Fade into you

Chapter 3

Everyone was gone by the time Nat went downstairs. Jackie, who sat on her couch reading a book, looked up at her.

"I'll be on my way sorry about this." She couldn't believe that a night on a chair at Jackie Taylor's house had felt more restful, comfortable, and safe than her own house had ever been.

"Wait, I made us breakfast!" Nat stopped in her tracks. She sighed. Jackie had been too nice to her for her to reject the offer. Not that the girl had waited for an answer anyway.

Jackie led her through a hallway to a dining room. Nat had never seen so many windows in a singular room. They stood on every wall, opening a view towards a different side of the garden. A pond, a pool, and even a tennis court could be seen from where Nat stood. The pale yellow walls warmed up the room.

"I made us some eggs and bacon. Do you want milk or juice?"

"Juice is okay"

"Juice it is!" Jackie opened her fridge. Magnets from different European cities held in place what felt like a trailer of Jackie's life. Pictures of her and Shauna on their 8th grade fairy themed birthday party, her as a baby standing in front of the Statue of Liberty, stick figure drawings, A+ essays. Nat forced herself to breathe. There was a time where seeing something like this would've brought her to tears.

"Is Lottie still upstairs?"

"She wasn't when I woke up. Did you not see her this morning?"

"I didn't, and I woke up with the sun before anyone else. Now that you mention it, her car is gone. Hadn't noticed." Jackie shrugged and sat at the table. She started to eat and gestured to Nat to do the same.

Being here felt like a fever dream. She was still dressed up in the same clothes she had fallen asleep in, black jeans and a turtleneck. There sat Jackie, in a sundress, acting like it was a completely normal Saturday morning for her.

"So... how did it go with the whole Tai and Van situation after we left?" Nat asked cautiously.

We? Since then is there a we?

"Oh it went very smoothly. I told the girls that I'd make sure anyone who had a problem with it would get kicked out of the team." Nat flinched. Had she judged Jackie a little too fast?

"You know who surprised me though? Laura Lee. She gave both Tai and Van some speech about how God loved all his children and so did she. It was some crazy shit, I thought she'd be the first to flip out honestly. You should've been there, it got real fun."

"I felt like we couldn't leave her in the room at that moment after she messed up so badly." They both knew who they were talking about. Jackie dropped her fork.

"You know," she said in between chews, "I had no idea you two were friends."

"We aren't."

"Then why did you help her so much yesterday?"

"I-I don't know." She looked down. Perhaps she had felt obligated after the drive? All the interactions she had had with Lottie Matthews this past week were simply unexplainable, and unjustifiable.

"Why are you so nice to me, Jackie? I thought you hated me." She diverted the conversation.

"New year new me I guess." She shrugged.

"No, seriously. You talked shit about me all of last year, and now look at us." Jackie was almost done with her plate, and Nat hadn't even touched her fork yet.

"What do you want me to say, Nat? I don't know, I grew up. We may make it to nationals, you're our best defence by far, and I want you to feel comfortable with us."