Decisions | Noah Sebastian

Chapter One

"Nick will be here in a couple of hours." My grandmother says from her place at the kitchen sink. I raise my eyes from my computer to look at her. "I didn't know Nick was coming into town?" My cousin and I were close growing up, but since the start of his band he's been too busy to talk like we used to. "He said that he wanted to treat the boys to a vacation in the beautiful beaches of the south. Plus he wants to see you. You both have been so busy recently, he feels bad." I shrug. "Adulting happens. What're you making for dinner?" She sighs and smiles a bit. "I was actually hoping you'd make your spaghetti. It's always enough to feed an army, the way you make it." Laughing, I nod. She knows how to compliment and diss at the same time, huh?

"Nick!" Nana shouts as she opens the front door. And she's right. His smiling face is glowing as he wraps his arms around her neck. "Nana! So good to see you!" He rocks the 70 year old woman gently from side to side while I watch from the stove. "Cousin!" He shouts as he makes his way over. "Nick, how've you been knucklehead." I smile as I embrace him. "How have you been? I'm sorry I haven't reached out." He says as he slides into the barstool across from me. I go to respond, but then notice my Nana letting three more men into the house. I raise my eyebrow at Nick in anticipation of introductions. "Oh, sorry. Got too excited. Emerson, this is Jolly, Nicholas, and Noah. Guys, this is Nana and Emerson." He points to each man as he says their names. Jolly is a serious-looking man with long brown hair green eyes, and a polite smile. Nicholas is also serious-looking, but a little more relaxed, brunette hair in a bun with soft green eyes that match his smile. He gives a small wave, which I return. The last man, Noah, to put it simply looks cold, stoic, and uninterested. His dark brown eyes are taking in his surroundings as he tucks his long brown hair behind his ears. "Hi, nice to meet you all." I say with a smile. Nana is smiling ear to ear as she shoos the guys into the living room. "Sit, sit. I'll get you something to drink. Dinner should be ready soon." She smiles as she busies herself making glasses of coke.

I pull out six bowls and forks, scooping some pasta into them before topping it with homemade spaghetti sauce. Walking over to the oven I grab the garlic bread and put a piece on the side of each bowl before sticking the fork into it. Pulling six napkins, I grab two of the bowls with napkins folded under the bottom, handing them to Nick and Nicholas who are sitting next to one another on the couch. Nick smiles as Nicholas thanks me, I head back and do the same with the next two bowls, this time walking the first one to Jolly who is sitting in one of our leather recliners. He nods with a smile in thanks as I now head to Noah. He just so happened to sit in my white fabric rocking chair. I force a smile as I hold the bowl of spaghetti out to him, he takes it rolling his eyes. "Are you sure you aren't the housemaid?" He scoffs.

I stop in my tracks on the way to the kitchen, not believing what I just heard. I haven't said two sentences to him and yet he's an absolute douche. I don't want to answer so I just grab my Nana's bowl and mine, walking back to the living area. I hand her one of the bowls as I take my seat on the floor in front of her recliner. Nick gives me a sympathetic smile, knowing I'm not going to squeeze on the couch with him and a relative stranger, nor am I going to ask Noah to move next to his friends so I can sit in my spot. "So how was the trip?" Nana finally asks to break the awkward silence. "It was fine. Some of us slept, while the rest of us just blasted music. It was pretty smooth." Nicholas answers. Looking towards me Jolly says, "This is really good, Emerson. Who taught you to cook?" I smile at the memories. "Well, Nana mostly, but this is my mother's recipe. She makes the best spaghetti I've ever had." Jolly and Nicholas nod in unison as an agreement. "I missed it. You're going to have to share the recipe with me one day. I'll convince you yet." Nick laughs. I smile, risking a glance at the one person who hasn't put in any words to the conversation. Noah is just staring into the bowl. I can't tell if he's even eaten anything. I look away turning my attention to Nick, who's glaring at him. I throw a small piece of paper that was on the coffee table in front of me at him to grab his attention. Once I have it I give him a questioning look. He just shakes his head and shrugs. Great, so he's not normally like this. This is going to make for a very interesting summer.

After dinner, we decided to turn on Jurassic Park to watch as a group. The boys have already put their things upstairs in the rooms. Nana has the downstairs room off of the living room so that she doesn't have to deal with the stairs. My room is up the stairs and to the left, at the very end of the hall. We have three other rooms in the hall, Nick and Nicholas decided to share the bunk bed in the room immediately to the left of the stairs, Jolly was in the room to the right of the stairs all to its own, which left the room right next to mine open for Noah. He still hasn't made a point to be pleasant towards me. He's polite with Nana and he has been joking here and there with the guys, but he acts like I don't even exist. I'm not upset by it, I just don't know how I could have pissed him off just by saying hello. I roll my eyes thinking about his snide remark earlier. I don't think I'll be kind enough to make his plate again in the event I cook.

I start to get tired about thirty minutes before the end of the movie, so I turn to Nana and pat her knee. She smiles down at me, knowing it's my way of silently saying good night. I'm not much of a talker to begin with, so I just leave the room and head upstairs. As I'm reaching the top I hear footsteps behind me. Thinking it was Nick checking in I just start talking. "Hey, do you know what.." I turn and see it's not Nick. It's Noah, and he looks bored and annoyed that I dare speak to him. I roll my eyes and just keep walking down the hall. "Where's the bathroom?" He asks. I just lazily point to the door a little behind me to the right. It's directly across the hall from where the Nicks are staying. I hear him sigh, and then a door opens and closes. Once in my room I crash onto my bed and pull out my phone. I pull up my conversation with Nick.

Me: What's Noah's deal?

It only takes a few seconds before he responds.

Nick: He's pissed that we wouldn't let him bring Veronica out. We don't particularly get along with her, but we keep our mouths shut as long as he's okay with her. You would have been miserable with her here. She'd have made sure of it.

I sigh and roll my eyes. Seriously? I'm being punished because his bandmates didn't want his girlfriend tagging along? Stupid. My phone chimes again.

Nick: I'll talk to him tomorrow. The way he's speaking to you is uncalled for, I just didn't want to cause a scene in front of Nana and the guys.

Leave it to Nick to treat me like a kid. I decide that I'm done with this conversation as I strip down to my underwear, taking my bra off and sliding on a baggy old band tee. I keep telling myself I'm not going to let Noah get to me, but I can't help but think that I am the problem.