The Flood Is Getting Closer
thirteen
We were near the Fresno town line when I told Natalie to pull over at the local Rite Aid. “Why are we stopping” She asked as I ran out of the car. Bryan and Craig also stopped. “You all don’t need to follow me” I shouted going inside to purchase a beverage. My eye or head was killing me and I still had plenty of pain killers. “Are you ok” Max came in as I reached for a Gatorade. “I’m fine” I lied. “Liar seriously it’s ok I can’t stand Mabbit right now either” He said. “It’s not him” I walked up to the register. “$1.25” The store clerk said. Max threw down $2 and got his change back. “Anyways I can have Rob drive with Mabbit and Natalie can go with my sister and Bryan if you’d like” He said. I shrugged. “I just need to get rid of this throbbing” I said. I popped two in and down it with the Gatorade. “Alright I’m driving” Max came back over to me. I looked at Natalie who was talking to Katie and Rob getting into Craig’s car. “Thanks” I smiled faintly.
Max’s POV
I got into the driver’s said and noticed Scottie’s cell phone beeping, a text message from Gabe. “Your brother” I handed her the phone. “Read it will you” She laid back into the seat closing her eyes. “He says ‘Scooter don’t worry about seeing dad until tomorrow night. See you at the house’” I said. “Oh good that’s much better” She said. “I don’t mean to pry but…” “I haven’t spoken or seen parents in three years so yeah stressful and on top of that my eye problem” She chuckled. “So I guess you’re not introducing me to them?” I teased. She lightly punched my arm. It didn’t take long to reach Scottie’s house or brother’s house well the place we were staying at. “Hey wake up” I nudged her. Scottie sat up and looked at me. “Let’s go see my brother” She got out.
Natalie’s POV
“You guys know Scottie’s brother is Gabe Saporta right?” I said as we got out of the car. “I saw a photo of her and him didn’t realize they were related” Katie said. “Oh” I said as we got out of the car. Scottie was at the door looked like she was waiting. The door open and a guy wearing a pair of dark jeans no shirt and fedora answered the door. “You look great nice eye Rocky” He hugged Scottie. “Natalie come over here and meet my brother” Scottie waved me over. “Hey” I said. I tried stare. She was right about him. “Come inside guys come on” He said to use. I followed Gabe into the kitchen where Katie was sitting on a bar stool. “Want a drink girls?” He asked us. “Yes diet anything” Katie said. “You dear?” He looked at me. “Diet whatever” I mumbled.
Scottie’s POV
The girls got settled into the house with my brother as I helped the guys unload the cars. “What’s wrong Mabbit looks like you just met Death” I teased. “Oh shut it Scottie” He snapped. “Oh touchy are we” I said. “Fuck off” He walked towards the house. “Pussy” I shouted after him. He stopped and came back over to me. I smiled. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you” He said. “I mean it’s quite amusing to see you get so jealous over Gabe” I said. "Oh whatever Scotti, if she does hook up with him then at least I'll know she is a dirty little whore!" He said. I had to control my anger right there. Natalie had become pretty much one of my best friends over the month or so that I had known her. She was like family to me and no one calls anyone close to me a whore. "Grow the fuck up Mabbit, what about when we hooked up a year ago I guess that makes you a whore." I said knowing it would hurt him. "That isn't fair Scotti you know what happened." He said. "Yea you kicked me to the curb for the next girl that came along which if I remember is what you done with your ex girlfriend when you met Natalie, does she know you wasn't single when you met her in the bar that time?" I said. "No but she does now." Came an English accent. We both looked towards Bryan’s car and saw Natalie holding her bag. "Oh shit sorry." I started. She smiled and shook her head. "Don't sweat it babe, I'm so over it anyways." She said and walked back into the house. Craig groaned and shook his head; he grabbed his bag and slammed the trunk shut then went back into the house. I rolled my eyes and went into the house myself. I saw Natalie stood there looking upset but trying to cover it up. I knew when she was not happy. Biting her nails, looking at anything but Craig or anyone else for that matter. I'll have to have a talk with her. I looked at Gabe and saw him frowning at Natalie, he knew something was up that was where I got it from, he was just like me.
Natalie's POV.
I sat down on a chair in the garden by myself having a smoke when I heard the door open. Gabe walked out, he was wearing a shirt now. "Mind if I join you?" He asked. I shrugged and he sat on the chair opposite me. "So which one of those guys is causing all this." He said pointing to me. "I don't know what you mean." I said looking down. "I'm not stupid honey I know when someone is upset and it's written all over you." He said. I sighed and shook my head. "It's all stupid anyways." I said looking at him. He gave me a half smile and shook his head. "If it's bothering you so much that you came out here for a secret cry and smoke then it is hardly stupid is it?" He said. I shrugged my shoulders. "It's Craig." I said looking back down at my hands. "He broke up with you?" He asked. I shook my head. "We wasn't even going out, the moment I met him I just fell for him, he was gorgeous and not to mention he was an awesome person to be around. He thought I didn't like because I used to get all shy around him but he just asked me on day so I told him that I did like him but I just get shy and he kissed me. We hung out for a few weeks and stuff and then today in the car he just turned against me, got max to swap cars so he didn't have to be with me and I just don't get what I done wrong and to top that I over heard that he and your sister had a thing a year ago, oh my god," I said realizing what was happening. "He is in love with your sister!" I said. "If that was the case wouldn't he be mad at Max and not you?" He said. I shrugged. "Look Nat, I am sure there is an explanation for acting the way he is you just have to hold you're head high and make him think you don't give a fuck about him." He said. "But I do give a fuck about him!" I protested. "Yeah but he doesn't have to know that does he?" He said. "Yeah you're right thanks man." I said standing up. He stood up too and pulled me into a hug which took me by surprise. "He's looking at us make sure you smile when you pull away from me." He whispered. "I don't think that will make it better." I said. "Yea but it will make him feel as shitty as you have and might make you feel a tiny bit better." He said. I laughed and pulled away. Craig was standing there with an unamused look on his face. I raised my eyebrows at him and shrugged. "Sorry dude didn't see you there." I walked right past him and back into the house removing the smile when he couldn't see my face.
