Noel’s POV
So, I’m seventeen that’s no news. I’ve dated and I’ve kissed guys before, three to be exact. My first kiss was in 4th grade, some guy thought it’ll be funny to give ‘princess Noel’ a kiss and become popular. Yuck, sloppiness first kiss ever. First kiss are supposed to be Awesome, out of this world, wonderful, magical everything fairytales and romance novels said it would be but unfortunately that didn’t happen with me.
The second guy I kissed was my first boyfriend in 7th grade, hmm. That’s all I can say about our first kiss that I can’t remember, hmm. The third guy I kissed was in sophomore year, to prove a point to Caren; that although my dad is dead and I’m mourning, I’m still the hottest girl alive. Yea that didn’t go well for me, I was acting out. Got Caren to hate me more and cried myself to sleep every night for the rest of the year knowing that I’m the hottest girl without her dad.
Ok, the point here is that all those kisses and boy experience did nothing to prepare me for this moment. The moment Aaron lips touched mine it was as if that’s my first kiss. Every memory of a former kiss was erased and this was it. The awesomeness, wonderful, magical, out of this world kiss. I’m not much of a reader but I know that no romance novel did justice to the feeling you get when you kiss him. Him being the guy that drives you crazy, makes you feel on top of the world, the most wonderful annoying person, the person that makes you question every former believe you’ve ever had. Him that’s shaping you into someone you’ll be proud of in the next 50 years. Him, that special him.
Aaron’s lips touch mine, once, twice and I’m practically ready to beg him to kiss me. He finally does and I defile Aaron’s instruction and I fling my hand around him, pulling myself to him. I can feel his thumping heart and hear mine too. I could kiss him forever. Two perfect lips moving deliciously against each other. Why didn’t I move to New town York earlier? Damn.
We finally break off for air, our forehead resting against each other. We’re both panting and our heartbeats can clearly be heard. I close my eyes and smile reliving that kiss and biting my tingling lips. Aaron’s smiling too. We just stay there smiling together. When I open my eyes again, I see him looking at me like before and I forget how to breath again. Before I know it we’re on my bed kissing the hell out of each other. My phone rings and we break up.
“Forget it,” Aaron rasps out.
I smile removing my hand from his chest, “it might be important.”
He groaned, pecking my lips once more before moving out. I laugh and picking up my phone. “Hello?” I ask my voice coming out breathy. Let it not be Mom please.
“Noel?” A voice asked laughing. “Where you sleeping?”
Huh? It takes me a minute to recognize the voice as Peyton’s.
“Peyton?” I asked licking my lips and noticing that my shirt is rode up exposing a little skin. Aaron’s sitting on the bed, stretched out like a model, his head resting on his propped up arm as he smirked at me. I pulled my shirt down covering my exposed skin and turned around. Why do I feel like I’ve been caught cheating?
“Yea its me and I’m drunk.” Peyton says giggling.
“Um… why? Why are you drunk?” I asked walking around the room.
“Well Nadine and I are here at home having a girls night. You know alcohol and crackers, we were having a good time and then we noticed that someone was missing. You! I mean we’re friends right? Best friends.” She shouts laughing afterwards.
Its as if she’s tormenting me. “Um… yes. Best friends.”
“Ok, so I would have asked you tomorrow but Nadine insisted that I ask you now. Would you like to have a sleep over tomorrow? Nadine’s house?”
I turn and see around still on my bed, now looking at the my alarm clock. “Yes sure, sleepover tomorrow.”
“Ok, its a date.” Giggles. “Goodnight Bestie.”
“Goodnight.” The line dies and my head falls to my chest glumly. I don’t know why but being with Aaron now doesn’t feel so right. Yes it feels right, perfect even but then again it doesn’t feel right.
Peyton has a crush on Aaron, for years. I feel like she should know before I start making out with him. We’re friends afterall.
“Everything ok?” Aaron asked making me jump as his arms wrapped around me. I sink into his embrace closing my eyes, he smells so good.
No Noel, not yet.
I pull away from him turning to him so I don’t have my back to him anymore, I wrap my hands around myself. “Yes, nothing’s wrong.”
