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Noah
I stop the bike in front of her house and hear her soft yawn, against my arm. Bella is definitely tired but is too stubborn to admit that.
During the ride, sometimes she talked and told me that she was not tired but the rest of the time, I had to stop her from dozing off, not wanting her to fall from the bike. So, I kept my left hand behind and on her back, firmly, as I drove slower than I usually do.
I cannot see her from the mirror but I know her cheeks and the edges of the helmet are pressed against my back while her arms circle my waist. I turn my head not so much that I wake her up but enough to see her hairline.
"Bella?"
She hums.
"Wake up."
"Don't want to," She mumbles. "You smell nice and you are soft."
I stop myself from scowling. "I am not soft."
"You are a marshmallow," She argues back, hugging me tightly. "Can you carry me?"
"No. You have legs."
"Of course, I have legs," Then, the volume of her voice lowers. "I am human."
"Are you sure?" When I get a small mumble about cupcakes in answer, I know she is starting to sleep. I groan, "Bella."
"Okay, okay, I am awake," She says, straightening up, and I take off my hand from her back. We both look at each other from the mirror. She narrows her eyes and I frown.
"What?" I ask her.
She replies, "You are confusing."
"I am not."
As she gets off the bike, she says, "Sometimes, you make it seem like chivalry exists but then, you remind me that you are still that bad boy I met in the washroom."
"Boys' room, specifically." I chuckle. She takes off the helmet from her head and gives it to me, looking back at her home.
After keeping the helmet in front of my seat, I look at her. She stands at the same spot, looking back at meâexpecting something. She crosses her arms over her chest and I wait because I am no mind reader.
Until her glare stings me hard. "What?"
"Aren't you gonna walk me to the door?" She asks.
Taken aback, I ask, "Do you want me to?"
"No," She pauses and looks away from me. "Maybe."
Only it is then, I understand. I understand her glances towards her home. I understand the action of her picking at the skin on her palm. I understand that she is nervous.
She wasn't just tired, she also wanted to delay the process.
I park the bike on the pavement and get off of it. When I stand in front of her, I take her hand in mine.
She looks at me, surprised by the action, but I do not say anything. I give a small squeeze to her hand as we start walking towards the door.
Bella glances at me. "I haven't seen you smoke."
"I don't need toâor even want to."
She tilts her head. "Why?"
At first, I don't have anything to sayânothing at all. But I tell her, "I do not know why or how I stopped doing that. But it is for better, anyway."
She hums and then, squeezes my hand, assuringly. My heart drops a beat, before beating fast twice the normal speed. How she does this to me I don't know but I do not mind. I do not mind it, at all.
Something comes over me and I say to her, "Probably because change is inevitable and this time it is taking its sweet fucking toll on me."
She laughs, shaking her head. "Tell me something else."
We reach the porch and I turn towards her, still holding her hand. I tell her, "We should get over that bet."
Bella scrunches her eyebrows and stares at me as if my face has all the answers in the world.
"What bet? I think I alreadyâoh."
"Yes, oh."
I thought she will blush. She will mumble something incongruent, look away from me and take away her hand from mine. Instead, she pulls me towards her.
Confidently.
As if she knows the hold, she has on me.
She stares into my eyes and when I do the same, there is disbelief, confusion, anger... and hurt.
"What do you mean by get over that bet?" She speaks as if each word is difficult to say.
"I mean," I say, without a pause. "that we should not hold off the date, I should have given you a long time ago."
"Why not later?"
"Nobody knows if there is any later."
She glares at me. "I will kill you."
"Then, don't expect me to be your lawyer."
Upon hearing Mia's voice, Bella pushes me back with so much force that I stumble back a few steps.
"Mom!" Bella moves forward and hugs her while I stand up, properly, and adjust my sweatshirt properly.
"You came home soon," She says and turns to me, inquisitively. "with Noah."
A gruff voice speaks, "Yes, it is quite interesting."
Steve is sitting on one of the steps of the staircase, leaning back. He has worn a three-piece suit with a white shirt under it and a black hat. To top it all, he is holding a walking stick in one hand.
"Dad, why are you dressed like that?" Bella questions but her expression questions the relation.
Steve answers in the same voice, "Because I run a mafia organization which deals with alcohol and drugs and gets a whole lotta money from that but donates it all to the orphanage where I get more workers."