Max’s POV
I got into the driver’s said and noticed Scottie’s cell phone beeping, a text message from Gabe. “Your brother” I handed her the phone. “Read it will you” She laid back into the seat closing her eyes. “He says ‘Scooter don’t worry about seeing dad until tomorrow night. See you at the house’” I said. “Oh good that’s much better” She said. “I don’t mean to pry but…” “I haven’t spoken or seen parents in three years so yeah stressful and on top of that my eye problem” She chuckled. “So I guess you’re not introducing me to them?” I teased. She lightly punched my arm. It didn’t take long to reach Scottie’s house or brother’s house well the place we were staying at. “Hey wake up” I nudged her. Scottie sat up and looked at me. “Let’s go see my brother” She got out.
Natalie’s POV
“You guys know Scottie’s brother is Gabe Saporta right?” I said as we got out of the car. “I saw a photo of her and him didn’t realize they were related” Katie said. “Oh” I said as we got out of the car. Scottie was at the door looked like she was waiting. The door open and a guy wearing a pair of dark jeans no shirt and fedora answered the door. “You look great nice eye Rocky” He hugged Scottie. “Natalie come over here and meet my brother” Scottie waved me over. “Hey” I said. I tried stare. She was right about him. “Come inside guys come on” He said to use. I followed Gabe into the kitchen where Katie was sitting on a bar stool. “Want a drink girls?” He asked us. “Yes diet anything” Katie said. “You dear?” He looked at me. “Diet whatever” I mumbled.
Scottie’s POV
The girls got settled into the house with my brother as I helped the guys unload the cars. “What’s wrong Mabbit looks like you just met Death” I teased. “Oh shut it Scottie” He snapped. “Oh touchy are we” I said. “Fuck off” He walked towards the house. “Pussy” I shouted after him. He stopped and came back over to me. I smiled. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you” He said. “I mean it’s quite amusing to see you get so jealous over Gabe” I said. "Oh whatever Scotti, if she does hook up with him then at least I'll know she is a dirty little whore!" He said. I had to control my anger right there. Natalie had become pretty much one of my best friends over the month or so that I had known her. She was like family to me and no one calls anyone close to me a whore. "Grow the fuck up Mabbit, what about when we hooked up a year ago I guess that makes you a whore." I said knowing it would hurt him. "That isn't fair Scotti you know what happened." He said. "Yea you kicked me to the curb for the next girl that came along which if I remember is what you done with your ex girlfriend when you met Natalie, does she know you wasn't single when you met her in the bar that time?" I said. "No but she does now." Came an English accent. We both looked towards Bryan’s car and saw Natalie holding her bag. "Oh shit sorry." I started. She smiled and shook her head. "Don't sweat it babe, I'm so over it anyways." She said and walked back into the house. Craig groaned and shook his head; he grabbed his bag and slammed the trunk shut then went back into the house. I rolled my eyes and went into the house myself. I saw Natalie stood there looking upset but trying to cover it up. I knew when she was not happy. Biting her nails, looking at anything but Craig or anyone else for that matter. I'll have to have a talk with her. I looked at Gabe and saw him frowning at Natalie, he knew something was up that was where I got it from, he was just like me.
Natalie's POV.
I sat down on a chair in the garden by myself having a smoke when I heard the door open. Gabe walked out, he was wearing a shirt now. "Mind if I join you?" He asked. I shrugged and he sat on the chair opposite me. "So which one of those guys is causing all this." He said pointing to me. "I don't know what you mean." I said looking down. "I'm not stupid honey I know when someone is upset and it's written all over you." He said. I sighed and shook my head. "It's all stupid anyways." I said looking at him. He gave me a half smile and shook his head. "If it's bothering you so much that you came out here for a secret cry and smoke then it is hardly stupid is it?" He said. I shrugged my shoulders. "It's Craig." I said looking back down at my hands. "He broke up with you?" He asked. I shook my head. "We wasn't even going out, the moment I met him I just fell for him, he was gorgeous and not to mention he was an awesome person to be around. He thought I didn't like because I used to get all shy around him but he just asked me on day so I told him that I did like him but I just get shy and he kissed me. We hung out for a few weeks and stuff and then today in the car he just turned against me, got max to swap cars so he didn't have to be with me and I just don't get what I done wrong and to top that I over heard that he and your sister had a thing a year ago, oh my god," I said realizing what was happening. "He is in love with your sister!" I said. "If that was the case wouldn't he be mad at Max and not you?" He said. I shrugged. "Look Nat, I am sure there is an explanation for acting the way he is you just have to hold you're head high and make him think you don't give a fuck about him." He said. "But I do give a fuck about him!" I protested. "Yeah but he doesn't have to know that does he?" He said. "Yeah you're right thanks man." I said standing up. He stood up too and pulled me into a hug which took me by surprise. "He's looking at us make sure you smile when you pull away from me." He whispered. "I don't think that will make it better." I said. "Yea but it will make him feel as shitty as you have and might make you feel a tiny bit better." He said. I laughed and pulled away. Craig was standing there with an unamused look on his face. I raised my eyebrows at him and shrugged. "Sorry dude didn't see you there." I walked right past him and back into the house removing the smile when he couldn't see my face.