Phantom

Chapter 21: Star
“Are you free after school?” Lawren asked the next day at sixth period, Spanish. “Because I was wondering if you wanted to hang out.”
“Yeah, I guess I am. Where are we going to go?”
“We can walk to Cowen Park if you like.”
“Sure,” I said and smiled.
I told Nathan that I was going to be hanging out with Lawren while we packed up our things at our locker to see if he’d object.
“Go ahead!” He said and smiled. “Let me take your things to your house.” He pulled my bag off my shoulder.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
He sighed then laughed. “Yes, Natalia! What do you want me to say? ‘No! Don’t go hang out with your best friend’? Now, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I said that?”
“You’re right,” I sighed. “It’s just that this whole transformation of your attitude toward Lawren is a bit weird.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“Of course I like it! You know, this is what I love about you.”
“The fact that I’m letting you hang out with Lawren?”
“No, it’s the fact that you consider my feelings. I love you,” I said happily.
He chuckled. “I love you, too.” He pressed his lips against mine and I wrapped my arms around him.
Someone cleared their throat behind me and I reluctantly pushed Nathan off. “Oh! Hi, Lawren. I thought you were a teacher.”
“Are you ready to go?” He asked.
“Yup,” I said, popping the “P”.
“Bye, Nathan,” I said, holding both his hands and smiled.
“See you later, my love,” he murmured and kissed me once more.
Lawren exaggerated his sigh from behind me. We both ignored it.
“You know, this is the first time in a long time I won’t be with you,” I murmured.
He chuckled. “It’s going to be weird without you even if it is going to be for a couple hours.”
I smiled. “Well, I got to go now. Lawren is getting impatient,” I whispered. I leaned in to give him another kiss.
“Run back to me, my love,” he whispered.
I felt my face turn a deep red and I smiled.
“It’s not like you two are leaving each other forever!” Lawren groaned.
I waved at Nathan and turned around to face Lawren.
“Take care of her, Lawren,” Nathan called from behind us as we were walking toward the exit.
Lawren stuck his hand up in the air and waved once.
“So, whats up? How’d your Summer go?” Lawren asked as we walked off campus.
“My summer went… great,” I lied. “Lots of fun.”
“Did you go anywhere special? I went over to your house once and your sister said you weren’t home.”
“Oh… uhm… I went on a road trip with Nathan.” I tried not to tell him or anyone the truth about anything. Keith said that if anyone knew the truth about the littlest thing, they can be in danger because of what they know. I knew I shouldn’t lie to Lawren since lies and dishonesty was the key of everything falling apart many months ago but I had to follow Keiths orders.
“To where?”
I shut my eyes tightly and turned my head away from him. “Ephrata, Washington!” I shouted out.
He stared at me. “That’s cool!” He shouted out as well, mocking me. “Never heard of it though. What’d you do there?”
“So how’d your summer go, Lawren?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Uh… okay?” He said confused. “My summer was alright. Could’ve been better, you know?”
“And why is that?”
“Because I didn’t spend it with my best friend!” He sang and put his arm around me.
I laughed. “I have to admit, I missed you over the Summer even though we only live two houses away from each other.”
“I missed you, too,” he said.
We walked around the bicycle trail at the park. The sun was still out and it was still slightly warm but not as warm as it was before. Autumn was coming in pretty quickly.
“So… who are the Vanburens?” Lawren asked.
“Uh… what?” I asked.
“Yesterday, you said that Maddie might be a Vanburen. Who are they?”
“Oh, they’re nobody. Just… my family on my uncles wifes side.” I waved my hand in the air like it was nothing important. This was another lie. My uncle Ned didn’t even have a wife.
“You never told me about them before.”
“I never even told you about my uncles wife, Lawren,” I said and laughed.
“Oh, right,” I said to himself.
“You know, I don’t like the new game your boyfriend is playing,” Lawren said, changing the subject which I was absolutely fine with.
“Game? What game?”
“That whole aristocrat act. It’s so fake! Even you could see right through him.”
“Lawren, you’re being ridiculous. It’s not an act it’s just Nathan being Nathan. That’s how he is. He is a gentleman.”
Lawren scoffed. “Okay, Natalia. Whatever floats your boat. Just tell your boyfriend that two can play at his game.”
“Being a gentleman isn’t a competition, Lawren. Why can’t you just accept the fact that Nathan is willing to get along with you?”
“Because it’s not a fact it’s a lie he’s portraying. He’s trying to make me look stupid!” Lawren cried out and threw his arms up in the air.
“Lawren, you’re making yourself look stupid,” I hissed and looked down.
“You’re right!” He agreed. “This is just the type of thing he was planning all along! Oh, he’s good….”
“You’re physco,” I muttered and started to walk away.
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” Lawren said, catching up with me.
“Really?”
He sighed. “Yes.”
“So, how is the dress coming along?” I asked.
“It’s looking really good but I’m sure it’s going to look even better on the girl who’s going to wear it.”
“Are you serious?!” I squealed. “Who’s the girl, Nathan? You have to tell me!”
“You’ll see who she is on prom,” he sang.
I sighed. “That’s in so long! I’m your bestfriend so you should tell me now.”
“All I’m going to tell you is that she’s beautiful.”
“There are so many beautiful girls in our school, wait she does go to our school, right?”
He smiled and nodded his head. “But there is only one girl who’s beautiful through my eyes.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet. She must be really lucky.”
He smiled to himself. “She’s a star in the sky.”