The sarcasm couldn’t be helped. “Why yes, Todd, it’s all fine and dandy. Can’t you tell?”
“Todd, this is between me and Saydi. If you would be so kind as to...” Nathanael attempted to say.
Todd put his arm around me. “When Saydi’s crying, it automatically becomes my business, and it looks to me like she doesn’t want to see you.” He started leading me away. “Come on, let’s go talk,” he continued, shooting a look behind him. Angie and Becky followed, and I had no idea where Norma went.
Probably to see Nathanael.
“Saydi, are you okay?” Angie asked when I got to my locker.
“You don’t know?” I said not so nicely and judging from the surprised look on her face at my outburst, she didn’t. I sighed. “I’m sorry, but...” I fanned my face to stop the tears.
Todd pulled me into his chest. “What did he do?”
Becky and Angie hugged me too.
Sniffling, I sputtered out, “I saw Nathanael with Norma last night.”
“Noo!” They all reacted with surprise.
Todd held me tighter. “I’m going to kill him!”
“No! Todd, don’t.” The thought scared me; Todd had no idea who he was dealing with.
“Angie and I will take care of Norma,” Becky stressed, stroking the back of my hair. “We don’t do that to anyone, let alone our friends.”
“You got that right, Becks, we’ll definitely take care of Norma.” Angie’s voice was stern, then it softened. “Don’t worry, Saydi, everything will be all right.”
I lightly pulled away and smiled weakly at them. “Thanks, but don’t start anything. I really don’t want anyone to fight and get hurt.” The smile I gave them was strained and not real. “It’s nice to know you would, and that’s all that counts. Can we just leave it?”
They nodded, but something told me they weren’t really going to listen to me.
For the rest of the day, Norma slithered around school avoiding us. It was apparent her visit with Todd on Saturday didn’t go as she had hoped, because the second she could, she moved in on my Nathanael. And to confirm my assumption, Todd met me at the end of every one of my classes, holding my waist as we went down the hall. Him being there made me feel better as he jabbered on about useless things, such as his classes and how stupid other people were, and he even managed to make me laugh. Todd was a really good friend and made me feel like I was worthy of love.
Todd, Angie and Becky walked with me out of the school. Todd insisted he take me to Sloppy’s for a quick bite, even though I told him I had to get home.
“No way,” he insisted, taking my hand before I could escape. “She needs a burger, doesn’t she, Ang?”
Angie’s face lit up. “She sure does, come on.” She tugged on my other hand, while Becky gently pushed from behind. I giggled at their antics. Then Angie and Becky were gone, and when my eyes found them, they were circling Norma.
“No! Todd, stop them!” I hollered, sprinting toward them.
Becky shoved Norma from behind and then Angie shoved from the front, tossing her back and forth like a ping pong ball. Norma would try and side step—it didn’t work. They were on her like dust.
“What do you think you’re doing, cheating on Saydi?” Angie sneered.
I pushed between them. “Stop, you guys!” It was exactly as Dad said it would be. People would behave intolerably toward each other, hurting one another—it scared me to death!
Becky snarled, not taking her eyes off Norma. “Saydi, she needs to learn a lesson about how we friends stick together.”
“Leave me alone!” Norma shrieked, trying to make a run for it.
Angie lunged, landing the two of them on the concrete... Something cracked and Norma screamed.
I shoved Todd. “Stop them!”
He looked confused as to what to do, then his eyes narrowed.
“Ladies!” A voice boomed out, as two very strong hands picked them up and pulled them apart. “School ground brawls are certainly not very ladylike,” Job said, or at least I think it was him.
Their presence overshadowed anyone else’s and all three were there. Nathanael wasn’t looking very good; his face was blotchy and his eyes were red.
Todd didn’t wait for an invitation, getting right up into his face. “How dare you! You get yourself tangled up with the most beautiful girl in the world...”
If it hadn’t been such a horrible situation, what he said might have made me feel good.
