Unforgettable

Part 8

Natalie

I can't stop thinking about him. 

All day, my brain has not stopped thinking about every second we've spent together, replaying every stolen glance or smile. My mind feels muddled, but for once it's for a good reason. Contrary to the muddled-ness that I'm sure will follow after I blurt out the pressing secret of why I'm really here. Why I can't rush into everything, why I need time to work out whatever is currently going on with Casey.

I'm sitting in my room, feet pressed up against the wall, a notebook and pen in my hand. Ideas have been flooding my mind in the few days since I ran into Casey, and I need to write them them all down before they fade. Call me pathetic, but every small look or smile is a moment to me, a moment to be savoured and remembered. Ever since Casey's come back into my life, I can't say I've been starved of those moments either. Hence the urge to write until my hand gives out.

I texted the girls earlier, telling them I needed to talk, and they said they'd meet me here at 5, once their classes and schedules had cleared. Glancing at my phone, I see that it's 4:57, so I close my notebook, throwing it back ontop of the dump that is my desk. My feet return to their comfortable place on my wall, as I close my eyes slowly. I'm ready to tell my friends, I really am, but it still doesn't make it seem any less terrifying.

A loud ping erupts from my phone, pulling me from my thoughts. My eyes flutter open, and I reach my hand across to grab the phone laying on my nightstand. The screen comes to life under my touch, a green message appearing. A goofy smile returns to my face when I see the contact name.

wonder boy: let me guess... youre writing rn

me: just was, i had to write some ideas down before i forgot

wonder boy: wow, you havent changed a bit

me: and you can talk, mr hockey. sorry, the girls just got back and ive gtg, talk to you later :)

wonder boy: haha, very funny. see you later ;)

I close my phone as I hear Lera jiggling the door handle. Casey and I had texted a few times the past couple of days since I'd given him my number, which has only made us feel closer. It's sort of odd, how after all this time of silence, we just seem to click again.

"Hey Nat, how was your day." Lera asks warily, as she drops her stuff down on the floor. Yeah, sending a conspicuous text to the group chat this morning probably wasn't my brightest idea.

"Yeah, pretty good. Classes were okay, how about you?" I ask her, swinging my feet off of my wall and bringing my feet into a pretzel position underneath me.

"Yeah, yeah, good. Are you okay though?" she asks, a sympathetic smile on her face. I simply nod my head, before I hear a jiggle of the doorknob again. Last week, the girls and I 3D-printed each other's dorm room keys, so that we could get into them easily.

Both Persephone and Melanie walk in together, both giving my small smiles as they deposit their stuff on the ground next to Lera's. They silently move to sit on either of our beds, before three pairs of eyes are set on me. I shift uncomfortably, coughing before I find my words.

"Okay, so thanks for everyone being here. Um, I just wanted to tell you guys something, something I feel like friends should tell each other." I begin, swallowing the hard lump that has formed at the back of my throat. "Um, so, it's sort of about the reason I moved here from Chicago. Um, so, as you all know, I had this boyfriend last year while I was a freshman. And, basically, he was a nice guy, well, at the start. He treated me really well, was always really supportive of me, and even started getting to know my mom. I thought, maybe he could be the one, y'know." I take a second to breathe, looking around to see the other girls nodding slowly.