Becoming Beautiful (Wattys2014)

| Chapter 20 |

Chapter 20

The next day, I was being driven home by Marissa, who was freaking out about her upcoming party. When we left the house, Dana and Chloe were leaving. Floyd was out cold on the recliner, where I left him, and Noah was still asleep even though it was noon. Marissa made a comment about how alcohol works better than his insomnia medicine. I hope she doesn’t say something like that in front of Noah. The last thing he needs is to feel as if the only way he can sleep is by drinking.

“Did you get your dress yet?” I slowly tuned back into the conversation to see Marissa staring at me.

“No,” I muttered, knowing she’d get upset.

“Are you serious?” she inquired.

“Well, I haven’t exactly had time,” I muttered. “I’ll get it Monday, or something,” I told her.

“You better! And remember, the color scheme…” she trailed off.

I was resting my head on the window with my eyes closed, muting out her voice. I swear she’s told me this information ninety times, and it’s printed on the invitation she forced me to take. I turned away from the window after a few moments of thinking and looked at her, cutting her off midsentence. “Have you ever hugged Noah?”

“What?” she asked as she turned to me. I repeated myself and she sat there in thought. “Have I ever hugged Noah?”

“Yeah,” I replied with a nod.

“Once or twice,” she shrugged. “Why?”

“Only once? Or twice?” I asked her. “What kind of sister are you?”

“Not a good one,” she snorted. “But yeah, when we first met, I hugged him and told him that I was sorry for his loss but he went all rigid and I awkwardly stepped back. It was an awkward time. Why do you ask?”

Loss? As in death? Was it his mother? It has to have been his mother! She was his main caretaker. Her death must be the reason why he came to live with Lukas and Ethel. I stared at Marissa in pure shock. I mean, I don’t know what I expected. Maybe his mother ran off? Abandoned him? I just hoped that she wasn't dead- anything but dead. Marissa glanced at me once, and then again, but the second time, she had a horrible look on her face. “Oh my God!” she shouted.

I was too busy thinking about the information I just received to regard her. I can tell that she was freaking out about letting more information slip. “Noah lost his mother?” I asked in a whisper.

Marissa looked at me. “Yeah, but—.”

“Oh my God,” I groaned, rubbing my eyes. It all made sense! The looks of pity that he was talking about last night, the people leaving him! He was talking about people treating him differently after they found out that he lost his mother!

“Can you relate? I mean, you’ve lost your dad,” she trailed off and I shook my head.

“No, I mean, I can relate at the loss of a parent, but it’s different. I had both of my parents there for me growing up. Noah, he only had one,” I responded with a frown. “When I lost my father, my mother was there. She experienced the loss along with me and we grew together; Noah, he was alone, wasn’t he?”

Marissa slowly nodded as she looked out of the window, driving along the roads. I looked at Marissa with wide eyes. “How did she die?”

“I-I can’t tell you that,” she shook her head and I stared at her before leaning back in my seat, my thoughts racing.

<<>><<>> 

On Monday morning, I woke up late. As in 8:15 late according to my cell phone. I gasped and looked towards my alarm clock only to see that it wasn’t there. Maybe that’s why it didn’t wake you up. I got out of bed, looking around. I grabbed my clothes and ran towards the bathroom. I took a short shower, thinking that I’m already late, why not be clean when I get there. I quickly got dressed, grabbing my bag.