that rolled down my cheeks. "How-- how do you just move on from everything? How are you so okay with people just... leaving?" I asked, sniffling.

Kathrin didn't respond at first. She looked down at her lap, picking at her nails. But then she finally looked up, her mouth hanging open but no voice coming out.

"I-- I don't know. I guess I just... ignore it." The girl managed to utter out, looking anywhere but at me.

"This isn't fair, all of this. I didn't even do anything. Why can't she just understand that I love her? Why isn't that enough? Why am I not enough?" I muttered, feeling the tears blur my vision again.

Kathrin patted my leg, almost out of reassurance. "You are enough-- but life just doesn't work out the way you want it to sometimes. And it's okay to sulk for a while, but after some time, it's just... pathetic."

I nodded, smiling at her ever so slightly. "Y'know, you're not so bad when you're not trying to beat me up." I then spoke.

Kathrin chuckled, "I guess you're not as terrible as I thought you were either."

I rolled my eyes, sitting up straighter. "I'm not terrible at all; I don't know what you mean by that." I then joked, the both of us starting to laugh.

"Now get up, let's go kidnap Jeremy and, like-- I don't know-- do something. Since it is your eighteenth birthday."

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934 words (edited)