Chapter 20: A failed Picasso work

Alex didn't show up at school the next day. Or on Friday. Rumor has it that he got suspended, and if the teachers found out what happened - it's likely that they did - that would probably be true. My friends kept asking me about him, the whole school knew what had happened, like Noah had said, a day after. I stayed silent though, not telling them what had happened. They knew it had something to do with me, but gave up eventually.

I've just been sitting on my bed, reading. It doesn't really distract me though, there is too much on my mind, and I can't focus on Percy, Annabeth and Grover's discovery of the pearls to the underworld.

I finally get up and go downstairs. I see my Mum baking a cake for me to share and I sit down on a stool, leaning over the kitchen bench to her.

"Hi...?" she looks up from her cooking momentarily. I take a strawberry from a bowl and eat it. Mum slaps my hands just after it goes into my mouth. "Natalie! I need those!"

"What," I say, with my mouth still full. "Would you like me to spit it out and put it on the cake?"

"No," Mum rolls her eyes and continues icing the cake. "Do you want to invite Bubbles over? I'm going to have a load of spare icing and sprinkles," she says.

"I'm sure she could do with that..." I say. But, then I think she'll try and squeeze details out from me about Wednesday. "Actually, she'll probably go on a sugar rush. Her parents won't be happy. Give it to the boys."

"If you say so. Boys!" Mum yells down the hall. They walk down the hallway and look at the cake with excited looks on their faces. "I'm just about finished icing this. You can both have the icing beaters in a couple of minutes."

"All of it?" Paul asks.

"Yup, unless you want to have some Nat?" Mum asks, washing up her knife and laying on the strawberries and sprinkles.

"Nope," I say, slamming my hands down on the bench and sliding my chair back. "I'm good."

"Ok, Michelle is expecting you at 5:45, and it 5 now, so get some clothes on and pack your bag," Mum says, handing a beater to each boy, who are both looking excitedly at the white buttercream icing smothered on top of them.

"Pack my bag?" I ask, turning to leave but looking back, confused.

"Yeah, your overnight bag," Mum says, frowning at me.

"What?" I shriek.

"Did Alex not tell you that you're staying over?" Mum asks, putting the cake into a box and walking over to place it in the fridge.

"No!" I yell.

"Jesus, Nat, no need to overreact," Lucas rolls his eyes and I glare at him.

"Yeah, its Michelle and Jackson's anniversary, didn't you know? They're staying the night at a hotel, we suggested they did."

"Wait, so I'm staying over?" I ask.

"Yup, now go pack and change!" Mum says. I run up the stairs and plonk myself down on my bed. I pull out my phone before I know what I'm doing and call Adele.

"Hey Na-" she begins.

"Stupid Alex and his stupid singing and his stupid punching and his stupid girlfriend and his stupid brain and his stupid voice and his stupid eyes and his stupid hair and his stupid leather jacket and his stupid toothpick and his FLIPPING STUPID SELF!" I yell.

"Wow, girl slow dow-" Adele starts.

"He's just so STUPID! He literally got himself suspended because he has no self control. And I have no idea why he has Amanda as his stupid girlfriend! And he asked me to sing with STUPID him and he thought I would forget what he did because he thinks I'm stupid because HE IS SO STUPID!"

"Um..ok," Adele says.

"And now, I'm going over to stay at his stupid house for the stupid night and it will be awkward because of stupid him! And I have to see him and his gorgeous eyes and listen to his gorgeous voice and smell his gorgeous smell and get mad at his gorgeous self because he is just so stupid and gorgeous!" I fume.

"Wowzas Nat. Do you realize what you just said?" Adele asks.

"YES! HE IS A STUPID IDIOT!" I scream.

"You said he had gorgeous eyes and a gorgeous voice and a gorgeous smell! And I don't think that this is Noah you're talking about," she says, and I can see her in my mind on the other line raising her eyebrows.

"Well... I meant stupid! God his eyes are just as blue as ........ mouldy cheese! It annoys me. And his voice is just as scratchy as nails on a chalk board and he smells like... B O and urine!" I say, blushing.

Adele laughs. "What's got you ranting today?"

I tell her everything from when Alex sang with Amanda to when I poked him in the eye and we went to the bathroom. I tell her about his black eye and limp and my date with Noah. I recount the words I said to Alex when I was mad, and still am, at him. I finish with telling her about the flowers and his suspension.

"Wow. You've had an.... eventful week," she says, breathing out slowly.

"Yeah. I hate him," I say.

"Are you actually saying that after what you just told me. Because if you are, you're the one that he should be hating on, not vice versa. If you actually think he's the stupid one, you're dead wrong. His plans are working, and I'm glad they are. Did you hear yourself calling him gorgeous!" she says when I finish ranting.

