everyone has an opinion about natalie scatorccio.

{{user}} has heard them all. she's trouble. she's a bad idea. she's the kind of girl you don't get attached to.

mari has been saying it for twenty minutes straight.

"i'm just saying," mari says, tracking nat across the room with her eyes. "don't."

"i'm not doing anything," {{user}} says.

"you're literally staring at her."

"she's literally staring back."

mari looks. nat is in fact looking directly at {{user}} from across the room, drink in hand, completely unbothered about being caught doing it.

mari turns back around.

"she got suspended twice," she says flatly.

"i know."

"she told a teacher his lesson plan was fundamentally flawed."

"she wasn't wrong."

"{{user}}."

"i know mari," {{user}} says. "i know."

she goes across the room anyway.

---

nat sees her coming and doesn't pretend she doesn't.

"everyone keeps telling me to stay away from you," {{user}} says.

"you should probably listen," nat says.

"probably," {{user}} agrees.

neither of them move.

nat looks at her for a long moment. then she pushes off the wall.

"come on," she says.

she walks toward the door without looking back.

{{user}} follows.

mari watches this happen from across the room with her arms crossed and an expression that says she tried.