Noel’s POV
I woke up the because the Sun’s ray of light was reflecting directly on my face. That’s unusual, the room window is facing dusk and not dawn, I don’t usually get direct rays. When my eyes were fully open, I noticed that I was not in my room. I almost start panicking before I remember that I slept off at Jesse’s yesterday.
Speaking of Jesse, where is he? I look around and I finally see him curled up on the floor a pillow under his head. He looked so different than the normal Jesse, calm and with delicate features– innocent. The Jesse I’m used to is anything but innocent, unless his being playful and teasing he usually wears a crease on his forehead, he’s always on alert ready to knock out someone’s teeth anytime anywhere.
But getting to know him, talking to him and with him, seeing him lying here now, I know that there’s more to Jesse Donovan than meets the eye. I smile at his gentlemanliness, leaving the bed to me even though its his bed and mine is empty. “Jesse,” I call but he doesn’t respond. “Jesse! Jesse!” I shake him with all my strength. He groans and turns away.
Checking the time I see that if we don’t hurry up we’re going to be late for school. I jump off the bed and go kneel beside him. “Jesse! Jesse wake up!” He groans again opens his eye and close it back turning away. I scoff, gosh he’s a heavy sleeper. I lean into his ear, “Jesse Donovan!!!”
He jumps up shouting, “I’m up, I’m up!” I grin getting off the ground. He shakes his head, “Jeez you want to turn me deaf?”
“You didn’t want to wake up, what was I supposed to do?” I ask walking around to pick Lee.
He yawns and stretches muscles popping and cracking every where like a broken engine. “That was one heck of a night.”
“I’m sorry you had to sleep on the floor,” I saw looking out the window, now with clear daylight, the distance seems so long.
“No problem,” He starts walking to the bathroom shaking his head, “the things I do for girls.”
“I’m off now, can’t stay for breakfast.” I say deciding to go out through the door.
“Sure, see you Christmas.”
I walk out and into my house then I see my mum with the phone on her ear pacing around the living room.
“Officer she came home last night, yes late but she did come home. I don’t know she couldn’t have gone to a friends house. Her room is messed up like someone searched it. Yes I’m thinking robbery turned kidnap.” She talked walking around in a worried state, sweat dripping off her face.
“Mum?” I called walking to her. Her neck snaps to me and the phone drops from her hand as she rushes to hug me. Her eyes are even pooled with tears. I hug her back. “Mum whats wrong?”
“Oh Noel,” she pulls back cupping my face as the tears fall off. “Where were you? I was looking for you everywhere? Your room– your clothes were on the ground and your bed untouched. what happened? I thought I’ve lost you.” She hugged me again.
I smile patting her back gently, “mum I’m fine, really I’m alright. See? No need to be worried.”
She goes to the fallen phone. “Officer? Yes my daughter’s back. Yes sorry for the trouble.” She cuts it off and looks at me. “Where did you go? I saw you come in last night.”
I started shuffling my feet looking down. How do I put this. “Umm… Um… I slept at our neighbors house.”
“Uh? You’re friends with the neighbors?” She asked confused. I slowly nod, hoping she’ll drop it. But I can only hope, “but I’ll neighbor…. ha did you sleep with the boy?”
“No!” I shout my eyes widening, “not with, just in his room.”
“Noel Atkins!” She scolds looking at me like I’m not her daughter. ”
“I didn’t do anything wrong mum.” I whine. “I- I just- I just needed someone to talk to.”
“I thought you and Aaron were together and isn’t the neighbor boy his friend?” My mum asked ignoring all my plea.
I roll my eyes deciding its hopeless talking she’ll continue to think what she wants to think. “Stop putting meaning into this mum. Point is I’m home and I’m fine.” I start going up to my room.
“Two timing is bad Noel and next time you sleep out without my consent you’ll be grounded!” She yells.
“Yes mum.” I go to up to my room, fix all the mess, then get dressed and go to school. Today’s Aaron’s morning practice day so he can’t come pick me up. Although after last night, I don’t really know if we’re still friends.
I want us to still be friends though. Yes I’m obsessed with my beanie but I’m still me right? He should still like me, its not as if I’m crazy or a lunatic. But who’d want to like a girl like me? Insecure, broken with possible future death sentence. I don’t like me, I won’t blame Aaron if he no longer likes me. Well on the bright side I still have Lee and he can’t walk away, literally.
“When are you ever going to reach school today? When the jingle bells go off?” Jesse ask before his motorcycle speeds by leaving a gush of wind behind.
I spit out dust from my mouth, “asshole!”
