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I feel myself grin as I let her know I’ll meet her then. I shut off my phone and look up to see Natalie studying me. I set my phone in the center console and turn on the car.
“Sorry about that,” I say. “Any musical requests?”
“I’m good with anything,” Natalie replies.
“So… forcing the squad to do its competition routine to the song you selected since freshman year is just a rumor?” I tease.
Natalie laughs. “Okay, I’ll choose something.”
She fiddles with the controls of the stereo. Some pop song starts playing, and I half-regret saying anything. I only did because I was worried she might ask who I was texting.
“So, how have things been lately?” I ask, keeping my question vague, although I’m pretty sure I already know since she’s riding in my car.
Sure enough, she sighs. “It’s been worse lately.”
Everyone at Alleghany High assumes Natalie and I started hooking up because we’re each other’s natural counterpart. Football captain and head cheerleader. Prom king and queen. Voted Most Popular.
While that was probably part of it, we first connected thanks to our less than idyllic home lives. A few months after my family moved to Alleghany, Natalie appeared when I was playing basketball in our driveway. She admitted to me her mother spends weekdays sloshed, and her father is hardly ever home. She was mostly raised by their housekeeper. I’ve never shared the specifics of my own family’s drama, but enough to let her know I get what it’s like to have a fractured family.
“I’m sorry, Natalie,” I reply. “If there’s ever anything I can do…”
She shakes her head. “It’s fine. I’ll be out of there soon. Maybe that will finally be enough to make my father face the fact his wife is an alcoholic. Are things okay with you?”
“Yeah, they are,” I reply honestly. “I’m barely home these days, so that helps.”
Natalie laughs. “Yeah, that definitely does. I feel like you’ve hardly been around, though. Did you even show up at Josh’s last weekend?”
“I was there for a bit,” I reply. “But I headed out early. We’ve got our game against Glenmont soon, and things are intense.”
Natalie nods. “I get it. If you ever need some stress relief…” She lets her voice trail off suggestively. We haven’t hooked up since the start of the summer, and I’m surprised it’s taken her this long to bring it up.
I debate how honest I should be as I drive along the familiar roads. “I’m not sure that would be the best idea.”
“Did you find a new hookup?” Natalie asks.
“Not exactly,” I hedge. “I’m just not into having sex for the sake of having sex anymore.”
“And that’s all it would be to you?”
“Yes,” I admit. Natalie’s hinted before she would be open to a relationship, and I’ve always danced around the topic. Maeve Stevens has made my answer clear.
“Okay.” She’s good at hiding her emotions, so I can’t help but confirm.
“You’re sure? I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine, Wes,” Natalie says. “Really. I appreciate the honesty. It’s more than most guys can manage.”
There’s no trace of hurt in her voice, but I feel like she’s being more cavalier than she feels. I certainly don’t want to draw the topic out, though, so I let it drop.
“Want to stop for ice cream?” I suggest.
“What are we, five?” Natalie asks. But she’s smiling as she says it.
“I didn’t realize there was an age limit on enjoying ice cream,” I inform her as I pull into the parking lot. She rolls her eyes but hops out of my car eagerly.
We attract a lot of stares as we make our way over to the order window. Boastful as it sounds, we’re probably Alleghany High’s two best-known attendees.
“Ladies first,” I instruct Natalie as we reach the window. She scoffs and then leans forward to place her order. I’d guess the boy working the register is a freshman or sophomore based on the way he stutters and stammers as he takes her order. I give her an amused smile as she steps away, and she rolls her eyes. I order a milkshake, and then follow Natalie over to the green picnic table she selects.
