Brides To Be: High School Years

Homecoming

Homecoming was approaching and approaching fast. It was obvious Nat and Eddy were going to together, but this year EJ was set on not being a third wheel again. Not like last year. Kate helped EJ with her make up each morning and soon EJ was doing it on her own. Mix and matching colors. She started wearing more mature clothes like dresses and solid color things. No more nerd shirts.

EJ saw her peers getting dates all around her. Even the people she thought who was least likely to get dates. It seemed everyone in school had a date, but her. She even asked poeple herself. Every guy she asked turned her down. Some said they already had a date, some just said no. She was talking to Nat about it the weekend before te dance.

"I don't get it, Nat. I wear makeup, I dress nice, I do everything the popular girls do, I have even been dieting to loose weight! I have lost three pounds. Why won't guys ask me to the dance?" she asked.

Nat sighed and put her hand on EJ's back. "Emma Jane, people don't like you because this is not you. You ARE nerdy. Not this preppy girl who follows the crowd. You are amazing being you."

Ej smiled and looked at her best friend. Nat's hair was freshly dyed blonde and layered. Her hair was wavey, but not like beach waves, EJ never understood what that meant, no, her hair was more like the Northern Lights, flowing gently, yet bodly at the same time. Natalie's smile glowed like the Northern Lights as well, like it shown many colors, giving EJ a warm feeling inside. Her friend was so beautiful. Why could'nt she be?

EJ hugged Natalie. "You are the best friend ever." she said. The rest of that night they just hung out like normal, but Natalie did not tell Emma Jane how much being called her friend hurt her heart.

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Nat and Eddy had been kind of distant lately. More like Nat was avoiding Eddy. She felt guilty about it every time she ignored a call or claim she never gota text. At lunch she would act like she had work to catch up on when she really was eating her lunch in the bathroom. This went on for a week. Eddy eventually got fed up and confronted her about it.

"Natalie Hurt. What is going on? You have been so distant. You never call, you never text. Nay, I am worried about you. You know removal is a sign of depression. If you are depressed I can help you through it. You just have to tell me what is going on." He said the thursday before Homecoming. He saw her in the hall and stopped her.

She did not know how to tell him. She did not even know what to tell herself. She just had not felt comfortable with Eddy. Sometimes she wondered if she ever had. She shook her head. "No, Eddy. I m not depressed. I am just busy. I have a lot of stuff going on."

"What kind of stuff?!" Eddy asked. He was clearly worried. Natalie knew he really did love her.She just did not love him.

"It is private stuff, trust me. I am fine. We still going to Homecoming together?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Eddy sighed yet nodded. He kissed her cheek.

"I trust you. You would tell me if it was serious. I will pick you up at eight on Saturday." he said amd he walked away.

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It was the night of Homecoming. Everyone was posting on social media there proccess of getting ready. Natlie got her dyed brown, mostly, and straightened. She wore a black glittery dress. EJ wore her hair down and wore a teal dress. The plan was Nat and Eddy would pick up EJ and the three of them would go to dinner then the dance. Eddy had rented a limo for them. His parents were both lawyers and gave him a very heafty allowance.

After EJ was ready she waited outside for her friends. Her sister Kate waited with her. "I wish I could go with you guys. I just have too much work to catch up on. Being a senior is hard work." Kate said with a chuckle. EJ knew she was trying to lighten the mood, her friends were ten minutes late. Normally, this would not bug EJ, but it really did. She was afraid they ditched her, not wanting a third wheel. Kate saw her sister getting upset and hugged her.

"Hey, don't worry, kiddo. I am sure they might just be stuck in traffic or something." she said. They waited there for another ten minutes. At this point EJ was so upset she threw her bag down and ran away from her house. She heard her sister call for her, but she did not care.

Emma Jane ran to her only other place of sanctuary. The park.

She slowed down when she arrived. The park was empty of kids seeing as it was almost nine o'clock. She went to sit down on a swing when she saw another girl in a dress on a swing crying. It was Natalie. EJ ran over and sat on the swing next to her friend.

"Natalie? What is wrong?" EJ asked, all her anger left her body. It was now replaced concern.

Nat tried to explain but started crying even harder. EJ nodded, understanding whatever it was it was too fresh. She reached over and grabbed her friend's hand. She rubbed her thumb over the back of her hand like EJ's mom did to her when she was upset. EJ then started to sing Here Comes The Sun by the Beatles. It was their favorite song and always cheered them up.

Nat chuckled lighlty. She leaned over and hugged EJ. "Thanks." she whispered shakily. She let go and stared at the ground.

"What is wrong?" EJ asked. Nat took another shaky breath.

"Eddy... " Nat started "He came and picked me up on time. We were about to head over to your place when he took a wrong turn. I tried to correct him, but he insisted the chauffer knew what he was doing. We parked in an empty lot and the chauffer got out, but the chauffer was Lando from school. He gave us a wink and walked off. I got scared. I did not know what was happening. I asked Eddy and he gave me the most terrifing smirk I have seen. He told me that he loved me. He leaned in and kissed me. I went along with it, but his breath smelt bed, like he had been drinking. He then started to lift my dress and..." she trailed off there and started to sob again.

"I tried to tell him no. To stop him, but he just kept going. I tried to scream, but no could hear me." Nat said. EJ was speechless. She did not know what to do. She just knew she had to be there for her friend.