Class Novel: Chapter 12 by Aaron Scobie

            They would drive down the coast in his car. No music would be playing, just the sound of the air that rushed through the cracked windows. He would scare when he drove. He’d grip the steering wheel with both hands, noticeably on purpose, and give her a quick look. Gradually, he’d step on the gas, inching his foot closer and closer to the floor of his jeep. He did this a lot, but it never failed to make her jump and grab his arm as he sped toward a red light. She’d open her eyes and look at him with a big smirk on his face. The jeep would be stopped at the red light with no one else around. She’d punch him in the arm as hard as she could. Sometimes it actually hurt him. She knew it did, but he’d never budge, flinch, or change his dumb smile. He’d kiss her on the forehead and drive off.

           

            After much convincing, the crew and Sarah convinced Nat to let them have the weekend off. Nat had been trying to preoccupy herself after finding out she was pregnant. It took her a week to after quitting her medication to go get a pregnancy test. And even when she was in the store it took her an hour and a half of walking around to just work up the courage to buy it. The clerk was an older man who knew she was the one causing talk in the town with her filming. Nat was blood red when she went up to the counter but her face was claim. The old man rang it up and gave her a look that was comforting, like he wouldn’t say anything.

            It was Saturday. Nat just finished a cup of coffee given to her for Eugene. This was the second time he had done this. He never let her come in the back to make it; he’d just pour a cup quickly and offer it to her. It was the best cup she’d had, but compared to everywhere else in town, it was like the imported stuff her parents would buy.

            Nat had to go and do something. She couldn’t stand being cooped up all weekend. She tried working on parts of storyboard she had for later scenes, going to various stores, shops, etc. The problem was that she had been to every part of this town. She called up Sarah and a few other member of the crew she was more acquainted with. Nothing came of it though. All of them had slept in. Nat kept a tight shift of being up, packed, and ready to go to the location they were filming at for the day by 8:00 sharp. Sarah enjoyed bossing everyone around and since her breakup with Cody, Sarah had become a bit of a bitch for lack of a better word.

            The sun had just peaked in the sky and Nat had decided to just call Cody.

            “Hello?”

            “Hey Cody. It’s Nat.”

            “Hey!” He seemed cheerful. “What’s up?”

            “I know I said I wouldn’t bother anyone this week. Everyone needs an off day I guess.”

            “Even you Nat.” said Cody.

            “Yeah whatever.” Nat smiled. “But the reason why I’m calling is I was curious if you were busy today.”

            “Let me check my agenda”

            “Agenda?” Nat accidently let her thought slip out.

            “Come on Nat, I’m kidding, sure let’s hang out.”

            “Great.”

            “What did you have in mind?” asked Cody.

            “Well, I had planned to go film the ascent of the mountain today but sense we have the day off…”

            “I have a good idea,” said Cody, “why don’t we go practice the lines for that scene?”

            “Are you sure your ok with that?”

            “Sure. I really don’t mind and I’ve already tended to everything I need to do today.”

            “Wonderful. Oh! One more thing.”

            “You want me to drive?” asked Cody.

            “Do you mind?”

            “Not at all. I don’t want you taking those back roads in the rental car anymore than you have to. It’ll ruin the undercarriage.”

            “Yeah…” Nat was put off. Her chest sunk and she sat down.

            “Well, I’ll see you in ten, fifteen minutes or so,” said Cody.

            Nat mumbled something and hung up the phone. She sat there on the floor. She seemed to be frozen to the spot her legs had put her. She reached for her stomach, but some other force pushed her hand to the blanket that was behind her on the bed. Staring at the window that allowed the sunlight to be broken in through tiny ray beams in her blinds, Nat created mountains in the blanket and collapsed them, repeating this process over, and over.

Some way or another, they’d always end up at his house. That was more her choice than his. It’s not that he hadn’t been over before to her place yet or that she was embarrassed because of her living arrangement. Honestly, her house was better than his, thanks to her parents, but that’s why she always wanted to go to his place. She would stay at his place for a few days at a time, shower there, pretend to live there, because he earned his way. He paid his own bills with his own money. He worked hard and reaped the benefits. She could see a spark in his eye that told her that she could be her own self. She could create her own identity, like him.

            Once they were on the road, Nat told Cody to go the about ten more miles than she had originally told everyone. Nat was getting worried that the locals were getting a bit to pushy with all the filming. It was one of the reasons why she was making everyone work so hard. She was trying to finish up all the scenes in the town. All they had to do now was made it on the mountain itself. Nat decided last minute to push the filming to a different, more discrete location. Her brother never liked the popular trails he hiked, so what right did she have to film using that. Cody broke the silence.

            “So Nat, how’s life been?”

            “Good, I guess.”

            “Aside from all the filming business, how are you doing?”

            “Good, maybe? This film is affecting my mental stability. There are days were I can’t stand to say the word “Action” and there are some days where I want to call home and ask my parents to take me back with their green hands. Some days I want to rebuild bridges that should stay burned.”

            “Have you been to the theatre here yet?”

            “No, why?”

            “You should go there some time. The guy who runs it is an interesting fellow.” Cody put a slow emphasis on the word interesting. “He’s this Frenchman who moved here from Canada.”

            Nat paused for a minute thinking it over.

            “There’s also a play of Macbeth tomorrow,” Cody said. “You could go see it. Try and enjoy your weekend off.”

            “That would be fun, actually.”

            “You could bring Sarah so you don’t have to go alone.”

            “I wish. Sarah hates plays. She sees them as to old fashion. Anytime I mention something involving a play, or theatre for that matter, she allows has some snooty comment to make.”

            “You can say that again.”

            Nat thought about what to say next. She wasn’t sure if she should bring it up but she was curious. “So, I’m guessing you two aren’t friends anymore?”

            “No.” Cody stared at the road. He never lost his smile. It only became smaller.

            “Would you like to go with me to the theatre then? You can introduce me to your friend. I’m no good with formal introductions.”

            “Sure. That’ll be fun. I’ll be see Macbeth again for the tenth time.” Cody laughed. “My friend has a few plays he likes to put on and Macbeth is one of his favorites.”

            The drive seemed to calm Nat’s nerves a lot more than she thought it would. She had only been out here once, and she was to busy worrying about her car getting messed up to notice how beautiful the scenery was. Even if had noticed it before, Nat was the kind of person to think that adoring the scenery was cliché. But something about being in the passenger seat, and not having to worry about the people with her, and making sure they weren’t doing anything stupid, or messing up her movie, all of it made her stop. It made her look at the world and see this calmness in chaos. She put her hand on he stomach, and stared at the passing trees.