“I can see that. He’s a nice-looking guy,” Natalie agreed with a grin.
“How about you living with a teacher? Do you call him Mr. Sullivan?” Hazel asked with a smirk.
“Only when he gets on my nerves. I am very happy with Sam,” Natalie admitted, though Hazel already knew that. Anyone who saw them together knew that.
“Does he talk about boring history all the time?”
“Almost never, but he reads about it a lot.”
“You always had a thing for him. How many hours were spent coming up with awful things to do to him?” Hazel giggled at their younger selves.
“He told me that the worst thing I did to him was have him look at yours and Hanna’s boobs. Do you remember that?” Natalie laughed, but Hazel blushed. Even after all these years, it was still embarrassing.
“Do I remember you two pressuring me into showing a teacher my boobs? No, I have no memory of that. Because I blocked it out.” Hazel laughed at the memory.
“You were always easy to get to change your mind. All I had to say is Hanna would do it, and you would be on board,” Natalie admitted, scooting onto the bed until her back was against the wall.
“Yeah, I always wanted to be outgoing and fun like her.” She had always wondered how Hanna had become so outgoing and her not when they were supposed to be identical.
“And I know she would have killed to be able to sing like you. To be able to play instruments. To have such an amazing ability.” Natalie reached out and squeezed Hazel’s leg.
“No, she didn’t care about any of that.” She watched John Henry dig around the room for more toys to play with.
Natalie shook her head. “She said she didn’t because you outshined her when you were there. Like sports with you. You let her be the star.”
“She wasn’t a star, you were. You were amazing.” If anyone had missed out on using their talent because of the accident, it was Natalie. Her sports dreams died that night, even if she hadn’t.
“Wasis the key word. Iwasgood. I have been able to get past it, but it wasn’t easy. Ruston said he heard you sing.”
“You talk too much to him.” She frowned at her friend, wondering when they were constantly talking.
Natalie grinned at her. “He’s my preacher; we talk.”
“About me?” she asked.
“Sometimes you come up. When did he hear you? In the shower?” Natalie joked.
“He makes me happy, and I sing when I am happy. I sing with John Henry. We dance too,” she admitted, though she wasn’t happy all that much before Ruston came into her life.
“God, I hated going to dances with you. You always complained about my dancing.”
“You have no rhythm, never have. Ruston has no rhythm either.” Hazel wanted to teach him some moves, but she was sure he wouldn’t catch on. But she still wanted to try.
“So, you have danced with him?”
“Yes, a few times.”
“I will get this information out of one of you.”
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“How about one for one? I tell you one secret, and you tell me one?” Natalie turned to Hazel and crossed her long legs.
Biting her bottom lip, she looked at her tall friend. Slowly she turned and crossed her legs too, so they were looking at each other. “Okay. You go first.”
“My mom doesn’t know who my dad is, but he’s dark.” She waved her hands over her body, “My mom is a pale redhead and short. I’m as much like her as I am with my dad. I still look like nobody, it’s weird.”
“I can see that now that I know you’re adopted. I really should have figured that out by the time we were twelve when you were taller than your dad. And I saw the pictures of your parents all the time, and still, I didn’t even think about it. Did Hanna know?” She paused, and Natalie shook her head. Hazel, for some reason, liked that she knew something her sister didn’t. Even with so many years after she was gone, it made her feel closer to her friend. Taking a breath, she said, “I used to go to Grand Forks and sing at parties when the band took breaks. They let me sing on stage.”