In My Dreams It's Me And You

Brian's POV

Those few words Nathalie said to me were all she said over the next two weeks- no one could get her to speak, not even simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. In fact, she didn’t do much at all. If we asked her to sit with us then she would, but unless we did she would just spend all her time in her bedroom, sitting beside her window and staring out of it.

“Nat, please eat something,” Chloe begged, looking up at her from the floor while she sat on the couch in the front room.

Zack and I exchanged looks as Nathalie just stared listlessly down at her friend, still silent. For the past two weeks we had decided to stay here instead of back at his since we both felt that we should, especially considering the time. Also even though it was Zack that was here for Chloe she also wanted me around as well, since for some reason I was the only person Nathalie decided to speak to- or rather, was the last person to.

My gaze soon strayed from the silent argument between the pair to the row of photos lined by the window. There was a gap for the photo frame I broke right in the centre of them, reminding me of something I was meant to do before.

“You watch them, I'm just going upstairs,” I said to Zack as I got up, walking up the stairs in the hall to Nathalie’s room.

Over the time I had spent here pretty much half of my wardrobe now lived here, mainly thanks to Zack not wanting to go back to his each day to get more things. I reached into the half-empty bag (since most of my stuff was now lying on the floor) and pulled out the newly fixed frame, courtesy of a shop in the mall.

I gently eased off the back and carefully slipped the photo behind the glass, making sure that I didn’t accidentally tear off a corner of the picture. It wouldn’t do any good to make anything worse now, even though they didn’t seem to be able to.

When I went back downstairs I found Zack waiting out in the hall with the door closed, his hands delved deep into his pockets. “Zack, what’s wrong?”

He shrugged. “Just another of those times.”

As if to emphasise this Chloe’s voice suddenly broke out, her strained screams enough to make both of us recoil. Deceiving as it was she wasn’t angry with her friend- just concerned. We all were.

“For God’s sake Nat, what are you thinking?” Chloe cried. The erratic tone in her voice made it evident that she was near tears. “It’s been two weeks now! You can’t carry on like this.”

Outside, Zack and I exchanged looks. This conversation had been repeated so many times over the past week, more over the last couple of days.

“Are you not going to talk to me?” Chloe asked flatly, her voice now sounding hollow from guilt. “I can’t change what has happened, but if I could I would. I know how it must feel-”

Nathalie quickly cut her off, speaking in a dark whisper, “How can you know how it feels?”

These were the first words to her friend since the night back at Zack’s a couple of weeks ago.

“What?” Chloe’s anger instantly dissipated at the sound of her friend’s voice, the shock of hearing it after so long and so suddenly.

“You don’t know how it feels,” She continued, her tone while angry conveying sorrow as well. “All you have to do is take a cab! Stop trying to understand what you never can.”

“Nat...”

“Don’t Chloe. Just... don’t.”

The door opened and Nathalie walked out, soon disappearing down the hall leaving Chloe standing alone within the room. Her frame slowly began to shake as large tears formed in her eyes, falling just as her legs finally gave way underneath her and she dropped to her knees. Zack was at her side in an instant, easing her back onto him so that she leaned against his chest. He rocked her slowly in his arms as I glanced down at the photo I almost forgot I had in my hands, wondering exactly how this small thing managed to cause so much trouble.

After Chloe had calmed down Zack passed her a couple of tissues before walking back to me, concern flashing in his eyes. “You better go see what is up with Nathalie; you seem to be the only one she listens to right now.” He paused to glance back at Chloe as she brought the already sodden tissue to her cheeks, ultimately unable to keep the tears at bay. “I don’t like seeing her unhappy.” He turned back to me. “You know what I mean.”

Reaching over he squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, giving me a quick nod before returning to the sobbing female. It didn’t take long until I acted on his instruction and followed where Nathalie had gone, finding her sitting alone on a swing in the back garden. She looked so small and childlike as I took the seat next to her, swinging lightly with my legs.

“I guess there isn’t really a point in asking if you are alright,” I stated, stealing glances at her from the corner of my eye every few seconds. “I can see the answer to that myself but don’t worry; you don’t have to talk to me. Just listening is alright.”

I saw a small smile the next time I looked at her, at least giving me a hint that I was saying something right. You know about a week ago, when Zack and I went back to get some stuff, I picked something up for you.”

Leaning over I placed the fixed frame on her lap so that the faces smiled up at her. “Well technically I didn’t, the guy in the shop did but-”

“Thank you.”

Balancing the frame carefully on her lap she glanced down at it with a smile, trailing her fingers over the protected grins. “I don’t know why fate let me meet someone like you.” She curled her hands around the gift protectively as she raised her gaze to mine. “You are far too good for me.”

“Yes I am.” Her smile faltered as I said that so I reached over and grabbed her swing, twisting the chains holding them together so we remained close. “But for you, I think I'll overlook it.”

Even though she remained silent the smile returned, allowing her eyes to slowly drift back to the photo. The feeling that everything was much more than it appeared constantly bugged me as I watched her, but seeing her smile was all I could ever ask for. I didn’t want to take it away by asking her any unwanted questions.

“It’s not fair you know,” Nathalie murmured after a while, kicking her legs out and swinging the both of us gently.

“What isn’t?”

“This. Before. Everything,” she answered with a sigh. “Ever since we met all you have been doing is looking after me like I'm some damsel in constant distress.”

I merely smiled at her as I wrapped my arm around the chains and curled my body around them in order to look at her head on. “And what makes you think that it is unfair? Maybe I like acting the heroic knight from time to time.”

A light pink dusted her cheeks as she turned away, obviously trying to hide it from me. She twisted herself in the swing so that it untangled itself from mine, allowing her to kick her legs out fully and start gaining height. “You’re mad, Gates.”

I watched her for a few moments before joining her, catching her attention just as we both swung forward. “Not as much as you Taylor. Not as much as you.”