NORP Meets NAT

But Didn't Dodge

"You should get up." A voice said loudly.

Sluggishly turning her head, she groaned and squinted her eyes. Matthew slowly came into focus, smiling and peering over her. She screamed.

"Huh, that's not the typical reaction I usually hear in the mornings—maybe during the night—but yeah, you need to get up. I have to go to work."

"Did we?"

He abruptly lifted the covers. "You're still wearing your dress and underwear. Did you wear any underwear? Maybe I should check."

"Don't!" She gripped the blanket and pulled it up. "Yes, I wore underwear."

"Well, I don't know what sort of stuff you and Grant have been doing, but I remove all articles of clothing. It's a must." He winked.

She blinked up at him.

"Let's get a move on! Wash your face and ... what ever else," his eyes roamed her covered body. "I'd help, but I'm already dressed for work and running late."

When Matthew arrived to her apartment building, he turned and eyed her warily. "You need me to walk you to your apartment? I'm already fifteen minutes late, but what's another ten."

"No."

"Alrighty. You take care of yourself, Nathalie." He waved and sped off once she crossed the street.

A car door opened and closed when she walked to the entrance of the building.

"Nat?"

Confused, she halted. Did she just imagine Grant's voice? He called out her name again. She slowly turned around. With scrunched eyebrows and a disturbed expression, his eyes shifted in every direction.

"Grant? What're you doing here?"

"I ...," his eyes scanned her cocktail dress, up and down and up again. He glanced at the street. "Was that Matthew I just saw dropping you off?"

An exasperated groan escaped her as she clutched her head. "What's it to you?"

His shoulders tensed. "I tried calling you last night, but as usual you refused to answer your phone. There's something I wanted to talk to you about." He paused for a moment and gazed at her.

An expression of mixed and interchanging emotions battled over his features. His eyes wildly searched her face, their azure color swirled and darkened with a storminess.

"Just go." She turned to walk away.

"I think we should talk, Nat."

"Some other time." She reached for the door.

"Damn it! Why do you just keep running away from me? Why do I have to basically hunt you down to speak with you?" He reached out for her shoulder, but she aggressively jerked away from his hand.

"So stop chasing then!"

"Nathalie please! Look, I don't know what happened between you and my brother, why you didn't come home last night or why he just dropped you off, but don't you think you should at least try to talk to me?!?"

"That's rich! What the hell you wanna talk about? Huh? Actually, you know what! Why don't you just go talk to your new girlfriend! GO AWAY!" She entered her building.

"New girlfriend? What are you—no—wait! Nat! Nathalie!" He huffed and stood there for a while. Snapping when frustration built up inside him, he nodded and muttered, "okay, Nat. You want me to go away? You got it. I'll stop pestering you."

I hope Matthew showed you a real good time last night! No ... he wouldn't do that to me; he's not THAT bad. Right? Oh crap, Matthew, you douche! "I'm going to kill him." He looked at his watch and groaned. "Ugh, I have to start my shift! You dirtbag!!" His shoes crunched on the gravel as he yelled with jerky movements and stomped to his car.

Cloudy judgement seized her mind, causing minor mistakes in its wake. Every call felt mundane. Disturbances and disputes seemed trivial. Aggravation swelled inside of her, expanding to the brink of explosion when random civilians droned about their problems and she'd have to pretend to care. It was all torturous and meaningless.

Uncle Joe's was right around the corner, she filed another report and made way to her favorite diner. Upon opening the door, a heavy and tense air from inside barreled into her. An unnerving silence penetrated the otherwise lively place. Something was wrong.

She unholstered her gun and held it forwards. Standing near the cashier was the same young man she arrested months ago. He nervously stared at her, holding what might've been another toy gun.

"You again?" Her arms slightly relaxed, but quickly froze and stiffened when his eyes uneasily darted to her left.

Frantically turning, she looked for the source, but didn't react fast enough. The sound of gun fire blasted from the corner. A sharp and vicious sensation pierced the side of her stomach, rapidly spreading throughout her abdomen. Her finger twitched on the trigger. A bang distantly resonated and pain bored into her chest.

Suddenly, the agony receded, left behind by the increasing weightlessness of her body as the ground beneath gave way. Floating midair in a long free fall, until a faraway cracking and thumping noise sent vibrations to course within her. An inky blackness stained her vision, followed by the comforting unwinding of every muscle.

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