This Girl

Chapter 14: She looks like Mr Potato head got burnt

"Remind why we're here again Paul?" I ask him, standing on the patio of the Collins residence, a carrot cake balanced in a container in one hand. 

"Because we have to do this every Sunday," Lucas answers for his twin.

"Mum, why?" I turn to my Mother, groaning.

"Natalie, it's really rude to be asking these questions. Michelle has organised this, and you are being extremely ungratefully," Mum turns around, shaking her head at me. My mum can always make me feel guilty.

"Its not Michelle that I'm annoyed at, its her son," I tell her.

"You don't like Liam?" my dad says, confused.

"No! Liam is cute! Its the other squidgy poo I'm worried about,"  I say. 

"Alex is cool!" Paul says, just as the door opens to reveal Alex himself. 

"Hi everyone!" he says, smirking at me. Everyone greets him and I'm the last to go inside outside. He leans against the door frame and smirks again. I roll my eyes.

"I'm so cool," he says. 

"Shut up," I push the cake into his chest and walk in after my family. They're saying hello to his family and I join them. 

"Hey Nat," Felecia waves at me and I wave back.

"Nat!" Michelle bustles over to me and gives me a hug.

"Hi Michelle," I hug her back.

"Nat! Nat! Nat!" Liam claps his hands my way and I smile at him. 

"Hey, dude," Alex comes up behind me and hugs me from the back. I twist around and shove him off me. 

"Alex, don't annoy her," Jackson says, coming over to hug me, I hug him back and I see Jackson poke his tongue out at Alex as he does so and I smile. We walk into the living room. 

"So! Everyone, this is the plan," Michelle says from her place on the couch, where we're all seated. "Every second Sunday, the Bennetts will come over to our place, and the Sundays in between, the Collins will go over to the Bennetts house for lunch! Just because I wanna see Sarah every week after never seeing her for a couple of years!"

Mum and Michelle smile and everyone nods at the plan, including me, to be polite. Inside I'm screaming, Nooooooooo! 

I only get two days away from Alex, now I have to see him six days instead of five 😨. 

"Alex and Nat, do you want to go and play tennis until lunch is ready?" Jackson asks us. "And Felecia, Lucas and Paul can go play basketball, so you're both being active."

"Yeah, and you should go play beer pong, Dad, to stay 'active'," Felecia rolls her eyes and leads the boys off. Alex and I laugh, the adults have a slight smile on their faces. 

"Take Liam," Michelle hands me the baby and I take him. "He'll probably start crying if you leave without him Nat, all we heard coming out of his mouth after you left last time was 'Nat!Nat!Nat! Waaaaaaaah!'" Michelle smiles at me and I prop the baby up on my side. Liam smiles and waves at the adults as we walk away. 

"So, dude, how're you?" he hooks an arm around my waist. I would push him off, but I'm holding onto Liam, so I'm stuck smelling his extremely amazing smelling cologne. 

"I'm fine, thank you," I ignore him. 

"How's Noah," he says, I see him clench his jaw in the corner eye. I whip my head around to face him. 

"What?"

"You know, your boyfriend, Noah," he says.

"I don't know? I haven't seen him since Friday," I say, turning back around and tickling Liam's stomach.