Unedited Chapter Five [1]

       Nathan marched up to his room, feeling a cloud of tiredness over his head. Upon entering his room, he flipped the light switch that was located right beside his door, and the room was instantly illuminated, causing Nathan's eyes to go blind for ten seconds.

       Just like his life, Nathan's room was a little bit messy: a few torn pages crumpled up into a ball and lying on the floor, a few shirts (probably dirty) on the floor beside his bed. The scent of Febreeze knocked his nose; his dad must have been in here.

       He should clean it up.
       He should really clean it up.

       The wind blew, causing his curtain to fly up in the air. Had he left his window open all day long?

       Nathan walked over to his window, pulling the curtain behind him. The neighborhood was dark, and quiet, except for a few cars passing and honking at each other. He sighed as he pulled the window shut. Kat used to come through his window, sometimes, when they were still friends.

       He's surprised that he went five years without ever thinking about her. That kiss... Nathan unknowingly touched his lips, his eyes gazing out the clear glass window. All of a sudden, he violently rubbed it with the back of his hand.

       He swore he could still taste her, and it was very unpleasant.

       "Nate, you're home." Nathan spun around to find his mother standing in his doorway. She stood with a smile, looked very sleepy. When did she wake up? Did she hear him come in?

       Nathan wordlessly nodded, turning back and fumbling with the curtain.

       "Okay, um, I should head back to my place. It's late," he heard her say. "Nathan?" He slowly turned his face around to look at her. He felt less anger, and more fear at that moment. "I asked your father if you could stop by tomorrow—I don't live far from here...— he said it was okay. Would you come over? Visit your mom?" she laughed nervously, "Just for an hour, or something. How ever long is okay with you."

       She sounded nervous; Nathan could tell she was a little afraid, too. The way she wrung her fingers as she spoke, the occasional 'um', even to her eyes fleeting around the room, looking at everything and anything... but him.

       She left him standing in his room, still fumbling with the curtain strings. A sigh escaped his lips, and his shoulders dropped as he let go all of the tension in his body. He heard their voices downstairs, and then a minute after, the sound of a car door slamming shut, followed by the awakening of an engine.
       Nathan watched as his mother drove away into the night. He pulled the curtains one more time, handling it a little more aggressively. He felt the red hot anger pulsate through his veins for no reason at all.

       "Hey," his dad said, standing in his doorway. He should have locked it after she left.

       "Hey," Nathan replied stiffly.

       "So, your mom told you... about the arrangement?" Nathan nodded curtly, his eyes falling to the floor. Why did he keep doing that?

       "It's fine... with me," he said, walking over to sit on the edge of his bed. The awkward silence fell once more, and the temperature went up at least ten degrees. Nathan's color felt itchy, and his palms sweaty.

       His father shuffled his feet, before muttering a simple good night before he vanished into his room. Nathan got up in a hurry to close his door, not wanting anymore awkward encounter with his father. He just wanted to sleep. Yes, sleep sounded so good to him right now. To lay his head on that soft, feather pillow and shut his eyes; to forget all the day's events and all the headache it brought him.

       Kat, Bree, Seth, his mother and father: all unnecessary worries. All he need not think about the moment his cheeks touch the silky smooth covering if his pillow.

       Nathan was accustomed to the ringing of his analog alarm clock to be his rooster, and not being furiously shaken by another human.

       "Dad," he groaned, rolling unto his side, away from the impatient person.

       "Not Dad, dork. Get up!"

       And he got up. He got up and glared (half-eyed) the tall, brunette girl standing beside his bed. She had on large skull t-shirt and blue jeans, her hair up in a ponytail. Her pink lips were turned up into a smirk, with her head tilted to the side.

       "You've been working out," she teased, her chocolate brown eyes glistening in the sunlight that was streaming through his opened window. That's how she got in.

       Nathan went to curse, but his tongue slipped—into her mouth. Or did she trip and fall unto his mouth? Either way, he found himself mumbling profanities into the forced kiss; she was a girl, and he didn't want to hurt her (he didn't really want to hurt anyone), but his anger took over and pushed her roughly off of him.

       "What the fuck are you doing her?" Nathan asked, his eyes burning with red flames.

       "Did you think last night was over?" Kat asked, her last word rolling into a giddy laugh. Nathan stared at her in disgust. He wasn't friends with this girl. This was the creation of society's high standards: the standards he told to fuck off the minute he hit puberty.

       "You should leave," he said, pulling the covers protectively over his lower abdomen. He felt violated enough already; she'd have a ball if she saw him in his boxers.

       "Don't be such a spoiled sport. Bree and I are here to take you to school. C'mon," she said, her cheeks brightening up.

       Bree was outside his house? Right now?

       Nathan hurriedly got out of bed and went towards his window; Kat leaned over him, but Nathan ignored her.

       There she was: standing in a red button up shirt and black knee shorts. It was windy, so her hair was untamed, scattering in all direction. Suddenly, the deafening sound of Kat's voice snaps the girl to their attention.

       "Bree, say hi!" Kat laughed.

       Bree smiled and waved at the two.

       "Good morning!" she called.

       Nathan retreated back into his room and clenched his jaw. He got so tense that his eye lid began to twitch a bit. Kat turned around and leaned against the window sill. She ran a finger along her lips before her eyes darted back to Nathan.

       "My car's outside, and the bell rings in half an hour," she stated.

       Nathan looked at the clock on his nightstand. She was right: it was eight o'clock on the dot, and he was definitely going to be late if he didn't get a move on.

       "I can make it on my own, thanks," Nathan said.

       Bree was standing alone in his front yard.

       "We're already here. Just go shower," Kat now sounded irritated and impatient. She furrowed her perfectly shaped eyebrows and frowned her plump lips.

       From what Nathan could remember, Kat was very stubborn, and he's kind of happy to see that she still kind of is, although at that moment she was being such a pain in the ass. He sighed and pushed past her and out his door.

       "Go wait outside. I do not want you alone in my room, nor in the house when I'm in the bathroom," he said.

      Kat smiled happily and nodded.

      "Not through the window!" He yelled, as she was already one foot out.

       She was still somewhat of a tomboy, too.

       "Is you Dad home?" she asked.

       "He probably already left for work."

       "Mom?"

       "Out!" Nathan ignored her question and pushed her through the front door. He saw her frown before he closed it.

       That was some wake-up call.

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WRITER'S BLOCK

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