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“Hey, man. Two days in a row,” Nathan says as he takes his hand away from mine to shake Brian’s. His beefy physique only makes him appear more intimidating standing right next to the table, towering over me.
“Hey, Natalie,” Brian says, staring right at me with his beady green eyes. “I haven’t seen you in quite some time. You’re looking really good.” He eyes me up and down, making me glad that I am still wearing Nathan’s jacket.
“H-hi,” is all I can say before looking away, keeping my eyes glued to the table.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
“So, what happened to you last night?” Brian asks, looking back at Nathan.
“Oh, yeah, sorry about that. Wasn’t feeling so great. I guess I had one too many.” He gives a lighthearted smile, but when he looks over at me, his smile recedes, and a worried frown takes its place.
“Hey, man, I’ve been there. I get it.” Brian puts his hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “I remember this one time …”
As Brian starts rambling off, I can feel my chest tightening, and my heart begins beating erratically. I roll up the sleeves of Nathan’s jacket as extreme heat spreads throughout my body. Am I about to have a panic attack in the middle of an apple orchard?
Stay calm.
Nathan’s hand falls on top of mine, causing me to look up at him. He mouths the words, “Are you ok?”
I somehow manage a small smile and nod my head reassuringly, but he doesn’t look convinced.
Don’t let him see the truth.
After Brian finishes telling his story, I hear Nathan ask, “So, what are you doing here, anyway?”
“Oh, I got dragged here with my family before I head back to school. They’re out somewhere in the orchards. But,” he looks down at me and then back at Nathan, “what are you two doing here … together?”
Nathan runs one hand through his hair before he answers. “Oh, we umm ran into each other at school and …”
“Your donuts are ready, dear!” I hear the woman from the store shout through the open window to get my attention.
Mysavior.
I mechanically jump up and head over to the pickup window in a hurry. The woman hands me the donuts, and I turn around to walk back to the picnic table then stop. Where do I go? Brian and Nathan are still engaged in conversation. I can’t go over there. But I also can’t leave since Nathan was the one who drove us here.
You’re such an idiot, Natalie. Two times in two days! You knew something like this would happen. How could it not? They’re best friends.
I move in the opposite direction, looking for an escape, when I see a sign that reads “Corn Maze Fun,” and a hasty plan comes to mind. I’ll just kill a few minutes in there until Brian goes back to his family, and everything will be fine.
I walk through the entrance of the corn maze, and after only taking a few turns, I realize I may not have thought this plan all the way through. I have never actually been through a corn maze before and assumed it would be easy for me to find the exit. But after walking past the same purple flag for the third time, I know I’m lost.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and find that twenty minutes have passed.
Fuck.
I also have two missed calls from Nathan.
Fuck. Fuck.
I sit on the ground, drop the bag of cider donuts beside me, and run my hands anxiously through my hair. It has now been twenty-five minutes, and the panic attack is in full swing. My body is trembling, beads of sweat trickle down the back of my neck, and my airway feels one second away from closing.
I’m on the verge of passing out in a fucking corn maze.
Deep breaths, Natalie. Inhale. Exhale.
I can’t!
“Natalie!” I hear Nathan’s voice and realize he must be looking for me in the maze. Only his voice doesn’t create the same comfort it usually gives me. Instead, he sounds worried and … angry.
