Golden

#4

As Rosa drove from Josh's house back to their home with an asleep Noah in the background, she felt strange.

Strange to see her car, tattered and on the brink of breaking down, going through the road lined with proper street-lamps under the starless night.

She observed Noah through the rear mirror and saw that he was still asleep. Then she allowed her to smile, albeit a tired one. She remembered how the boys had hugged goodbye and the way Josh blushed when Rosa kissed his forehead in greeting. 

Noah slept through the entire 5 minutes, only waking up when they had reached home. He went straight to bed that day, ignoring dinner and the post-dinner chores he usually did. He laid on his bed with a comforter around him.

And then it started raining, slowly and gradually at first then picking up pace very swiftly. He liked it- the rain. He liked how it came down with a patter, forming puddles on the road. He liked the way it resonated even with the windows closed.

It was soothing. He fell asleep to the sound of rain and thunder.

Under the same night sky was Josh, still sitting across the window pane waiting for his mom to arrive. 

"She would have come by now." He thought with uncertainty. 

He let his mind wander off to Noah's mum, how she kissed him on the forehead and asked him how he was. He sighed.

And then, his mind went to Noah. He didn't understand what the feeling was, in his stomach, when he hugged him. But all Josh knew was- Noah was definitely one the best friends he ever had.

And there he slept on the cushiony seat with his head perched against the window sill. 

Later, Josh's mum arrived, expecting Josh to be awake. And when she saw him sleeping against the cold surface of glass, she felt guilty she couldn't arrive earlier. She slowly picked him up, with a gentle daze and placed him on his bed and pushed his blanket up till his neck. She left the room afterwards, changing into comfortable clothing and getting ready for bed herself. 

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In school the next day, they met again. With their own genuine smiles which could light up their entire town.

They decided to have their lunch outside in the school yard. There were people scattered across, in groups and singles. 

Again, Noah and Josh shared the lunch which Josh had brought with him from home.

Then approached a girl, one of Noah's previous friends. Previous, in the sense, someone whom Noah didn't hang out with anymore. She came, flashing her dress from side to side, to get Noah's attention and when she didn't have it, she barged straight to where both the boys sat.

"Won't you come sit with us, Noah?" She said as she sweetly called out to Noah pointing to the group of kids whom Noah was friends with before. 

He looked at Josh for a second and then said, "Sure." He said with a smile on his face. Josh had brought that out in him. It was as simple as a twitch in the face muscles. A simple gesture of happiness, but it seemed impossible before.

He got up, with both the spoons still in Josh's lunch box and gestured to Josh to get up- giving him a hand to take. Josh took it and got up but when both the boys were about to make their way to the group, the girl sneered. 

"Only you, Noah. Don't want him with us." She said simply. It hit Josh right in his heart. He didn't know what an insult felt like because nobody ever dared to. All his life people were fake and nice, sucking upto him- complimenting him on things that didn't even deserve complimenting.

But Noah crossed his hands. "I'm not coming either then. You can go have fun." The girl went off fuming. Very disappointed at getting rejected. And they went back to eating from Josh's lunch as if she never happened.

After a while came the boys, including Jacob, with their big grins and asked if they could sit near them. And after a quick nod from Noah, they all sat together. The girls came in next. It was like their own gang with their colorful lunch boxes and a few trays from the school lunch. 

Noah introduced the people to Josh while Josh only smiled at them and waved. 

There was once a moment where Jacob tried to slip in between Noah and Josh but Noah extended his hand from behind Josh's back successfully caging the gap between them. Josh involuntarily leaned into the side of the golden eyed boy.

Jacob looked pissed and Josh was silently smiling at the fuming Jacob.

In classes they went, their group grew, everyone wishing Noah and some even Josh too.

They laced their hands that day and ran into the playground, enjoying the simple enjoyment that came with the swings and the slides. Each taking chances to push the swings for each other.

Then would come the time for lying down in the grass, with sweaty heads and faces. But one thing always graced their faces, the smile. The goofy smile that came with the swings. The sweet smile that came with Josh singing a song he had learnt in his previous school. The content smile that came with both of them lying on the grass, shoulders touching. The smile. It was everything to Noah.

Both the boys spoke, while on their way home, about their math teacher who had praised Noah for answering a question.

And today, Josh got down with Noah at his house but Noah only looked at the blue eyed boy questioningly.

He kissed him on the cheek. In one single movement, Josh kissed him on the cheek. And then with a good-bye, he was back in the car. Waving to Noah as the car moved on from the front of his house.

Noah, in disbelief, took his fingers and placed them on the region above his jawline and felt the ghost of the kiss on his cheek.

He stood there for an entire minute before going inside his house.  

His mum looked at him and smiled broadly.

"Hi, dear. Oh my, you look so red. It is the cold weather, I say. Do you think I should brew you some hot chocolate?"

"Mhhm." He hummed a yes.

Then he ran into his messy room, his mind only full of nothing but the blond boy.

A/N

How did y'all like this chapter?
I hope you enjoyed it.

Also are you a coffe kinda person or a tea person?