Becoming Beautiful (Wattys2014)

| Chapter 11 |

Chapter 11

“Guess what is taking place the Friday after next?” Marissa asked me as we walked towards the gymnasium. She was having a game in a half an hour and she needs to go to the gym to stretch and change. Me, being the amazing friend I am, decided to come with her, even though I won’t be able to talk to her because she’ll be busy. She’s assured me that Noah is already in the gym, reading, or doing whatever it is a Noah does. 

I shrugged, trying to think about it. “December 12th? Nothing that I can think of.”

Marissa gasped. “It’s Noah’s birthday.”

I blinked a few times, staring at her. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “Yup, he’s turning seventeen.”

“So he’s been sixteen this whole time?” I asked her, my eyebrows furrowed.

She nodded. “Why?”

I grinned from ear to ear. “I’m older than him!”

“By how much?” she asked.

“My birthday is October 1st,” I told her, grinning widely.

Her eyebrows leaped upward. “So both of you guys are older than me, how great.”

“When’s your birthday?” I asked her.

She sighed. “January 9th.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “So that means your dad had two women pregnant at the same time?”

She nodded. “Yeah, he was dating Noah’s mom at the time, though.”

I nodded, slightly curious but I shouldn’t ask, so I won’t. “I can’t believe I’m older than him!”

“You’re kind of creeping me out,” she told me, giving me an odd look.

I just shook my head before turning towards her. “So are you guys having a party for his birthday?”

“Nope," she told me.

I frowned. “Well, why not?”

“Who are we going to invite?” she shrugged. “And I have some bad news.”

My frown deepened as I braced myself for impact. “We’re going to that stupid wedding on the fifth and we’re staying until the seventh, so we can’t meet your mother next Friday.”

I nodded. “Okay, some other time.”

“How about the Friday after next? The 12th?” She offered.

I furrowed my eyebrows. “You mean Noah’s birthday? Do you think he’s going to want to meet my mother on his birthday?”

She shrugged. “He’s not doing anything else.” 

“Have you even asked him yet?” I questioned and she shook her head.

“I don’t plan to," she stated.

“What?” I asked her, my eyebrows rising.

She shook her head. “Stop worrying, he’ll be there.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care. It’s my mother that cares.”

“Sure,” Marissa drawled, entering the gym as I held open the door.

I ran over towards the bleachers, avoiding flying volleyballs at all costs. They were practicing their spikes. Noah was seated at the top, where he would sit during gym class. I walked all the way up towards where he was and sat down. He groaned quietly before turning towards me, so that he was fully facing me. He was sitting cross-legged on the bleachers and held his sketchpad so I couldn’t see it. “You again; don’t you think we see each other enough for people who aren’t even friends?”