All The Faith In The World

Chapter 21: It Started Raining

Noah's P.O.V

Like I said, after a rain storm, comes a rainbow. Unless, you chose to live in the rainiest town in the world, because odds are, it's going to keep raining. And, unfortunately for Connor, Faith, and I, that's where we were living at that exact moment.

Faith and Robert talked all night. Up until the diner closed. Connor went to get the car started and I went with him to give Faith and Robert a little privacy on their goodbye. I got into the old truck and buckled my seat belt. Faith was smiling as she spoke words I could only try to piece together.

"Those two really hit it off, huh?" I said to Connor, who was also staring intensely at them through the windshield.

"Yeah. She was saying a few weeks ago how she felt bad dad will never want to talk to us again. And how if se knew her real dad then she would want to talk to him too. I guess this is a coincidence. But, a good coincidence." he said.  Faith took out her phone, which we found buried behind the plates, and gave it to the tall man to put his number into.

"I wonder if dad regrets what he did. I wonder if he misses us." I say, thinking out loud. Connor shakes his head.

"You see, when you open a bag of chips and start eating, you are bound to come across some bad ones. Unfortunately, for us, the bad chips were our parents. But, you also get the perfect chips. And, for me, that's you and Faith. So, I'm okay with the bad chips I got as long as it means I get these chips." He wrestles me into a head lock and messes up my greasy brown hair.

Faith hugs Robert goodbye and starts walking toward the car with a smile on her face that I haven't seen since before the apartment. The smile she used to wear on a daily basis. The smile we saw on the first day she started dance.

Faith comes into the car and buckles her seat belt, struggling to contain her excitement.

"So, how was your day?" Connor asks, turning on the engine. Faith explodes with energy like a cannon.

"Oh my god it was perfect! He's exactly how I've always pictured him! He works as something with a big name, but I know he tears down old houses for a living. And he loves dogs. And he was never married again or been with any other women since mom. And he lives in an apartment across town the same one Kaycie used to live in! And he absolutely adores you guys. And, and, and......" she trails off, getting quieter and more uncomfortable with every 'and'.  I look back to see if she's ok.

"And?" I ask.

"And he asked me to live with him when school gets out later this week."

I look at Connor, whose now stopped at a stop light.

"Well, what did you say?" he asks.

"I said it would be very nice, but I can't leave you two."

I kind of relax a little, but not fully.

"And then, he said that it's not like I'm moving out of state from you guys. That I can see you whenever I want, but he really doesn't want to lose touch again." she sits forward in her seat. "But, I mean, I'll still see him too. It's just, I don't particularly feel comfortable being away from you, in an apartment, with a father figure."

"Faith, what happened with dad is a total freak accident. It's not like this kind of stuff happens everyday, that's why the news story was so popular. If you want to go with him, you should. This is a once in a lifetime chance to live with your actual dad for the rest of high school. Don't pass it up for us," Connor says. I give him a look that says, 'what the hell are you doing?' but he ignores it and keeps on driving.

"Are you sure?" Faith asks. I want to tell her 'no, it's not okay.' but I know better than that.

"Yes, if that's what you want to do, we are sure." Connor says.

"Oh, okay." Faith sits back in her seat and the rest of the ride is absolutely silent.

Faith's P.O.V

As son as we get home, I go to my room and text Robert I'm going to take him up on his offer of living with him. He responds quickly and excitedly.

"Yay!! This weekend good?" he replies.

"Um, yeah. I should be good. :)" I add in the smiley face not only for his benefit, but mine as well. In the car, it actually seemed like Connor wanted me to go. Like, not because I wanted to, but for his sake as well. And Noah just sat there, silently agreeing with him. I couldn't tell them I actually didn't want to leave them, but I had a feeling they wouldn't take no for an answer.

I hear a knock at my door.

"Come in," I say. It's Noah.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," I say. It's so awkward. It never used to be awkward. Was that changing too?

"Did you tell Robert about living with him?"

"Yes. I leave this weekend."

"Oh."

"Yeah." I desperately want to tell him I don't want to go. Just tell him how I really feel, like we used to. I want to stay here, or even better, get that apartment with him and Connor. But, I know he will still tell me to go. He will tell me not to say for him. I open my mouth and look into the chocolatey brown eyes of the brother who I considered my best friend, but instead of saying what I want, I say:

"I should probably start packing."

"Oh, yeah. Probably." No! I silently beg for him to stop me. To tell me to stay with him. To say something. Anything. To be the Noah I know. But, in that awkward silence, I realize he's not going to stop me. I just get up and start taking my clothes out of my closet. He silently walks out of my room. I see him pause in the door way, and as I turn to him, praying he finally got his senses back, he just keeps going. I watch him go into the hall and to the room next to mine. I hear him flop on his bed, but everything else is hard to make out. Sitting on the floor, back against our joining wall, I feel a ball of heat burning inside my body. I can't tell if it's anger or sadness or a mixture of both. If only they were themselves. The superheroes.