Right Person Too Late

chapter 11

Arsema

"Show me your true colours, paint me a picture with your true colours."

Song: True Colours by The Weeknd

We get off the lift on the fifth floor only to be greeted by Michael's irritated, scowling face and his mum's warm, slightly tired smile. He marches over to me about to grab my arm in anger when he sees Noah right behind me, arms crossed. A frightened look passes over his face so quickly I think I've imagined it before it's replaced with a sneer. Pissed I ignore him and make my way over to his mum.

"Hey, Sue!" I give her a hug and she embraces me, "Sorry we're late, we got stuck in traffic and all, you know how it is. Anyway, why are you guys standing out here? Let's go in."

Sue opens her mouth to reply when Michael interrupts, "Well, we were going to have brunch as we planned, but you were too late, so we got kicked out! What took you so long?! I told you what time you had to be here a hundred times last week and you couldn't gather a couple of brain cells to at least try and remember?"

Noah cuts in before I can answer him. Walking around to stand by me, wrapping his arm around my waist, "Like she already told you we got stuck in traffic."

"What are you even doing here? You were never invited." Michael leers.

Sue exclaims in surprise, "Michael!" She turns to Noah, "I'm sorry about that, I'm Sue by the way, Michael's mum."

Noah sticks his hand out to shake her outstretched one, "Noah, Arsema's friend, nice to meet you."

"Yeah, we actually grew up together in Port Beaver." I add in with a smile in Noah's direction. She puts her hand on her heart in delight, "Oh that's just the sweetest, all these years. I have no idea where the people I grew up with even are these days."

"Yeah, yeah, so sweet, friends forever. What are we supposed to do now? We missed our breakfast thanks to them." Rolling his eyes like a spoilt five-year-old Michael throws his hands up in the air in frustration.

Sick of his bullshit I just shrug, "We could just go get an early lunch."

"And please tell me how the hell we're going to get into any decent place without a reservation?"

"Well, who said we have to go to one of your typa places?" Disregarding him and his opinion I avert my attention to Noah and Sue. "We can go get sushi or something, no point in wasting our day."

Shrugging Noah says, "Sounds good to me, Sue?"

"Why not?"

Frustrated that no one's paying him attention anymore Michael stomps his foot, "Are you expecting me to go and eat lunch at some disgusting food court? And of all the foods in the world, sushi?"

"No one said you have to come." Noah offers, glaring down at him.

Trying to keep the peace I intervene before Michael can reply, "Look we don't have to go to shopping centre or anything. There's a park across the street, we can all find whatever we want to eat and take it there, make a picnic out of it."

"Oh, please do join us Michael dear, I leave tonight, and we've barely spent any time these past couple of days." Sue pleads. Surprisingly lenient he agrees, and we make our way out of the hotel. The girl at reception cautiously waving goodbye to Noah, who in return raises his arm in farewell and rushes out of the building as quickly as possible to avoid any further awkward interactions with her. I snicker and follow him out of the building arm in arm with Sue as I explain what had happened when we got there to her in whispers. Michael slouches behind us, dragging his feet as he walks, mumbling to himself.