"Well," I say, checking my watch quickly. "I better get ready its a half past five here. Bye!" I say, quickly hanging up. I try to only think about stuffing things into my bag and not about what Adele said. I zip up my bag, chuck my pillow on top of it and hurry to my draws, taking out a black singlet and some denim shorts. I take my converse and sockets down the stairs with me, along with a brush. Mum is standing there, a cake box in hand, tapping her foot impatiently and glaring at me as I dash to the kitchen to get my phone and wallet.

"Oh, wait! I forgot something!" I say, tossing my bag onto the table and taking the stairs two at a time up to my room, earning a huge sigh from my mother. I grab Alex's leather jacket and dash back down the stairs and into the dining room, where my mother stands impatiently. "I'm ready," I breath.

"Finally," she notices what I'm holding in my hand. "Is that Alex's?"

"Yeah," I say and quickly shove it in my small Nike bag.

"Ok, well then, lets go!" she says and hustles me out the door, calling a goodbye to Dad and the boys.

"Bye!" they chorus from where all three of them sit playing fortnite.

Boys will be boys.

***

Mum rings the doorbell as we stand on the front patio, me frantically dragging a brush through my hair and Mum sending me annoyed glances. Luckily I get all the knots out as the door opens.

"Hi Michelle, sorry we're late," Mum says as Michelle welcomes her inside.

"Oh, not a problem, Sarah," Michelle says. "We're running a bit late to be honest as well."

"That's us!" Mum points a hand up and the ladies laugh. I go and place the cake on the kitchen bench.

"Natalie!" Jackson says and comes over to kiss my cheek. "How are you?"

"Oh, pretty good thanks," I say. "How bout you?"

"The usual," he says, tossing an apple into the air and catching it before biting into it. "You know, work, parenting, partying. Nah, I'm just kidding."

I laugh. "I bet you've been attending lots of those while parenting three kids," I say.

"Yup. Sure have. Especially with one being suspended. Now I can't sneak out to go have a couple of drinks since he's here all day. He's been unusually quiet and doesn't come down for dinner sometimes. He spends his days cooped up in his room on his bed. He never comes down to play with Felecia or Liam either. We're getting kinda worried about him. But, oh well. He'll be back at school on wednesday."

"Oh," I say and play with the lid of the cake box.

"You don't have anything to do with it do you?" he asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

"No!" I say loudly and quickly, Jackson smiles and takes a bite out of his apple.

"Just make sure you go see him, ok Nat?" he comes over and pats me on the back. "Try and get him out of that room of his."

"Yeah," I say quietly as he walks off and over to his wife, greeting my mum. I walk over to them as they're walking out of the door.

"Nat!" Michelle as they walk down the walk way. "I almost forgot! I'm so sorry! Pizzas come at 6, Liam can be in bed by 7, Felecia by 9:30 and Alex is free to do his own thing. Your money is on the kitchen bench and I'll be back by 11 in the morning tomorrow! Have a great night!" she yells.

"Oh, I don't need any money-" I start, yelling after her.

"Of course you do! Enjoy your night!" Michelle says, getting in to the car after Jackson. I wave goodbye to them as they drive off. I know I won't be taking that money, that's for sure.

I walk off into the lounge room where Felecia sits, watching the vampire diaries on Netflix.

"Hey Felecia," I say and she mutes the TV, turning to look at me.

"Hi!" she says cheerily.

"D'you know where Liam is?" I ask.

"Yup, he's in his cot, but I think he's probably crying by now," she says and turns silent, listening. I hear Liam wailing and nod.

"Yeah, I'll go get him," I say, throwing my pillow and bag onto the couch and walking off.

"Is that Alex's jacket?" she asks, staring at it.

"Um... yeah," I say.

"Where'd you get it?" she says.

"Erm... he dropped it?"

"Sure," she says and turns back to the TV.

I walk out of the room and up to Liam's bedroom, its easy to find with all the wailing he's doing. I walk up a load of stairs until finally I open the door. He stops crying and jumping on the bed, clutching onto the rails. I walk over to him and pick up his small body.

"Hey, Liam," I say and he holds my pinkie with his hand. I hold him to my side, walking out the door and shutting it with my foot. "How've you been?" I ask him.

"Nat, Nat, Nat!" he says, clapping, my hair between his hands.

"Hello to you too, Liam," I say and tickle his tummy, making him giggle. We walk back into the  lounge room and see Felecia sitting there watching TVDs again. I sit Liam down and she pauses her episode, scrolling through Netflix and finding the kids section, opening this weird animated show thing and playing it.

