Maybe We're Just Kids | Natasha Romanoff AU

Chapter 3: Jenna

An: Im literally editing this as i go i posted the story like 2 minutes ago how are u guys so quick 😭

Natasha went through the motions of her next two classes, barely paying attention. Her mind kept replaying the morning, her conversation with Jenna, and the weird look Lily had given her in class. By the time the bell rang for lunch, Natasha was completely drained.

None of her friends had the same lunch period today. Not even her sister. Her stomach sank as she realized she'd have to face lunch alone.

Awkwardly, she made her way into the lunch line, picking up the food with no real appetite. The cafeteria was packed, as usual. Every table seemed crowded, filled with people talking, laughing, and having the kind of easy social interactions that always felt just out of reach for Natasha.

She hesitated, looking around, but nowhere felt like a safe place to sit. God, she hated today.

After a moment of indecision, Natasha turned on her heel and headed for the hallway. It was quieter there. She found a spot next to her locker, slid down to sit on the floor, and pulled out her lunch. The hallway echoed with distant chatter, but here, at least, no one would notice her.

She let out a deep sigh and poked at her food, trying to shake off the feeling of loneliness that seemed to settle over her like a heavy blanket.

Natasha took a small bite of her sandwich, the sound of footsteps and distant laughter from the cafeteria echoing through the hallway. The lunch she had grabbed felt tasteless, more of an excuse to do something with her hands than to satisfy any hunger. Her mind kept drifting back to this morning—Jenna's smile, the way her brown eyes lit up when she spoke, the sound of her little laughs that made Natasha's heart flutter. Jenna had been so nice to her, genuinely warm and friendly. Too nice, even. Natasha felt a weird, unsettling sensation in her stomach as she thought about it. She put down her sandwich, suddenly unable to eat.

What if Jenna had only been nice out of pity? The thought gnawed at her. Jenna was confident, and... well, pretty much perfect. Natasha was awkward, constantly stumbling over her words. Maybe Jenna just felt sorry for her, like she was doing her a favor by being nice. Natasha's stomach twisted at the idea, and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

She sighed and pushed her tray away, resting her head against the locker behind her. The thought of Jenna seeing her as nothing more than a charity case, someone to be kind to because it was the "right" thing to do, made her chest ache. She stared at the food on her lap, pushing it away slightly. What if she had read too much into everything? Maybe Jenna was just that—nice to everyone.

She pulled out her math textbook and a notebook, determined to focus on something—anything—other than her feelings about Jenna. She flipped to the right page, the familiar equations staring back at her.

As she worked through the problems, the numbers and letters began to blur together. She felt the faint hum of the school around her, footsteps echoing and conversations drifting by. With each problem she solved, she tried to drown out the doubts that crept in, but they lingered like an unwelcome shadow.

"Focus, Natalia" she muttered to herself, jotting down another solution.

Just as Natasha was starting to settle into her work, she felt a sudden jolt as one of the cheerleaders kicked her backpack across the hallway. Startled, she looked up to see the group of girls laughing together.

They didn't say a word to her, just continued their chatter, clearly enjoying their own little world. Natasha felt heat creep into her cheeks as she glanced at her bag, feeling the sting of humiliation wash over her. It was as if they didn't even see her, just another piece of furniture in the hallway.