FLATLINE [c. hood]

eight - coffee or tequila?

Noah's heart skipped a beat as she read Calum's text, her thumb hovering over the screen. She bit her lip, feeling a pang of guilt mixed with frustration. If he said it was a drunk mistake then she had no reason not to believe that, but she was still a little hurt. 

"Are you ignoring me already?" Leo accused.

Noah glanced over at Leo, who was walking beside her, and shook her head, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

"Nah, just thinking about how you're not actually that funny," Noah gasped

Leo gasped dramatically. "I'm fucking hilarious!" he whispered loudly, earning a chuckle from their manager walking ahead of them. "For real though, are you good?"

Noah sighed, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the outline of her phone. "It's... guy stuff."

Leo's eyebrows shot up. "Ah, guy stuff," he said knowingly. "Sexy bassist problems?"

She rolled her eyes, though a small smile crept onto her lips. "Let's just focus on not embarrassing ourselves at this interview, alright?"

Leo gave her a playful nudge. "Only if you promise to spill later."

As they stepped into the studio, a sleek, modern space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, Noah pushed thoughts of Calum to the back of her mind. The interviewer, a woman with a sharp yet warm smile, greeted them and gestured for them to sit.

"Alright, you two," she said as she settled into her chair. "I'm so excited to talk about your show Hellbent.  Your on-screen chemistry is incredible."

Noah was about to respond when her phone buzzed again. She glanced down quickly—another text from Calum. She caught Leo's glance and ignored it, her stomach twisting.

cal:
I didn't mean to be a dick, promise. I was just drunk and an idiot. I hope you're not mad.

Noah let out a small sigh. Now wasn't the time to deal with this, but she hated unresolved tension. She typed out a quick reply while Leo answered the first question.

noah:
not mad. just confused. we'll talk later, okay?

As soon as she hit send, she slipped her phone back into her pocket and tuned back into the interview.

"Sorry," Leo was saying with a mischievous grin. "Noah's just plotting how to steal the spotlight from me next season."

The interviewer chuckled, turning her attention to Noah. "Is that true? Got big plans for your character?"

Noah smiled, feeling the knot in her chest loosen. "Oh, definitely. She's heading into some darker territory, which I'm really excited about. But don't worry, I'll leave some of the spotlight for Leo."

Leo gasped, earning a round of laughs. "Aren't you the sweetest?"

The rest of the interview flew by, and by the end, Noah found herself feeling lighter. Leo's playful energy had a way of pulling her out of her head.

As they exited the building, Leo slung an arm around her shoulders. "You survived! Now, spill the tea. What's going on with Calum?"

Noah groaned. "Not here. Let's go grab coffee or something."

Leo's eyes lit up. "Ooooh, gossip time! Coffee? Or tequila?"

"Tequila at noon?" Noah laughed. "That's bold, even for you. Coffee's fine."

As they made their way to a nearby café, her phone buzzed again. Another message from Calum.

cal:
thanks for being cool. i really don't want to mess this up.

Noah stared at the text for a long moment, her heart doing an odd flip. She knew he cared—maybe even more than he should. She'd seen it in the way he lingered in their conversations, how he was waiting for her to change her mind about just being friends. But every time she reminded herself not to cross that line, even though part of her wanted to.

"So what's the deal?" Leo pried.

Noah shook herself out of her thoughts and turned to Leo as they sat down at a small table by the window.

"I met Calum online, we've been talking for a while, and he's... great," Noah said, fiddling with her coffee cup. "But he's been distant ever since I told him I just wanted to stay friends. Then he ghosted me for a bit, and now he's apologizing."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "And he's pining, isn't he?"

Noah hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think so. But I don't know what to do about it. I like him, but I don't want to complicate things."

Leo leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Look, it's okay to like him. But if you're not ready for more than friendship, don't force it. Just be honest with him."

"I have been," Noah sighed, staring down at her phone. "But I feel bad, you know? Like, maybe I'm leading him on."

"Not if you've told him straight up," Leo said firmly. "He's got to respect your boundaries."

Her phone buzzed again, and she glanced at it.

cal:
let's talk later. i really want to clear the air.

Noah exhaled, feeling a strange mix of relief and anxiety swirling inside her.

"So what's the plan?"

Noah looked up at Leo, her mind racing. "I guess I'll talk to him, see where things go. I don't want to hurt him, but I'm not waiting around forever, you know?"

Leo smiled and reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "Good. You're the badass here. Don't forget that."

Noah chuckled, feeling a little lighter. "Thanks, Leo."

"Anytime," he said with a wink. "So now can we have tequila?"