[Chriseva] A Family We Chose For Ourselves

8. Noora

"So, your Chris with my Eva, huh?"

Noora says it as more of a statement than an actual question. They're sitting snuggled comfortably on the bench in the hospital garden; Noora is curled up against his side, resting her head on his chest and he has his arms around her shoulder holding her close.

"You do know that if he hurts her, Sana and I both are going to hold you personally responsible."

William leans back slightly in an over exaggerated show of being taken aback. "Me? How am I responsible?"

"You just are," Noora says, as if it's in any way a legitimate answer. "Also, you should know that if you hurt me, you're going to have to deal with Sana personally."

The small chill that runs through his spine at the mention couldn't be faked. William doesn't really know all that much about Noora's friends, but one thing the Penetrators all agree on is that the Muslim girl is absolutely terrifying—and pretty hot, but with a much larger ratio of scary to hot. Vilde is clingy and a little needy, not that William would actually say those words out loud especially in front of Noora. He'd grown fond of his nuts and he intended for that relationship to last a lifetime, something that wasn't guaranteed if he insulted Vilde in front of Noora again. He really doesn't know their Chris at all besides the fact that his Chris seems to like her a lot.

He was rather confused about that unexpected friendship in the beginning. He and Chris and a couple of guys were headed to the canteen during lunch when they passed by the blonde girl and her chubby friend in the hall. He didn't know Vilde back then, so the sight of the two girls standing in the hallway really didn't concern him at all. But Chris had raised a hand in greeting and said, "Hey, Chris."

And one of the girls mimicked the action with a chipper, "Hey yourself, Chris," with a wide smile.

They both shared a crisp high-five before he and Chris continued on their way and the two girls returned to whatever conversation they were having.

His immediate reaction had been a surprised, "What the hell, man?"

But Chris just grinned one of his Cheshire cat grins and said, "She's cool." And that had been that.

It wasn't until months later after Chris got with Eva at the Halloween party and the news had gotten out and Iben threw a bitch fit in the courtyard of the school that William finally found out about the Adventures of Chris and Chris, as he'd put it.

Girls were so fucking complicated.

But looking at himself in that moment, smelling the sweet scent of Noora's shampoo when he rests his chin on the top of her head, he thinks that old William was such a fucking asshole. He's pretty sure Noora and ninety percent of the Nissen girls can and would be more than happy to attest to that.

Old William was more than happy to take whatever those girls were offering and accept everything they were putting out. He never asked for any of it, but they offered, so what hot blooded young man wouldn't take advantage of that if they were in his shoes? He was young and he was horny and he didn't need to explain himself to anyone; not his parents, not the school—it was his life and he was going to live it the way he wanted. He knew first-hand how short it could be and how everything could just change in a split second without warning. He made a promise to himself long ago to never live in the past or to dwell on what was already in the past.

He slept with girls and whenever it was done, it was in the past and he moved on to other girls and better things. It was an uncomplicated time and sex was an uncomplicated outlet. Girls wanted what he could give them so he gave it.

Vilde was the same; the same pretty face, same overeager desperation and lack of any real self-respect.

Looking back on it now, William realizes that the only one who lacked self-respect back then was him.