- What if 𝙉atalia can't
accept getting things
thrown at her anymore?
ᶜˡᵃʸ ʲᵉⁿˢᵉⁿ
𝙉atalia 𝘽exley was an ordinary girl. Her grades were good and she had good friends. The girl had never experienced anything b...
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NATALIA DIDN'T EXPECT Clay to be sitting on the back porch swing. It wasn't something that scared her. She calmly sat beside him, letting the breeze take her hair along with it. She looked to him. He seemed so defeated. She couldn't stand it. She laced her fingers with his, grasping him before he slipped away completely.
"I know school's dreadful, but that doesn't mean you have to look so glum," Natalia teased, squeezing his fingers. She got him to look at her with some intrigue.
"I came to say goodbye. I'm leaving and I don't think I'm coming back," Clay broke his silence leaving Natalia stunned.
"You can't. They'll find you, Clay," Natalia tried to convince him, turning to him. Her hand like iron around his.
"If I stay here, it's not gonna get any better," Clay said under his breath. Natalia took his chin between her thumb and pointer finger making him look at her.
"There's hope, Clay. There will be a trial. You can get through this. We can get through it together. I'll be there for you every step of the way, you can't just give up on this," Natalia pleaded.
"The cops have made up their minds," Clay rebutted.
"Fuck the cops. We can change their minds."
"How do we do that?" Clay asked.
"How many times do I have to tell you I'd be your alibi?" Natalia quizzed. "We can figure this out."
"Natalia, I wish that we could do that, but you will get found out somehow and you'll be in big trouble. And everything else is weighing on your shoulders, and I can't be the one to make it worse," Clay stopped and looked at her for a moment raking in her presence. "I have to go, Nat."
Natalia shook her head and took his head in her hands. She placed her lips against his. She pulled away after a moment and rested her forehead against his.
"You're never alone," Natalia whispered.
"I love you, Nat," He whispered back.
"I'll see you soon."
•••
HILLCREST WOULD BE at the school today, and Natalia was uneasy. She knew Jessica had a plan up her sleeve, but she was unsure of what the exact plan was. She hadn't been attending any HO meetings, so if there was a set plan, she had no knowledge of anything. She sat in the bleachers next to Tyler, they'd been sitting in a comfortable silence as the meeting went on.
"With that in mind, Jessica Davis, student body president and organizer of the protest, would like to offer a few words," Their principal announced making Natalia tune into the assembly.
Jessica rose and stepped up to the podium.
"Thank you, Principal Bolan, and I agree that at times like these, people need to be held accountable for their mistakes. And after something traumatic happens, it's important to focus on healing," She took a pause, furrowing her eyebrows. "But the thing is...how is anybody supposed to heal if all we do is cover up the wounds and hope that they'll go away."
