Perfect

Chapter 19

Noah Anderson
3:45 pm

It was weird being at school and not seeing Aaliyah. Everybody talked about her and asked about her. Congratulated us on our relationship which I thought everyone already knew about.

I felt like a celebrity.

"I missed you today." I say talking to Aaliyah.

"I missed you too. How was today? Did you sit with everybody?" She says and I hear the microwave beep.

"Today was good. A lot of people came up to me to ask what happened and where you were. It was weird and uncomfortable. I hid."

"What?!" She says laughing.

"Yes, I hid. Every time somebody came up to me I ran and hid."

"No way!" She laughs for, I shit you not 10 minutes.

"I could just imagine somebody..."

"Hey, Noah, somebody here for you!" Luca yells.

"Baby, I'll call you back."

"Okay." And she hangs up.

I slide from underneath the car and take out my AirPod after wiping my hands. I pass the cars to the reception and it's Malinda standing with her back to me.

"Mal? What are you doing here?" I ask trying to lead her out the garage.

"I came to talk to you about that girl." She says turning around.

When she took the sunglasses off she looked horrible. She has bandages on her nose and cheeks and forehead. You can see the red and blue around the wounds.

"Come, let's do this outside." I say trying once again to lead her away.

"No! Are you embarrassed of me?!" She yells yanking her arm out of my hand.

"I don't think you want people seeing you like this."

"That girl did this to me! You let her! How could you!"

"That girl's name is Aaliyah and I want you out of my job, you're causing a scene." I say with some aggression.

"Okay." And she lets me lead her out.

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask leaning against the brick wall.

"You never used to be this impatient with me. Stop acting like this for that girl!" She demands like I'm her child.

"Used to, those are the key words. And I told you before her name is Aaliyah. If you don't start respecting her I'm walking away Malinda." I say standing up straight and pointing back in the garage.

"Okay, I don't want you to leave me. Let's get back together. You don't really want her! Let's get back together!" She says nearly jumping up and down.

"N- Do you even know anything about me?!"

"What'd you mean? I know you." She says putting her hand in my chest.

I step back. I should've put my shirt back on. It's freezing out here.

"Name 5 five things that you learned about me during our relationship."

"Alright, well, I know that your middle name is Theodore. Y-your favorite color is green. You...you...you like anime. It's 3 things but still, I know you." She says clapping.

"You know next to nothing about me, Malinda. There's nothing to be said or done. I sincerely apologize for cheating on you. It was a really shitty thing to do. I hope one day you can forgive me. You deserve someone who actually sees you Malinda and that's not me." And I turn to walk away.

"Don't be like that Noah, we were only dating for a month and a half-"

"You don't want me! You want somebody to control, Malinda! I will not be controlled. Get over me, our relationship. I'm with Aaliyah now."

***

"I feel a little bad for her." Aaliyah says cuddled up by my side.

I came home and she was in my bed. Apparently her and Ashley hung out all day and Aaliyah came in here to take a nap.

"You're the one who beat her ass. And now you feel bad for her." I say looking down and kissing her forehead.

"Well, yeah. You cheated, her parents are hardly home, after finding out you cheated she has to see to you happy with the girl you told her was just a friend. And lastly I beat her ass. So yeah I feel bad for her." She says leaning into my forehead kiss.

I open my mouth to say something but her phone rings.

"Hey, girl!" Aaliyah says into the phone.

"I see you and Noah all laid up. Y'all cute! I was calling to say let's have a sleepover but it seems you're already doing that!" Destiny says taking a FaceTime photo of us.

"I'm not spending the night. I was chilling with his sister and took a nap in his bed and he came home-"

"Home?! It's giving y'all live together!"

"Anyway, I'm not spending the night. Come over in an hour I'll be there."

"You better be. I don't wanna be sitting in my car waiting for you."

"Alright, bitch, I'll see you." And they hang up the phone.

She cuddles up to me and closes her eyes.

"I thought you said you were going to be there in an hour." I say wrapping my arms around her.

"It's black people time. She know I meant like 2 hours."

***

I awake to something crashing. I turn over and Aaliyah's gone.

"Oh, shit!" And then another tumble.

I whip the covers off of me and look for a weapon. I find mace that Aaliyah left here. She said she has more and she left it for emergencies. I creep out of my room and hear another boom.

Where is everyone?

I creep down the stairs and swing into the living room when I hear a sigh. Two people are sitting on the couch passed out. I flick on the light.

"Dad?! What's going on?"

"Oh, son! Come over here!" He says, patting the couch.

I walk over to him and eye the woman sitting next to him. She has red hair and blue eyes. She's skinny and very pretty. Not more than Aaliyah but nobody will ever be more beautiful to me than her.

"Hi, I'm Noah." I say reaching out my hand to shake hers.

She glances over at my father and then looks at me.

"I'm Charlene. Nice to meet you. Your father has told me so much about you." She says shaking my hand.

"This here is Charlene, son. A good woman. Much like your Malinda." He says, tugging her towards him.

"Dad, who is this?"

"She just introduced herself to you." He laughs.

"No, I mean to you."

"Just a coworker. Get me a beer, son. And Char a water."

I do know you don't behave like that with a coworker unless you're doing...stuff with them.