Liam sits on my lap and leans his head against me before crawling off me and curling up to my side, his eyes drooping until finally he's snoring quietly beside me. Felecia switches the TV back to the vampire dairies. We watch it together until the doorbell rings with the pizzas. I shake Liam and he wakes up, rubbing his tiny eyes with his small hands. I pick him up and walk to the door with Liam on my waist.

"Hi. Thanks," I say and take the pizzas with one hand, shutting the door with my foot. I sit Liam down in his high chair and spread out the food. Felecia comes in and sits down. We talk for a couple of minutes until I bring over the plates and sit them down in front of myself and her.

"Do you mind going to get Alex?" I ask her, putting a piece of pizza on my plate.

"He won't come down. He really doesn't look very well. He just doesn't come down for meals anymore. I dunno if he's eaten  since Wednesday," she says and looks up at me, taking a bite of her pizza.

"Oh," I say and look down at my pizza before biting it.

"And you don't have anything to do with it?" she asks me, eyebrows raised.

"Nope," I say casually.

"What happened?" she asks, seeing through me.

"What do you mean?" I play dumb.

"You and Alex?"

"What about him and I?" I say and walk off into the kitchen to get Liam's food. I walk back over to the table and set down the bowl on his high chair and spoon feed him.

"What really happened Nat?" Felecia asks, reaching for another piece of pizza.

"Nothing!" I say. Liam keeps eating his small mush-food. We hear clicking heels descending the steps and we both look up at Amanda who is click clacking down the stairs.

"Not her! How did she sneak in?" Felecia groans quietly. I ignore Amanda and continue feeding Liam his last spoonful. I pick him up and stand up so when she arrives in the living room she won't be able to take the poor child into her arms.

"What are you doing here?" she comes up to me, I'm still a little bit taller than her, even though she's got her heels on. We she stops to stand in front of me and Liam burie his face in my neck after looking at her with disgust, clutching a strand of my hair.

"Michelle asked me to babysit," I say, cocking my hip and readjusting Liam on my side.

"Why couldn't Alex do it?" she asks sourly.

"Mum and Dad don't trust him," Felecia snigers.

"You didn't have to say yes," Amanda sneers.

"I'm sorry! But I do try to stay away from him!" I say.

"Really?" she asks. Then, she leans out her hands and before I know what is happening she takes Liam out of my hands and hold him on her side. He starts wailing and reaching for me but Amanda takes his hands in her and gives him her hair, he whacks it with his hands and her head tilts down as his small fingers wrench it. "Shhhh, Liam Amanda's got you."

I roll my eyes. "Amanda, I think I'll put Liam into bed now."

"I'll do it myself," she says and stomps off up the stairs. I really wish her heel would break. "Where is his room?" she asks halfway up the stairs.

"Really, Amanda, I think I should just put him to bed," I say, and start walking slowly towards her.

"NO!" she yells. Seriously, what is her deal? "TELL ME WHERE THE BEDROOM-"

Before she can finish Liam turns his head into her neck and burps, followed quickly by orange vomit. Amanda screams and in her hurry to fix her hair and bright pink dress she drops the baby onto the floor.

I quickly dash up the stairs and retrieve Liam. "Are you ok?" I ask him as he cries.

"No I am not ok! I WANT MY BOYFRIEND!" Amanda yells. "ALEX!"

"Calm down Amanda, I'll just go and get you some napkins," I say and hold Liam in my arms, going to grab some baby wipes from under his high chair and cleaning his face.

"ALEX! ALEX! ALEX! ALEX!" Amanda screams through the house.

"Amanda, please, I'll just get you some napkins," I say and grab some walking up the stairs to her. "Here."

"ALEX! GET THOSE THINGS AWAY FROM ME B***H!" she yells.

"Amanda, its fine, it'll wash off in the shower when you get home," I say.

"NO ITS NOT OK! GO TO HELL NATALIE! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Its clearly not, but I don't say anything.

"I think Liam had a bit too much food," Felecia giggles from where she sits at the table, munching on her pizza casually. "Amanda, I'm not quite sure what you're annoyed at. You always look like you're a failed Picasso work."

"Picasso?" Amanda opens her eyes to stare at Felecia. We both sigh.

"Oh," Felecia says and turns with her pizza. "Don't feel bad, there are other dumb people in the world too!"

"You little..." Amanda scrunches up her face, about to call her something rude before remembering she's her boyfriend's sister. "ALEX!"

