Dream Big (Sequel to Dreamer)

Chapter Fourteen

Tia's POV

"Nathan?" I call out, rolling over in bed. He was already asleep in the other bed. I sigh, crawling out anyways. I climb in on the other side of his bed, just staring at him. I wanted to remember him, I didn't want this to be it. For the past five years he's been right there with me. It was weird seeing him without his nose ring or gages, but he didn't look so worn down without them. I knew he had a bright future, but I also knew that he couldn't see that. "Tia, go to sleep." He mumbled, pulling me to his chest. I closed my eyes, scooting closer. Within seconds, I was out.

I groaned, burying my face in Nathan's chest as he groaned and grabbed his phone to turn the alarm off. We just laid there for a few minutes, holding each other, whether it was because we didn't want to say goodbye or if it was because we were so tired, I'm not really sure, but it was several minutes before we moved. Once we did, I went for my clothes and Nathan put his gages and nose ring in. As I'm changing clothes I hear Nathan begin to cuss and shout. I turn around as I'm fixing my bra to see why. He was staring at me, wide eyed. "What?" I ask, confused. "Well, for starters, you're naked." He tells me bluntly. "You act like you've never seen me naked before." I scoff, grabbing my pants to pull them on. "That was one time!" He defends, and I roll my eyes. "You and I both know that's not true." "Prove it!" He pushes, and I grab my scrap book and throw it at him. "Pages seven through thirteen." I tell him, and he opens it up, flipping through all of the pages that I've kept hidden from my parents. It was every party he'd snuck me to. It was pictures of he and I sharing drinks and laughing, of he and I acting like the couple we were never able to be. It was of every dirty move he made, but we never let it get too far. It was of the time I was dared to run down the street naked, the time I got too drunk and I was dancing naked in the living room, it was the time I went skinny dipping in his pool, and so many other things I know I shouldn't have done, but I did anyways. In every single one of them though, Nathan was there, protecting me. "Who took these?" He asked, and I shrug. "Random friends." I tell him, pulling my shirt on. "Jay, Merry, Matthieu, Jesse, Dylan." I tell him, plopping down on the bed beside him. "And now that we've covered that, when did you get a tattoo?" He asks, flicking my shoulder blade where it lied. I grabbed the book, flipping to the page. Nathan was next to me, obviously drunk out of his mind, getting a tattoo on his back as I got one on my shoulder blade. "Holy shit." He muttered, and I laughed. "It's a miracle what fake ID's and a trip to Georgia can do for you." I tell him, pointing to the person behind us. It was Norman Reedus, Nathan's favorite actor. I slid the picture out, pulling a sticky note out with it. I smack it on to his forehead, shutting the book before I got up and finished getting dressed. Nathan pulls it off his face, seeing Norman's signature on it with his name. "How long have you had these?" He asks, flabbergasted. "Two months." I shrug, pulling my pants on, then look for a matching shirt. "Why are you giving up everything you have here... for some guy?" Nathan asks, and I pause. "Are you serious right now?" I ask him, turning to face him. "Nathan, you know why." I snap, putting my hands on my hips. "Actually, Tia, no I don't." He shoots back, and I scoff. "Just because things didn't work out with Aria doesn't mean all relationships like that won't." "Don't bring them into this!" "DO YOU WANT HER BACK OR NOT?" I scream, and he freezes. "Wh-What...?" He whispers, stepping back. "Do you want Aria back or not?" I repeat, stepping foreword. "When Shawn sent me that spare phone after my parents took mine because they discovered us. As I was looking for jobs in Canada I found her. She's the hiring manager at a daycare I applied at." I tell him, and he puts his head in his hands. "Tia, don't do this." He tells me, and I scoff. "Nathan, what am I doing? I have nothing tying me to Alabama except you." Nathan shakes his head, reaching for his overnight bag. "You have more than that, and you know it." He shoots back, and I roll my eyes. "What do I have Nathan?" I ask, and he angrily yanks his pants on. "Your parents, Chandler, me, your friends, a free ride to college." He rants, and I laugh sarcastically. "Yeah, I totally have my parents when I'm never allowed to leave the house, and stuck there alone nine times out of ten." I start, marching over to my suitcases. "Oh, and don't forget Chandler who loves all the way in Los Angeles, California." I continue, zipping my suitcases. "Oh, and my best friend my parents won't allow me to see! Oh! Oh! And all of my other friends I'm also not allowed to see!" I yell in a happily sarcastic tone. "Holy shit... no wonder you're leaving, Tia." He mutters quietly, looking out the window. "I'm glad you finally see my side." I mutter, grabbing my shoes. "Grab your bags, now." He tells me, rushing over to our things. We both through a backpack on, grabbing two suitcases a piece. In Nathan's case he had his overnight bag added to his load, and I had my purse. Nathan's hat was clipped to it, and we were rushing out the door. I had no clue as to why we were rushing out the door, but I didn't care. "Nathan, our phones." I reminded him, and he stopped long enough to grab them and an envelope from the drawer. I stare at him confused, and he tells me to be silent as we leave. "Put that hat on, and tuck your hair inside it." He instructs, and I do as he says as we leave. "Pretend to be deaf and blind. Don't speak to anyone or look at them directly." He tells me, and I nod. "I'll explain why when we get in the shuttle." He tells me, and we approach the elevators. He pushes a button, and I begin to put my hair up in a very loose ponytail. As the doors glide open Nathan and I scramble on, and I put the hat on once we're settled and he's pushing the button. I put my head down, and the elevator begins to slowly descend. Once I feel it stop, and I hear the doors open, we begin to exit with our things. Nathan guides me over to the front desk, where I hear my parents begin to argue with the clerks about giving the room number for a guest that had given a special request to not be disturbed by anyone on the outside. Nathan whispers something to someone quietly in front of him, and he slides the envelope across the counter. The person whispers back, looking inside. They whisper a few more sentences, and we quietly leave. All the while, I'm sweating bullets due to my fear of my parents seeing me. As we're exiting the front door, I see the shuttle Nathan and I would be taking to the airport. Nathan places me in a certain spot, and he puts all of the bags in the back of the shuttle, except my purse of course. He guides me on to the shuttle, and we sit beside each other in the back corner. "I saw-" he starts, and I cut him off, "my parents, I know. I saw them in the lobby. Oh shit, I see them now." I say, going back to my act of being blind and deaf. I kept my head down as they passed by us, completely unaware of it. Everyone else quickly loaded up, and we were off to the airport. Here comes goodbye...