There She Goes

The night of the prom, Natasha was ready.

Everything felt a little bit clichéd as Natasha pulled on her vintage turquoise floral dress and silver ballet flats, adjusting eye makeup, letting her hair stay wavy and putting on peacock feather earrings, staring at herself in the mirror, wondering why she was doing this.

She knew she shouldn’t be going. Not with Eric. She knew things were going to be different. Yet… She had to. At least for him, that was.

She sighed as the doorbell rang, and picked up her purse before getting down the stairs and opening the door, finding Eric standing there with a small smile on his face. Natasha smiled back tersely, and he pinned the corsage on her dress before he took her hand and they walked down to a car that Natasha knew belonged to his grandparents.

The ride to the dance was silent. Both parties in the car knew that this wasn’t what should be happening. But they both played along, and both of them were quiet as they rolled up to the school, parked the car in the student parking lot and walked up to the front, holding hands silently.

The dance went as expected – other girls squealed and screamed at each other about dresses and makeup and crying, being melodramatic. Other guys talked with each other about their girlfriends and their tuxedos and hats. Natasha, as usual, was stuck in the middle. As kids started shuffling out onto the dance floor, Natasha stood quietly off to the side, Eric holding her hand and smiling at her quietly. They stayed like that for a bit, as Eric slowly put his arm around her waist, holding her quietly.

The fast party songs were now over, and everyone was slow-dancing, even the chaperones. Eric tugged her onto the dance floor, and Natasha gave in, doing the awkwardly slow shuffle with Eric. Both Natasha and Eric were otherwise preoccupied with other thoughts, and there was a bubble of silence in between the two, as Jared suddenly flashed a look over at the door, then at Eric. Eric caught it, but Natasha didn’t, and Eric knew something was coming up.

Natasha felt wrong. It was all wrong. But it was better than letting herself remember… She blocked out the thought before it could reach her numb self, shaking her head quietly. Eric finally said, “Hey, do you want to leave?”

Natasha paused, thinking. There wasn’t much else to do here other than dance with people and talk to them, and Natasha wasn’t quite up to par with either activities. “Sure.” She replied, and Eric started to lead her off the dance floor, until she got rammed into someone… Someone who reeked of alcohol.

“Naatty!” John O’Callaghan slurred, his eyes out of focus and his hand clutching a bottle of Jack Daniels. He reeked of alcohol – so much alcohol. “I miiissed youuuuuu.” He laughed, suddenly pushing her up against a wall as Eric stared in shock. “So… Why haven’t we fucked yet?” His breath, his lips were suddenly up far too close for Natasha as she squirmed, and Eric warned, “Bro, back the fuck off.”

John laughed. “I’m just having fun with her…” he slurred his words, almost as if he was tripping over his own tongue, his hand suddenly inching up the edge of Natasha’s skirt. He was so drunk – he’d grabbed a full bottle of Jack Daniels, and it was half empty now, and his judgement, words and all, were blurred by a thick fog-like screen of inebriety.

“Stop.” Natasha whispered, but John’s hand was starting to roam up her leg, and suddenly, John was on the ground, clutching his nose, and Eric was staring him down, fist still raised.

“I said, back the fuck off.” Eric said, and Natasha screamed out loud, looking from Eric to John. The whole room suddenly turned silent as John groaned, sitting up, blood leaking out his nose. Natasha started to cry, and John stood up with great difficulty, staggering towards Natasha – he was so confused. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Everyone said she wanted to be his girl. He was so confused and she was crying, and he opened her mouth to say, “I thought you want-“

And he promptly threw up on the floor.

--

The chaperones escorted the three out the door, and Eric and Natasha were staggering, carrying John out the door, as he was barely able to walk. John had fallen asleep, his bottle of alcohol still clutched in his hand and spilling everywhere now.

Once the two got to the parking lot, Eric and Natasha both placed John on the ground, and he laid there, his nose bleeding. “We’re going to have to take him to the hospital, you know.” Eric said calmly to Natasha, still crying.

She nodded, and they managed to get him in the backseat, his bleeding nose covered up as they drove to the hospital in complete silence. The tension in the atmosphere was thick enough to choke someone – They finally got him in the ER, and the medical personnel took him in, before Eric and Natasha went back to the car.

They sat in silence, and before moving a muscle, Eric said, “… I think we should break up.”

Natasha stared at him, her face a wreck, not in shock or disbelief. Eric turned around and explained further, “I was going to tell you I loved you, but it’s pretty obvious.”

Natasha finally spoke, her voice hoarse. “What is?” She asked, staring at him in desperation as she rubbed at her eyes.

“You love John. Everyone can tell. He broke you and now you’re trying to get away from him, but you love him.” He said. “I’m not angry. I think you’d be better off with him anyways.” He said, staring at Natasha. “I still love you. And I’ll always be there for you. I just think you’d be better off being with the person you really need to be with.” He finished his spiel, and kissed Natasha slowly – it was a sweet, quiet kiss, and Natasha started to cry again when he broke off the kiss.

“You can go to John if you want.” Eric said finally, starting up the car. “I’ll pick you up later.”

Natasha silently stared at him, before whispering, “Thank you.” And running out of the car to face John O’Callaghan.

--

When John woke up, he was sore as hell and had a hangover worse than he imagine was possible.

His nose felt the worst – He vaguely remembered his nose bleeding last night, and he remembered a lot of pain in his nose, and then he saw Natasha’s face, and he froze.

He remembered his body against Natasha’s, his hand up against her thigh, her breath in his face, and he felt like he was going to throw up.

“I can’t believe you.” Natasha whispered, her eyes red as she wiped at her face, tear-streaked.

“Natty –“ He tried to say, his voice scratchy and hoarse, and Natasha cut him off. “No. Let me say this.” She said, and nearly cried again, before collecting herself.

“I’m in love with you. But you fucked up.” She started, her voice wavering as she spoke. “You treated me like I was one of your shallow whores. And I’m not that girl. You know me. I don’t want to be just another whore for you to use then throw out the next day.”

John stared at her as she spoke – the girl was a wreck, and he’d done it. He’d fucked it up.

“I just want things… To go back to the way they were.” She said, her eyes closed as another tear fell down her face. “I don’t. Want. To be those girls. I know those girls. I’m not one of them.”

John started. “I-“ He tried, but Natasha cut him off again. “I want things to be simple like they were in elementary, but that’s obviously not going to happen. Bye, John.”

And with that, Natasha got up and left.

John started to cry for the first time in a long time.