Fight or Flight

When the bar was almost closing, Veronica finished her last drink and closed her and Nate's bar tab. She hadn't run into Val anymore after she confronted her. She figured Val and her sister left after her few words with Val. She looked around the bar, looking for Nate. They had been a little distant throughout the night after their exchange. That didn’t matter, because they still had to leave together anyway.

She stepped through the back exit door of the bar that led to an alleyway. In the alley, she excused herself past the drunken guys and the patrons having a smoke outside. She looked to her right, finding a very inebriated Nathaniel slumped against the brick of the building.

"I've been looking for you," She murmured, kneeling down to him. He slurred some words in response. "Okay, come on. Get up."

She gripped his wrist, easily pulling him to stand on his own two feet. She hooked his arm around her neck to carry him. She took small steps with his weight on her.

"I-I can walk by myself," He stammered, taking his arm from around her and shrugging out of her grasp.

"Nate-" She tried to warn him. He immediately lost his balance and fell backwards onto the concrete.

"I fell again," He said, sounding fascinated by his fall. His blues eyes were glassy under the alley’s lights.

"Yeah, you did," Veronica let out a laugh. She was glad that Nate wasn't an angry drunk. He was usually a very happy and giggly drunk. "I'm taking you to my house."

She didn’t want to make two trips to his house and then to hers. She was just as exhausted and buzzed. Besides, it was late and there was the possibility of waking Alexander up with his father’s drunkenness.

"Okay," He slurred. "Take me home."

Veronica picked him up again, contemplating on just carrying him on her back. It would be a hell of a lot easier, she thought. Instead, she held onto his waist and allowed him to lean his weight onto her. She stumbled with him around the perimeter of the building and to the parking lot. She leaned his body against the side of her truck so she could find her keys. She unlocked the doors with the remote control. She pulled open the passenger side door and tried to push him into the car.

"Get in," She instructed.

Nate slumped over with his upper body in the passenger seat. She grabbed his legs, pushing his lower half into the car. She tried to lean him against the back rest of the seat to at least get him in a somewhat comfortable position. She pulled the seatbelt across his body, strapping him in.

Good enough, she shrugged at his awkward position.

She closed the passenger door and walked around to the driver's side. She slid into the driver's seat, shuddering at the coolness of the leather seats. The October weather was definitely beginning to set in. She stretched the seatbelt across her body and snapped it in place.

She shook her head and patted her cheeks to make her more alert. She was buzzed but she could handle driving for ten minutes to get to her apartment. She drove after drinking too often than she’d ever admit. She pulled her phone from her pocket, opening a new text message to Audrey.

He's drunk. I'm taking him to my place- V



In the morning, the sound of a blender and the smell of coffee traveled throughout Veronica's flat. She was still wearing last night’s red skinny jeans and black blouse. She was far too tired after getting Nate up the stairs to change her clothes. She just wanted to get a decent sleep.

A decent sleep she got and she even woke up early to make a green smoothie. Her cutting board was littered with chopped kale, pineapple chunks, banana peels, and other leafy greens. She drank a green smoothie every morning, but this morning she made it primarily to interrupt Nathaniel’s sleep. Veronica's mouth turned up into a pleased smirk when Nate staggered into her small kitchen, clearly agitated.

"Morning," Veronica said curtly, pressing the highest level on the blender.

Nate glared at her, opening her refrigerator and retrieving a bottle of water. "Do you have to do that so early in the morning?"

"What, this?" Veronica mocked him from last night, pressing the button again. Nate's fingertips rubbed at his temples from the noise. "I'm just making a smoothie."

"And you're not being spiteful at all?" He asked sarcastically and then muttered something under his breath.

"Nope," She shook her head.

"I hate you," He deadpanned, popping the cap from the ibuprofen that she left out for him. He swallowed two pills and chased it with water.

"Love you too," She gave him a sarcastic smile before turning back to the blender.. She was determined to aggravate him as much as she could.

The blender stopped suddenly. Veronica turned to Nate, glaring at him. He’d ripped the cord from the electrical outlet. He held the cord in his hand.

"Seriously? Plug it back in," She demanded, putting her hand on her hip.

"No," He said simply. "My head is pounding and you're doing this on purpose."

"So what, you have a hangover," She shrugged. Nate rarely had bad hangovers. It was like he was immune to them. Veronica, on the other hand, had hangovers like no other. Her hangovers could even last for up to two days.

"So if you know, please stop," He requested.

"Tell me what you were talking to Val about," She cut to the chase.

"No."

"Just tell me," Veronica practically begged. She was dying to know what they were talking about. She had to get inside Val's mind somehow. "If you weren't flirting with her like you claim, then tell me."

"I can't," Nate said. "I just can't tell you."

"Why not?" Veronica was persistent. "If it's nothing bad, then tell me. I want to know."

"Why do you want to know so badly?" He asked.

"Because I just do, okay?" She said, getting frustrated. Now she was the irritated one.

"I can't tell you," Nate said, putting his hands up to dismiss her. "Just don't say anything to Audrey, alright?"

Veronica pursed her lips together. She was upset now. She just needed to know what they were talking about at the bar. She thought about what they could have possibly been talking about so happily. She was going to find out eventually. She always did.