Unfolding

Chapter 40

This Is So Much Better

"Realize that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the now the primary focus of your life." – Eckhart Tolle

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"I cannot believe prom is two weeks away!" Caroline all but squealed as she sat down during lunch. "There is so much to do – I still need to book a photographer and I think I figured out who's going to do my hair and makeup, but I still need to get a pair of shoes."

Looking up from my phone, I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Breath, Care." Brooke rolled her eyes, shoving a forkful of pasta in her mouth.

Caroline shot her a glare. " I cannot breath when there is still so much to do!" She let out an exasperated breath. "And Natalie – you still haven't gotten your dress, have you?"

"That's because I'm not going." I replied going back to scrolling through my instagram feed.

"WHAT?" Caroline's high pitch voice shrieked, making the surrounding tables turn to look at us with curiosity gleaming in their eyes.

"I said, I'm not going to prom." I repeated, glancing up to meet her intense gaze.

"I heard what you said!" She snapped. "But you can't be serious."

"Why don't you want to go?" Aiden asked from next to me.

"Because she's clearly lost her mind." Caroline scoffed, continuing to glare at me from across the table.

"I for one," Brooke smirked. "Support Natalie's decision one hundred percent."

"Oh here we go!" Caroline threw her hands up. She looked like she was close to leaping across the table to strangle Brooke and I.

"I'm not going because I don't want anything to do with this biased and preferential school administration." I stated. "Plus, it's six hours of being surrounded by people I quite frankly do not like."

I've never been a fan of school – in fact, after third grade I began to develop a very strong dislike towards school that lasted until now. Following the incident with Mr. Newman, it's like something in my brain snapped and made that already strong dislike develop into a sort of hatred.

I mean, what the fuck was the point of working so hard only to have it basically thrown in your face?

I've been half-assing all of my assignment since then, and I was okay with that.

I've also never been one of those girls who is obsessed with prom. It was always something I thought I'd attend, but then again I also thought I had the Taylor Scholarship fund in the bag.

Looks like things always have a way of surprising you.

"I'm offended, Buttercup." Lucas chimed in from where he was sandwiched in between Brooke and Caroline. "I thought I was your favorite person at this school."

"Keep dreaming." Aiden snorted.

"The first step towards acceptance, is denial." Lucas continued to egg him on.

"No –" Aiden glared at him. "The first step will be my foot up your ass."

"Is that jealousy I see, Aiden?" Brooke smirked.

"It's not a good look babe." I nudged him playfully, looking up at him only to be met with his piercing gray eyes already on mine.

"Can we get back to the real problem at hand?" Caroline cut in. "You can't just abandon us at prom Natalie!"