outside | the weeknd

five

Gigi

I wait outside Noah's class, tapping my foot against the ground as I wait for him to come out.

He hasn't spoken to me in a couple of days. I don't know why. It's not like I'm the one who gave him the black eye, is it?

The bell rings and the kids start swarming out of the class.

"Noah!" I call out when he leaves the class. I grab his arm and move him to the side, away from all the people, so we can talk.

Noah sighs and looks at me. "What is it, Gigi?" he asks in a tired tone. His black eye is less black and more purple now.

"Why are you ignoring me?" I want to know. "You haven't answered any of my texts and calls and you've been avoiding me in school these past three days."

Noah just looks at me, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Your brother hates me, Gi;" he says. "I don't want to piss him off anymore and make him hate me even more than what he already does."

I roll my eyes. "Who gives a fuck about Hawk?" I snap. "Is he the one in this relationship? No. I don't care what he thinks."

"He told me to stay away from you," Noah says, scratching the back of his head.

I sigh heavily, feeling frustrated. "I don't know why you care so much about having my brother's approval," I mumble. "My parents love you so -"

"Of course I care about your brother's approval!" Noah snaps. "He's your older brother."

I roll my eyes and hold my books to my chest firmly. "Okay, fine," I say. "I'll talk to Hawk, okay? I'll see if I can make things better." I wrap an arm around Noah's neck. "I just want to be with you.  I love you."

Noah snakes his arms around my waist, smiling. "I love you too," he replies before kissing me.

"Ew! Get away from each other!" I hear my friend Janel call out, while my other friend, April makes puking noises.

Noah and me pull away from each other and laugh. "I'll see you at lunch?" he asks. I nod and peck him on the lips.

I look back at my friends, who are just smirking and shaking their heads.

"What?" I ask, grinning stupidly.

"You," Janel says. "You've finally stopped being depressed and shit."

I nudge her and begin to walk to my next class. "I wasn't depressed!" I protest.

"Oh, yeah?" April asks. "So you haven't been crying about how much you miss Noah for the past three days?"

I roll my eyes and just shake my head, the grin not leaving my face. I wasn't exactly crying, more like sulking. But of course April would dramatize is.

"Have you two . . .?" Janel asks.

I shake my head, understanding her unasked question.

"Why not?" April wants to know.

I shrug. "It just doesn't feel like the right time," I say. "Maybe in a couple of months. And honestly, that stage is scary as fuck to me."