"Really?" Mia looks between Bella and Steve. "A soft girl obsessed with killing and a doctor selling harmful drugs?"
She turns to me. "Anything to confess?"
"I am atheist," I give a one-shoulder shrug.
"You are atheist?" Bella turns to me, surprised. I nod and she looks away, nodding. "Wow, I should have known but I am still surprised."
Mia exasperatedly says, "A non-believer of God named after an orthodox patriarch? Perfect."
"Noah, meet my normal family," Bella says and I chuckle.
Steve laughs and puts aside the walking stick. "Noah, what's up, man?"
"The sky," I reply.
"How do I look?"
"Ridiculous."
He grins and snaps his fingers at me. "I knew I liked you for a reason."
I glance at Bella, giving her a smug look. She rolls her eyes and turns away, muttering something incongruent.
"So," Mia starts as she leans on the doorframe with crossed arms. "Where's Daisy?"
Before getting out of the house, Bella had messaged Daisy about the change in plans and I told the same to my Mum.
Mum was upset, definitely, about it and it took some time to tell her that we had already gone. Daisy was... silent as if she was thinking of all the reasons why her sister skipped it. In the end, they had no choice but to be okay with it.
Before I answer, Bella beats me to it. "Percy will drop off Daisy."
This time Steve asks, "Why couldn't you come with Percy?"
"Because," I answer. "I wanted to take Bella to the Ice Rick as we had some free time."
Bella nods, agreeing with me. Both, Steve and Mia, stare at us, trying to find any lies, but lucky for us, there are not any.
"Okay, that is convincing," Mia decides, smiling. She pats Steve on his hand, turning back. "Alright, Steve, let's give the kids some space. They were having some important talk."
"What talk?" Steve straightens himself and looks between Bella and me. "I wanna know too."
I think, beside me, Bella is mentally pleading with me to shut up and go back home. But she shocks me by saying, "We were talking about our date later this week."
She and I both know Steve tries to be the "protective" movie dad but I must say from the look he is giving me right now he sure did some practice.
Steve raises an eyebrow. "A date?"
Mia turns towards us, surprised. "What?"
I raise my eyebrows when I look at Bella but she is confidently looking at Steve and Mia. And I know she is going to say more. So, I shut my mouth before I ruin whatever her little plan is.
"We actually had a bet and he lostâobviouslyâso, he needs to take me on a date," Bella starts explaining, "It is a friend date. Like the ones, Nick and I go on once a month? Like that."
"Oh," Steve says and laughs. "I mean when did these two grow some guts to do that?"
Bella and I force out an awkward laugh but, Mia doesn't. She just looks at Bella.
"As you say, Iris." Bella smiles at her and Mia sighs, chuckling. "Okay, now, Steveâlet's go."
"Iris, come inside fastâwe are watching another episode of Man with the Plan." Steve puts his arm around Mia and gives a two-finger salute to me. "Later, Noah."
And shuts the door on our faces.
"Wow, that ended quickly." Bella blows a whistleâor at least tries to. "Ugh, Adi tried to teachâ"
"Nick and you go on a date?" I ask her, unaware of this.
She shrugs. "Well, it is more like being each other's wing person but yeah."
I tilt my head. "Okay."
"So," Bella turns to me. "When should we get over it?"
I do not get why she is so upset about that. I had two options: either we pretend that the bet never happened or I give the worst date of her life.
As much I hate it, I like the second option more.
I push my fingers through the hair and say, "You can decide. I am okay with any time."
"Sunday."
My eyes widen. "This Sunday?"
"Yup." She nods. "Evening. You decide the place."
"Okay..." I trail away, trying not to smile. "Any conditions?" I ask.
"Just one," She grins. "Win the match this Friday."
***
Michael is sitting on the bench, outside the school, just like he had texted me in the morning.
Michael D
06:00 am
I am outside the school.
Come fast and meet me.
06:07 am
It is urgent.
It is weird to get messages from him like this. It usually has random facts which he and I both know that I am least interested in. But he still sends me and the gesture is still not appreciated.
"You are early to school today?" I ask, reaching him.
He sighs, loudly, as he stands up from the chair. "Thank heavens, you are here!"
"Thank heavens?" I raise my eyebrows. "How old are you, Mike?"