“And you cheat on her!” He jammed his finger into Nathanael’s chest. “With one of her best friends!”
Norma was lost in Nathanael, seemingly okay from the attack and completely unaware of her impending doom at the hands of her friends.
Nathanael held Todd’s stare. “What are you talking about?” he yelled.
Norma threw herself around his waist. I choked. Nathanael yanked back with his arms out to his sides, palms out, looking at her like she was nuts. “Wha... Um...Norma, please back away.”
The only way for me to hide the pain was to cover it up with resentment. “Humph!” I lightly clapped my fingertips. “You should go into acting. That performance would have earned you an Academy Award.”
Nathanael’s eyes snapped back to me. “Saydi, what...wh...”
“Come here, you wench!” Becky shouted, moving swiftly to grab Norma.
Joshua had Becky by the waist. “Oh no, you don’t.” He smiled. They were finding my hurt and pain humorous.
How nice for them.
Through it all, Norma still clung to Nathanael. “But babe, you said we would continue tonight.”
My lunch was about to have its debut spillage, available for all to view. “I have to get out of here!” I wheeled around and ran.
“Saydi!” I heard Nathanael yelp. “Excuse me, Norma.”
Todd caught me and instantly took my arm, leading me to his car. Nathanael was already there, blocking the passenger door. “Saydi, talk to me,” he begged. His beautiful eyes were so tormented, it was hard to resist him. But I knew I had to.
Todd shoved him to the side. “Move!” Then he opened the door.
But before I could get in, Nathanael plucked me up and placed me in his arms, looking genuinely confused. “What happened? Why do I feel like I’m in a triangle of sorts?”
Even with him being so adamant he didn’t know what was going on, I couldn’t let him fool me. I had to stay strong against him and pushed him away. “Go to your new girlfriend.” And in that moment, my friendship with Norma was over. It didn’t matter to me whether she got tangled up with a demon or the devil himself—she could have him.
Oh what a lie, Saydi!
Nathanael reached for me...then a blur flew in front of me. Nathanael was gone. Todd had him pinned, pummeling him. “You took her from me just so you...could screw with...her heart!” Todd yelled, punching anywhere he could.
Before I could scream, Todd was in Nathanael’s clutches, dangling above the ground.
Joshua and Job stood back with flippant grins on their faces.
Norma stepped forward and totally ignored that Todd was a foot off the ground. “Nathanael, isn’t it better Saydi knows about us now, rather than later?”
The earlier lunch threat was returning.
He was dumbfounded, staring through her and shook his head hard, twice. “What?”
She took another step toward him with a big smile. “Yes, shouldn’t we let her know?”
With absolute scorn, I seethed, “Do you think you can let Todd go...?” Unable to look at him directly. “It must be distracting holding Todd in the air while you’re trying to have a conversation with your girlfriend!”
It took a second for Nathanael to register what I said. He threw a glance at me, then to Norma, then finally to Todd. He put Todd back on his feet, clenched his hands... I could hear a deep, dangerous snarl working its way up his throat. He exploded, throwing his arms up in the air, tilting his head back. “Someone please tell me what the hell is going on!”
I cringed, Norma practically ducked, and Todd leaned back on his car, rubbing his neck.
One of the Braxton boys tapped the other on the shoulder and said, “Well, I think it’s time we take our leave.”
Nathanael’s eyes narrowed, looking at them “Oh no, you don’t!” He pointed. “You stay right there!”
They stalled and swiveled around with the same cocky grins on their faces, and one said, “How was I supposed to know Saydi would see? No harm done.”
Nathanael looked like he was going to jump them, nearly crouching, anger evident. He thundered, “No harm done? Are you serious?”
Neither of them seemed threatened by his stance and only one did all the talking. “Sorry, Nat, you know how it is. It just happened sooner than expected, and besides, it wouldn’t have lasted long. Look, it took less than twenty-four hours to fix itself.” His brothers laughed.
Nathanael snorted, seeming to relax some, then moved his attention to Norma.
