Page 11 of Sven

5

Natalie

After spending the night by herself in a highway hotel, Natalie pulled up to her best friend’s house and parked in the driveway. Was this a mistake? What was she even going to do here? But Sydney was right. New York was a long way from Alabama, and she had the miles on her car to prove it. As she parked, the door opened, and her best friend stepped out, waiting on the porch to greet her.

“Natalie,” she called as she made her way down in her bare feet in the cold January weather.

“You better go back in that house and get some shoes on. Use the sense your mama gave you,” Natalie scolded.

“It’s fine. It’s like thirty-eight degrees today.”

Natalie wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything. Sydney and Natalie had been roommates in college. While Sydney was from New York, Natalie had grown up in Alabama, and this was cold. She didn’t care what Sydney said.

“Well, go get some shoes on anyway. You can help me bring my stuff in.”

Once her bags were in, she was curled up on the couch, watchingMean Girlswith a pizza on the way.

“So, what are you going to do?” asked Sydney. “Do your parents even know?”

“Did I call my parents in Costa Rica to tell them I got fired? No, I didn’t.”

It’s not that her parent’s wouldn’t have supported her. They would have been just as angry as she was, but six months out of the year, her dad volunteered at a medical center down there. They did important work, and she didn’t want to be a distraction from that. Being a burden was hard to stomach. The family she came from did important work. Sure, being a teacher wasn’t being a national treasure like her grandfather or bringing medical care to impoverished communities like her parents, but it was important work all the same. Without it, she felt lost—well, lost and angry. But even that didn’t make her want to burden her family with her problem.

“Did you tell anyone?” Sydney asked.

“What’s the point?” she asked as she pulled the blanket around her. “They’re all busy. I thought the foundation might help, but they were only interested in keeping it quiet.”

“That’s fucking bullshit.”

Natalie just nodded.

“Aren’t you angry?” Sydney asked.

“Of course I am,” Natalie said, turning her and leveling her with a stare. “But what am I supposed to do? It’s not like kicking and screaming will get me my job back.”

“I forgot... Southern belles don’t convey anger,” Sydney joked in an affected Southern accent.

“Oh, shut up,” Natalie said, throwing a pillow at her.

There was a knock at the door, and Sydney went to go get the pizza.

She plopped it down on the table in front of them. Natalie pulled a piece of pepperoni pizza onto her paper plate and settled back with her hard cider.

“Are you going to try and teach again?” asked Sydney. “Maybe you could apply to school in the area, be a substitute teacher?”

Natalie sighed and shook her head. “I’m pretty sure the Moms Fighting for Freedom messed up any shot I have at teaching.”

“God, even that name makes my skin crawl. How can you fight for freedom by banning books?”

“I know... I think I might be stuck, though.”

“Natalie... there has to be a way. You’re so amazing with kids.”

Natalie closed her eyes. She would not cry about this again. If she gave in, she would be swallowed up by the seething rage inside of her. Sydney was right. Anger wasn’t an emotion she usually gave over to. But ever since she’d been fired, she had been drowning in a sea of it.

They settled in, watched the movie, and ate their pizza.

“I’m going to have to find a job soon. I’m almost out of money,” Natalie said with a sigh.

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