Premonition

100. Premonition

🤍🖤💜 Jacob 💜🖤🤍

It was somewhat awkward for Norris being over in the morning at my place. He was trying to make small talk with my mom while having breakfast, but anybody could tell he was miserable inside. Of Course my mom didn’t realize that! And he kept asking his questions again and again. Draggin the conversation.

“Oh, I thought Arizona was only famous for science,” Mom says and I wince.

That was an ignorant comment, Mom!

“Yeah it is… but I found their software engineering program is genuinely good too.” Norris says.

“No sports though… Right?” My mom says in a disappointing tone and I want to facepalm myself.

Send June to Dance university! Just leave us alone! I almost say to her.

I leer at Norris’ plate, wondering why he is eating so damn slowly. I want to take a bath, but there is no way I will leave him alone with Mom.

“Let’s head to my room. We can go out once I have taken my bath.” I suggest as soon as he is done with his breakfast.

“Oh… he can wait here… watch Tv may be…”

I draw my brows in confusion. What’s wrong with my room?

And we never watch tv first thing in the morning.

Then I realize.

Damn my homophobic parents!

“Nah, I need to talk to him,” I dismiss my mom and gesture to him to come with me.

Norris looks relieved.

“Thanks,” he mutters as we near my room.

“Sorry,” I tell him.

June suddenly opens the door to come outside. She sees Norris, then yelps and goes back again.

What was that?

Norris looks at me, confused.

“My sister… she can be jumpy sometimes.”

“Oh.. Wow… I had no idea you had a sibling.”

“You didn’t?” I ask him, confused, while entering my room.

“Yeah… I mean, I never saw you guys together.. It looks like you guys don’t commute together.”

“Yea… she usually has this dance thing every morning and in the evening we have hockey.”

….

“What do you wanna do today?”

I ask him while picking clothes to wear.

“I just wanna sleep, man. I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“Make yourself home!” I tell him by gesturing towards the bed and I go to take my bath.

I have no idea what I am supposed to talk to him about. Do I need to mention Millie or should I stay mum on the topic as if nothing happened?

By the time I freshen up and come back to the room, I see June sitting beside Norris, talking to him.

Mostly laughing.

On any other day, I would have been annoyed. To be honest, I am a little annoyed even right now. But for once, I am happy that Norris looks marginally less miserable.

He is keen to talk to her.

June sticks to us until lunch and half of the day rather goes easy for us.

We head out for lunch and June suggests movies after lunch but Norris refuses.

“Drinks?” I ask him discreetly.

“That could help,” He tells me.

After coming back from lunch, June goes to her room, finally leaving us alone. I sneak some beer into my room from Dad’s stock.

We sit in the room quietly sipping beer watching random things on the tablet and then he talks.

“You know there were always signs here and there… I could see things happening.. But I kept giving her the benefit of doubt again and again…”

I listen quietly to him.

“She would doll up every day. And look at me… Like a fool I thought it was for me… Whore!” He says bitterly.

“I don’t even know if Andrew is the only one she was sleeping with or what?” He says shaking his head with disgust.

“That doesn’t matter anymore…” I tell him.

He chuckles. “Yup… It doesn’t….”

“I just wish I hadn’t taken things lightly when she hid things from me. She often lied by omission… and would be unreachable sometimes… she often hesitated to tell me things… That should have been my first sign…”

But his lines hit me home, which is stupid. I ignore the dread as he continues.

“and I thought I was being clingy… and then it turned into more and more lies..” He says and goes quiet.

“You never confronted her?”

“A few times I did! She gaslighted me. Told me I was being paranoid for no reason!” He chuckles.

”This is why I didn’t want to see her today…. I was afraid she would somehow convince me that sleeping with Andrew isn’t a big deal… or some bullshit! This is how damn good she is at proving herself right!”

…..

Next day in school, I am all alone by myself.

Norris isn’t here for obvious reasons. Millie probably came in and left early for her own good. Natalie is out on a campus tour. West, that asshole, isn’t around either. I suddenly remember, He might have gotten a tour invitation too. He and Natalie will be on the same damn campus.