Reaching school I see that the environment feels different. Many students in the Hallway that I don’t know are waving at me, smiling and greeting me. While some are giving me a glare capable of freezing Medusa in all her glory. I use my hoodie to cover me hoping it makes me invisible, all this attention is freaking me out.
I make it to my class, seating at my usual seat, Nadine is typing away on her phone while Aaron is writing away on a paper, although he looks up and smiles at me, but that’s all he does. Throughout the class I’m waiting for him to throw a paper or say something but he doesn’t he just keeps on writing. Its really strange and I feel left out. Its odd.
After class, I’m ambushed by Nadine. “Hey you won’t believe what’s going on,” she blunts out.
“Really? What’s it?” I say putting on a rubber smile as I wave back at some girl that’s waving at me like we’re buddies.
“You’ve caused a freaking riot,” Nadine gushes with a wide smile on her face.
My eyes widen, “me? How? I swear I didn’t do nothing.”
Nadine laughs, “calm down, it’s about your fight with Quinn yesterday. Overnight teams were taken, blogs were formed and social media sites were open. Two enemies. The Noelites and The Quinnies. Its an internet war I tell you.” Nadine moves to me and shows me her phone.
“New girl comes and put trash in their place.” That’s the headline I read at something. Then I see my picture and I’ve like a thousand and more followers. “Oh my Gosh!” I exclaim in surprise.
Nadine laughs, “that’s not all, your motto is ‘giving a scent to match personality’ isn’t that awesome, you have fans, you’re popular.”
“No no no, I didn’t ask for this. But… But this means I have enemies too!” I say eye wide wondering how my life turned this way.
“Yes but with AL and Jesse joining the team, we’re sure to have more followers. Many people hate Quinn especially the nerds she’s trampled upon, they couldn’t say or do anything before but now they have you. We have you and we can have a say through you. You’re a hero Noel, the only problem would be the Jorks that Quinn has fucked and her cheerleading buddies but things would work out.” Nadine rambles excited typing on her phone.
“Aaron and Jesse joined?” I asked surprised, they don’t seem like people who would do that.
“Yup, five minutes ago.”
I start searching around for him– Aaron but I don’t see him anywhere. I sigh, I miss him. I wonder where he’s disappeared to. I open up my locker and a paper falls out, I inspect it carefully before picking it up. I know the hard writing immediately. Its a handwriting that I’ve gotten accustomed to, messy a bit but readable and beautiful— Aaron. Resting on my locker I tune out the rest of the world and start reading.
As much as we argue
As much as we fight
We always turn it around by the end of the night
I really do like you
I really do care
I really hope you will always be there
I read it over and over again trying to get what it meant. Then it struck me. Its a poem. A smile breaks all over my face to the extent my cheeks hurt.
“What you smiling about?” Nadine asked trying to see what I’m reading. Instead of showing it to her I break into a run. I don’t know why the hell I’m running but I know that every nerve in me wants to see Aaron, right now.
I push through people and I make my way to the back of the school, the place I saw Jesse in the last time. As soon as I round the corner, I see Aaron leaning against the fence smiling at something, while Jesse is sitting on it smoking– again. Aaron jerks off the wall standing upright as he see me while Jesse throws the cigarette away, starts coughing and wiping his lips.
“Um… hi Christmas,” he chokes out pretending to be innocent.
I rolled my eyes at him, “later.” I turn to Aaron with a smile on my face. “Hi.”
“Hey,” he says too then I lift up the paper to him, his eye increase a little fraction. “Um… I- I-its.” His face turns red and he starts massaging his neck it so cute. I don’t stop my instinct as I go to him and kiss him.
Its more like a peck but it affects both of us just as much, “I- I like you too and I-I know you care and trust me, I really really really want you in my life. And I may be like an idiot right now, an insecure beanie obsessed twat, lunatic that can’t—” I’m cut off from my rambling when his hands go to my waist, he pulls me to him and crash his lips against mine. I forget everything my mind turning to mush.
Ok, this is really good. I’m on cloud nine when Jesse interrupts- as usual. He clears his throat, we pay him no attention and he clears and clears his throat.
“Come on guys I’m still here. Me, Jesse the single guy. Jesse Donovan I’m right here. Unhand her- him- you both,” he says resisting the urge to laugh.
Aaron and I place our forehead against each other smiling like Cheshire cats. “One minute love.” Aaron say before going after an already running Jesse. I laugh as they chase each other, holding my first poem to my chest. I’ll frame this and show it to my grandchildren.
~
One word frees us from the pain and weight of life; that word is Love.
~