Natasha

I sped over to the staff restroom. Pushing past Cassandra to get into the last accessible bathroom stall, I quickly locked the door. Cassandra scoffed as she began to run the sink.

“Some people,” she muttered to herself. I waited until her footsteps retreated to pull out my phone and call him.

After three times of having me be sent to voicemail, Damien finally picked up his phone.

“It’s her,” I rushed out. Damien groaned and I could picture him waking up right now.

“Who?” he asked groggily. I rolled my eyes.

“Her,” I repeated. He still didn’t understand who I was talking about. “Estelle.”

“Oh,” he murmured. I could hear running water in the background. He did not sleep in.

“You sound tired,” I remarked accusingly. He gave me a cool chuckle.

He joked, "I would never sleep in, sis." I scoffed at that. His track record tells quite a different story. "Anyway, how do you know it's her?" he continued.

I groaned to myself knowing he wouldn’t understand like the way I do. “I just do,” I say, trying to form coherent words. “It’s her, Damien. Her.”

Damien sighs dramatically. I expect him to start making fun of me or coming up with a reason to disagree with me. However, he doesn't. "I just really hope that you're right this time." He senses the sting that unintentionally came from his words, and a tense silence builds between us. Nicole. I am acutely aware of his thoughts. I had also convinced myself back then that she was the one. She wasn't. She is no longer alive because of me.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers softly.

I admit, "No, you're right. She'll be the one to save us, I'm certain. She must be. She'll do it."  I hope.

He asks nervously, "How much time do we have? Dax is already in a frenzy."

This time, I sigh. "I'm not sure. I have my fingers crossed that it will not be quite so long. Tell Dax I say hi."

"Of course."  His grin is so evident in his voice that I almost start smiling too. Before I got a chance to stop him, he started shouting, "Hey, Dax, your girlfriend says hi."

I’m so glad he isn’t here to see my face burn, but what I would give to strangle my little brother right now. “He’s not my boyfriend,” I mutter into the phone.

“Sure,” he says skeptically.

“Bye.” Before he could continue with his assumptions, I cut off the call.

I walked calmly out of the stall perfectly composed as though I hadn’t been in there for several minutes. Two women walk into the bathroom and look at me with suspicion. I can’t hear most of what they say, except that my name came up in it. I hurry out to get Estelle’s food and ignore the whispers surrounding me.