My palms are itching to get even with him, so when I don’t see him at school, I feel rather annoyed.

I am passing through the hallway when I see Aiden trying to talk to June and June, clearly ignoring him. That is the chance I grab to vent my frustration. I corner him as soon as June leaves.

“What the fuck were you apologizing about?” I make a guess and ask him.

“I… I wasn’t...”

I squint my brows.

“Explain what happened that night.” I cross my arms and stand tall in front of him.

“Nothing!” he stresses. “It was a genuine misunderstanding.”

“What the fuck happened?” I ask in a low voice.

“I… I kinda left early, leaving her behind… I thought she went home… It was a misunderstanding on my part.”

My eyes darken. June hasn’t been to many parties, and I know she needs a buddy around to feel safer. I get it now why June wasn’t telling me. She probably felt embarrassed, thinking it isn’t a big deal.

“Why didn’t you call or text her? You text her all the damn time.”

He looks guilty, and I know he did that shit on purpose.

But why?

“Jacob!” a voice calls me out. I turn and see the asshole boy who took a jibe at Natalie in group chat yesterday.

Great, he is coming to get his ass kicked too.

Aiden tries to slip out and I tell him. “This isn’t over. I will get back to you!”

Then I turn to the asshole. I don’t even remember his name.. Ethan or Eddie… Wherever!

“This year keeps getting better and better,” He says.

“Can’t you sate your girlfriend in bed?” He asks, amused, and I see red. ”Or does she like being fucked by different men at the same time? That’s no surprise though…” He says, trying to hand me a pile of papers.

I punch his face hard. He stumbles and hits his head to the locker on the side wall. The pile of papers slips from his hand scattering all over the floor.

Then I see it.

… … … … … … … … … …

🤍🖤🤍 Natalie 🤍🖤🤍

… … … … … … … … … …

I have been sitting trying to keep my eyes open while this young lady in front of me is gushing over about the university facilities, student life, culture on campus, academics, and programs offered by the institution… Blah blah blah…

I know this already! I wouldn’t have applied if I didn’t know.

I guess they do this for students with multiple offers. I am not that bright to get multiple offers.

Dad dropped me here two hours ago. For an hour, they showed us around. I loved the library. Academic building was… Like a building!

Student center and the dining hall were nice. I am not sure about dorm rooms though.

If Ira is interested, maybe we could rent an apartment. Live like adults. The idea is exciting.

An apartment would mean I could invite Jacob over. Initially, I was resisting the idea of him choosing me over his career. But not now. I know it’s selfish. But I want him around. Like forever!

I just wish there was some way we could have it both ways.

I saw West and Riley on campus too. Thank goodness we are not in the same group. It’s irritating that I get to see him everywhere I go! I had literally rolled my eyes when I saw him this morning and realized West will be in this college.

But that was kind of obvious. He wouldn’t leave Riley and this place’s hockey team ranking is damn good. Only if Jacob would have applied here earlier, he would have gotten in with no problems. Now probably they are waiting for someone to drop. Only then Jacob would be accepted as a replacement.

It’s a sheer guess, but I think this is how it works.

“Do you guys have any questions?”

No. Thank Fuck.

Let me go home already.

“Yea… I wanna know…”

I groan inwardly when a fellow student shoots a query.

My phone vibrates in my pocket once again.

Who is pestering me? Ever since I sat in this presentation, I have been getting back-to-back messages. I think there were a few calls too. I take out my phone and take a peek at it under the table.

Not trying to be rude, but I am bored out of my mind.

I frown when I see multiple calls from Amy. There is one call from Jacob too.

‘Win Natalie group’ has multiple messages. I can check these later.

Just when I am about to put the phone back in my pocket, I see a message notification from June. Without opening it, I get a glimpse of what she wrote. I feel a twist in my stomach.

June: ‘You fucking whore! You are just the girl everyone says you are’

Then I see multiple images pop-up on my notification screen.

I know I shouldn’t open it now. Probably I am not prepared to see why she has lashed out.

But I do it anyway.