SAVIOR COMPLEX , Thirteen Reasons Why

two

—88:8:&:

NATALIA LIVED AND learned in her young age. So have all of her friends. They were all on their own learning journey of life. It was hard, especially with all of this going on. It was hard on Natalia and it made her even more dependent on coping mechanisms than ever.

School didn't help either. Walking the halls was a nightmare. Everyone had eyes on everyone. It seems that people were on edge because of this Bryce thing.

Natalia was too, but for separate reasons. Like how Bryce's mother is pointing the finger at Clay. She would be his alibi if she had to. She could tell the police they were together in his bedroom after homecoming. They snuck in without his parents noticing. They could do it.

"No," Clay whispered to her as she pitched her risky idea. He looked frustrated at the mere thought of her jeopardizing herself. "I can't let you do that."

"Clay, I can't let you fuck yourself like this," Natalia stressed. She leaned across the cafeteria table and tried to stare him down. "Come on. I don't have an alibi either."

"Everyone knows you would cover for him Natalia, it wouldn't work," Ani tuned into their conversation. Natalia turned to her to try and negotiate. "Don't try. Your loyalty to Clay is obvious and I don't think that's the best direction."

"I don't have an alibi either," Natalia said in a hushed voice.

"Nobody's suspected you, Natalia. If we shed a light on you by creating a dodgy alibi story then everything will go wrong," Ani convinced and Natalia sighed, looking to Clay. Her stomach twisted because she needed an alibi more than anything.

"Fine," Natalia complied, rising from her seat as Tyler came by. "I told Jessica I'd meet up with her, so..."

Before Clay could get any words out Natalia made it clear she didn't want to hear what he had to say. Her ignorance stemmed from her envy. She hated Ani's closeness to Clay, and even though she was very supportive of the situation Natalia and Clay were, there was little trust.

✺ ✺ ✺

NATALIA FUMED AS her envy simmered within her wretched soul. Clay wasn't hers, but God did she hate his little investigation act with Ani. Clay was like a dangling carrot she couldn't smack sense into. She can't beckon the carrot over at all.

Ani was Natalia's friend, but what happens when blurred lines cause small exceptions here and there within their boundaries. They always teamed up and made Natalia feel stupid and unwanted.

She decided to round him up. Just her and him at Monet's. The pressure was high at Liberty High.

Natalia knew this would come. She knew the threshold couldn't contain itself anymore. The only problem was this distrust and jealousy rooted in only one half of them. Clay had only been innocently carrying this investigation on, but Natalia felt betrayed.

One evening, in the quiet corner of Monet's, their usual meeting spot, the tension reached its breaking point. Natalia couldn't hold back her frustration any longer.

"You're always with her, Clay. Always defending her," Natalia accused, her voice tight with resentment. "I thought we were in this together."

He looked up from his coffee, mind-boggled, but feeling the weight of her words, sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Natalia, it's not about taking sides. Ani's just trying to help."

Natalia squirmed in her seat, her eyes flashing with despair. "Help? Help with what? She's just getting in the way, and you're letting her."

The air grew thick with tension as their argument escalated. Natalia's jealousy and insecurity clashed with Clay's attempts to maintain balance in the midst of chaos.

"Maybe if you trusted me more, you wouldn't be so threatened by Ani," Clay retorted, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "We have bigger problems to deal with, Natalia. Bryce's mom is pointing fingers at everyone, and we're all drowning in this mess."

Natalia, momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in Clay's tone, softened. "Clay, I just... I just need to know that you're there for me too. That I'm not just someone you turn to when things get tough."

Clay, realizing the gravity of their situation, took a deep breath. "Natalia, I am here for you. But right now, we need to focus on the bigger picture. Ani, you, me—we're all in this together. Let's not let our personal issues distract us from the real problems we're facing."

Natalia huffed and casted a look toward the doorway as the bell chimed. She rolled her eyes as Ani scanned the place, undoubtedly looking for Clay.

"I'll leave you alone, Clay. Just be smart," Natalia uttered, he voice was full of sadness.

With those few words, Natalia walked away to leave Clay and Ani discuss. There was no stopping Clay from saving himself and his friends, but if she'd pushed to the side to watch she'd have to find herself an alibi.