Chapter Text
Nat didn’t know when she started dreading her Monday lecture, but she had a feeling it had something to do with that laugh.
She should’ve woken up earlier. She knew that. But yesterday’s late-night studying session was unavoidable. So when she found herself opening the loud old lecture hall door twenty minutes into the class, she knew what was coming.
That all too recognizable face turned to her stumbling in and… no giggle?
Not even an eye roll or a mean glance?
Making her way to the front of the hall and taking her seat, Nat knew something was up. I mean, did she hallucinate that, or did Mar seriously just not take a jab at her in any way? The girl who’s tormented her every chance she got since she transferred to this college. Her once “best friends for life” turned nightmare just looked at her and…
Turned around?
Why is she even thinking about this. The two haven’t been friends since freshman year. Since Mar disappeared from her life with no good explanation. Only to meet her again in her second term of college and have to go through not only reliving her past by seeing her every day but also her blatant cruelty.
Nat wondered if she ever really knew her. Maybe this was who she was all along, and she was too distracted to see it.
But that doesn’t matter now. She promised herself that transferring here would start a new chapter in her life, not repeat an old one. But what if the old one was never finis-
“Nat are you still with us?” the professor said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yeah, sorry, what were you saying again?”
Ignoring the chuckles from across the hall, the professor replied, “as i was saying, there’s an uneven amount of students for this group project, so you’ll be paired up with” her fingers reach the name on the bottom of her clipboard, “Mar Clarke.”
Her heart sank.
“Sorry, but is there any way I could be in someone else’s group?”
“I'm afraid everyone’s already paired up dear. If you came a little earlier, you would’ve been able to pick,” the professor said a little more passive-aggressively than Nat would’ve liked.
With that terrible news, Nat packs up her things and makes her way out of the hall when a hand grabs her shoulder.
“You think you could get rid of me that easily?”
Nat swatted her hand away. “Just leave me alone, Mar.”
Seeing her now, she does seem different. Not as harsh as her usual demeanor.
Mar speeds up her pace to keep up with Nat. “Come on, are you tired of me already? Don’t tell me you’re still mad at me for last week.”
“Mar you tripped me in front of the entire dining hall and said I was on drugs.”
“You’re so sensitive.”
Nat turns the corner in a stop following me kinda gesture, “yeah whatever” she manages before heading to her dorm.
. ܁₊ ⊹ . ܁ ⟡ ܁ . ⊹ ₊ ܁.
The room was quiet if you ignore the faint music coming from the outside streets, but Nat's head couldn’t stop racing. She’d spent this whole term trying her best to avoid her old friend, and now they have to work on their final project together? It’s like the universe was playing a brutal trick on her.
Just when she thought of begging the professor to change her choice, she heard someone banging on the door hurriedly.
“Nat what are you doing? I told you to be ready by seven o'clock! Have you been wallowing in self-pity this whole time?” Clara’s voice echoed from behind the door.
Shit, she’s been so focused on the project she forgot about tonight’s party.
“I’ll be done in a minute!” she calls out, pulling on whatever dress she hasn’t worn in a while.
. ܁₊ ⊹ . ܁ ⟡ ܁ . ⊹ ₊ ܁.
The party is bleak.
It’s all screaming and music and spilled drinks. Nat can’t remember why she agreed to go in the first place.
Stirring her untouched drink with her swirly straw, Nat almost finds this familiar. Like that one time she tried hosting a party in high school when her parents were traveling and ended up with a living room that would make a pigsty look like the Ritz.
She remembered her and Mar cleaning for hours the day after, even when she insisted she could do it on her own, mar never left her side.
God, that feels like ages ago.
“Is this seat taken?”
Nat lifts her chin in surprise to see a pair of bright eyes, so easy to recognize.
“Bri?”
Sliding into the seat next to her on the bar, Bri smiles at her.
“Yeah, you’re Nat right? You’re in my morning lectures, always sitting in front.”
Nat raises an eyebrow.
“What?” Bri giggles at her surprised look.
“Nothing, I just didn’t know you knew me at all.”
“I mean, it’s hard not to notice you,” Bri tilts her head, eyes scanning Nat's face.
Her hands lift to brush Nats' hair behind her ear. “Actually, I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you for a while now.” Bris' fingers linger before returning to her lap.
Before Nat has a chance to respond or even think about what just happened, a high-pitched screeeeech hits her ear. Bri’s chair is getting pulled back.
“Oh sorry, did I interrupt something?” Mar exclaims, bitterness obvious in her tone.
Bri turns to her begrudgingly, “What now Mar? You said you were going home.”
“booo boring this is more fun,” she says, pulling Bri out of her chair and away from the bar, leaving Nat speechless.
What was that.
Nat stares down at the glass in front of her like it’ll answer all the questions in her head. Was Bri just flirting with her? Bri. Mar's new so-called “best friend” they’re practically inseparable. Why would she even talk to Nat in the first place, knowing their history? Let alone flirt with her?
With a sigh, she got up and made her way to the bathroom. She needed a little quiet. but stopped right before entering. barely making out two muffled voices from behind the door.
“-ever do that are you insane?”
“I literally told you I was going to talk to her I pointed straight at her could I have been more obvious??”
“You knew I wasn’t paying attention why the fuck would I let you lay a finger on her.”
“She’s not your little pet Mar why do you even care? You practically harass her every day.”
“That doesn’t concern you.”
A click of the bathroom door opening snaps Nat out of it, and she quickly hurries out of the house.
. ܁₊ ⊹ . ܁ ⟡ ܁ . ⊹ ₊ ܁.
The Uber home was silent. Nat's mind was anything but. Every new thought is getting squashed by another terrible one. She hopes this is all just a nightmare and her alarm will ring any second now.
That night, Nat finally got the sleep she’d been dreaming of. until-
RING RING RING RING
Fucking hell. She could’ve sworn she put the key under the carpet for Clara to get in later, but why does she always forget her own key?
Nat picks up her phone.
3:06 am
Jesus, how long did she stay out? Nat yawns and makes her way to the source of the noise.
She unlocks the door. “Clara how many times do I have to remind y-“
“Nat I'm mad at you.”
An obviously drunk Mar stands (barely) at the door, scowling at her.
“What are you doing here Mar? It’s past midnight and you’re wasted.”
“You.. you can’t talk to her like that, it’s not fair.”
“What’s not fair?” How long is she gonna spout nonsense before Nat can get back to bed?
“It used to be me.”
It’s strange. Mar’s disheveled and stumbling over her words, but she seems so sure of what she’s saying. Like she’d been holding on to them for a while.
Before Nat could reply, a guy she recognizes as the campus 'bummer police’ looks at Mar and lets out a relieved breath.
“Finally, god, how did you disappear so fast? I’m taking her home now sorry if she woke you up,” he says, leading her away to the elevator down.
“Noooo!” mar drawls. “You’re so meaaan.”
“I know I know,” he dismisses as the elevator door closes.
Nat steps back inside and closes the door, resting her head on the wood. Maybe this was just another dream.