"What is it? What is it?" Alex trudges down the stairs grumpily. He walks into my line of vision and I look at him, shocked. His eyes look bloodshot and droopy. They aren't as bright as usual. His hair is so messy it looks like he has run his hands through it a thousand time but without brushing it. He's wearing a navy shirt that looks like he's worn it for days. He hasn't shaved and his eyes are drooping as though he hasn't slept for hours.

He looks up after scratching his head. We lock eyes and he stands stock still. His face drops and he looks away, I walk back down the stairs after shoving the napkins into Amanda's hands and sitting Liam back down into his seat. I take another piece of pizza and start eating it. Amanda and Alex talk behind me and I try to block their voices out. Especially Alex's which sound huskier then usual.

"Can Liam eat pineapple?" I ask Felecia as Liam reaches out for my pizza. Felecia nods, still munching on her pizza and looking at me with a quizzical look on her face. I ignore her.

I hear Amanda walk out five minutes later and hear the sound of the bin open and close. A couple of seconds later we hear footsteps and a chair being scraped across the floor.

I ignore him and continue giving Liam pineapple pieces.

"How've you been?" he asks Felecia, helping himself to some pizza.

"Good," she answers with a mouth full of pizza. "What about you. I haven't seen you since you arrived home on Wednesday night!"

Alex makes eye contact with me but quickly looks away. "Sorry. I haven't been hungry?"

"But you are now?" Felecia raises her eyebrows at the both of us. I keep feeding Liam.

Alex just grunts and eats his pizza. Sometimes I look over at him at he sees. This continues until I finally stand up and take Felecia and my plates. I look over at Alex and see he's finished.

"You done?" I ask, holding out my hands.

"Yeah," he says quietly and hands over his plate. I feel his hand touch mine for a split second before I pull away and walk off to the kitchen to wash up the plates. When I get back into the dining room I see no one except Liam in there and pick him up, taking him into the lounge room with Felecia. I sit down on the couch and give Liam to her as she flips her show over to Liam's. He sits there staring at the screen and giggling occasionally.

"You should talk to him, you know," Felecia says after five minutes.

"What?" I ask, looking up from my phone.

"He's clearly not doing well without you. Look at him! I bet he doesn't waste a second not thinking about you. Have you been worried about where he's been the last two days? Don't tell me you haven't missed him, I'll know that's a straight lie."

I stay silent for a couple of seconds before checking my watch and picking Liam up, who's eyes are drooping. "Liam, time for bed. I'll be back down soon," I tell Felecia.

"Ok," she says. "Take the jacket with you."

I walk up the stairs and into Liam's room. I tuck him into bed and wait with him until he falls asleep. Then I walk up to Alex's room. I know which one it is as soon as I see it. It has a black door and a 'do not come in' sign on it. I ignore the warning and turn the door handle. Alex is just lying on his bed, eyes wide open. He doesn't turn to look at me, he knows who it is. I step into the room and shut the door quietly behind me. I toss the jacket onto his desk.

I look over at him, still he hasn't moved. Then, before I know what I'm doing, I've walked over to the bed and slid on top of it, beside him. I cross my hands over my stomach. I'm half-turned towards him because the bed leans down where he lays.

Even thought he mustn't have showered in days, he still has the same amazing smell he has all the time. I lie there, feeling his warmth and listening to my heart beating. We stay in silence for about 15 minutes before I turn to look at him.

"Why'd you do it?" I ask quietly.

He turns his head to look at me. "No one has the right to call you that. No one," he says quietly, his blue eyes searching my dark ones. "You're the opposite of what he called you. You don't deserve to be treated like that... You mean too much."

I look at him, shocked, before re-composing myself. "You didn't have to punch him."

"Yes, I did. If, for some f*****g reason he thinks that's ok, he can't get off without having anything said or done to him."

"But you could've spoken to him. I could have spoken to him," I say.  Alex stays silent but looks back up to the ceiling. I stay there, my head tilted to the side looking at him.

Just when I'm thinking he's not going to answer he replies. "I'm sorry."

I don't know if I forgive him yet, instead I get up and walk towards the door. "I'm just gonna see Felecia."

"Hey, Nat?" he asks. I turn around, my hand resting on the door.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Could you um...stay with me?" he asks, running a hand through his hair.

"What do you mean?" I tilt my head to the side, confused.

"I just think I'd get some sleep if you just...um, stayed here tonight?" he says. I look at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure," I say, nodding my head and looking down. I probably shouldn't be agreeing... Amanda would be mad. But if it'll get him to sleep...

I walk downstairs and into the lounge room. Felecia yawns and checks her watch, its only 7:30 but she still insists she's tired. We shut off the lights and she goes off to bed. I grab my pillow and bag and walk back up the stairs to Alex's room. He's in the same position, but his eyes are closed. I shuffle through my bag for my pajamas. I can't find them and I groan Alex opens his eyes and looks at me.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"I forgot my pajamas," I say and put on a jumper.

