The Fading Oddities of Nate Smith (A NateWantsToBattle Fanfiction) --COMPLETE--

Chapter Twenty-Four

Æ~Nate~Æ

I can't believe I'm doing this. After eleven months of disappearing, I finally have to turn around and face my demons. I know that there was a chance that this day would come, but honestly, I never thought that it'd happen like this.

Everyone is waiting for me now. Even Chasseur, the little vermin I've hated for so long, is waiting for me to go on and tell the truth, to take the leap of faith and let go of the past. I take in a shaky breath. If it's the truth they want - the truth I want - then it's the truth they'll get.

"...Okay," I begin, my voice wavering with uneasiness, "before I explain anything, I think it's best that I tell you all who I really am. My name is Nate Smith. Some of you..." - I glance at Oracle, who's standing at the back of the group with her arms crossed - "...may know me better as NateWantsToBattle."

Micha flinches. "W-Wait," she stutters, "NateWantsToBattle? As in...the YouTuber, NateWantsToBattle?"

I chuckle sheepishly, "Yeah, that's me..."

The Filipino can't help but grin uncontrollably. "I used to watch your videos ALL the time! No wonder you seemed so familiar!"

"Same here," Genevieve smiles, "Funny enough, you're how I got to know Micha better. I mean, we still fight a lot, sure, but you helped me tolerate her a little more than if I hadn't been subscribed to you."

Leo looks around the room. "...In fact, I think that's how all of us really got to know each other," he admits, "YouTube was a common interest all of us had; if it weren't for you, Nate, I don't think Photo Club would even exist as long as it has!"

I can feel my cheeks heating up as I look down and rub the back of my neck, laughing back flattered and nostalgic tears. "...Y-You're welcome, I guess," I chuckle; we don't stay on the subject for much longer, though.

I clear my throat and look back up at the group. "Anyway," I continue, going back to the task at hand, "you guys must be wondering why I disappeared for so long, better yet why the heck I'm all the way in Tallahassee."

I stop for a moment to collect myself, making sure I won't break down while I'm retelling the past eleven months of my life. When I'm ready, I take a deep breath and continue on a very painful walk down memory lane.

"...Eleven months ago, I got into a fight with my girlfriend, Morgan, and it ended in her walking out on me. I waited for her to return, kept calling her in hopes she'd forgive me, but...she never came back."

"That's what that tweet must've been about..." I can hear Tess mutter under her breath. I sigh and nod sadly, assuming that we're thinking of the same thing. I remember it clearly; I said that I was going through a hard time in my life and that I wouldn't be uploading videos for a while...who knew that "a while" would mean a whole year?

I shake my head and bite the inside of my cheek, overcoming hesitation and deciding to finally get this explanation over with. "You guys know Hunter, right? He was Dookieshed over on YouTube."

Gen scoffs with a smile on her face. "Uh, do we?" she laughs, "He's your best friend! But he hasn't uploaded anything in a while; is he okay, or do you not know...?" Off to the side, I can see Olive's eyes wavering down to her hands, thumbs twiddling nervously, and Tess seems to be acting uncomfortable as well. I furrow my brow subtly in confusion, but I decide not to question it.

"Well, a couple days after the breakup, Dookie flew over to LA to stay with me while I tried putting myself back together. I picked him up from the airport, and on the way home, we..."

"...'We' what...?" Damian furrows his brow, leaning in curiosity. I clear my throat before continuing, praying my voice won't crack and no tears will well up.

"...We got into a fight. Well, sort of; it was more like me yell-ranting to him and him yelling back, telling me to calm down and that I'm not as bad of a person as I think I am. I finally managed to get ahold of myself, but..."

My voice trails off. Tears are welling up in my eyes, but at this point I refuse to let them fall. Hunter wouldn't want to see me like this; he certainly didn't want to back then...I'm going to be strong for him. I have to.

"...I looked away for a split second, and that was all it took. I-I lost control of the car, and we swerved into the other lane...we hit the truck head-on, and before I knew it, we were in the air, flipping until the roof was facing downward." - Carson gasps, and I can hear Aphrodite muttering in shock - "We hit the ground at an angle, and we tumbled across the road...at some point, my seatbelt snapped loose. I was thrown out of the car."

"What happened to Dookie?" Gen asks, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

I lick my dry lips and open my mouth to speak again, "I lied on road for...I don't know how long, honestly. All I remember is a group of first responders hoisting me up onto a stretcher and rolling me to an ambulance. I sort of turned my head to the side, and...I saw Hunter."

"Wait..." Aph breathes, "did he...you know...?"

I purse my lips together and glance down at the floor. On my lap, Chasseur's tail is flicking back and forth in a slow, lazy manner. After a short hesitation, I nod, and an air of surprise fills the room.

"He died a few hours later," I explain, biting my lip, "He never made it to the hospital."

"Oh, my God," Micha mutters, a sympathetic frown on her face, "Nate, I'm so sorry..."

I sigh and shake my head. "I...I blamed myself for his death. I-If I hadn't looked away from the road, or hadn't done any of that...he could've lived. I couldn't go on with my regular life knowing I was somewhat responsible for Hunter's death, so after I was released from the hospital, I disappeared."

"And after eleven months of traveling, you somehow found your way here in Tallahassee?" Tess asks, her eyes darting around as she begins putting two and two together.

I nod silently, my eyes fixed on the ground. "The rest is history..." I finish, and a moment of silence hangs over the room. I wipe my eyes and sniffle a bit, swallowing the lump in my throat and taking a shallow breath.

I widen my eyes and nearly flinch when a pair of arms wraps around me, and I look up to see Olive pulling me into a comforting hug. "Nate," she mutters, "I'm so sorry all this happened to you. You didn't deserve for so many horrible things to take place in your life...But don't worry; we're all here for you now, okay?"

"Yeah, Nate," Tess chimes in, and Olive breaks the hug to show me that they're both smiling, "we'll be here for you, no matter what!"

"If you need anyone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, or just someone to be there with you, we're all right here," Leo adds, and eventually everyone is throwing kind words at me. A tear falls from my right eye, and before I know it, I'm crying - but this time it's not out of sadness. I have a warm, comforting feeling inside...am I crying tears of joy?

"...Th-Thank you," I laugh between restrained sobs, "thank you guys, r-really...I've pushed everything away for so long, and I was almost beginning to think I'd never come across anyone who'd care anymore..."

"...Aw, come here!" Tess suddenly cries, throwing her arms around me and pretending to cry over-dramatically, and everyone shares a laugh as they practically dog-pile me in a giant group hug.

I surface over the tangle of arms and laughing college students, and I see Oracle leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and purple eyes fixed on me. This time, however, the look in her eyes is a content one, a small, almost proud smile spread across her face. I smile back, and something in the back of my mind realizes that that was the first genuine smile I've had in a whole year.