048 | meet up

"You will become miserable, Margaux."

**

Natasha could hear her heavy breaths, fast thumps on her heart, and feel the sweat on her skin that turned cold. She thought she would die at that moment, but it was all a bad dream, and she was alive.

She was startled when she heard a loud sound. It turned out that the sound came from her phone. She breathed in and out to calm herself down, held her phone, and then unlocked it to see what was it about.

She saw that Cassie sent her a message.

✉️ Guess we'll crash here. Our place. Let's meet at Grace Park.

💬 Got it.

She locked her phone, placed it back on the nightstand, and then stood up from her bed. It was time for her to make her bed, so she did.

She realized that woke up at the right time before her alarm did when she saw the time on her phone. She guessed that Bryan and Diana were up and both were downstairs. She went out of her room and then descended the stairs.

Bryan heard that someone went downstairs, so he peeked and then saw Natasha. "Good morning, Dear!"

"Good morning as well, Pops!" she greeted, but then she noticed that Bryan was here, but not Diana. "Mum's not up?"

Bryan shook his head. "No, not yet."

She couldn't wait for the breakfast that Bryan was preparing since she inhaled the delicious aroma. She sat down on the chair, waiting for breakfast to be done.

While she waited, she recalled the bad dream she had. It was worse than before. For some reason, she couldn't breathe when that happened.

"Dear?" she returned to earth when she heard the voice of Bryan.

She didn't want Bryan to see her spacing out or else he would be concerned, but it was all too late.

She chuckled dryly. "I spaced out, huh."

"You did," Bryan answered and then placed the plate in front of Natasha. "Eat well, Dear."

She beamed. "I will, Pops!"

Bryan smiled when he saw Natasha loved to eat what he cooked. As he thought, a smile on her lips suited her the best.

He recalled that Natasha spaced out earlier, so that concerned him. He wanted to ask what did she think of, but he decided not to. He would wait for her to tell it, but if the situation got worse for her, he would ask her about it.

"Sorry if I didn't tell you or Mum earlier, but I will be late home after school," she paused eating.

"Why is that, Dear?" Bryan asked.

"Cassie and I planned to have a group study at her home, Pops," she answered.

"Take extra caution, both of you, all right?" Bryan knew how dangerous the world could be.

She nodded. "We will, Pops."

"Tell Cassie that Diana and I will anticipate her visit to our home again," Bryan said.

She chuckled. "All right. I will, Pops."

Bryan hugged Natasha and then stroked her hair. "I love you, Dear."

She smiled. "I love you too, Pops."

**

"You don't have club activities for today, Liam?" she asked.

Liam shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Looks like I can't go home with you for today," she said.

Liam wondered what she had to do for today that she couldn't go home with him. "Your reason?"

"I will study with my friend," she answered.

"So that's what it is," Liam said.

She waved her right hand. "See you tomorrow, Liam."

"See you—" Liam didn't have a chance to finish what he had to tell.

She went out of the classroom in haste. Going to Grace Park was just a walking distance from Smith High, so she didn't mind walking.

He heard that the classroom door opened, so he looked who it was, and then he blinked as soon as he saw who was it. "Senior Ezekiel?"

"Alone, aren't you?" Ezekiel asked.

"I am, Senior Ezekiel," he answered.

Ezekiel sighed. "Looks like you are alone, and I am too, so... what a combination."

He recalled that he often found Ezekiel alone when he went out of Smith High since most of Ezekiel's circle of friends were either busy in their personal lives or involved in a romantic relationship with someone.

He wasn't sure about what Ezekiel implied, but he had his assumptions. Still, it was better to ask the person. "Something tells me you want a pal to hang out with, Senior Ezekiel."

"You get it, Liam!?" he couldn't believe that he could see how Ezekiel overdid his tears, almost similar to crocodile tears.

He nodded. "Somehow."

"So, do you want to hang out with this pal, Liam?" Ezekiel asked.

"Let's hang out, Senior Ezekiel," he answered.

**

She went to Grace Park as Cassie told. She looked around if Cassie was there, but Cassie was nowhere to be found.

She gasped when someone hugged her from behind. "Nat!"

Based on the voice, it was Cassie.

"You've scared me, Cass!" she wondered where did Cassie manage to hide.

Cassie giggled. "I wanted to make a surprise!"

She would call the surprise successful. "Yeah, and you did it well, Cass."