Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

“Come on Ian!” Natalie was on her way back to Element Academy after going to her mother’s funeral. She was excited to finally start the new school year, which had actually started a week ago. She couldn’t wait to get to school and talk to Bianca and Cameron again.

“Natalie! I am going as fast as I can. We are almost there,” Ian turned into the school’s driveway. When he stopped Natalie jumped out of the limo and ran to her first class, language arts. There was only one seat left open, next to Devon, so she quickly sat there.

“Thank you for joining us. You must be Miss Lombardi,” Professor Gildridge said sweetly.

“Yes I am Professor Gildridge. Sorry I am late, my plane just landed not even thirty minutes ago,” Professor Gildridge help up her hand, signaling her to stop.

“It is quite alright dear. I am aware of the situation. We were just about to start our reading lesson,” she handed Natalie an ancient looking book, “Page 135 please,” she announced to the class. Everybody started flipping pages.

The bell finally rang after an hour of reading and answering questions. Now Natalie had to go to algebra with Professor Rinehart. He was a young, good-looking man. Professor Rinehart sat at his desk the entire period after explaining how to do the assignment on the board.

History with Professor Centurial seemed to drag. Natalie already couldn’t stand history, but her new professor’s monotone voice made it even worse.

“Boring. Isn’t he?” asked the girl who sat next to Natalie.

“Tell me about it,” she yawned and leaned back in the chair.

The girl stuck out her hand, “I’m Tanya.”

Natalie shook Tanya’s hand and said, “Natalie.” She glanced at the clock, ten more minutes until she could leave and try to look for Bianca.

“Hey Natalie, do you want to eat lunch with me and Brooke?” Tanya asked, pointing to the pretty blonde next to her.

“What? Oh ummm…. sure.”

“Cool.” Tanya smiled, showing perfectly straight, white teeth.

The bell rand and the classroom emptied. Natalie followed Tanya and Brooke to the cafeteria. She looked around at the people, hoping to see Bianca or Cameron, but she didn’t see either of them. Tanya and Brooke were busy chatting, not paying attention to Natalie.

When they got their lunches, they sat down at a table close to one of the many windows. Everyone at the table seemed to stop talking as Natalie sat down. “Everyone, this is Natalie. Natalie, this is Tiffany, Chelsea, Ryan, and Lindsay,” Tanya said.

“Hey Natalie,” Lindsay said. Everyone else stayed quiet.

“Hi,” Everybody continued their conversations then. Natalie tried to keep up, but she was busy scanning the cafeteria for Bianca and Cameron.

“So Natalie, why haven’t you been at school?” Brooke asked. Tanya glared at her and then smiled at Natalie.

“Well, I was here, but I had to go to a funeral.”

“Oh. Who died?” Tanya kicked Brooke for asking the question.

Natalie looked down at her tray of food and muttered, “My mother.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry,” Lindsay said placing her hand on top of Natalie’s.

“I have to get to my next class,” Natalie said as she stood up.

“See ya,” Lindsay said.

Natalie walked out of the cafeteria and slowly walked to her next class, photography with Professor Kodak.

“Hey! Wait up,” she heard someone call. Natalie turned, hoping it was Cameron, but it wasn’t.

“Hey. Ryan. Right?” He nodded, softly panting from running down the hall after her.

“So what do you have next?” Ryan asked her.

“Photography.”

“Really? So do I.”

“That’s cool,” she started walking a bit faster. Ryan stayed right next to her. When they got to the classroom, Natalie took a seat in the middle. Ryan sat next to her.

“You are really pretty Natalie,” Ryan blurted out, as he stared at her.

“Ummm…Thanks Ryan.”

Professor Kodak walked in and began class. Ryan kept trying to talk to Natalie, but she pretended that she couldn’t hear him. The bell rang and Natalie hurried to her science class. She didn’t know anyone so she sat by herself in the middle of the room.

After creative writing, Natalie went to her dorm to unpack, half expecting Bianca to be there. Bianca was not there, but Rebecca was sitting on Natalie’s bed, obviously waiting for her. “Hey Rebecca,” Natalie said as she unpacked her suitcase.

“Hello Natalie. How was the funeral?”

“Depressing.”

“Your mother is glad you went.”

“I bet she,” Bianca opened the door and Rebecca disappeared.

Bianca looked around the room, expecting to see another person. “Who were you talking to?”

“Nobody.”

“Oh. I thought I heard someone. Anyways, welcome back!” Bianca hugged Natalie and then sat on her bed. “We really missed you.”

“We?”

“Yeah we! Me and Cam. He couldn’t stop talking about you.”

“Yeah right!”

“It’s true!”

“What’s true?” asked Cameron as he walked in the dorm room.

Natalie and Bianca glanced at each other and starting giggling. “Nothing Cam,” Natalie said, giving him a big hug.

“So where were you at lunch today Natalie? We looked all over for you.”

“Umm…these girls Tanya and Brooke asked me to sit with them today,” she said as she placed a neat pile of clothes in a drawer. Cameron and Bianca quickly glanced at each other while Natalie was turned.

Even though Bianca was shaking her head, warning Cameron not to say anything, he said, “Natalie, you shouldn’t talk to those people anymore.”

Natalie quickly turned around, “I didn’t know you were my father.”

“I’m not.”

“Good. Then don’t tell me who I should and shouldn’t talk to,” she slammed the door and walked to the garden. She sat in the same spot that she had when she went with Cameron and cried, not knowing why. She just felt like crying.