A Shade of Cool

IX: The Truth

It was nice to feel like things were normal again, Avery was at home. Mom was getting better, Marissa and me were at peace, Ana hadn't spoken to Eric in days and me and Noah. Well we were closer than ever. Our bus rides seemed to continue on as usual but this time, Noah and I never parted ways. We studied together, ate lunch together, sat on the field together as we watched the students below, laughing and talking. I never expected this at all. Not any of this but I knew I was completely grateful. Without Noah, I'd be a mess.

"Don't you think it's funny," He asked one day as we laid down, looking up at the cold misty sky, "That in ten months all of us will be in different parts of the country, with different people, doing different stuff and being different versions of ourselves?"

"I've grown so used to not talking to people, I think I don't mind that much," I told him, "I guess that never interested me, what people did. Because no one was interested in me..."

"I'm interested in you," He told me, smiling as he looked at me, his eyes were softer in this dark light. Smiling back, I sunk into therm inch by inch, "Oh, I'm interesting?" I raised a brow with a small roll of my eyes.

He gave a small that laugh and shook his head, staring back up at the sky, "Believe it or not, yes. Haha. This past week has been the most eventful of my life."

"Sorry my life is so crap. I'll try to keep you out of my next family crisis," I puffed and imitated him as I looked back up to the sky. My skin trembled as I felt a warm, soft hand run over mine, cupping it slightly. Not knowing how to react, with my heart in my mouth, I coiled my fingers through his. I turned my head to look over at him.

He was looking at him, that beam on his face, a sparkle in his eye, "Oh, please don't."

My cheeks reddened and I kept my eyes on his for a short time before my body decided to pull back, my head turning away from him and back to the sky. I felt so dumb. I felt entirely dumb. Here was this boy that i had the biggest crush on and not only did we open up to each other, we were now holding hands. I had him exactly where I wanted him! And what was I doing? So many times I imagined kissing his lips, being his. So why was I not doing any of this?

"You're crazy," He said, surprising me a little.

"Huh?" I looked over at him, "What?"

He just stared up, grinning at the sky as if someone just told the best joke in the world. He slowly shook his head at something rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes, "I don't know... you just are," He dropped his hand to his side and turned his body to me.

I shrugged, "Gotta be a reason," I said.

"Because you're the best kind of crazy," He said.

A warm feeling ran up me as he said that and I stared back at him, my lips parting into my own version of his beautiful smile. His thumb slowly caressed my hand as he held mine in his soft grip.

"Hey, Dude!" Eric's voice echoed up to us. Noah snatched his hand from mine and sat up, crossing his legs and looking at his friend. I saw Eric and tried to hide my grimace as I slowly got up too, "Interrupting something?"

"Not at all," Noah replied. It kinda hurt.

"Good, I gotta ask you something about my party tomorrow.-"

"Oh... yeah, about that. I can't," Noah replied.

Eric's face dropped, "What? Why?"

"I just got other things to do, that's all," Noah sighed, "You know I would come otherwise! I just got something else on." I felt uncomfortable as I knew it was about me, the issue with Ana caused Noah to drift further from Eric.