Falling [ S. HUNTER ]

T W E L E V E

chapter twelve

'OUT THE DOOR'

PEERING OUT HER window, Natalia wraps her arms tighter around herself as she sits criss-cross on her bay window. She watches at her dad slams the car trunk door closed and walks to the driver side as Melissa stares coldly at him.

They share a few heated words at an other before David gets in the car and drives off, not sparing one glance back at the house where Liam and Natalia are.

Her door opens and Natalia turns to see Liam stepping in with a sadden expression.

"He really left," Liam says.

Natalia quickly goes to him, "Hey," she says, squeezing his arm. "It's okay, we'll be okay."

Liam sniffles as he takes a seat on the bay window, Natalia following him. "Can you do the thing?"

Natalia lightly laughs as she nods, "Sure."

Liam lays down, placing his head on her lap as she runs her fingers through his curly hair. She begins softly singing, just like when they were kids and Liam wouldn't sleep unless she sang to him.

"Estrellita que al brillar, me pregunto cómo estás, arriba en la inmensidad, un diamante celestial, estrellita que al brillar, me pregunto cómo estás." She finishes and Liam is safely asleep in her laps.

She smiles at her twin before staring at the spot where her father's car used to be.

•

Shawn and Cory where in class, Natalia's seat unusually empty like it has been lately this last week.

The bell rings and the two boys are the first to exit the class. Shawn immediately darts to Natalia's locker, putting in her combination and opening it.

"You know her combination?" Cory asks with raises eyebrows.

"Of course I do," Shawn says as he riffles through it.

"Do you even know your own combination?" Cory asks

Shawn pauses, "...Not the point, the point is that Nat's been ditching classes."

Cory leans closer to Shawn, the latter holding onto papers. "How do you know?"

Shawn holds up the papers, closing the locker door. "These are warning slips," Shawn answers as they walk away from the locker.