Toothpaste Kisses

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

“Hey, Maxwell,” I enthused when I walked through the door with Noah behind me half an hour after finishing the ice cream. “You look snazzy.”

“Where the hell do you get these words from, Ninety year olds’ Urban Dictionary?” He brushed down his black jeans, trying to remove the lint attached to the fibres.

“Funny, where are you going, Squire?”

“I’m going to see Maddie,” a small smile played at his lips as he buttoned the last fastening on his shirt. I made cooing sounds at how cute he sounded and how he was blushing at the mention of his girlfriend’s name. “What, Jodes?” he sighed, sounding tired and exasperated.

“Woah, don’t be like that with me, Maxie!” I skipped to my bed and threw myself at my folded sheets and nuzzled up to the head board. “So, have you put your present in your bags? I sent the other present to your mum because someone opened his present,” I sent a deliberate look to Noah who was making himself comfortable at the foot of my bed.

“Yeah, they’re in and thanks…” he mumbled. “And sorry about a second ago… I’m nervous.”

“You’ve been on other dates with her, Maxie, you’ll do fine,” I grinned and with him sending a wry smile he went towards the door. “Oh, and no going out with anyone whilst I’m out,” he grinned and slammed the door closed before I could start yelling at him.

“Did he honestly just say that?” I asked, giving Noah a shocked look.

“I think he did,” he laughed.

“Where has the sweet, shy, blushing Max gone?”

“Getting a girlfriend makes you cocky and then you feel like you can be a jerk to the sister in your life… he’s just filling in the role of every cliché bad boy that you read about.”

“Although, he’s not bad, he doesn’t use girls like tissues and he doesn’t where biker leather.”

Noah snorted, shaking his head and stared through the wall. “You don’t know, Jodi, he might come back from the holiday looking like Danny Zuko.”

“With his hair ninety-nine percent hard soap and one percent protein.” We fell into sniggers, I thinking about Max walking down the halls like Tony Manero. “Oh God,” I breathed and wiped the hair out of my eyes. “Hey, do you wanna go down to the lounge, see the boys before they leave tomorrow morning?”

“They’re coming up to see us in a bit, I already asked them. You, My Dear, have to unwrap all my belongings. Now.” Biting my lip I started giggling as I pulled myself up and going to his bed stead. “Merry Christmas, Noah!” I took hold and yanked the side of the paper off the bed. “What do you think?”

On my bed, he was applauding with a look a five year old would have on their birthday. “It’s beautiful, and all for me?” I nodded enthusiastically. He got up and joined me with ripping up all the paper. It was a total waste of money… well, not my money… I found it in the attic when I was helping Darcy tidy it out two weeks ago but you know… a waste.

“Jodi, Jodi, Jodi?!” I turned around, once I had pulled wrapping off his pencil pot only to be smacked in the face with a newly unwrapped pillow.

“Hey!” I whined but grabbed a pillow off Max’s bed and hit him with it.

We kept on attacking each other, my chest feeling tight from laughing so much and putting all that effort into getting destructive hits on Noah. He seemed to be in the same state as we jumped off Max’s bed onto mine and then repeated these actions.