Your Love Is the Sweetest Sin

“How are you feeling Natalie?” Why does everyone have to ask this? Don’t you see the dark circles under my eyes?

“I’m fine dad” I mumble stirring the coffee in front of me, lately Dad seems to be care more about me, he at least calls me once a day or comes over to drive me to school, just like in the old days.

“Doesn’t look like, you look sick, but I have something that will cheer you up, guess what it is”

“What is it daddy?” I ask trying to sound excited but still without looking up

“You may want to take a look outside” Dad walks over to open the front door, a brand new car (at least that’s what it looks like) with a stupid red ribbon on the top, my mind goes blank in astonishment and Dad hugs me “What do you think Nat?”

"Thanks dad, now if you don’t mind I need to go to school” I take the keys from his hand

“You don’t seem very excited, I thought it would make you happy” How can I be happy when I’m missing my boyfriend to death, “What about your license?”

“I got it months ago when I still lived in your house” I walk back in to grab my messenger bag from the floor and rush outside pushing my dad.

“You’re not going to drive?”

“No, I prefer walks, they are good exercise you know” I lock the front door behind me “And it’s only a few streets from here”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea unless you want to end up gaining pneumonia.” We start walking “Enter my car I’m going to drive you to school” Even though I hate the idea I can’t reject his offer cause It’s freezing, stupid February and its stupid weather, I start jumping “Why are you doing that?”

“Oh, I’m just trying to warm up” Sisky would have better ideas to keep my body heat.

Once dad pulls in front of school he extends me a card “This credit card is linked to my account, meaning that I will be responsible for the payments, you can use it to buy everything you please.”

“Well thanks Dad” I hug him tightly, I know I’ve been a real bitch with him lately but I don’t feel OK, it’s not an excuse but I’ve never had a good relation with my parents.

I never thought that school could get more boring, but it did, without Sisky everything seems to be worse, even the food at the cafeteria; Sisky used to call everyday but we haven’t talked for almost a week, I hope everything is ok.

“Can I go with you?” Wendy asks for millionth time

“I said no!” I practically scream shutting my locker and turning to her.

“Come on, Nat, you already have Sisky you don’t need Jason”

“I don’t want him, maybe other time, Mrs. Siska invited me for dinner and I don’t think its appropriate to bring my crazy loud friend who has a mega crush on her son over” I grin back at my friend.

Wendy thinks for a while “When you put it that way I sound like a maniac,” She pulls from my shirt “you could say that I’m a homeless girl that you found and is desperate to find love” She starts flapping her eyelashes “Pretty please with sugar on top, I need to get that hottie” I start laughing really hard and that only makes people give me weird looks.

“You’re a bitch” I grin

“I love you too, Natty Nate!” Her voice echoes down the hall a group of preppy girls give us withering looks

“You’re not allowed to call me that, only Sisky can do it” I mess up her hair

“You bastard!” As she screams I start running for my fucking life down the hall, I am so dead, you can do anything to Wendy but just keep yourself from her hair, just don’t touch her hair.

“Crazy bitch is trying to kill me!” I scream pushing guys out of my way, I trip a few times and that helps her tackle me to the floor, I worm beneath her trying to escape but she is stronger than me.

“NO! Stop… quit… it, please!” I beg between laughter

“This is not funny” Soon she gets tired of tickling me, I get up and dust “Why isn’t this funny?”

“Cause Sisky was always there to help me” I say with a sigh

“Come on, I’ll take you for some ice-cream” Wendy pats my back gently, as we walk out the door.

I look up and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I look strange, and it’s not the clothes, my skinny black jeans and a stripped tank top, I put extra effort on my make-up, I don’t want everyone to know how much Sisky’s absence is killing me, so with one last look on the mirror I walk out the door. My new car is pretty good, I actually like it, specially the fact that it doesn’t smell like food.

Mrs. Siska opens the door “Natalie, darling you look stunning!” Mrs. Siska is a really nice person, always wearing a contagious smile; I walk in as she opens her arms to hold me in a crushing hug “Natalie, you’ve gotten skinnier, may I take your coat?”

“Sure thanks Mrs. Siska” I take off my coat, I walk in and see Jason spread across the couch absorbed by the TV

“Go with Jason while I finish the dinner” Mrs. Siska pushes me towards the living room

I look back at her “Are you sure you don’t need help? I’m not a great chef but I can try”

Mrs. Siska pats my back shaking her head “I’m glad Adam found a such good girl”

I smile smugly, “Hey Jason what are you watching?” I skip towards him clapping my hands

Jason jumps with my voice meaning that he didn’t notice me before “Natalie! What are you doing here?” he gives me a tight hug “And why are you such a weirdo?”

“I-I can’t breathe Jason” That makes him loosen his grip, I slump tiredly next to him on the couch, why do guys always have to watch football? “My lovely mother in law invited me for dinner, isn’t she sweet?” I say in a sugary-sweet voice, he smiles broadly.

“How was your day?”

“I’ve had better days”

“Why is that?”

“Well my boyfriend is out of the city and that means I’m off sex” I emphasize the last three words, a dead silence invades the room “I really said that?” Jason nods making me turn red “Im sorry I didn’t mean to, I was just thinking out loud”

“Your sexual life is something I don’t need to know” He leans back on the couch “You really miss him don’t you?”

Again someone who wants to make me feel miserable, “Like you’ve got no idea, but Its not something I want to talk about.”

“Ok, so what do you want to talk about?” He seems to show more interest in our conversation

“I don’t know” Maybe I can do Wendy a favor “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No, why the interest?” This sounds great, I snuck a look at him, he is cute, a single so is Wendy,

“You see, I’m pretty sure you haven’t met my best friend Wendy, but she has a monster crush on you”

He starts laughing “Gee, I never thought I was the kind of guy a girl would fall for”

“The Siska charm is in the gens sweetie” Seriously the whole Siska family is so charming, I think I’m a very lucky girl

“Well thanks Nat” He rests his hand on my knee squishing it gently, his face lit when a smile spread his face, I lose myself in those flashing eyes. Wait! What am I thinking?! I slap myself to get out of the trance, Jason is my boyfriend’s brother.

Jason chuckles “What was that for?” I don’t answer, instead I rest my head over my knees, Jason embraces me, I pull away quickly

“Are you ok Nat?”

I nod standing up “Yeah, I think I’m going to help your mom” I leave him with a confused face.