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Noah
"And he is brooding."
"When he doesn't?"
Amelia and Chris sit in front of the kitchen island and give me those fucking 'sorry we disturbed your thoughts' grins. I hold back my scowl and focus on the energy drink I am making.
"No fuck off?" Chris asks me, surprised.
I say to them, "Have I ever said that I fucking hate you both?"
"Little brother has his pants in a twist," Amelia comments.
"Wait," Chris turns to her. "If he is the little brother, what am I?"
"Little...er brother." Amelia shrugs her shoulders.
I chuckle at that. "I am glad to know your vocabulary still sucks, Amee."
Amelia retorts, "And I am glad to know that you are capable of positive human emotions."
"Thanks, Amelia." I roll my eyes, pouring the drink into a glass.
"What is that?" Chris asks, looking at the glass. "It looks disgusting. I hate it."
"Oh?" I look at Chris and pass the drink. "Drink it."
Amelia crosses her arms and looks at us in amusement while Chris looks at me, shocked.
He says, "Whaâwhy?"
"Drink." I slide it towards him more. "If you drink the whole thing in less than 15 seconds, I will come by your band practice."
Chris's eyes snap back at me. "What did you say?"
I smile. "You heard me."
Chris and his friends have been in a band for a year but the only ones who have heard the music are them and the walls. They are really secretive about it. Even when Mum tried to get into the room to listen, Chris literally stopped her and we know better than to stop our mother. Of course, she tried to emotionally blackmail him but Chris didn't fall for that and that's why got his least favorite vegetableâbeans in his dinner.
I don't know if reverse psychology works on this idiot but he invited the only person who doesn't want to know his band or even listen to their music. He has been asking me for months but I always denied it.
Until nowâonly if he drinks that energy drink.
"This shit just got interesting." Amelia holds up her phone. "What are you thinking, Christopher Robin Radcliffe?"
He looks down at the glass and gulps, visibly. "What does it have?"
"Oats, baby spinach, chamomile tea, tart cherry juice, banana, and almond butter."
He makes a face. "It has Spinach? Amee, you want it?"
Oh, yes. Spinach is his second least favorite vegetable.
Amelia blinks. "Did you forget I am allergic to nuts?"
"Oh god, help me." Chris looks at me. "I have your word?"
I give him a dry look. "Yes, Chris, you have my word."
Chris holds the glass and Amelia gets excited but whenâ
"Noah Arthur Radcliffe."
Everything stops.
Three of us look at our Mum who is only staring at me. She looks at the glass in Chris's hand and looks back at me. She starts moving towards, speaking in rapid Italian.
I back away, quick, and stand behind Amelia and Chris. "Maâ"
Mum stands on the opposite side of the kitchen island. "Oh, don't you dare Ma me!"
Chris looks at Amelia and says, "Did Mum justâ?"
"Shh," Amelia waves him off. "It isn't every day you see Mum scolding Noah."
Nice set of siblings I have got.
I ignore them and look at Mum. "Mum, listen to meâ"
Mum points at me. "I gave you that recipe so that you can sleep and not stroll around the house like a ghost!"
"I can sleepâ"
"Oh, sure you do," Mum glares at me. "Do you want me to get all the recordings where you just roam around the house?"
"Wait, we have cameras in the house?" Chris asks, shocked.
Mum turns to him. "And you."
Chris blinks. "Me?"
"Will you enlighten me on why you came home at three am?" Mel asks him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Ummm..."
Mum rolls her eyes and turns to me, again. "And you, again. You don't share anything with me, now! We used to be best friends."
I look at her for a solid moment, confused, until I realize...
Amelia also realizes at the same time. "Oh, Jesus."
"Where's that wanker?" I look around until I see the curly head behind the kitchen door. "I can see your stupid head, Subramaniam."
That fucker comes out of his head and grins, sheepishly. He gives us an awkward two-finger salute. "Hi?"
"Youâ"
"If you take another step," Mom warns me. "I will take away your bike and car for a month."
I look at her in surprise. "You wouldn't."
She raises her eyebrows. "Try me."
In moments like these, I really wonder if Mia and my Mum secretly plot their children's punishments together. I can hear Bella agreeing with me in my head.
Nevertheless, I stop walking towards Adi but I don't stop talking. "It was supposed to be a secret!" I say to him.
The idiot still standing far away from me, says, "It slipped."
As I glare at Adi, I hear Amelia ask Mum, "What did he do?"
