Days With Puck Greene.

Pep Talk From A Ten Year Old

                                                     Noah

I watch Puck walk away and feel my stomach drop. I want nothing more than to run after her, get down on my knees, and beg her for forgiveness. Which was ridiculous; she isn't my girlfriend. She isn't even my friend. I didn't owe her anything, yet I wanted to give her everything. Jessica snaps a hand in front of my face, and I realize she's been saying something.

"What?" I blink.

She sighs irritatedly and whines, "She called me an idiot, Noah. Aren't you gonna do something?"

I look at her and wonder what I ever found attractive about her. Her eyebrows are plucked and arched like the M in McDonalds signs. Her hair is bleach blond straightened to a crisp and smells like sour hair spray. It was so rock solid from all the hairspray I couldn't get my hands through it if I used a weed wacker. The shit was better than superglue. Her skin was orange from too much self tanner and her front tooth had a bit of bright pink lipstick stuck in it.

"Uh, no?" I answer honestly.

She glares at me and rakes her nails across my cheek, "I am done with you Noah Strauss," She spits as she stalks off down the bland corridor. Funny it's bland just like her personality and she can't get out of it fast enough.

Even though I know I deserved it all I could think was that my name sounder so much softer, fuller and loved on Pucks lips.

* * *

I lay in my bed and look over into Pucks window. She was home I knew that much, but I kept hoping she'd slip over to my room again and slide into my arms. She had only slept here one night, but my bed felt empty without her here, my own arms foreign to me when she was not in them.

I stand sighing and run my hands through my hair. That's it, I had to fix this. I go to leave the house and pause when Connor jumps on my back. "Where ya goin Noah?"

"Next door." I don't lie to my brother, we're tight and even though he's younger I keep things simple, but honest with him.

"Are you seeing that girl or something?" He inquires.

"Not the way I see other girls," I say.

"Well than why are you going over there?" He slides off my back and jumps on the counter throwing me a packet of skittles out of the bowl on the counter.

"Uh she's mad at me," I answer scratching my scalp.

"I know what to do," he says immediately. I know its stupid I'm taking advice from my ten year old brother, but kids see things differently than adults do.

"Tellith me." I demand, only half-joking.

"So you find out what she likes, something really really really important to her and then you get it for her so she knows how much she means to you."

I debate it for a minute and say, "What if I don't know what she likes?"

"Easy," Connor shrugs. "Find someone who does."

* * *

I find Amy on Pucks dilipidated back porch sunbathing. The sun doesn't do anything for the porch and I see that the dark roof is starting to fall apart. One step wooden is broken and the other two don't look much sturdier. I can see that Amy or Puck had tried to liven it up by placing flowers in pots around the porch. I step as quietly as I can onto the porch, trying not to stumble over the broken step. Amy's warm brown eyes pop open seeming frantic as her whole body springs up as though tensed up for a fight. Once she realizes who it is she relaxes.

Kinda.

"Can I help you?" She raises a dark eyebrow at me.

"Uh- well I'm hoping so," I cough nervously. "I- uh-need to know is there-uh-something...special to Puck that you know she wants, but can't, for some odd reason unbeknownst to me, get?"

Amy stares at me for a long second almost like she wants to ask why I need to know and I pray I don't have to explain,before finally saying, "Yes, two things actually, but I'll only tell you them on one condition."

I nod to allow her to continue. I go to leave back on the porch railing and as soon as my full weight touches it, the thin, blue, painted wood crumbles, and breaks off; almost sending me tumbling into the dirt.

"You need to answer one question," she says not even fazed for a second about the now broken railing. Almost like she expected it and was used to it. I nod again and she continues, "Do you genuinely care about Puck?"

I had asked myself the same question a million times and the answer was always there instantly. "Yes," I croak.

Amy nods. "There's this animal shelter Puck works at. She loves a dog, she wants him I know she does and she's the only one he'll let near her. If you can convince the dog to trust you then Puck will see no reason why not to trust you either."

I nod though my stomach is queasy. I have bad experience with dogs. My uncles dog latched onto my wrist once and refused to let go, I'm lucky it even still works properly. But if I can do this for Puck, than I'm willing to try anything.

"And the second?" I ask.

Amy hesitates before saying, "She won't admit to it, but I know she feels alone. Boyd and I love her and we would both do anything for her; but Noah what Puck really needs is to feel safe, she needs to feel loved in everyway. You see what I'm saying?" She urges.

I nod knowing exactly what she means.

"Thank you Amy." I say. And for once I mean it.

She nods leaning back and closing her eyes as though the encounter never happened.

I could make this right. I would make this right.