Natalie
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"NATALIE!" Gustavo's voice boomed through Rocque Records and it felt like an earthquake was happening. I groaned as I got up from the couch and slowly walked into his office. He was sitting at his desk, hands folded over his notebook. Kelly was standing right behind him, holding the same thing she always does: her binder thing.

"I thought I told you to not let the dogs get in between your singing?" Gustavo had the look as if were about to fire me. I rolled my eyes and looked at him. "You said to not let them ruin my career. You never said I couldn't hang with them. There's a difference there, Gustavo. Use your eyes, maybe you'll see that." I snapped at him.

A gasp flew from Kelly's mouth in response to my clap back. She pointed to the door and I followed after her. She spun around, anger filling her eyes. I knew from right there she was about to lose her cool. She pointed a finger at me before speaking. "You have no right to speak to Gustavo like that. He's your producer. He's the one that got you here. Do you want that taken away from you and get sent back to Minnesota?" I snickered at her. Palm Woods definitely changed me. One hundred percent.

"Going back to Minnesota wouldn't be a bad thing, but leaving the guys would. So what? Gustavo treats me like a piece of trash from the streets. He has no respect for me or the guys. Do you not see that? Do you really like being his assistant and having him boss you around like some animal? Your mind must be twisted Kelly. I'm sorry if this offends you and you fire me, but I can't take this anymore. Being a singer is a dream of mine, but so is playing soccer. But if I can't be treated like a normal human being, then forget it." I screamed at her, slamming her binder thing out of her hands and running out of Rocque Records.

I've had enough. I've been here for a month now and I haven't even got two songs done. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. As much as I love staying here with all my friends, Palm Woods just isn't for me. Kendall, Logan, James and Carlos, they dreamed big and wide, now they're a band.

I pulled Kendall to the side when he wasn't busy. I was fighting back the tears that were about to fall any second. No, I'm not crying over Kendall. I'm crying over the fact that I'm leaving Kendall.

"Natalie? Shh, what's wrong?" He pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around my neck. I lost my battle. The tears flowed out of me like there was no tomorrow. "I- I can't keep doing this Kendall. I can't keep being treated like trash by Gustavo. I'm leaving Palm Woods." I sobbed as I pulled away from him. I didn't even have to look up to know that his expression killed me.

"What do you mean you're leaving? You can't leave. You belong here." Kendall faced me.

"No I don't Kendall. You belong here. I don't. Singing was one thing, but soccer is my thing. I can't leave that all behind." I calmed down after what seemed like hours of crying.

"You do belong here, Natalie. If you leave and I lose you, it's like I'm losing a part of myself. And to make sure you don't leave, we're going to Gustavo. Right now."

—

"The dogs need to stay out of this." Kendall and Gustavo were fighting for the past twenty minutes now. I refused to look at Kelly, knowing that she felt sorry about what she said to me earlier today.

"Natalie, I—"

I turned to Kelly. Her face was filled with apology. I know I snapped at her, but she needed to hear it, whether she wanted to or not.

"No, it's clear as day that I'm no use here. You and Gustavo showed me that everyone here gets treated like some Lind of sick joke. Kendall gets treated like a dog. The rest of the guys get treated like they're dogs. Do me a favor and scratch me off your list."

She pursed her mouth in a straight line and looked forward. I pushed myself up off the couch and made my way to Gustavo's office. Kendall turned around, a smile appearing on his face in a instant.

"Good news. You're staying at Palm Woods."

I frowned. So did Kendall.

"No. Gustavo, I really appreciate everything you've done to try and further me into singing, but my time here is done. I quit."

Everyone's mouth dropped to the floor at my sudden decision. A look of horror spread across Kendall's face. It was in that moment that I knew I broke him. I broke him. My face instantly dropped, causing me to slide over to him and embrace him in a hug. To my surprise, he pushed me away and walked out, leaving me in a state of everything. Everything but happy.

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