This is War

Chapter 27

Chapter 27 - Natalie's P.O.V

The car was in park, my hands tightly gripping my steering wheel as I sat in the school parking lot, a million things running through my mind yet I was still drawing a blank.

How could I tell my friends I was leaving them? The simple answer was I couldn't.

I couldn't bring myself to do it, not without any help.

Surprisingly enough, Noah helped me. Yesterday, when he found me in the park and it started snowing, for some reason he was really concerned as to why I was so sad. And for another, unknown reason, I told him and I wanted to tell him and I felt good telling him.

Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath. It was too late to chicken out; I had already asked my friends to meet me in the library before school started this morning.

Letting go of the steering wheel and giving my hands a break, I huffed before getting out and walking into the school.

Eyes trained on the floor in front of me, I felt as though I had came to a stop in front of the library doors all too soon.

With one more reassuring nod to myself as the words I spoke to Noah flitted through my mind, I stepped in and found all five of my friends sitting at a circular table, whispering among themselves rapidly.

They unanimously stopped the second they saw me.

Kate spoke first with a smile, "Hey, what did you want to tell us?"

Their faces told me they were calm and weren't worried at all, but the whispering they were doing earlier tells me that they were most likely freaking out inside.

I sat down in a chair between Dylan and Logan and sighed, "I have bad news."

No one said anything, so I continued.

"I've known for about a week now and I just didn't know how to tell you guys. I just want you all to know that I love you, okay?"

Olivia placed her hand over top mine from across the table, "We love you, too, Natalie. You know that."

Nodding, I took in a breath and huffed as I prepared to tell them the news.

"I'm moving." Silence. No one said anything and not a single person moved other than Olivia withdrawing her hand from mine. "To Minnesota."

"F*ck!" Dylan exclaimed and sat back in his chair. Kate glared at him. Logan, Margo and Olivia however were still sitting like statues, absorbing what I had just said.

Logan sighed, "That's only, what, five states away? From Pennsylvania?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"We're still gonna go on our summer road trip, though, right? We could just pick you up on the way!" Margo suggested, eyes lighting up at the idea of our annual summer road trip since Dylan got his license after Sophomore year.

Giving a meek smile, I shrugged, "Maybe."

"When are you moving?" Olivia spoke up for the first time since I gave the news, surprising me.

I looked down at my hands in my lap, "Three weeks. Two days after the Winter Formal."

"At least you'll be here for that," She smiled sadly.

Kate started tearing up, "You're going to miss prom! Ever since we were kids we'd talk about going to prom together-- all of us-- and now you're not going to be here!"

"Send pictures," I suggested, though now I was tearing up myself.

We sniffled and crushed each other simultaneously in a hug. Soon enough, our other friends joined in and it was a large, sad yet happy bunch of people hugging in the middle of a high school library.

-

It was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break and everyone was celebrating. Everyone was joyous and thankful and, well, I was moping.

My thoughts either went back to yesterday with Noah, this morning with my friends or the future which would be me moving to Minnesota just a few days before Christmas.

Either way you looked at my life, it was all depressing.

"Perk up, buttercup!" Kate chirped, sidling next to me as I walked to class.

I gave her a half-hearted smile, "Sorry, my brain's just a little preoccupied and muddled right now."

She smiled, "Yeah, I can tell. And I also know what will help!"

"You do?" I asked, ready to groan at whatever she suggested.

Kate nodded energetically, "There's a party this Friday! It's a Black Friday Black Light Party! Ah, I love the theme! You have to come. You're coming right? I mean, this could be your last high school party here, of course you're coming!"

I chuckled at her babbling, "Yes, Kate, I'm coming. Where is it?"

"Jarrett's house at 8!" She announced, blushing as Jarrett's name came up. I rolled my eyes at her. "Oh! And you're coming over my house to get ready so that, A, Nate doesn't kill you and, B, so we can all go together! My parents are out of town again anyways, so you're sleeping over, too!"

"Alright, Kate, breathe," I teased her for her rambling.

She laughed, "See you Friday!"

"Bye!" I waved as she walked into her Physics class.

Sighing, I made my way to the library and sat down at the only empty table by myself. All I really wanted right now was to clear my head and relax.

Too bad Noah Hall didn't care what I wanted.

He slid into the chair across from me, that annoying signature smirk plastered on his face, "So, did you tell your friends yet?"

"Yes," I answered, looking down to my notebook and writing down the next few words for the essay I was writing.

"How's everything going between you guys?" He questions.

"Fine," I tell him, trying to stop my eye from twitching in irritation.

"Look, Natalie," Noah began, "I know that we've had a pretty rough past, and I think that since you're moving, we should put that aside and call it even."

I look up in shock, "What?"

He sighed, nervously fidgeting. Wait-- Noah, nervous? What was going on here? He answered my unspoken question, "I want to start over."

"What do you mean?" I was still confused as I asked this, closing my notebook.

"No more pranks, we can try to be friends, call it a truce," He explains.

I pursed my lips, "You know for some reason I feel like this is a huge trap or a prank."

He shook his head furiously, "I swear it's not."

Giving him a skeptical look, I sat back in my chair with my arms folded over my chest.

"What do you say," He offers out his hand, "Truce?"

Sighing, my will gives.

I take his hand in mine and ignore the warm feeling I'm experiencing, spreading throughout me and nod, "Truce."

∞

a/n: so... did anyone see that coming? yes? no? possibly? I guess we'll have to wait and see if this so called truce is just another prank or a trap.. who knows?! ha ha, well I'm starting to plan out the rest of the story and, this is just a really rough estimate, I'm thinking ten more chapters tops. And I almost forgot to update thanks to the stress of four days of school... So yeah if I forget to update one day please forgive me! And it's my moms birthday so...

SPOILER: let's get our party on!