The Natives

I lay on my stomach on my bed, head buried in the comfort of my pillow. I should have known. Matt's always right. Stupid me, not knowing when to just accept defeat.

I heard my door open, and someone came in, but I didn't look up. I didn't care who was coming to tell me off this time, and I really didn't want it to be Aron. I squeezed my pillow tighter and pretended I was asleep, but whoever it was sat down on my bed.

"Kara, I know you're awake," came a deep voice. George.

I smiled into the pillow, but I didn't say anything.

"I brought you some Twizzlers," George said. "I know how much you like them, and I figured you'd probably like some cheering up."

Still nothing.

"Kara, no one cares that you were wrong," George sighed. "You couldn't have known."

I turned over and looked at him. "Do you know what being wrong feels like, G?" I asked. "Especially when you're wrong and Matt is right?"

George rolled his eyes. "You're such a drama queen," he said. "Even if it was Matt."

I sat up and drew my knees up to my chest. "I just wanted to know for once I'd have something that would work out."

"Why do you need a relationship?" George asked.

"I- I don't."

"You're surrounded by people who love you," George replied. "Isn't that enough?"

I smiled and put my knees down. "You're right," I said. "I'm sorry."

George held his arms out and motioned for a hug. I chuckled a bit, and I took his offer. I sat there in his arms awhile, listening to his heartbeat. He ran his fingers through my hair, and I sighed.

"Thank you, George," I said.

"For...?" George sat up.

"Cheering me up a bit," I replied. "You always do." I smiled and reached for the bag of Twizzlers he'd brought me. "You do realize I'm not sharing these with you, right?"

George shrugged. "Take 'em," he said. "I bought 'em for you."

I leaned up and kissed his cheek, and I whispered, "Thanks, hun."

He shook his head and stood up. Still on my bed, I looked up at him.

"George?" I said.

"Yes, Kara?" George replied.

"If you met your true love, would you know?" I asked.

George was silent a moment, obviously thinking about what to say, but he ran a hand over his buzzed hair. He sighed and looked dead into my eyes.

"There's no such thing as true love," he said.

He half smiled before turning and walking away. I crossed my legs and put my elbows on my knees.

Maybe George was right. Maybe there was no such thing as true love. Maybe I was just being a typical girl- thinking Prince Charming would come and rescue me from this hell. But this wasn't hell. This was LA. This was home.

If true love didn't exist, why did I still feel like my heart was pulling me toward something. I looked down at my bag of Twizzlers and smiled. George was wrong. True love was real. It was right here in my left hand.

"Oh, where have you been?" I said, ripping open the bag of cherry twists.
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"Wow, you made all this?" asked Matt.

I smiled and set the plate of pork chops in front of him.

"Of course I did," I said. I leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Go ahead. Eat one."

Matt's expression turned gray, and I saw him shrink down in his seat. I sat down across from him and put a pork chop on my plate. The other guys- Jordan, George, and Aron- all did the same.

"What's wrong Matty?" I asked. "Not hungry?"

Matt put the last pork chop on his plate, but he didn't touch it. Everyone stared at him, wondering if he was going to eat it, but I just sat there, my chin resting on my hands. I hadn't really done anything to the chops, but I decided to have a little fun with him. His "told-you-so" attitude had put me in a pissy mood, and I wasn't going to take it.

"Dude, seriously," said Jordan. "Eat the damn pig."

"I'm...alright," Matt said, swallowing. He grimaced and looked at the chop again. He cut into it with his knife and took a bite.

He continued to eat, deciding since he hadn't died that it would be okay. I winked at him as he took another bite, but he didn't see. I don't remember him ever looking at me that whole meal.