How The Bad Became Beautiful

Part 25 The Drive To The Lake

Raya's POV:

I take a run-up to the staff lockers and get my things my bag and coat, I grab them both, put down my bag on the floor to my feet and put on my khaki coloured coat, zip it up and then put my bag over my shoulder before heading back downstairs.
When I get to the bottom of the stairs I see Curtis waiting down the stairs for me "thanks Curtis you're a hero" I say, Curtis, smiles bashfully "anything for my favourite co-worker slash little sister slash cousin" says Curtis, I kiss him on the cheek before running off outside. 
Nathan is at the door "you ready?" says Nathan "yeah I guess so" I say "okay then" says Nathan, we take a small walk to the car-park where Nathan's black car is at the moment when we get to the car-park, I walk over to the car with Nathan and we get into the car and Nathan starts to rev the engine and we start to drive away from town.

The first place we go is back to my house "fuck my life I hope my auntie Mollie's not in" I say "why?" says Nathan "she'll make a major fuss if I'm not at work and then again when I told her about you she'd be over the moon" I say laughing Nathan laughs along "anyway babe I'd get changed and we'll get off" says, Nathan "okay then" I say, I open the car door and get out and walk up to my house, I take my keys out my bag and unlock my door, I take a few steps into the house and shut the door behind me there's no noise from the television or to the kitchen where my Auntie Mollie would either be listening to the radio by now like she does and when a good song comes on she'd be dancing 'round the kitchen like a dick I should know I've caught her a few times mainly on my half days at work haha always brings a smile to my face, I head up to my bedroom and start to find some new clothes to wear, I grab a pair of jeans and a grey speckled tee shirt, start to get ready, I take out my hair bobble and let my hair flow before brushing my hair down and start to get my tee shirt on, after the tee shirts on the jeans are next, after the jeans are pulled over my waist, zipped and buttoned up I slide on a pair of Vans grey to match my top, I stare at my reflection in the mirror and just stare at myself I wonder if this is what Narcissus' saw when he discovered himself in a pond or whatever the story was I bet that guy had no insecurities whatsoever, but me my body's sort of I don't know weird I don't like my stomach, my bottoms not to brilliant and neither is my face, the only thing I like about myself is my eyes and my hair but that's as far as me liking myself goes, I add my demin jacket from the other day with Sophia and take one final glance up at my reflection I wonder why is it me that's the most unconfident person I know, then I'll see girls who look like the models that you'll see on Instagram or in shopping centres with their friends and they all have that perfect makeup, perfect outfits and make you feel like you're ugly next to them and it makes you feel ugly, I mean I guess now I do kinda have a thickish skin to deal with whatever I get called but still, I hear a honk on the horn, I grab my work handbag and run downstairs, when I get passed the door I lock it behind me and head back into Nathan's car.

In Nathan's car, I put my bag down on the floor in front of me and put on my seatbelt before Nathan starts the engine and we drive away from my house and take a turn down the right side of the street before we head down to a small road down by the pub further down the road. 

"Should we put the radio on?" I ask "yeah go for it babe," says Nathan, I reach over and put on the radio "that was Impossible by Shantelle and right now I want here's some Bleachers and this is Rollercoaster," says the presenter I always wonder why radio presenters are really over the top and really cartoony when they're on the air but in reality they must have as crappy lives as the rest of us, yeah they'll have boyfriends/girlfriends and kids and some sort of pet you know as you'll see from scrolling on Instagram but deep down they're all the same emotional if they're actually happy its a charade persona and everyone does it and anyone who says they don't is lying in front of your face straight up. I begin to hear the start of the song "this is a great song" I say "yeah not my type of song but seems alright" says Nathan nodding his head a little "yeah so I'm guessing you're not into indie-ish music" I say "yeah just things like Linkin Park, Thirty Seconds to Mars, a bit of rap so Eminem but also a bit of Nickelback" says Nathan listing off just a few artists he listens to  "yeah I can go from one artist to the next so I'll be listening to Bleachers one minute, next minute it'll be something that's in the charts anything as long as it's not Justin Bieber can't stand him" I say "yeah I get that you must be one of the only girls who doesn't listen to him when other lasses love him and I don't know why" says Nathan "yeah babe but I'll listen to Selena Gomez, love Nickelback and alternative so Lord Huron but also I like people like Katy Perry and Little Mix and clubland tunes as well mainly Scooter, I think my all-time favourite though has to be a tie between Demi Lovato and Adam Lambert" I say "yeah so you're quite versatile in what you listen to" says Nathan "yeah, yeah have a huge selection" I say "I reckon you'd like Linkin Park then if you like Nickelback" says Nathan "maybe" I say I look out the window before we talk again "so why aren't you working today?" I ask "I don't work babe due to mental health I can't work so sort of shit really but what can you do?" says Nathan with a shrug, "I thought you worked?" I say "well I'm surprised you have a job if I'm honest as from what my brothers told me that before like if you have bipolar usually you're employment gets terminated depending on how your state of mind is," says Nathan "yeah their lucky as Julia the lady I work for she has the same condition so she gets it one hundred per cent so," I say "yeah I get that, that's another reason I don't work but I get decent money you know babe," says Nathan "yeah I get that," I say "so where are we going?" "one of my best places to visit," says Nathan, I look ahead as does Nathan focusing on the road.