14 Natalia(1)

"Harith ! Sam! What are you doing here??" Lucia looked at the unexpected visitors in surprise.

"We will talk later but where is the thief??" Harith who was the strongest there among all of them stepped forward ready to take care of the thief. "Sam get behind me."

"Right here." Lucia moved her head pointing at the man seated on the couch. "Beat him up all you want."

Lucia's mother looked at the direction pointed and realized it was a false alarm. She put her away her knife and sighed. "Lucia just...can we talk about it later." She whispered coming near her. " I will tell you...so.." She sighed tierd.

Although she hated the man for what he did bringing it up now was not the right decidion. Lucia glared at the man who was oblivious to the conversation they just had. She gave him a 'you will die later' look.

"It was a joke guys....I was just playing a prank with my mom..didn't expect you guys to show up..especially not you." Lucia noticed a meek looking girl standing behind the two boys.

"So you finally notice me, I was a little hurt." Natalia looked sad and acted cute just like she always she did before.

Lucia just ignored her.

Harith looked suspiciously at the man and aaked, "You sure???..cause he does look like a fraud to me."

'Bingo my boii.'Lucia praised Harith's instinct and keen observation for yhe first time in her heart. He just did not look like fraud he was one.

"No no..he is a guest..." Lucia ended the topic and looked over to them. " What are you doing there??..just come on in already.."She invited them into the house but all the while her eyes never left Natalia.

"Sorry for barging in like that Mrs. Sovuyer." Sam bowed down in apology. He looked at Haritg who was still standing and pulled his ear making him bow down along with him.

"You too Harith."

"Sorry Mrs. Sovuyer." Harith said in a loud voice as if he was making a military declaration.

"You kids...just go to your room...I will bring some snacks for you later." She answerd wiping her hand in the towel while she took the bags given to her.

"It is not that good but I made some healthy porridge for Lucia. Please take it." Sam politely handed her the bag.

"Its from my side as well since I was the one who aksed him to do it." Harith put his hand around his shoulder while pointing to himself in pride.

Sam just punched him in his gut giving him a death glare.

"You made it?? Such an amazing boy." Mrs. sovuyer was truly amazed by him. "Thank you for loving this stupid daughter of mine." She rubbed the fluffy hair of Sam giving a side look to Lucia.

"Then just make him your son." Lucia rolled her eyes. She was totally jealous.

The whole living room burst out in a laughter. It felt alive.

The four of them were in their own world. Natalia was totally left out from their crowd. In order to mix in with them, she stepped forward with a bag in her hand.

"Aunty here are some fruits." Natalia gave her a bag full of apples smiling politely.

"You are Natalia right?" Mrs. Sovuyer inched her up from top to bottom. A light and long dress. 'The perfect innocent look.' She gave her full points as someone who had a great fashion sense.

Feeling her gaze on her she felt a little nervous and asked awkwardly. "Ye-yes..Is some-thi-ing the matter??"

'Shameless.' Lucia's mother could never forget how this girl behaved with her last night. She swore at her and even talked garbage about Lucia her own very best friend. And she was not as pure and innocent as she made herself look like.

"You don't remember me??" Natalia asked surprised. She thought she had given a really nice impression when she came here last time.

"Oh no no I do...how can I ever forget you." She replied making Natalia feel there was something off about the way she spoke.

"Rather I think you have forgotten about me." Mrs. Sovuyer cross questioned looking at her raising her eyebrow.

In Natalia's case she had forgotten about the call from her last night. She was high and drunk so she didn't remember about her rude behaviour she had shown the night before.

In other words she was already busted in front of the mother daughter duo and she was the only one who thought otherwise.

"You are like my mother as well..how can I forget you??...you are making me sad aunty." Natalia gave her a pained look.

'Nice act..Hypocrite.' Mrs. Sovuyer looked at her flawless acting. How could someone be so different and act as if nothing has happened??

'She needs Oscar.' Lucia had deemed her worthy of it for her natural and on spot acting.

Sam and Harith felt the atmosphere was not that right so they decided to change the topic to ease the atmosphere.

"Ughh...I am so hungry.." Harith spoke interrupting their talk.

Mrs. Souvyer looked away from her. Acting like a child didn't suit a woman of her age.

"How can I be so rude..making You all wait." Mrs. sovuyer collected the bags.

"What about your college today??" She asked before she headed inside the kitchen.

Silence....

No one spoke a word....

