Until My Last Breath

Chapter 3

Standing in the doorway halfway between her moms room and the living room, Sophia stares at the unsaved number on her phone. She knew it was him because she rarely ever gives her number out to people. Just people she trusts. She opens her phone and clicks on the message.
Noah: I just finished it and it's so good! Then she saw a second message below that.
Noah: Oh, by the way, this is Noah.
She smiles and giggles a little. He made her forget for one second that her family had completely abandoned her. For two seconds, he made her forget.
She began to type a response.
Sophia: I'm glad you like it!
Noah: What do you say we talk about it in person, this weekend there's a music festival at the beach with a carnival a couple blocks away. Would you like to join me?
Sophia was hesitant. She wasn't used to boys actually being interested in her and didn't really know if it was genuine. For some reason, she trusted him. So she decided to say yes.
She sighs after she locks her phone. Should she have said yes? Is this too much to handle right now? It's too late to second guess. She walks into her bedroom and looks at her blank wall. She knew that she would have to figure this out, should she stay at her parents' apartment or get a new one and start fresh? She was way too exhausted to think about it that night. She slowly changes into her pajamas and cuddles into her bed and falls asleep instantly.
                                        •••
She wakes up to the blaring sound of her alarm. 8:00 am...she didn't want to get up, but she knew she had to. She had to come up with a plan. She opened her phone and clicked on her best friend, Mia's phone number. Her phone began to ring. After ringing 3 times a sweet, soft voice picks up the phone.
Mia: Hello?
Sophia: Hey...
Mia could tell by the tone in Sophia's voice that something was wrong.
Mia: What happened?
Sophia hesitantly answered.
Sophia: They left.
Mia: What? Who?
Sophia: My parents. Both of them. I need you to come over. I have to figure out what I'm going to do.
Mia: I'm on my way.
They say goodbye and hang up the phone. That's something Sophia always appreciated most about Mia, she never asked any questions whenever she was in trouble. She just shows up. That's why she was her best friend.

About 20 minutes later, Mia shows up with a dozen doughnuts and iced coffee from Dunkin. She knew exactly what to get for her best friend in this situation. She sets out the food on the coffee table and takes a seat beside Sophia on the couch.
"So what happened exactly?"
Sophia explained the long drawn out story to her. Everything, from meeting Noah, to what happened with her mom, and to what happened the night before.
Sophia sighs heavily and says
"So I need to decide, do I want to stay here and have not much more to pay off or if I should look for something new with brand new rent by myself. I just don't know what to do."
Mia, sitting back, soaking everything in.
"Well...that's something only you can decide. You've been through a lot in the last 24 hours. Heck, even in the last 12 hours. You don't have to necessarily make this decision right now."
"Right...yeah..uh I think I'm going to look on Zillow, see what my options are."
•••
Staring into the mirror, putting in her earrings, Sophia takes a deep breath. She was nervous, she didn't know if this thing with Noah was a date or if he just wanted to hangout. It could be innocent. She didn't want to worry about it, but she couldn't help herself. This is her first date, she doesn't know what she's supposed to do, what you're supposed to say, or what you're supposed to wear. She went with denim shorts, a yellow striped shirt, and her converse. She did her hair in two French braided pig tales. Her makeup consisting of a light coat of foundation, bronzer, blush, mascara and neutral lipgloss. She sprayed on some perfume and grabbed her bag. She went to sit down on the couch and checked the time on her phone: 7:45.
Noah is supposed to pick her up at 8:00.
As she's sitting on the couch staring at a blank wall, waiting for Noah to show up, her mind starts to wander.
She could stay in her parents apartment or get her own. For some reason, it was the hardest decision she's had to make in a very long time. In one hand, she wouldn't have to move boxes, In the other hand, she would have to spend hours upon hours cleaning and scrubbing that apartment clean. She sighs, overwhelmed and confused. Before she knew it the doorbell rang. So she stood up from her seat and went to the door and opened it.
There he stood, with sunflowers in his hands.
"For you" he says handing her the beautiful arrangement.
She blushes and takes them from him.
"Thank you." He did it again, he made her forget. Just for a second. He was really good at that.
"Shall we?" He smiles and leads her to the car.
He opens the car door for her and helps her in.
This is definitely a date. She thought to herself. She didn't know if this was Noah's typical behavior or if they were on a date, so far, between the flowers and opening the door for her, she figured that's what this was. And she was okay with that.
•••
They arrive at the music festival and you can automatically feel the energy of the people there. Sophia has bad social anxiety when it comes to big crowds but she wasn't going to let that stop her from having a good time. If she didn't worry about it, she would be fine. Noah helps her out of the car and they begin to walk over to the admissions booth.
"So, you never told me your story." Noah says, looking at her intently.
"Oh yeah...I guess I didn't.." he could tell by her body language and the way she spoke that she didn't want to talk about it. So he decides to speak up.
"We don't have to talk about it right now...I just want to know you better."
That sent a wave of butterflies through Sophia's stomach. No one has ever been so interested in her before, not even Mia.
"It's not that I don't want to tell you...I just don't know about in such a large crowd." She said.
They walked up to a water balloon booth. The more balloons you pop, the bigger your prize is. Sophia got enough to win a small stuffed dog. After that they went and got cotton candy and a funnel cake. Laughing in between bites at the jokes they would make about how people threw a ball or the super strength game. After that, they walked over to one more game. Noah said
"Can I win you something?"
Sophia thought it was cheesy, but she also appreciated that he asked.
"Sure." It was ring toss. Almost impossible.
"Just good luck because I hear actually winning can be tricky." She jokingly picked on him.
"Well don't worry little angel, I've had tons of practice."
He joked back.
He threw the first one, missed. Threw the second one and missed. But he didn't give up. He got the next two. And that's how many you need in order to win a prize. He won a giant elephant for her. Her favorite.
He handed it to her and pulled her close to whisper in her ear.
"What do you say we go somewhere more private?"