Silent : Unveiling the Turmoil of a Teenage Heart

CHAPTER 26

SAM / SOORI

SAM

It's been about three weeks since my confession. Lily and I haven't gone on a real date yet, but we've been standing a lot of time with each other. I've been coming over at Lily's house a lot. I've been helping Lily with her eating disorder. But for me to be able to help her in the comfort of our own home, we had to tell Nonna.

We told Nonna about a week ago. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't understand how she never realized it. Lily kept on apologizing, but Nonna and I told her not to. Lily immediately asked Nonna if I could keep coming over at their place. Nonna agreed, because she wanted someone to help her granddaughter since Nonna herself wasn't really able to. She has never seen someone else struggling with this. She wasn't even aware eating disorders existed. Nonna told us that she never thought about calories. Nonna always just eats, and eats, and eats. She thought it worked like that for everyone. She told us that she really wants to help Lily, but she can't do that on her own. So, I promised Nonna I would help her and her granddaughter out.

Right now, I'm at Noah's house. I just got home from dinner at Lily's place. Noah is sitting at his desk and I was sitting on the mattress I slept on, which was placed on the floor.

"You've been staying over at Lily's a lot." Noah looks up from his phone and smirks at me. "Yeah, I have." I place my phone beside me. "I know you guys are close friends, but you guys have gotten really close. Closer than you guys normally are." "Yeah, we have gotten closer. But it's nothing." I lie. I don't want to tell anyone about Lily and I yet. We haven't really been in a 'situation-ship' for that long, and I don't know if Lily even wants me to tell people. "Don't lie to me, Sam. Are you guys secretly in a relationship or something?" "Not a relationship." I immediately blurt out. "Not a relationship, but something else, right?" Noah's smirk grows. "Okay, okay. But don't tell anyone. Not even Soori. Not yet, at least." I look down, kind of embarrassed I'm telling Noah about this. I have never had a relationship, situation-ship, whatever. Noah has had a few situation-ships and one relationship. He has a lot more experience than I do.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise. What's going on with you two?" "It's just...we confessed to each other about three weeks ago. Ever since then, we've just been...more than friends, I guess." "So there is tension?" "Not like sexual tension. It just feels a little different than usual, in a good way." "What has been different?" Noah leans back in his chair and runs his hand through his hair. I think about his question.

The way she looks at me, the way she talks to me, the way she touches me and just the way she acts. It's all been different. More...romantic.

"Everything." I smile. Noah chuckles. "I'm happy you're happy. But hey, don't get too attached." Noah warns me. "I'll try. It's hard not to, do you know how amazing Lily is?" "And I've already lost you." Noah jokes. Noah yawns and throws his head back. "Tired?" I ask. "No, I just haven't had coffee yet."

Suddenly, we get a message from the group chat. Noah and I both grab our phones and open the chat.

___

drugs 😃

soori 🤩
hank's at 8?

___

Noah and I look at each other. "Funny she's the one asking. She usually goes : 'Oh, but Elijah said this and that.'" I joke as I start typing on my phone. "I know. He's somehow always with her every time we want to hang out."