"Don't tell me you ditched your classes??" She looked them with her eyes opened wide.

"Umm...welll...we kind of did that....hehe" Harith scratched his head while grinning like a fool.

"Don't tell her that idiot." Sam elbowed him in the stomach.

"Family and friends are important than other things." Sam calmly quoted out an impressive line.

'These idiots.' Lucia face palmed in her mind.

Contraray to her expectations her mother laughed looking at this bunch of wild kids.

"I ditched my classes too when I was young and today I am ditching my job without informing my boss." She sighed finishing her very short story.

" You did??"

No one had expected such a smart looking career lady to have an unruly side to her.

"Yes yes...I did." She sighed looking at the excited faces of the kids.

"Tell us more." Harith sat down in a chair ready to hear her story.

"Enough about me, you go and talk. " She hurried inside the kitchen ignoring their expectant look.

"Mom..my food....." Lucia touched her empty and growling tummy as she was dragged to her room.

While all this took place, the thief also in other word our Mr.John sat quietly on the couch, sipping the coffee ignoring everything and immersing himself in his magazine.

He too was forgotten by them but he did not mind it a bit. He enjoyed the luxury provided to him free of cost.

Back in her messy room, Lucia hurriedly picked up her things scattered everywhere as fast as she could.

"You live like this?" Harith looked at the messy room amd sighed. "You are dirtyy.." Harith wrinkled his brow picking a worn cloth from the ground and throwing it in laundry bucket.

'I am really clean...humph..' Natalia secretly felt she won something.

"Hey don't go looking around my room." Lucia cursed herself for not cleaning her room when she had time.

"Let me help you Lucia..I am good at cleaning." Natalia took a broom to help her.

" No, its fine. You don't have to do anything." Lucia rejected her offer coldly.

Natalia was having a bad premonition since she arrived in the house. Lucia seemed to be ignoring her and giving her cold look all the time.

(*Its in Natalia's mind and not in reality)

'What if she knows??What if she has already seen through your true face?' A white hand with long black and sharp nail touched her shoulder.

Natalia froze up as the voice inched closer to her. "Stop your act and reveal your true self..." She could hear her own heart thumping loudly.

'Stop...' Natalia breathed heavily muttering under her breath her fore head forming tiny drops of sweat.

'She already knows...what's the use girl...just let loose..'

'Not yet...I can not do that yet...I have to wait for right time...' Natalia tried her best to hold her ground.

"But by then what if everything's finished and gone....what if you are left ALONE?'

"I said stopp." Natalia yelled all of sudden as she closed her ears to prevent herself from hearing anything else.

The whole room was covered in silence as each stopped doing whatever they were doing, startled by the scream.

"Hey...Natalia, you okay?" Harith was the first to ask her while Sam and Lucia looked at her surprised at her sudden outburst.

"Ahh..Huhh....Ehhh??" Natalia met the gazes of Harith, Lucia and Sam who were staring at her.

'I am doomed, they probably think I am lunatic.' Darkness shrouded Natalia's vision.

"Sorry I have to go.' Natalia fumbled her bag struggling to get up. 'I am done for.' That was the only thing on her mind.

Lucia was not the kindest girl around but still looking at her she decided to at least help her get up for the sake of friendship from her side.

"Hey get up." She held her on her shoulder to help her.

"Don't touch me." Natalia threw away her hand and looked at Lucia with a disgusted and angry look.

She got on her feet, opened the door and walked out passing Mrs. Sovuyer who was bringing food over to the room.

"Are you leaving already??..."She asked the girl but Natalia ignored her and went out of the house slamming the door behind her.

'What a rude girl..' She thought and sighed deeply.

"What was that just now? " Sam was the one who broke the silence.

Both Harith and Lucia shook their head showing their confusions. They were thinking about Natalia who left like a gust of wind.

"I am coming in."

The kind voice and the delicious aroma of the food broke their thoughts bringing back their hunger.

" Did something happen with her ? " She asked keeping the food on a table.

"We don't know...everything was too sudden." Lucia shook her head.

Her mother looked serious for a while. "That Natalia girl..there is something different about her."

" How??"

"Nothing nothing..its Nothing ....you people just dig in."She quickly changed the subject uncovering the dishes.

*************

Back in her apartment Natalia stood under the shower, water flowing on top of her. "Its all your fault.." Natalia screamed as she smashed the mirror in front of her. Blood slowly dripped from her hand but like always she did not feel an ounce of pain.