He frowns looking at me, I look at the floor shifting my feet around. “You sure?” He asked crossing his hands in his chest. I nodded. He nodded too. “Ok, um… I leave you now.”
I don’t say anything and he hugs me, kissing my forehead. “Goodnight Noel.”
I look up at him, I don’t want him to go but I want to do the right thing. Or what I think is right. I look away. “Sure, goodnight.”. I notice his jaw clench as he walks out. I sigh then slump on my bed, I hear his car start up and drive out of Jesse’s home. I pull Lee to me and cuddle into my teddy. ” I’m sorry Aaron, I can’t tell you what’s wrong. After I sort things out with Peyton, I’ll run back to you.”
I turn and face my boring ceiling, I remember my mind blowing kiss. I kissed the best kisser on the planet. I squeal crushing Lee to myself. But then I practically drove him out of my house. Gosh, I’m so stupid and unlucky. I pick up my phone and after a 10 minute debate with myself, I send Aaron a text.
Me: Goodnight Aaron. See you tomorrow?.
I regret the text as soon as it’s sent. I wait and wait but no reply comes forth. And that’s how I spent the night. Awake, thinking about Aaron and waiting for his reply.
.
.
I didn’t see Aaron in school the next day and I was so anxious and nervous all day. I couldn’t concentrate on anything, my legs kept bouncing and my eyes were always darting to the door every time it creaks open.
“So anytime I hurt him or make him upset he won’t come to school, what the hell?” I say to myself glaring daggers at his locker with my arms crossed in front of me.
“You know that locker is not linked with its owner. Its innocent and doesn’t deserve all that glare.” A voice say and I jump off my locker and stare at Raymond.
Transfer of glare people, “What is it, you scared me.”
He raised his hands up in surrender, “I’m innocent too Noel. And sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I sigh, “sorry I’m not in a good mood.”
“Why?” Raymond asked leaning on the locker next to mine. I start hitting my head on my locker repeatedly feeling the cold metal sting against my forehead. Why? Because of Aaron that’s why. “Does it have anything to do with Aaron?” I snap my head to him.
“Did I talk out loud again?”
He chuckled, “nope I just guessed. You two have been awfully close these weeks and for once he’s not glued to you and you’re glaring at his locker. Pretty easy to put together.”
I sighed deciding to not deny anything. “I think I made him upset yesterday and today, he’s no where to be found.”
“Have you checked their corner?” He asked.
My interest was immediately piqued, “what corner?”
“The place he and Jesse always hang out in. Behind the school gym.” I thanked him and set towards the school gym. “Wait, are you guys a thing now?”
I paused to think, “Nope, just friends.” He nodded a skeptical look etched in his face. I took off not wanting to waste more time. If I see Aaron there, I would truly be happy.
I go behind the school gym and I see someone sitting on a low fence, his feet dangling below. I release a breath and started preparing myself to confront him. After debating and thinking for minutes, I decide to just go out there and confront him on his absenteeism in class. I go to him but my jaw drops when I’m face to face with the person sitting on the fence.
Its not him. Oh why, why?. “Jesse?”
“The one and only. What’s up Christmas?” He asked grinning at me .
I take in his appearance. He looks normal except for one thing, “You’re smoking?”
He nods, “wants some?”
I scoff, “No, I can be whacko but I’m not whacko enough to smoke.”
He chuckled, “So I’m whacko?”
I crossed my arms, “yea big time you’re so whacko you are deliberately reducing your lifespan.” My eyes widened and I moved to him snatching the cigarette out of his hands, I scold him. “How can you? Do you want to leave your wife and child in the future alone just because you died of cancer after smoking this?”
“Um…. No?” I threw the cigarette to the ground and crushed it with my leg. He groaned, “Christmas is there any particular reason why you are here being a buzz kill?”
I released a breath to calm myself, “I’m looking for Aaron.”
He crossed his arms looking at me then smirked. “You like him don’t you?”
“What? I never said that I just—” I blabbered turning scarlet.
“Just answer the damn question, you like him. Yes or No.”
I looked down at my converse, “Maybe.”
I heard his soft chuckle and I looked up frowning. An answer for an answer, that was the unspoken deal. “Then why are being so difficult?” He asked again. Not the deal but whatever.
“What?!”
