Right Person Too Late

chapter 8

Arsema

"Where have you been all my life?"

Song: Where Have You Been by Rihanna

I wake up to Miles' foot at my mouth and his elbow digging into my hip, which doesn't make any sense because he was sitting on the floor when I fell asleep last night. I look around in confusion when I realise that Noah's not next to me anymore. The book he was reading last night is sitting on the edge of the couch and his car keys are still on the kitchen island.

I slowly pull myself out from under Miles' legs, trying to not wake him as I go. Which turns out to be unsuccessful because he starts swatting at my stomach like I'm a fly. I hit him over the head in retaliation and he sits up suddenly, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"What's your problem, squirt?"

"What's my problem? You hit me first, and stop calling me squirt, chipmunk." I get up shoving him off me, causing him to fall off the couch with a groan.

"Well, I didn't push you, leave me alone, bully. Plus I'm taller than you now, ha."

"Bully my ass, get up pussy. Where's Noah? He's not here but his keys are still on the table."

"OoOoOo, why? You worried about Daddy Noah?" Miles looks up at me from his position on the floor with a complacent grin.
"Daddy who? And what are you trying to say asshole?"

"Oh, I think you know what I'm saying Arsema Eden Mesfin." He gets up from the floor and stretches out his limbs, shaking his left leg out from numbness.

"And what's that Miles Jesiah Denzel?"

"Ugh, not the middle name." I walk over to him and twist his ear. "Owwwwwww!!!"
"Miles!"

He shrugs, snorting in amusement, "I'm just saying, I saw the way you were looking at him yesterday."

With a final twist of his ear, I let go and walk over to the fridge and open it to see nothing but vegetables, fruits and healthy as packed lunches, "I don't know what you're talking about. Do guys have nothing but veggies in here?"

"Okayyyy, and no. Noah keeps us all on a strict diet of veggies and shit, ugh, wanna go get burgers?"

"Nah too early, but do you not have any real snacks, like chocolate?" I ask opening the pantry to yet again find it chock full of protein bars, crackers and raw ingredients. I'm not one to eat junk food all the time - even though neither my friends nor I can cook and we always order out - but I'm on my period now and I'm just craving chocolate to another level.

"Again Noah's banned all the good stuff, but I think Jacob has some contraband in his room." Miles grins at me like a kid who just found the lollies in the back of the cupboards.

"Contraband? What kind?"

"Last time I checked he has those lolly necklaces, chocolates I think Cherry Ripes and Crunch."

"Ew, not Crunch, but Cherry Ripe is tolerable, which one is his room? I'll pay him back when I meet him."

"This way." He leads me to the farthest room from the living room, near the front door. I slowly crack open the door praying that he hadn't come home last night, with Miles breathing down my neck. I lightly slap him over the head when he starts whispering in my ear to be careful.

"Zip it."

We peek around the ajar door into the room and see that it's empty. The room is surprisingly tidy, the bed is shoved under the window, made with hospital corners, the desk organised, all his dirty clothes in a hamper and footy balls are sitting piled in the corner of the room. The two of us walk in and Miles immediately darts over to the footballs. I hesitantly follow him, crouching down on the floor next to him as he pushes the balls to the side.

"What are you gonna tell me that they're stuffed in the footy?" I ask, watching him struggle trying to get a nail in between the floorboards.

"Better, there's a loose floorboard." He rubs his hands in glee as he finally lifts it and looks down at a stash of lollies and chocolates in the floor beneath us. I pull out packs of lolly necklaces and bracelets and see that there are even more under the ones I pulled out.

"Why so many of these?" Miles looks over from where he's already stuffing a Cherry Ripe into his mouth.

"I think Emma loves those."
"Emma?"

"Jacob's girlfriend. He basically lives at her place but likes to have her favourites here for whenever they stay here."

"Aw, that's cute. I haven't had one of these in ages." I mumble, ripping a couple of the charms off the flimsy string.

"What are you two doing?" A reprimanding voice brings us out of our lolly frenzy. We slowly spin around on our heels to see Noah with shopping bags in one hand and a tray with coffee cups in the other hovering in the doorway, giving us a strange look. Caught out both Miles and I drop our lollies and slowly get up. Noah's shooting accusing looks at Miles and to save him and the stash I jump in walking to him,

"Hey Noah, we were just looking for you!"

He gives me a quizzed look and looks behind me. "In the floorboards?"

Okay, so my distracting method wasn't exactly foolproof, or the best.

He makes his way around me to Miles, who's got both his hands held behind his back and a guilty look on his face. I intercept Noah before he can reach Miles by grabbing his arm and taking one of the bags. He faces me in confusion.

"What's in here?" I search through the bag to see it filled with Kitkats of all kinds and the best chips ever, Kettle Chilli Chips. As amazing as the sight of these snacks are, I'm really confused, because why would Noah be buying these types of snacks if they're exactly what he doesn't let Miles eat? I blink up at him in puzzlement, "Why'd you buy these?"

Turning around from the silent argument he and Miles have been having, Noah touches the back of his neck in uncertainty looking at everything but me, "You always loved these snacks and I thought that...well since we don't have the type of food you probably like I thought I'd just get you a couple things. If you don't like them anymore I can just return them, it's okay."

There was no way he went out early in the morning just to get me food because he was scared there was nothing for me to eat.

Miles interrupts my thoughts with a yell of annoyance, "Hey! That is so not fair! You say that I can't have those types of snacks, but the second Ari's back you go and get chocolates and shit for her?!"

Noah retaliates by smacking him over the head, "She doesn't have orders from Coach to not eat them does she?" Miles hangs his head in silence, pissed, "Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm going to make breakfast. Oh by the way, here are your coffees." He hands me two cups before leaving, "I didn't know whether you like coffee or not so I bought you both, a coffee and hot chocolate, you can choose. Miles will have whichever one you don't want."

This man.

"Okay, you can stop with the assumptions right there thank you. But can I have the hot chocolate, Ari? I'm chocolate deprived, pity your bestest friend forever and ever, pweese?"

The drama king gets on his knees, pleading with me. I pat him on the head, "Sucks to be you buddy, I don't like coffee." I say with a triumphant grin and place the coffee next to him before striding out into the kitchen, hot chocolate in hand.