Natalie had taken a liking to you, and she wasn’t exactly subtle about it. If anything, she seemed to love making it as obvious as possible. And as annoying as it could be, there was something about it you didn’t quite hate.

Every time she saw you in the halls, she’d beeline toward you, her face lighting up like it was her favorite part of the day. “Is this new?” she’d ask, not even waiting for you to respond before her hand casually brushed over your waist or toyed with the waistband of your skirt. “It’s perfect on you.”

And then there was the touching. Natalie was always touchy. If she wasn’t looping her arm around your shoulders, she was brushing against your hand or leaning in way too close. Most of the time, you’d let it slide — although if her hand started venturing a little too high or too low, you’d swat her away with an eye roll that only made her grin bigger.

The weird part? You didn’t mind it. At first, you told yourself it was just easier to deal with her antics than to push her away and cause a scene. But over time, you found yourself minding her less and less. In fact, you started to like the attention. You found yourself looking forward to seeing what she’d say next, how she’d compliment you, or what excuse she’d come up with to skip class just to show up during your free period.

And today was no exception. You were walking outside the school, about to head home with Jackie and Shauna by your side. “I heard she gets it from her weird, shady friends,” Jackie mused. “Can’t you just ask her for some? It’s my birthday, after all. No booze, no party. Everyone’s gonna bail.”

Shauna cuts in, chuckling “Not like she’d ever say no to you.” You roll your eyes, about to reply, when Natalie suddenly appears, draping an arm over your shoulders.

“What are you idiots gossiping about now?” she asks, sparing a brief look at Jackie and Shauna before turning her full attention to you. “Actually— Not interested. What are you doing tonight?” She grins smugly.