School Will Never Be the Same

My alarm went off at 7. Top three things I dislike like at the moment. I don’t like alarms. I don’t like seven in the morning. I don’t like getting up early. Top three things I like at the moment. I like Gerard. I like spending time with Gerard. I like shopping. So since they all cancelled each other out, I got up and got ready.

“Natalie, shopping time!” I heard Gee singing at the door while Mikey knocked. He’s a good singer but he denies his talents a lot. I opened the door, this time I was fully ready, minus jacket, like always and like always Gee and Mikey invited themselves in.

“What’s for breakfast Natalie? I hope it involves coffee!” Mikey sat down in the kitchen, I wasn’t aware I was supposed to be hosting this morning. I looked at Gerard to tell me what was going on, he shrugged kissed me on the cheek and then skipped into the kitchen and sat down next to Mikey. I guess it’s a good thing my parents went to work early, like always.

“I’m not the best cook in the world,” I said grabbing a couple of boxes of cereal, milk, bowls and spoons. I put the coffee on as well.

“I thought I was getting something nice and warm,” Mikey sighed as he poured himself cornflakes.

“You’re getting fresh coffee aren’t you?” I said with a smile as I poured three cups. Mikey and Gerard pounced on the stuff while I sipped mine, they had finished their second mug before I had finished my first.

Gerard drove us there, Mikey complained, he was in the back seat, he couldn’t drive in a foreign country, why were there cars driving on the wrong side of the road. It started off as funny but to shut him up Gerard stopped at a starbucks on the way there, I jumped out to get their coffees and my frapacuino. I stood at the table waiting for my order to be placed. I wasn’t watching the door, but I felt a breeze of crisp January air from behind me.

“Well, Natalie, I had no idea you would be here. I didn’t see your car out front.” Max. I took a deep breath. I knew something like this would happen. We had planned it so nothing like this would, so it had to turn out the other way. I would have been suspicious if I it anything else had happened, and it had to be Max. The only way this could get any worse would be if Kayla walked in. “Natalie?”

“What?” I asked walking over to him, so he didn’t call my name out across the shop anymore. “Make it fast, I’m in a hurry.”

“We haven’t spoken in a while, what a week.” Max said with a smirk. “You’ve been very busy.” I knew what he was hinting at so I chose to ignore him. “You know you had it coming Natalie. You bought this upon yourself. Eye for an eye.”

“I know you haven’t been following me, Max, neither has James, I’m not stupid or interesting enough. Why don’t you stop trying to scare me and stop being an asshole, get some new friends, grow a half decent personality and maybe just maybe you will become a half decent human being. I’m going before this coffee gets too cold.” I went to push my way past, by Max stepped in front of me glaring down at the cardboard tray of cups in my hands, he seemed to be considering something for some time, even counting on his fingers.

“So which ones have you ditched, normally it’s the five of you running around, although I have never seen any of you drink coffee and I have hung out at with you guys, while you were dating James.” And I hated him being around my friends, he creeped them out, at the time they got along to keep everyone happy but they didn’t enjoy his company. We had gone to starbucks on the odd occasion, last summer, I had never wanted him there but that was the honeymoon period, I was pretty much willing to do a lot to keep James happy, at that time he was the main thing I cared about, the main reason my friends came with us was because they had complained they hadn’t seen me in a while, so I invited them to come with us.

“It’s none of your business,” I said, I dodged past Max when I customer cam past us to use the toilet. This time he followed me from the building, I couldn’t go back to the car, that would be the worst thing for both Gerard and I right now. I walked straight in front of the car, they would see what I was doing, they would see Max and Gerard would know. I just hoped he wouldn’t flip out over this. He was going to found out about the threatening thing, we’re going to end up having our first argument on our second day as a couple.

“Come on, Natalie, you know you want to talk to me.” Max called out as I tried to think through where I was going to go. I could walk around the block, or just across the street. I needed somewhere Gerard could still see and make sure I was safe though. I wasn’t sure if he would just come right out of the blue and pound Max into a quivering mess though.

“You have a new message for me or something, you been following me, got pictures of me on street corners to show me where I have been going or something.” I asked him turning around to face him, I wanted Max gone for good.

“Well no, James was the one who has been doing the watching, and it’s only a matter of time.” Max smiled.

“Until what? I am a pretty boring bog standard person, so it’s only a matter of time until you get bored with trying to scare me. It’s not working Max, the best thing for you is to get a new best friend, a new personality and then just leave me the hell alone for once.” I shouted at him. I caught the attention of some passersby, but this is England, no stranger would help me in a situation like this. You have to be alone and it be night time to get some help from a nicer passerby.

“You know what I am talking about Natalie,” Max took another step closer to be, he was about to get in my personal space, this time though, no lockers were behind me. “Until we find something we can use. We already know that you and some guy have been hanging out.” I was about to question him to who he thought I was hanging out with. “I know his name isn’t Michael. Yes I have heard about this fake little rumour, we don’t know the guys name yet, but it doesn’t start with an M.”

I was about to respond. I had to put him onto the Michael sent, he couldn’t find out about me and Gerard. That’s the only thing they could use against me, like he said. I didn’t get my chance to respond, I saw Gerard walk up behind Max. Gerard pushed him from behind to the ground and placed one foot on his back.

“Well, well, well, Max, here I thought we had this conversation before. I was under the impression you were not allowed to go anywhere near Natalie. I was under this impression I gave you that very warning personally.” Max winced as Gerard began to press his foot into Max’s back.

“Mr. Way, what are you doing? I was just chatting with Natalie here, we had some catching up to do. We haven’t seen each other in about two weeks. Isn’t that right Natalie?” I stood in silence. Now he’d done it.

“Natalie, would you please go wait in my car, it is parked out front, I will take you home, I want to talk with Max here to make sure he understands the message I have to give him this time.” Gerard said without looking at me, he was angry, that much was certain. I turned and ran to his car. Mikey took his coffee from the back.

“Why’s Gerard beating him up then?” Mikey asked me, he was watching as though he was in his front room watching his television.

“They guy who has threaten me a few times, he’s the best friend of my ex, I just hope he doesn’t hurt him too bad, I don’t want Gerard getting thrown in jail for that piece of utter scum.”