He sighed, “My brother’s crazy for you, I know you know that but you’re playing hard to get. I know you girls think its fun and all but sometimes it sucks big time.”
I ignored everything he just said so as to not feel like a dick. I smiled at him raising an eyebrow, “your brother?”
“What?” He ran his hand through his hair, “yea… best friend but we’re really close we’re practically brothers. Big deal.”
I smiled coming to join him on the fence, after much struggling and humiliation and resisting the urge to slap the smug smile off Jesse’s face, I finally climbed the low fence and sat down panting a little. Jesse started laughing and I smacked his arm. “Jerk.”
I settled comfortably on the fence, “I think it’s great you have a brother, I’ve always wanted a brother, a big one.”
“I’ve always wanted a sister too.” He said looking ahead, then he turned to me, we were both smiling a knowing smile, “You thinking what I’m thinking Christmas?” I laugh and he did too. “Thanks for coming, I was having a shitty day.”
“Is that why you were smoking?”
“Partly, partly because I have a death wish.” He winked at me.
“Don’t joke about death Jesse. Are you having a shitty day because Aaron’s absent.”
“No, don’t mind that—” he turned to me, “Wait, You’re the cause of that. You did something to him yesterday.”
I bowed my head resting my chin in my chest, “I didn’t mean to.”
“AL has rejection issues, he doesn’t take those kind of things well. Stop doing whatever it is you’re doing, or I’ll have to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” I asked eye wide.
“Yup. You hurt him, I hurt you. That’s the law.” He shrugged.
“Aww, you guys are so cute.” I awwed at him.
He jumped down, “come on let’s go. The principal would soon pass around here. Unless you want detention. I suggest we leave.”
I held onto his hand and jumped down steadying myself before running after him. “Would you mind driving me to his house after school?”
“Sure Christmas.”
The rest of the day went by really slow, Nadine wanted us to go to the mall, then have a sleepover but I bailed out of the mall trip. I have to settle things first. I cornered Peyton in the library.
“Hey Peyton.”
“Hey, I didn’t know you come here.” She said stashing up books on her arm.
I moved to help her carry some, “I don’t.”
“Oh, you’re missing a lot then.” She said, I chuckled. “So why are you here?”
“Um… we need to talk.”
She dropped the books on the table, “uh oh what did I do? Don’t call off our friendship yet. Give me another chance, please.”
“what? No no you didn’t do anything. I’m the one who did wrong and I think, you’ll be calling off our friendship soon.” I said looking up at her sadly.
She scoffed, “I don’t think so. What happened?”
“Um…” I started fiddling with my fingers. How do I put this, how do I say this? I’m such a backstabber. She’ll hate me. She placed her hand over mine, raising her brow. “Um…. so you know Aaron and I are friends.” She frowned. I continued. “So we were getting really close recently and…. And last night we kissed.”
No reaction. No nothing. 5 minutes of uncomfortable silence.
“Peyton please say something.”
“Uh…” She chuckled. “He is not mine Noel. I just have a huge crush on him just like fifty percent of the girls in this school do. You don’t have to explain to me.”
“I’m sorry Peyton, I shouldn’t have since you’re my friend, I’m horrible.” I say reaching out for her hands.
She smiled, “Thanks Noel. Thanks for being a good friend by telling me. If it’s permission you’re seeking then you have it. Maybe seeing you and him together would finally knock some sense into the rest of us.”
I couldn’t smile, I still felt bad. I just stole her crush. She should be mad at me.
“Hey don’t feel bad, even if you don’t date him because of the silly girl code. He’ll still not look at me or fancy me. We’ll both lose out. This way at least somebody gets to be with him.”
I sighed, “Thanks Pey.”
“Thanks Noel.”
Although I still feel bad at least now I told her, and even if I want to, I can’t leave Aaron’s side. I like him so much now. Its like I’m drawn to him like magnet. I find Jesse after school and we get on his bike.
“Ready Christmas?”
“Please don’t kill me. Ride like a human being.”
“As you wish.”
But he didn’t, he rode like the chimpanzee he is.
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What do you think? About Peyton’s reaction? About Noel’s? About Aaron skipping school? About Jesse and Noel moment?
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Love does not make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
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