Dakota

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Noah's P.O.V

 I'd like to say that Dakota and I had reached that stage in our friendship where it was no longer a friendship but maybe something more affectionate. More un-friend-like. But if I had said that then I would be lying. I would be lying a big fat old fib. 

She treated me as a normal person would to another normal person. A greeting of 'hello's', 'how was your day?' and continuous boring conversations that only acquaintances said to people who they never really found appealing, but they had to put up with because there was no other way to say nicely, 'I'm not interested in your petty life.'

Was I not appealing enough? Was she not interested in my troublesome charade called life?

I had found out a mere fortnight ago (the day after Dakota and I had shared our second kiss) that my bastard of a father was going to be wed in the upcoming third month. If I may be corrected, that must be the 7th wife since mum had passed away. And you know what's worst? I don't even care that he's going to marry again. 

It's just going to end up like the other six wives. 

I only seem to be captivated with the idea of complaining about it to someone, this being Dakota. I seem rather quite cynical. Using the problems I have just to find a way to talk to somebody about those said problems. But for crying out loud, I'm a right mess. I can't even comprehend how much of a mess I am because ... I just can't. 

So I did what I believed was the most rational thing to do in stressful situations as such. I talked to Ella, the librarian.

"What do you think I should do now?"

"I may be old Noah but I think we both realize what the real problem is, and it's not about the fact that your father is marrying again, is it?" said Ella. 

She passed me a bowl of imperial mints. Politely, I declined with a slight dismissing wave. 

"What are you trying to say Ella?" I asked. Although, the thing is, I already knew what she was trying to tell me. But I asked her nevertheless because being this confused had to mean something other than the reason behind my frustration.

"I think you already know Noah."

"I don't know what to think anymore."

Ella didn't speak. I think she was waiting for me to expand what I was going to say. To speak the thoughts which were not spoken. So I did.

"There will be times where everything is just planned. Everything is ordered into this continuous routine. Nothing new. Nothing old. Just the same routine. I've been living that life for what seems a lifetime; a lifetime of the same bullcrap, of the same situations, just with new faces who act differently. Yet, they're all the same. I live that life Ella. And I hate it. All of it."

"I guess after all the same shit you just learn to live with it. With all the lies, and cheating, and unfaithfulness, it gradually becomes normal. I guess when I met Dakota she was that something new. You know, that thing that was unplanned. The thing that corrupted my cyclic routine. And I guess I liked it ... way more than I should have."

I sighed deeply. 

"And maybe ... I don't know. I want to stay in the same normal routine. Yet, for some reason I want this change. That something new. Honestly Ella, I'm just so fucking confused."

"Well it's obvious what the issue is here Noah." She said.

Surely it wasn't obvious, because if it had been I wouldn't be asking Ella (of all people) for advice. But I didn't tell her so. Instead, I waited for her to carry on. 

"The issue is that you, Noah Collins, have been surrounded in a life where people take instead of give. These friends of yours take you forgranted because of your father's wealth. Your own father takes you forgranted by putting his misery over the loss of your mother - his wife - in front of the care of his own son. And everyone seems to judge you as everything but the real Noah. Everyone but Dakota. And I think the issue of this problem is that you've finally learned to trust someone." Said Ella.

"And we all know how hard it is for one to trust."

And at that moment, I wasn't so fucking confused.