Mutiny Below

Natalia

I can only describe that dinner in one word: awkward.

As we all sat down at the table, I could just feel the tension hanging in the room. It was completely silent except for the noise of forks clanging against plates. I sat beside Nick and across from Jayce but I didn't look up much. The only times I did look up, I looked over at Nick, who was looking back and forth between John and Jayce. He had this look on his face that I couldn't decipher; I know my brother pretty well but I'd never seen that look before. I felt so relieved when we finally went back to Eric's.

Nick woke me up to let me know that he and Eric would be out doing band things and that he had his cell phone if I needed him. Once he left, I couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to get up and take a shower. Once I dried my hair, I pulled on some skinnies and my favorite v neck even though I would just be sitting in the house- well, apartment- all day. I stole some of Eric's frosted flakes from the cabinet and made myself a bowl. But of course, I made sure to wash the bowl and all the other dishes that were piled up in the sink.

Since I had nothing to do, I grabbed Nick's Macbook off the coffee table where he'd left it. The first thing I did was open up itunes and put it on shuffle. Then I checked my email and such. One of my emails said that my grades for the past semester had been posted so I logged into my account. Straight A's. I was replying to an email from my favorite professors when my phone began to ring. It was a text from Nick.

Have fun today, sis :)

I stared at my phone for a minute. Have fun. Doing what? Sitting here on his computer all day? Yeah, thanks for that, bro.

I finished the email and sent it before going back to delete all the spam mail I'd gotten. When the doorbell rang, I groaned but got up to answer it anyway. Imagine my surprise when I came face to face with John O'Callaghan.He looked really adorable.

"Hey."

"Eric and Nick aren't here."

"I know. I'm here to take you out."

"Um...huh?" I stood there confused and he laughed at my expression.

"You're hanging out with me today."

"Why?"

"So you'll know more people in town than just your brother. Come on."

I just stood there looking at him. Was he serious? A day of just me and him? I wasn't so sure about that one.

I must remind myself to kill Nick later.

"Well, are you going barefoot or are you gonna go get some shoes?"

His words seemed a bit snippy but when I looked up at his face he was grinning. I sighed and went to grab my sandals that were by the couch where I'd taken them off the night before. I slipped my feet into them then grabbed my cell phone, dropping it into my bag as I walked back to the door where John was waiting.

When we got outside, I noticed there was no car. He began following the sidewalk away from the complex so I fell in step behind him. His legs were long so every step he took, it took me two. He was pretty far ahead of me when he turned to say something and noticed how far behind him I was. He stopped in order to let me catch up to him.

"Damn, you walk slow."

"It's not my fault you're a giant and have long legs."

He chuckled and began to walk slower to stay in step with me.

"Look, I'm sorry about the other night at the party. I was kinda drunk and I don't know what the hell I'm doing when I'm drunk."

I nodded wordlessly as we continued to walk.

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see."

He gave me a sly look but I just looked down at my feet. We walked through a small park into town and continued along down the sidewalks in front of the stores there. John stopped suddenly, grabbig my arm and pulling me into a building. The air conditioning that surrounded my body was a welcome change from the hot Arizona sun. I looked at my new sorroundings. An animal shelter?

"Jared's cousin works here. Nick said you loved animals."

"Yeah, I do."

He smiled and pulled me over to the counter where a short redheaded girl was flipping through a magazine. When we approached the counter, she looked up and smiled.

"Oh, Hey John. Ready?"

"Yes ma'am. Lead the way."

She walked around the counter and led us to a rather large room, lined with various sized cages containing various sized puppies. While John talked to Jared's cousin, I walked around the room looking at all the puppies. Some looked severely malnourished and others looked somewhat agressive. I was standing in front of a beagle puppy when John came up behind me.

"Ready?"

"For what?"

"We're gonna help her give them baths."

"Oh. Sure." I took my bag off my shoulder and set it in the corner then followed John over to the large tub that the girl had been filling with water.

We ended up washing around twenty dogs and by the time we had finished, we were both completely drenched. On the way home, we stopped for ice cream in the park. I got a fudgesicle and followed John to an empty picnic table under a shade tree.

"So who put you up to this?"

"Up to what?"

"Hanging out with me. I know it wasn't your idea. If it was Nick, I swear, I'll-"

"It wasn't Nick."

"Then it was probably your girlfriend, wasn't it?"

"Why do you think someone put me up to this? Isn't it possible that maybe I actually wanted to hang out with you?"

"No, not really."

He chuckled and took a bite of his ice cream.

"Natalia, can I ask you a question?"

"That depends."

"Why are you so withdrawn?"

"I don't know....I guess, I figure the fewer people you let get close to you, the smaller your risk of getting hurt. And since Nick is all that, I know I don't have to worry about it."

He shook his head. "You gotta learn to trust people, Nat."

"I know better than that, John."

"Okay, so some people are just gonna be trouble. But if you don't put yourself out there, you're gonna miss out on so much."

"If I put myself out there, I'll just be hurt and disappointed."

"Yeah, people are gonna hurt you sometimes. Some will let you down, dissapoint you, make you lose faith. But then you find people who actually care. People who wouldn't dream of hurting you. And all that hurt and disappointment. You find out-- it's all worth it in the end. You just gotta take the risk."

I didn't really have any kind of response to that so instead of saying anything, I just finished my ice cream. He sat there looking at me for awhile but then he finally stood up.

"I better get you back before your brother has a stroke."

"It's not like we've been gone that long."

"Nat, I picked you up like six hours ago."

Six hours? I'd been with him for six hours? Strangely, I felt somewhat comfortable with him. Considering the only other person I felt comfortable around was Nick and he was my brother.

When we reached Eric's apartment, John went right in with me behind him. Nick and Eric were sitting at the table, both on their computers. Nick looked up when we came in.

"Dude, finally. I thought you kidnapped her. Why are you soaking wet?"

John rolled his eyes. "Later dudes." He began to walk out the front door but Nick told him to wait up and he followed him outside. Probably to thank John for baby-sitting me all day.

I tossed my bag into the chair and curled up on the couch but Eric insisted I come sit with him at the table.

"So did you have fun today?"

"Yeah, surprisingly."

"Good. Maybe now you'll actually begin to like it here."

He grinned and I gave him a small smile in return.

Yeah, maybe. Except John has a girlfriend.