Vice

2: Breaking Up

Natara has never, ever, been the type to cause a commotion. 

Being the center of attention was her second least favorite thing in the world (second only to waiting for Love Alarm's second season to come out). Natara hated attention. She hated causing trouble. Having anyone's eyes on her made her stomach squeamish, and large amounts of attention tightened her chest.

So, when she saw the girl from her class across the courtyard locking lips with her boyfriend, the first thing she did was turn around and ignore what was happening.

If she pretended she didn't see it, maybe it would disappear. There wouldn't be a big fight, terrible breakup, or any hurt feelings. There wouldn't be commotion or drama. Everything would be okay.

"WHAT THE HELL!??!!" Macey shrieks like a banshee in the middle of the courtyard.

This was something Natara hadn't expected to happen but should have. Her sister was the brave one. She was a total wild card who threw caution to the wind. Macey was the one that didn't blink even if a whole courtyard was staring directly at her.

Which they are. Everyone is.

Oh no...please don't do this... Natara casts her eyes up to the heavens, praying for her sister to not bring the melodrama to real life. It's fine when it's in a show, confined to the comfort of their own home, but it's not okay when it's in the middle of her entire graduating class.

She reaches out to grab the sleeve of Macey's black and white checkered dress but the fabric slips out of her fingertips and Macey sprints across the courtyard. She's fast. Natara doesn't even know how she's so fast. Maybe it's the fact that she's wearing sandals instead of wedges.

"Get him good!!" Natara's mother yells after her, causing eyes to turn in their direction instead of Macey's. 

Natara wishes she could sink into the ground beneath her shoes. Across the field, Macey reaches James and tackles him to the ground, throwing punches at him until a couple of Natara's male classmates pull her off of him. A few of them look like they might really hurt.

"You cheating son of a bitch!!!" Macey screams. This fiasco of a situation almost makes it seem like Macey was the one being cheated on instead of the one standing up for her avoidant sister. She's still kicking and yelling as she's pulled away. 

"You never deserved my sister. I hope you rot in hell!" Macey spits at the ground beside his feet.

"She gets that from you..." Natara's father replies awkwardly, blaming her mother. The truth is, Natara isn't sure where Macey got all of her spunk from, because even though her mother can get a bit feisty she isn't ever that feisty. She's always guessed all the passion came from some long deceased great great great grandparent who was some kind of war tribe leader.

"No, honey, that ain't from me. I don't know what universe that's from." Natara's mother shakes her head as the classmates lug Macey back across the courtyard toward her family. As they drag her, Natara's eyes accidentally slip past her and meet with James's terrified dark brown eyes.

Natara's stomach flips and she jerks her gaze away. Even though she didn't run at him and beat him to the ground, she still feels wounded enough to consider doing it. If she was a braver girl, maybe she would have shown him what's for, but she's never been like that. She likes to avoid conflict and handle stress like this alone, where it can't trouble anyone else.