4. The Diary of Natasha Rogers

Instructions

⠀⠀⠀⠀The next four years weren't very exciting or eventful, so I shall skip over them. Now I'm sixteen, and I'm in tenth grade, my second year of high school. Mum has slowly been moving away from working at Shield to spend more time at home. And Dad, well, not much has changed there. ⠀⠀⠀⠀Tony's in fifth grade, and boy is he the ladies man. Like his dad, Mum always jokes. "Fondueing" as she and Dad call it. I don't exactly get it, but that's alright. I'd always liked being Tony's friend, but recently he seems too busy to spend time with me anymore. I guess that's okay, since school's been harder. ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Good morning, darling," Mum said to me as I sat at the kitchen counter. "Are you ready for today?" ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," I nodded and fiddled with the bracelet on my wrist. It was from Tony when we went to the fair last year. ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Everything alright?" Mum looked up from the coffee she was pouring into Dad's cup. ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," I said again, dropping the charm and picking up my fork. "Just tired, I guess." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Just tired?" She set the coffee pot down. "I can see there's something up." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm just nervous about Homecoming," I answered, swirling my eggs around. "No one's gonna ask me." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Don't worry," she smiled. "Someone will. You're too sweet not to be asked." ⠀⠀⠀⠀I smiled faintly, "I suppose." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"If Tony was your age, he'd ask you," she said, pouring cream into Dad's cup. ⠀⠀⠀⠀"No," I shook my head, "Tony seems done with me. He'd probably ask the h^ttest girl in the grade." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Tony, done with you? You two have been friends forever." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, well, Tony grew up," I shrugged. "But it doesn't matter. He's five years younger than me anyway." I started eating my eggs, signaling to Mum that I was done. ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Natasha, look at me," Mum closed the fridge door and leaned on the counter across from me. "Tony will always be your friend. Does he have any others?" ⠀⠀⠀⠀"No." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"See? He's not very good friends with anyone to keep them, but he still has you." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"I guess you're right," I said. ⠀⠀⠀⠀"No," she shook her head, "I am right." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Don't ever doubt your mother, Nutmeg," Dad said, coming down the stairs. "She is always right." ⠀⠀⠀⠀I laughed, "If you say so, Dad." ⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, I know," he said, patting my shoulder. "Now, I hear the school bus."