"Tell me about your soccer team," He says as he opens the note app on his phone, hastily. "Tell me everythingâthe formation things, the team players things, who is going to be the pitcher, and how's your equation withâ"
"The pitcher is in baseball."
He gives me a look. "Do I look like I care about sports? I have to give a report for the newspaperâand before you ask about it, the deadline is today."
I nod. "Okay."
"So, you have to give me as much as info possible, kay?" He pauses and then, corrects himself. "you have to give me as much as information possible, okay?"
"Fine."
"Good."
"Do I have to say everything now?"
"Yes."
"You will not report on what you saw but what you got from me?" I ask again.
The determination on Michael's face breaks andâ "Oh fudge nuggets! I was going to do a terrible mistake."
"Yes," I agree. "We can wait until everyone has arrived."
"Cool." He nods, looking around.
For a long moment, the only sounds around are of leaves bustling against the strong spring winds and Michael rubbing his hands together. It isn't mid of February here if there are not any strong winds and the early mornings are not cold.
"So," I start, breaking the silence. "I took Bella to theâ"
"Ice Rink?" Michael grins. "Yeah, she told me."
I raise my eyebrows. "She told you."
He shrugs one of his shoulders. "She figured that I am the one who told you about the Skate park scene." He adds, laughing, "She was furious."
I just look at him. "You knew she couldn't ice skate too?"
"If she couldn't do the normal skating, of course, she can't ice skate," He says. "That is obvious."
"And still you suggested me to take her to the Ice Rink?"
"Oh that. That was purely intentional from my side." He grins, slyly. "Did you have that moment when she slips and you catch her?"
"No."
"Liar."
"Fuck off," I grumble. "I will take my revenge one day, Michael Dunn."
He sketches a bow. "I look forward to that non-existent day."
I open my mouth but an incredible sight stops me.
There is a huge reason why I always come to school early and the reason is just the pleasure of this sight.
When Michael notices the same, he is surprised. "What theâ?"
"And this is how I know my day will go as same as any other but maybe better."
Adi is stomping towards us and is glaring at me. He has worn a black tee that says 'The Empire Strikes Back' and blue denim which is ripped on the knees with sneakers. Everything else about him is the same; the same idiot face, trying to grow a beard but hating it when it does. It is the hair that is different.
"His hair..."
"Has been permed," I complete Michael's sentence. "Just like in the 80s."
Michael gapes. "Goodness, why?"
"Adi lost a game from his Ma."
Michael takes out his phone. "I am so saving this."
Adi starts to run. "Don't you dareâ"
But Michael clicks it and shows it to me. "When he is angry, he sure looks like a baby seal."
I burst out laughing.
It starts with a few chuckles but the more I relate Adi to a baby seal, I cannot stop my loud laughter. I bend, holding myself on my knees and trying to control myself, but I cannot stop.
"Accuracy at its best," I say, straightening up. I wipe some tears that slipped from my eyes.
But I frown when I notice Michael blinking in surprise and Adi, who is now in front of me, confused whether to cry or smile.
Michael starts, "Holy smokesâ"
"He laughs now?" Adi opens his mouth to say something but chokes as if he has decided to cry. He gestures at me. "I forgive you for all of the pranks you've done on me."
"Assholes."
Michael says to Adi, "He said assholes instead of fuck off."
"I know!" Adi exclaims.
I frown. "I do laugh and call you assholes."
"No," Both of them say.
Michael says, "At best, you chuckle."
I huff. "Fuck out of here."
"Now, that's Noah." Adi and Michael laugh.
"Where are you going?" Adi asks as I start moving towards the school.
"Field, obviously."
Michael inputs, "For my report."
I roll my eyes. "No, you fucker, for showing off my naked top to impress chicks."
I ignore the two laughing jerks I talk to for whatever reason. Adi has been with me for a long timeâforcefully or not, but Michael? He is okay, I guess.
He can be one of my mates.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
i know. i know. this was short and maybe, kind of a filler? i do have a reason (read: excuse). i have actually joined a societyâi would love to call it a cult but hmm, can'tâand they wanted some short stories. so, i was writing them for the past one week.
god, i am so tired. imma sleep for two days.
stay CALM (ohhhhh, happy one year of CALM) and hydrated
aloha,
Inerys