Mom sighs when I turn towards them. "Oh, my sonâwho I thought respects women and their choices immenselyâwas trying to give Irisâthe sweetest girl I've metâthe worst date ever."
"Friend date," I correct her but she ignores me. "Alsoâ"
But before I can even complete it, Amelia has punched my arm. "You are a jerk. YouâChris, if you make another move..."
Chris, who was trying to break out from the room, sits obediently. "Fine."
Adi walks towards us but when I glare at him, he quickly walks towards Mum and stands beside her. "I don't blame Noah. Even if Iris was telling him to kiss herâ"
I say, "She would never."
"âthe guy would tell her that she needs space and he will give that by running off to Canada."
Amelia laughs. "That's my brother, yes."
"Then, what do want me to do?" I say, frowning. "Tell her that I have feelings for her and hope that she says the same even though I know that she still has feelings for another guy."
Adi gives me a dry look. "Who is this another guy?"
Fucking "Thomas Scott."
Adi scoffs and Mum turns to Adi. "Who is this boy?"
"Iris's ex-boyfriend."
Mum nods and looks at me. "Did your brain turn to dust, Arthur?"
"Why are we even discussing this?" I groan.
Chris turns towards me, slowly. "You have feelings for Iris?"
Everyone, including me, gives him a look because I certainly wasn't subtle about it ever. But Chris looks guilt-stricken.
Mum asks, almost groaning, "What did you do, Chris?"
"I have been flirting with the girl my brother likes and today, I paid for her lunch... and kissed her hand."
Adi waves it off. "Oh, I know about that. It is nothing!"
I put my hand on Chris's shoulder and he flinches. I tell him, smiling, "Yes, it is nothing."
"See this, you cannot even tolerate the thought of her with someone else yet you are so ready to give her up." Mum sighs. "You better make your move before someone else does, Arthur. Capisci?"
It has been four days. Fucking four days and Bella has been avoiding me. As much as I hate it, I would be lying if I say it hasn't affected me.
It fucking does.
Every time I try to talk, Bella makes some ridiculous excuse and runs awayâfucking runs away from me. Though I understand why she isn't coming to football practice, I... still want her presence.
When I was a kid, though I was and still am stubborn as fuck, I was always content with whatever I got; family relatives always told this to Mum. I had never been a demanding kid. I never really wanted anything to that extent you demand or fight for it.
But Bella... I want to fall deep into her dark brown eyes as if I am the lost spaceman who has finally found his earth. I want her secret smile to be towards me, lighting every dark part of me. I want her to hold me for no reason for her aura makes me weak in my kneesâmakes me just hold her and never let her go.
I want her all good and all bad. I want her storm and her calm. I...I want her.
But one thing I know about wanting anything: there's always a price.
***
Iris
Thomas grunts, putting his head on the textbook.
"I am just thinking if you can't do this problem, how the hell are you in an AP class?" I say, looking up at him from my notebook.
Our physics teacher gave us some work and went away from the class, telling us all that he has some work but every person in the class noticed the huge hickey on his neck and his disheveled hair.
Nevertheless, Thomas and I are working together but he just can't do anything and it is ticking me off. One of the good things about liking Noah can be that I am not confused about what Thomas and I are anymore. But nevertheless, I still keep some distance between us.
I think even he knows, after I (kind of) said no to going out with him, that we cannot be anything, now. He hasn't talked to me about it and neither will I. So, whatever is happening, this is surely like two classmates just talking.
"Becauseâ" Thomas starts to reply but stops for a second. "Because this class was suggested to me."
I look at him for two seconds and I sigh, looking at the question. "Just use energy conservation equationâ"
"Okay, we can do this later," he says, closing his books and mine, too. "Let's talk."
Now, this doesn't feel like two classmates talking.
"What the hell?" I try to open my book, again, but he takes them away. "Thomas, we have to complete it. That's like jeopardizing my life."
"Definitely," He gives me a dry look, a small smile on his face.
"Yes, definitely."
"Okay," He says, smiling, and I groan. "I heard about DEU. Congrats."
Sudden warmth in my body makes me smile at him. "Thanks."
"But honestly, it came a bit shocking for me." I give him a questioning look. "You never wanted to talk about anything that's related to England and this isâ"
"âin London. I know. I just, I guess, need to overcome that thing and, maybe, this will do it," I shake my head, trying to push back the memories. "So, what about you? UVA still in your plans?"
