The Bet

Chapter 9

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller

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I slide down my bedroom door and plop my head against my knees. Again, I am thinking what the fuck am I doing? Banging on my dorm door is getting more frantic; casing me to jump out my skin.

"Ari!"

I close my eyes as Noah's voice rings out.

"Noah, go to your room. She isn't feeling well apparently." Delilah's soft voice carries through the dorm.

What seems like forever, Noah has left. I crawl into my bed... Literally crawl on my hands and knees to my bed. I curl up on top of my covers and drift off to sleep. I wake up to my alarm blaring into my ears. I slam my hands against the alarm and reluctantly get out of my bed. I slowly get ready for school. I toss on a black skater dress with fishnet tights. My signature combat boots cover my feet. I toss my hair into a loose messy bun. I walk to our kitchen and grab my Monster Energy drinks from the fridge. I toss two into my bag and carry the other in my hand. As I walk towards my first class, I drink my Monster. I catch a glimpse of Noah at the front of the building that leads to our classroom. I turn abruptly back around and take the back entrance. I slip into my seat without Noah or anyone seeing me. As Noah finally walks in; our eyes connect. Before he could say anything; our professor comes in.

"Seats please!"

Everyone grunts but they do as she has requested.

"We're going to review A Walk To Remember. Who wants to go first?" She announces.

Her question goes unanswered; not even a hand has raised. I slowly slouch in my seat to try to become invisible.

"Aria? Would you like to go first with your thoughts?"

"I think the main male character is an arrogant asshole." I respond with a bright smile.

"Why is that?" She asks.

"Because how he acts throughout the book. It makes him out to be an arrogant asshole. Like who asks someone to help them then when he sees his friends he hunkers down to be unseen. That's just rude and heartless about how the female lead feels. Like her feelings matter too." I ramble on.

"Anyone else have any thoughts or do we agree with Aria that the male lead is an arrogant asshole?!" The professor says with a sour expression.

"I disagree." Noah comments.

"Of course you do. You always have. It doesn't surprise me any." I grumble.

"I mean yeah he is an arrogant jackass but the book has an underlying lesson in it." Noah fires back.

"What would that be Noah?" The professor says as she claps her hands.

"The best decisions- the ones that matter most in our lives- are made by listening to your heart. Landon always listened to his mind but he found love in an unexpected person when he listens to his heart." Noah explains.

"If he wouldn't have been a dense idiot he would have seen Jamie for who she was to begin with." I fire back.

Before the argument or debate could get out of hand; our professor changes the subject all together.

"Our next assignment will be The Raven. Read it and come back with your thoughts. You're dismissed for the remainder of the class."

Let me tell you, I pretty much ran out that door when she said we could leave early. My legs carry me out the building and into the small courtyard. The rest of the day goes by in a blur. At the end of the day; I rush to my dorm to get my laptop so I can go to the Book Cafe. I grab my laptop with a hurry and as I open my dorm door; Noah is standing there about to knock on the door.

"Ari." He says stunned.

"Noah." I counter with my brow raised.

Before I can move any direction, he shoves me back into my dorm. He closes the door behind him and turns back to look at me. He looks at me like I'm the prey and he's the predator. I slowly walk backwards, hitting my coffee table in the process. I scurry around the table and scramble backwards to my room. While Noah stalks towards me.... Not uttering a single word. He catches up to me and again, gently pushes me backwards to my room. Before I can process what is happening; he slams my door shut. We both are trapped in my freaking room! As I blink, his lips are on mine. My reaction is to moan against his lips. The sound makes his lips go into a smirk against my own. In one quick motion, I'm scooped up into his arms. My back hits my bed with him crouched over me with a predator smile on his face.

I gulp down on air.

What is going on?

: ¨·.·¨ :
' ·. 🦋
╱|、
(˚ˎ 。7
|、˜〵
じしˍ,)ノ