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Jamie

Five
Friday, September 29
    As far as I know, and I’m not asking questions, Nat and Ben’s honeymoon went just fine. They only got to spend two nights at the cabin, and both of them were back in school by Tuesday. Of course, since lots of the kids knew about “the big wedding,” there’s been plenty of teasing and crud going on. But I have to give it to Nat and Ben, they’re taking it pretty well. Although Nat’s patience was wearing thin by the end of the week.
    “Some people need to get a life,” she told me at lunch today.
    “Give them time,” I said. “They’ll get bored with the O’Conners before long.”
    “Yeah, at least until I really start showing. That should get them going again.” She sighed loudly. “Which brings me to something…”
    “Huh?” I looked at her. Like what was she getting at?
    “I’m thinking about switching schools.”
    “Switching?”
    “Yeah. Mrs. Harper was the one who first suggested it. She told me about this place downtown. Actually, it’s close to our apartment. Anyway, it’s for pregnant teen girls. You can get your diploma and even bring your baby to school.”
    “But you could get your diploma here before the baby is born,” I reminded her.
    “I know…” She looked around the cafeteria. “But it’s hard being here. I feel like such a misfit.”
    “We’ve always been misfits, Nat.”
    “But it’s worse now.” She looked right at me then. “And I know it’s not easy for you.”
    Okay, this surprised me. I wasn’t used to having Nat consider my feelings.
    “I think it’s for the best,” she finally said.
    “But I’m going to miss you.”
    “We’ll still see each other, Kim. By the way, when are you going to come by the apartment?”
    Nat had already asked me this several times this week. “I don’t know. I don’t want to intrude on the newlyweds.”
    She laughed. “Yeah, right. Ben works all night and is usually half dead when he comes home. And I’m usually pretty tired from being pregnant. The newlyweds are acting more like old fogies anyway. Trust me, we’re not very exciting.
    “Why don’t you come over tonight?” she suggested suddenly. “Ben’s working anyway It’ll be just you and me.”
    Since I couldn’t think of an excuse, I agreed.
    I spent most of a pretty boring evening in Nat and Ben’s tiny, stuffy, barren apartment, and was I ever glad to get back home. Okay, the truth is their place reminds me of a prison cell. It’s in an old complex downtown. It’s run-down and looks like it might collapse at any minute. I’m surprised it’s not condemned. Their unit is on the first floor, which might appeal to Nat since she doesn’t have to go up the stairs, but the street is so noisy that I wonder how they can even sleep. The worst part is that there are bars on the windows.
    “For security,” Nat explained as she leaned back into the frumpy futon Ben had brought from home. She rubbed her hands over her ever growing belly in a circular motion, acting like it didn’t even bother her that her jeans were unbuttoned and her T-shirt was rolling up.
    “Right…” I said, glancing away.
    The apartment has one miniature bedroom, which is mostly filled with Nat’s full-sized bed from home, one creepy little bathroom that smells like mildew, and a boxlike kitchen that Nat has filled with her shower and wedding things. And then the “living” room that’s not even as big as my bedroom. And that’s it. Of course, they don’t have much to put in it. But that’s probably just as well since there’s not much room anyway.
    “Ben’s mom is going to an estate sale this weekend,”Nat told me. “She said she’ll try to find us a table and chair set.”
    “Won’t it be a little crowded in here when the baby comes?”
    “Oh, we’ll find a bigger and better place by then,” she assured me.
    “Oh, yeah.”
    I’m still not sure how we managed to pass nearly two hours, but finally I told her that I was pretty tired