"Well, yeah. They send out acceptance letters, before the first week of April, but I did get some other acceptance letters."
"You are still waiting for UVA because it is like your dream."
He smiles. "Well, didn't you wait for DEU to give you that audition?"
"Touché," I say, letting out a laugh. "So, what are going to study?"
"Economics. Well, you know, I want to be in government, right?"
"Yeah, that was all you use to talk about whenâ" I stop, knowing I am crossing a line. Thomas knows because he is looking across my face, blankly.
"Remember how we met each other?" He asks me, suddenly, and I think he has just shifted very close to me. "Do you?"
"I do. Hallway, we crashed with each other," I say, looking at him and his blue eyes.
"No, not this year one. Like how did we actually meet?"
He is very close, now. Very, very close.
"Some guy's party. I was roaming around the place when we both crashed and fell into the swimming pool," I tell him and he tries to tuck a hair strand behind my ear but I flinch, moving away from him.
He continues, ignoring my reaction, "I was drunk out of my mind but I remembered that Iâ"
"You kissed me," I say and I know he is looking at my lips.
"And I want to kiss you, now," He says, moving more closer to me, but I move my face, away from his grip. I look away, taking my books from him.
"I think we should completeâ"
"I love you, Iris." My eyes snap to his blue ones, shocked. He is looking at me with every seriousness in his body. "I love you, Iris, and I think I have for a long while, even when we were not talking to each other."
I move further away. "Thomas, what kind of game are you playing with me? Just don't, okay? I agreed to be friends not... something more than that."
"Iris, listen to me, please," He pleads.
"Thomas, you do not love me. This is just messed up," I tell him, shaking my head.
He holds my hand, making me look at him. "I really do, Iris. You know I believe in us together. I do... Oh lord, I can't believe I just confessed finally... I love you, Iris Cooper, and I am not willing to give up on us yet."
I ask him, "Us?"
Before he can say anything else, the bell rings, signaling the end of class, and I remove my hand from his grip. I get up, trying not to look at Thomas, and take up my bag.
"Bye, Thomas," I say to him and go out of the class in nine seconds.
I am almost near to my next class when I hear a voice.
"He said he loves you and you just left?"
My heart bursts out of my chest. I turn towards the voice and find Noah's amber eyes gazing at me with an unknown emotion.
"How did you...?" I ask him, not looking at him.
It has been five days since we both had a proper conversation. Mainly I cannot form a single sentence with him looking at me like... like something. Or mainly he makes me nervous and I hate it. I hate feeling nervous.
I remember how I was a babbling mess yesterday only because he had touched my hand. Colt couldn't stop laughing and it was all I had in my mind. God, I am so pathetic.
I hear him sigh. "Everyone in your class heard it. I was just outside because I thought we can walk together to our next class and I heard him say it."
"Noah, it is nothing."
"Those flowers? They were from him, right?" He asks me.
"I think so, yeah," I say, slowly.
I hear him let out a breath and mumble, "I need to get out of here."
Surprised, I look at him. "What? Why?"
He is clenching his jaw, looking away from me. "Nothing, Iris."
"Noah!"
I look over Noah's shoulder to find Danielle, running towards us. She is wearing the prestige school's uniform (which is pretty obvious) but I can't wrap my head around how is she here during school hours.
I know she couldn't see me over Noah's looming height because when she reaches us, she looks at me in surprise, before turning that into a fake smile.
"Iris."
"Danielle," I say back.
"What are youâ" Before Noah can complete his question, Danielle pushes him back and starts kissing him with wildness, her hands on his chest.
She pulls away just an inch and whispers loud enough for me to hear, "I need to talk to you, baby." She glances at me. "Alone."
"I don't like her."
"But youâ"
"It is past, Bella."
I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to shred my heart into tiny bits only to stop that burning ache. It hurts. It hurts so bad.
I didn't only give Noah my heart. I had given him my trust and that was almost my soul. And here he was, standing over my broken trust.
Despite the storm inside me, I don't even look at Noah as I say to Danielle, "I will leave then."
With what's left of my mental strength, I hold myself and turn away. Only then, I let the tears fall on my cheeks as I walk away from him.
But that's how life is â everyone is broken in a way but nobody has the courage to show much less tell anyone about it.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
don't say i didn't warn ya. read the chapter name, again.
is okay to say stay calm and hydrated today?
until next chapter,
a sadist writer