15 Chapter 14

“You can do it,” Colton says in a low voice.

I nod once and reach into the bowl. When some couples had come up here, they had looked concentrated and thoughtful as to which random slip of paper they picked, as if it actually told them their future. I’m not concentrated or thoughtful. I don't care. I grab the first one my hand touches and take it out. Colton watches my hands as I unfold it. Boy. Just one, thank God. We go to Mr. Cooper, hand him the slip, and take the baby boy he offers. Up next are Andrea and Riley. Once they get their baby boy, they go back to their seats. By now everyone in the room has received their baby.

“Now, for the rest of the period, you will take care of your babies and answer the questions on the sheet of paper that I’ve laid on your tables," Mr. Cooper instructs us.

Colton turns our baby on as Riley and Andrea slide their chairs over to our table and sit across from us. Andrea didn’t look the most thrilled about it but she was still trying to act like a good sport so, I’m assuming this was Riley’s idea. Was he trying to be here for me the best he could at the moment? Andrea pulls out a bag of chips and opens them, then holds the bag toward Riley. “Want some?” she asks him.

His nose scrunches up. He shakes his head. “Just the smell of them is making me sick right now.”

Andrea quickly folds them up and puts them back into her bookbag, her face turning slightly red. “I’m sorry. Are you sick?”

“I’ve been feeling fine. It just hit me,” he answers, looking even slightly paler than before but with a greenish tint to his face now.

“Are you going to be okay? Do you need to go to the nurse? I could walk you there,” she offers, putting her hand on his forehead and then holding his arm like a caring and concerned girlfriend would. Or would wife be more appropriate right now?

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,” he says, sounding irritated and shrugging her off of him. A look of hurt flashes across her face and eyes but she covers it quickly. Probably just chalking his attitude and actions up to him not feeling good.

“This is what I like to hear. Marriage at its best,” Mr. Cooper says, smiling at them.

I roll my eyes and feel like I could barf myself. This is the most stupid thing that I’ve ever had to do.

“Keep up the great work,” Mr. Cooper says, then walks off.

“What do you want to name him?” Andrea asks Riley.

“You can decide," Riley answers, uncaring.

Colton looks at me briefly, but neither one of us make the first move by talking. Andrea, oblivious as always, carries on while I give Riley a worried look over. Maybe he should really go to the nurse.

“What about Warren Alexander?” Andrea suggests.

I look at Riley to take in his reaction to the name. If it’s possible, the mention of it makes him look even more nauseous, but he shrugs. “Whatever. That’s fine,” he tells her.

She looks upset at his lack of interest in their supposed son and his name. I stifle a snicker at the name myself and feel Colton look at me. I meet his gaze and we both end up suppressing smiles and groans at the posh name of their son. Of course, it’s something Andrea would come up with and think is a great idea. The bell rings and we all stand up to leave. Andrea and Riley placing their chairs at their rightful table.

We all file out into the hallway carrying our babies and head to lunch. Once we get to the lunchroom Colton turns to me. “I’ll get you a plate if you’re hungry so you can get us a seat.” My mouth almost drops open in shock, but I just nod at him.

“Awe, you guys have always been so cute together, but you’re even cuter now that I see how you are together and with each other. It’s kind of unfair Cooper paired you two together for the arranged marriage when the whole school knows about you guys and how dynamic you are,” Andrea babbles, idiotically.

Colton stops in his tracks and pins her in place with a cold look and I bite the insides of my cheek in an attempt to keep from biting her stupid fucking head off. But this is a battle with myself that I don’t think I’m going to win with myself, regardless if Riley thinks she’s cool or likes her. She just lit a fire in me that isn‘t easily put out. Especially considering she’s ignorantly opened her mouth to me about Colton and me a few times now and still isn‘t learning the obvious lesson.

“Shut up, Andrea. You don‘t know what you’re talking about,” Riley snaps at her, sounding completely fed up and unlike himself.

Colton switches his stare over to Riley, taking him in and looking like he had a few words he wanted to say to him as well. But, he just shook his head and went to get our food, leaving the three of us standing there. Andrea’s mouth is hanging open in shock at Riley’s words and demeanor toward her. Her eyes are filled with hurt and embarrassment while Riley just looks unfazed. I can’t take it anymore. I have to put a stop to this now. Before she continues to recklessly open her mouth and make things harder on me.

“Or, maybe, we got arranged together because the whole school knows how we USED to be and how we haven’t been friends or even remotely fucking close in over half a year. Maybe he thought, knowing these facts, would make it interesting or give some realistic results. Or hell, maybe he even did it to give vapid people like yourself something to gawk at and make nonstop remarks on things that aren’t your concern or business!” I finish going off, gasping for the breath that my angry rampage took from me.

Her face is frozen in shock and she looks like she could cry, but I don’t care. If she was going to cry, it would probably be more from getting hurt by Riley‘s words more than mine. She gathers herself but her face still has a red tinge to it and her eyes still look glassy. “Riley, I’m going to let go of how you’ve been talking to me and treating me since English because it‘s obvious you don’t feel good and aren‘t yourself. But I think we should just sit as married couples today. Alone. So we can get some work down and have some time on our own for journal purposes. And, Natalie, I’m sorry about what I said. I‘ve clearly stepped on your toes and I should learn to keep my mouth shut more. I didn’t mean or want to cause any hard feelings or problems for anyone,“ she rushes out apologetically, her face still tinged red.

“Yeah, you should do that. All of it. Because you didn’t just step on my toes. You crossed the line and you’ve been repeatedly doing it. I‘m done being nice about it. I’m done pretending to ignore it or let it slide. I’m done listening to the bullshit and I’m done pretending I’m nice. You don’t know me or my life. Stop pretending to,” I continue going off, unstoppable at this point.

“Natalie, I wasn’t-” she starts to say.

“Stop. Just stop. I don’t care,” I cut her off.

“Andrea, please go find a seat for us,” Riley quietly intervenes and asks her. She nods and walks off after sparing one last struggling glance in my direction. “I’m sorry about her,” he tells me, still quiet.

I level my gaze on him now. He looks awful but I can’t stop the words before they fly out of my mouth, my temper already having a complete hold on me. I shrug at him and look him up and down coldly. “Not your fault you like idiots.”

He shakes his head at me. “I don’t-”

“You said she’s cool, that you’re friends, and you like her did you not?” I say, cutting him off.

His mouth forms a grim line and his eyes look exhausted. “Not exactly. Please don’t pick a fight with me right now. I get it. She was wrong.”

I scoff at him. “You’re just like her. You two really are perfect together. You don’t get anything. You don’t know anything.”

He looks me up and down, his eyes almost unnaturally calm. “Okay, clearly now isn’t the time. I’ll see you later, Natalie,” he tells me, cool and even. It’s like the guy has no temper.

He walks off and I watch as he slumps into a seat next to Andrea who managed to find a small circular lunch table just for them a short distance away. Suddenly the lunchroom feels too crowded and too loud. I rush out through the double doors, glancing back to see Riley watching me.