Natalie approached cautiously, still unsure what to say, Josh a few steps behind. Mr. and Mrs. Silverdale sat on the little staircase that lead up to the front, where a casket waited on the table behind them. Natalie avoided looking at it. It made her skin tingle uncomfortably, knowing what was inside.
Beth looked up from the ground, still clutching her husband's hand, as they approached. Her eyes widened. "Is that... Natalie?"
She nodded. "Hi, Mrs. S."
"Natalie..." Beth trailed off. Her eyes welled up again, even though she looked like she'd been crying for days, and she looked away.
"We're so sorry for your loss," said Josh weakly. "She was..."
"Thank you," said Malcolm, after Josh failed to come up with anything.
"She was really nice," said Natalie. "She helped save a bunch of people back home. She was a good person."
Beth looked up, face still streaked with tears, and nodded.
Natalie offered her a weak smile. "She was a hero." Not like me. I wish I were as good as her.
"Thank you," choked Beth. Her husband wrapped his arm back around her shoulder, and they hugged close. Natalie took that as her cue to walk away. She had no clue what else to say, and this was even worse than with Jenny's mom. At least then, Natalie could give them a hug and hold their hand, do the things that words couldn't express.
Now, when Natalie tried to push herself forward, give them a hug that she knew they needed, she couldn't move an inch. Her body wouldn't let her.
Josh put a hand toward her shoulder, intending to steer her back toward the crowd, and Natalie flinched away. He took a step back, confused. "Uhh, sorry."
Natalie just brushed it off like it hadn't happened, though in truth, she was worried about how many times that would happen today. Every single touch was like a shock to her system, and she couldn't be thinking about that right now. She needed to be there for Hailey, not dealing with her own mess.
"Where's Hailey?" she asked.
"Dunno..." Josh glanced around. "Her parents are here."
Natalie looked over. The blonde woman she'd seen on TV was in another corner, along with a man who could only be Hailey's father, talking quietly. Natalie could just make out who they were talking about, with Hailey's mom telling some story about eggs.
"You want to go talk to them?"
Well... it's them or Kendra. At least, I think that's Kendra... Or... wait, who is that? And why's she coming over here?
A brown-haired girl in a simple black dress who didn't look much older than Natalie was walking toward them. Specifically toward Josh, though she took a long curious glance at Natalie as she approached. "Hi."
"Uhh, hi?" said Josh. Natalie didn't answer at all, just stared. She felt suspicious, especially since something about the girl seemed weirdly familiar.
"I don't really know anybody here, so I figured I should start with the coolest people I saw."
...What? She's thinking about that at a time like this?
Josh raised his eyebrows, annoyed, which made Natalie feel a whole lot better. If Josh didn't like her, Natalie didn't have to try to like her either. "And who the fuck are you?" Josh asked.
"I'm Meg." She stuck out her hand. Natalie looked at it like she was covered in spiders. "...Oookay, or not." Meg looked around uncomfortably. "Sorry. I'll leave you two alone then."
The girl wandered away. Josh glanced at Natalie, brow furrowed as if to say, What was that?
Natalie shrugged. "I've never seen her before." She frowned. "I've been kinda..." She trailed off, not wanting to say 'on my own.' It sounded too weak, too simple.
Josh caught on anyway. "Shit, Natalie. I didn't even ask. How's school going?"
Hey, something actually okay in my life. Kind of. Anything to not think about why we're here. Natalie smiled. "It's good."