Noel’s POV
One thing I hate about airports, they are always crowded. One thing about me I hate crowded places.
… but I think we already know that.
Flying on first class is really nice, I got to sit on my own in a really comfortable seat although I was lonely I think flying to Virginia with Aaron ruined every flying experience I would ever have. Now I’ll rather fly with him seating beside me than to fly alone. Playing games helped but there’s just so much company a video game can give.
After going through all the hateful aspects of flying alone which includes coming down alone, getting my luggage alone and squeezing past different people of different race, tribe and culture, I start heading for the exit holding on tightly to the two bags I was pulling behind me.
I pause in a place that’s not to crowded and withdraw my phone from my purse, swiping it open the image of Aaron and I comes on, its a selfie of us eating waffle cones icecream, we also had bits and bits of ice cream around our face. I smiled seeing it, its a selfie I took four mouths ago, that’s the last time Aaron came home, the last time I saw him in person. Although every week he made sure to send a selfie or two to me- per my request- I still missed him. I still missed him so much.
Opening up the text icon I read the text I received while on the plane.
Dumb face- I’ll be waiting for you at the exit holding a sigh that says ‘Welcome Dolphin!’ God, I can’t wait. Is it healthy to be this excited about something? Come quickly bye love.
I chuckled, “Come quickly? Can I affect how the plane flies? Dumb head.”
I pushed my glasses up into my hair holding my hair up and out of my face. My hair was really long and shiny now, I’ve been taking really good care of it, patients in a hospital love well kept shiny hair. I look around and grab my bags walking for the exit. As soon as I come out I look around my lips already ready to burst into a huge smile as soon as I see what I’m looking for.
I didn’t need to look around much because right there in the middle of everyone waiting was a really big sigh that read ‘Welcome Dolphin!!!’ It even had dolphin drawings at the side with water splash too. The cardboard was so big I couldn’t even see the holders face, people even looked angry because the cardboard was obstructing them too. I didn’t know when I burst out laughing earning weird looks from fellow travellers. I walked to the cardboard and with a smile on my face I knocked on the cardboard.
“Sorry I can’t move it out, I’m expecting someone really special. She’ll be out soon so wait a moment.” Aaron voice comes out from behind the cardboard, its not even a cardboard its a really hard piece torn out from a carton and painted colourfully.
I stifled a laugh and cleared my throat, attempting a deep voice I spoke out, “oh really and when would this special person’s plane land?”
“She has already landed, can you-” he paused and brought down the sign so he peek over. His eyes widened as he sees me and he drops the sign immediately. “Noel.”
“In the flesh.” I said spreading my arm wide.
“Come on,” he says smiling, I smile and grab on to my luggage walking past the rope barrier separating us as soon as I’m out, I drop my luggage and run to him jumping into his arms, my legs securing around his waist. “God Noel.”
I laughed as his hands tightened around me, I closed my eyes enjoying his scent and practically taking him in. This happens every time we meet. Every time we meet we jump into each other’s arms and it would be as if we haven’t seen each other for ages. Well four months is a really long time. We pull apart but Aaron doesn’t set me down. We just look at each other smiling with our eyes, lips, everything. My fingers move into his hair and he moans closing his eyes. I chuckle, “did you grow taller in this last months?”
“Did you become more beautiful in this last few months?” He asked slanting his head a little.
I laugh, “Aaron put me down people are watching.”
“Would you kiss me if I do?”
“Here?” He nodded. “Ok.” He reluctantly put me down and yes he did grow taller with a little more built. Someone’s been working out. He leans down and kissed me, pulling me to him, if it was possible I’ll bodies would merge together. I kiss him back and when we pull away my lips are left tingling and unsatisfied. That kiss so wasn’t enough for four months of missed kiss.
Aaron seems to feel the same way because he bites his lip running his hands through his hair. “We’ll continue in your room.” We take my luggage, Aaron holding one, I was holding one too. With his hand on my waist he ushers me to Mercy, a brand new black sleek version though. He put my luggage in and opens the door for me.
“Welcome to New Hampshire Love, your soon to be home.” Aaron said driving out of the airport.
I’ve heard a lot about this place I feel like I’ve already been here. “I’m sure I’ll love it here as much as you do.”
“Ofcourse you will babe, especially the college. Perfect.” He said throwing an air kiss my way.
I sighed relaxing on the seat with a smile as I took note of the surrounding. Dartmouth College, that’s where we were heading to right now, that’s where I’ve been registered and would soon start schooling at. And that’s where Aaron have been schooling at for the past year.
Yea it’s just as you have guessed, Aaron and I have been separated for the past year. He has been in New Hampshire and I’ve been in New York. The past year wasn’t an easy one at all. But it wasn’t my worst year, it was kinda ok almost the best actually. Before highschool ended Aaron and I got into lots of fights about college, he wanted me to come to Harvard with him and since I refused him to sponsor my education he decided to stay in New York with me, which I vehemently refused to.