“Norma, I’m sorry for what happened. It might do you and Becky good...” He glanced up at Becky with sympathy, then back to Norma. “To maybe ask Joshua about his colored contacts and owning the same red Mercedes as I do...” Sneering back at his brothers. “The one he only uses when he goes to the city.”
Judging from the looks on his brothers’ faces, there was no doubt Nathanael had absolutely nothing to do with it and when my guard came down, the first feeling was a pinch of guilt for not giving him the benefit of the doubt—then came his pain, and it was real.
The emotional rollercoaster I had been on sent me reeling. My insides shook, while my breathing became sporadic. Todd put his arm around me in an attempt to comfort. It didn’t last long, because when Nathanael was able to feel me again, he wasn’t about to allow someone else to comfort me—in a split second he had me enclosed in his arms.
Todd mumbled some kind of profanity.
“Right back at you, Todd,” Nathanael said calmly.
All of a sudden, Becky screamed, “What are you doing with my boyfriend?”
I lifted my head in time to see Becky yank a handful of Norma’s hair.
Norma screeched, wrestling to get a hold of Becky’s arm.
I gasped and attempted to step away from the warmth of Nathanael to stop them—there was no need.
“Becky Meyers!” Mr. Gamble fumed. “Get to the office! You too, Ms. Pasely.” Then he eyed Angie. “I trust you have nothing to do with this?”
Angie shook her head innocently.
“Good.” He looked at Nathanael. “Off school grounds, gentleman, and the rest of you disperse, get home!” He spun around and pointed at Norma and Becky. “Onward!”
Though both Nathanael’s brothers looked amused again, something sad crossed the eyes of one, one that I could only assume was Joshua with how he looked at Becky as she walked away.
I found myself feeling horrible for my earlier conviction of Norma. We had all, including Becky, become a victim of the Braxtons’ power of suggestion. Maybe it was harsh of me to react the way I did toward her. After all, she didn’t know what she was doing and most of all didn’t deserve it, not one bit. Yet I knew it wouldn’t be easy to like her again, even if I still cared about her.
“Come on, Saydi, I’ll take you home,” Todd said, tugging on my knapsack. The boy wasn’t giving up on me, even if I was wrapped up in Nathanael’s arms.
Nathanael’s body stiffened. “Todd, I’ll be taking Saydi home.” Something in his voice—or maybe it was a suggestion—had Todd leave it alone.
With my face hidden in Nathanael’s coat, I heard Todd’s car start and disappear.
Nathanael kissed my head just before he demanded, “Joshua! I have some things to attend to.” He paused. “Then you and me after that, at the mine! We’re going to settle this. That was stepping over the line, Joshua, even for you.”
One of them laughed. “This is going to be good. It’s been a while since we’ve had a brotherly fight.”
“You’re staying out of it, Job. This is between me and Joshua!”
“If you say so, Nat,” Job agreed.
I tucked my head off to the side so I could see their faces, quite enjoying where I was.
The sad look in Joshua’s eyes was long gone and he proceeded to get cocky. “All right, then let’s make this a good one. If you win, you’ve got your honor back. But if I win...” There was a hesitation, and from the way Nathanael’s muscles tightened it wasn’t a good one. “...I get the lady for one night.”
I fell forward with no more Nathanael holding me up, almost doing a face plant onto the cement! Nathanael was on top of, I assumed, Joshua.
Angie jumped back long after the fact and screamed.
A voice I didn’t recognize came from the mouth of the guy I loved. It was dark and raspy. “I’ll take you out, Joshua, if you even think about one hair on her head!”
Joshua put his hands up in submission. “Calm down, I was only screwing with you, bro. You got yourself a date later. Now let me up.”
Nathanael got to his feet and came to my side, wrapping his arm around me. He glared at his brothers while his lip curled up, bearing his teeth. “You will die!” he gnarled.
“Yeah, yeah, dead, got it,” Joshua appeased.