"You can borrow some of my clothes. He goes to his draw and pulls out a jumper. He hands it to me. "The shower's in there," he says and points towards the other game.

"Thanks," I say and take the jumper. I walk towards the jumper and he throws me the towel. I have a shower and step out. I decide the jumper is too small and put my denim shorts on again. I decide that they would be uncomfortable to sleep in and take them off. I'll just pull up the blanket and hope he doesn't see.

No such luck.

When I get out of the bathroom I see him sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands clutched together and his head down. I looks up when I enter. I can see him looking me up and down, and quickly walk to the other side of the room, tugging on the bottom of his jumper. It smells just like him and I try to ignore the fact that it smells like cologne and musk.

I walk over to the bed. My hair is really annoying me at this point. I spot a rubber band on his desk. "Can I borrow that?"

"What?" he asks. I nod my head at the rubber band. He picks it up and walks over to me, seeing that my hands are full with my clothes, bag and towel he starts doing my hair for me. My stomach errupts in butterflies and I begin to get light headed.

He scoops my hair from my shoulder and pulls it into a ponytail. I turn around and let him. Without saying a word, he finishes and walks back into bed. I lay my stuff down beside the bed and crawl in.

I close my eyes. Alex moves his position and the bed tilts, I roll over and stop right in front of him. He looks down at my lips and swallows. I turn away, muttering, "sorry".

***

When I wake up I feel myself pressed against a hard chest. An arm is wrapped around my waist and my hands are pressed to his chest. I slowly get away from him, he needs his sleep. I check the time and my eyes bulge when I realize its 11:30.

I take my things and run out of the room. Felecia is still in her pajamas and sleepy eyed, eating breakfast. I rush down to her and say hi.

"I know where you slept," she says, looking at me, grinning evilly.

"Really?" I ask, taking an apple from the fruit bowl and biting into it.

"Did Alex actually get to sleep tonight?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say.

"HA! I knew it," she says gleefully. I roll my eyes.

"Is Liam up?" I ask.

"No, surprisingly," she says.

"I'll go get him," I say and start walking up the stairs. I fetch Liam from his room, he's just about woken up when I arrive, his mouth ready to wail. He stands up and holds the rails, doing that cute jumping thingy babies do. I take him out of the cot and hold him on my side. "How was you sleep?"

"Ga!" he says and places a hand on my chest, lying his head next to it.  I smile and walk back down the stairs. I clean up the plates and get changed. I didn't notice Felecia staring at me when I came downstairs in Alex's jumper, but I remember it now.

I pack up my stuff and lay it down in the entrance before I go and change Liam's nappy. I get him changed and walk back downstairs. Felecia is in games room reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I sit down with Liam on my lap and play on my phone. Liam taps the screen and it switches to photos. I take a picture with him before he picks up a phone beside him.

"Who's phone is this?" I ask Felecia.

"Alex's," she says without looking up from her book.

"Oh," I say as Liam plays with it and finds the camera again. He waves it at me, struggling to hold the phone with both hands. "Alright."

I take the phone and click the button, taking a couple of photos until Liam gets tired. Then I place it beside us on the table and pat Liam's back when he moves to lie down on my lap. He drifts off to sleep when I hear Jackson and Michelle arrive back from their night. I gently lift Liam into my arms and walk into the foyer.

"Hi Nat!" Michelle says.

"Hey Michelle," I say.

"Thanks for looking after the kids. How'd they do?" Jackson says.

"Pretty good. Liam was fine, he slept in. Felecia is reading," I tell them, handing over the sleeping baby.

"And Alex?" Michelle asks, taking Liam.

"Oh, erm, I think he's still sleeping," I say, looking down and spotting my bags, bending over to pick them up.

"Sleeping? Alex slept?" Jackson raises his eyebrows.

"Yeah," I say and pull my Nike bag onto my shoulder. "Thanks for letting me stay over. I better get home. I've got a bit of work to do."

"Did you take the money?" Jackson asks.

"Yeah," I lie. "Thanks!"

"Ok honey, see you. Do you have a ride?" Michelle asks.

My mum pulls onto the curb. "Yup. Mum's here."

I walk out the door and down the pathway. "Natalie!" Michelle calls after me. "You didn't take your money!"

I start running. "I didn't need it! Bye!" I say before she can give it to me.

I hop in the car and we drive off.

_________________________________________________________________

Hey.

This was a pretty uneventful chapter sorry.

ANd there were disgusting bits... Sorry!

Bye!

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