If You Were Me by Nia Arthurs

Author:Nia Arthurs [Arthurs, Nia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nia Arthurs

Chapter 18

Natalia

I bounced out of the bathroom, ready for round two of the longest lecture of my life. Lucas and Mark had tag-teamed me, alternating between concern for my decision-making and anger at my choices. I’d sobered up beneath their scolding and longed for sleep. I’d finally gotten a break by heading for the bathroom. Looked like my break was over.

I flushed the toilet and burst out of the bathroom. “My gosh! That was rude.” I said to the man standing directly outside of the bathroom door with his feet apart and his arms folded.

“I’m not done with you yet, missy.” Mark led me to the living room and sat me down. “I’m seriously questioning your values right now. Where’s my little sister? The one that knew exactly who she was and didn’t ask anybody’s permission to be different?”

She’s somewhere in San Pedro in my body.

I sighed and tried not to let my disinterest show. I’d rolled my eyes earlier in this speech and that had elongated the address by about two hours. No way did I want a repeat of that.

Mark was staring at me like he expected an answer. “Um, I’m sorry.” I said again. I’d been apologizing since they’d caught me sneaking in. What else did Mark want from me?

He fisted his hands and groaned in frustration. “I’m not getting through to her.” He said to his partner-in-crime. Lucas Gavril was kind of hot when he was mad. I could work with that. I tilted my head to the side as he sat down in front of me and rubbed his palms against his thighs.

“Liz,” He started slowly. “This isn’t like you.”

That’s because it’s not Liz.

I was getting real tired of this merry-go-round. YOUR SISTER AND FRIEND ISN’T HERE! I wanted to yell. Instead, I had to sit down and watch them beat the deadest horse in the history of horse corpses.

I glanced down at the floor and surreptitiously checked my watch. Lucas clasped the hand that held the time piece and I glanced up at him. His green eyes were absolutely mesmerizing. It was a shame he and Liz didn’t have a friends-with-benefits type relationship. I could have worked with that too.

“You remember how we became friends?” he asked. I drew a blank. He caught the expression and glanced at Mark before speaking to me. “We were in Infant I, just six years old. The teacher told us to draw a picture of a house. Everyone drew the rectangle with the triangle on top. You know, a house.” He smiled. “You drew a circular thing with windows all around. You said it floated off the ground. That was your house.”

Wow, so touching. Not.

Lucas continued. “All the kids were teasing you about your drawing. Remember what you said?” I arched an eyebrow. I’m an alien spawn and this is my mother-ship?

Lucas answered for me. “You said, ‘This is my house. I like it’.” Someone hand that girl a Nobel prize.

“So what?” I had to ask.

“You didn’t care about what anyone else thought.

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