I wasn’t ready to go off to college after I graduated, I couldn’t leave my mum just yet and even though my grades improved I still had a long way to go and lots of things to know. I decided to sit out the first year and Aaron was really heart broken, he wouldn’t talk to me but he finally understood my point. Him sitting out a year was not even an option, his parents would kill him and his grandfather would most likely disown him so it was decided that he would have to go off to college and leave me.
I remember the moment we came to that conclusion I started crying profusely, I couldn’t imagine a year without Aaron. And I once read in a book; how does it feel for someone to love you so much they cry for you?. I found out the answer to that question too because Aaron cried, he didn’t want to leave me behind too. The answer to the question, well I don’t think the word to describe that feeling is in any dictionary.
Oh well a little plans changed too, Aaron didn’t go to Harvard anymore, he went to Dartmouth college, and his parents and grandparents agreed to it because he got a scholarship there, it was an Ivy league, it was close to home and it was his final decision. I on the other hand also attended a community college really close to home and I worked part time under Aaron’s aunt in the hospital. My part time job helped me to decide on what I’m going to study in college. I’m going into Medicine, I have this urge to help sick people get better.
I really studied and became a nerd in the past year. Writing SATs and other exams I could lay my hands on. My mum and I bonded a lot, we took cooking classes during the weekends, attended spas together, had movie nights and talked a lot. I got a scholarship here in Dartmouth and with the help of Aaron’s family and many many recommendations I was able to transfer and start from Sophomore year. The same year with Aaron, Peyton, Nadine, Jesse, Liv and Luke, my friends.
Yes they all went to college last year, Nadine and Pey were at Princeton, Jesse got a football scholarship and in all my years on earth I’ve never been more happy to be Pen Pals with anyone the way I am with Jesse my Chimpanzee. Liv and Luke were at Dartmouth college too, can you imagine that? I’ll be roomies with Liv and we’ll be besties. I still kept in touch with then all, social media helped a lot.
You’d think that since I was so busy and occupied I wouldn’t miss my friends so much but I did. I missed them all especially Aaron Lee my boyfriend, which resulted in him coming home three times in the past year. He would’ve come more if hadn’t stopped him. Jesse visited twice also. If anybody was to ask me how last year went I’d say it was the most fruitful year ever. Its a year I learned a lot to thing. I also threw my diary away into a river. I didn’t need it anymore, although I’d forever miss my dad I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s gone, he’s no more physically with me.
About my beanie, I grew attached and wore beanie always because I lacked the love that my dad always provided to me while he was alive but now I had so much love surrounding me and I wasn’t attached to it anymore. Anything I want to tell my dad, I can tell it to my mum or Jesse or even Aaron. I’m a changed Noel, I’m not insecure and avoidant anymore, people changed me, lovely people changed me. Love changed me.
“You sure you don’t want us to live together? I could buy us a house or a really cool penthouse.” Aaron said his arm around my shoulder as we walked around the huge college heading to my dorm.
“I want to live in a dorm get that ‘full college’ experience, have roomies, attend parties with my boyfriend, receive calls from my boyfriend, text with him until late into the night etcetera. Maybe we’ll live together in college but not now, later in like two years time.” I said smiling at him.
He pouted before smirking, “you intend on sticking with me for that long eh?”
“Ofcourse, I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. Even if you do go anywhere, I’ll be right behind you.” I said then saw a girl waving at Aaron, I tightened my hand around him smiling at the girl. “And if I don’t stick around to keep them girls away who will?”
Aaron laughed leaning down to kiss me, I smiled as the girl frowned and walked away. “I’m not going anywhere, its me and you forever Dolphin. Forever.”
“That sounds great, I can’t wait.” I tell him and we laugh as we continue walking, Aaron pointing out important places to me.
Liv says we have another roomies named Avery, I wonder if we’ll get along. I hope we do, Aaron says he can’t wait to introduce me to his new friends. When we reached my beautiful dorm room, we were alone and we successful christened the room with lots and lots and lots of kisses.
In the end I can proudly say that I see a bright future for myself and Aaron and we’re not going to through it alone, we’re going through that hard, beautiful and rough and smooth future together. Hand in hand. I love my love story, I love the future I see in front of me. And I know the only way to achieve something, to get whatever we want, to overcome the trials and hardships is not give up, keep fighting. Keep moving forward.
I’ll always be a beanie girl and Aaron Lee would always be my Aaron. I really don’t see that changing anytime soon.
“Wait how close exactly are our dorms?”
“Not close enough for anything I have in mind.”
Shit.
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That’s it. I’ve wrapped it up, I’m sad to leave our Aael couple, I really enjoyed writing their story. I hope you liked how it ended.
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Ok bye