A Boy Called Noah

Chapter Eighteen

Noah James

Noah's smile falters as Catherine closes the door with a wink. A sudden nagging feeling bubbles up in his stomach. He slams his head down onto the steering wheel and the horn blows. An elderly woman jumps while passing by the car and gives him a nasty look. "Sorry, sorry." His smile is apologetic but his mind simply does not care. How the hell am I so stupid?! His fingers grip the steering wheel and the wheels of the car screech in protest as he presses down on the gas pedal. The car spins away in a cloud of dust and the old woman once more glares after the retreating black sports car. "Stupid youngsters. Always speeding up and down the streets in their fancy, expensive cars." "Grandma, come inside!" The old lady slowly walks into the small white gate leading into the well groomed yard.

***

"Lekia, come on. I have to see Thea." Lekia rolls her eyes and tries to shut the door. Noah presses his foot into the doorway and pushes against the door, "Please." Lekia sighs and moves out of the door, "Fine but make it quick. She's really hurt." "Hurt?" Lekia scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Idiots, men are always such idiots." Noah clears his throat in protest and moves to pass Lekia. "Don't even. She might not even want to see you." Lekia shoulders past him and gently pushes into a light blue door. She shuts it directly in his face and muffled voices float through the door. "No! Lekia, I don't want to see him! He's a pig! Tell him to go away!" "That's enough, Amalthea! He's already here, you might as well talk to him." "But..." "Thea!" From there Noah could not hear anything else. The voices continue whispering in a rushed sense. Silence fills the hall and quiet footsteps pad toward the door. Noah jumps back to add space between him and the door. He leans back against the wall to bring forth a nonchalant front. The door slowly opens and Thea barely peaks her head out. "H-hi, Noah. Why are you here?" Noah clears his throat and straightens, "I'm sorry...for everything. I know sorry doesn't make up for everything or even anything-" "You're right it doesn't." "-but I'm really sorry. Actually sorry doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm sorry for everything-" "What exactly is it that you're so sorry for?" "Uh...I...You know what..." Thea raises her eyebrow expectantly, realizes what she is doing and pulls her face into a stoic mask, "No really, I don't. Please do enlighten me." Noah scrambles for the right words. In all honesty he was not really sure what he was sorry for, he just knew he messed up somehow. "Look, okay, yeah I'm not exactly sure what I'm sorry about but if you tell me I'll know and I'll immediately apologize." "It doesn't work like that, Noah. When you know what you're saying sorry for then I know you really mean it. Clearly you don't mean it. So why don't you just run along to your little bimbo, hmm? Or are you bored of her already?" Noah laughs incredulously, "Is that really what this is about? You just being jealous of Catherine-" "Ooooh, I see, she has a name now. And jealous? Really, that's rich! Coming from you."

Lekia pokes her head into the door and stares at the drama playing off outside Thea's room. Her stomach knots and twists every time one of them use their hands to explain or one of them flex or stretch their fingers in annoyance. "I'm getting too old for this crap..."

"-oh yeah?! Well I wish Fallon never even smiled at Adam that day, then I would never have had to meet you." Thea gasps and steps forward. "How," Jabs him in the chest with her finger, "dare," poke, "you?! You selfish asshole! I have been nothing but nice to you and then what? The first second some plastic bimbo bats her fake lashes at you, you throw me away. I'm not one of your toys, Noah! I actually have some dignity and integrity." "Yeah?! Well at least my toys don't get jealous for no reason at all! And what is with you, always so perfect? Why do you always smile?! There is absolutely no reason to smile every hour of the day!" "Fuck you! There's nothing wrong with smiling! And what the hell do my smiles have to do with anything?!"

A head pops up next to Lekia's. She startles and snaps her head to glare at the intruder. Thea's younger brother Calum smiles charmingly, "Hey there, sweetstuff." Lekia scoffs in disgust and shoves his face away, "Ugh, go away, dork. I'm busy." Calum glances over her turned shoulder, "Oooh, how long have they been at it?" Lekia rolls her eyes and glances down at her watch, "About twenty minutes." Calum whistles lowly, "Damn, it doesn't look like it gonna cool down soon." Lekia sighs under her breath, "I hope it does."

"Enough! I have had enough of this! I have had enough of you! Get out of my house and never speak to me again, asshole!" "Fine by me. I'm glad that I never have to speak to your annoying ass again. Good riddens!" Noah scoffs and stalks down the stairs. He storms to his car and revs the engine an unnecessary amount and speeds away in a cloud of dust.

Thea leans her head against the closed door, "Brilliant. Just fucking brilliant." Tears run down her cheeks in warm trails and she gently slides down onto the floor. "What have I done?"

***

How dare she?! How dare she accuse me of all that crap?! And what the hell is with her sudden jealousy? Noah's mind jumbles with thoughts of Thea. Regret and dread start surfacing and he pushes the feelings down to the deepest darkest part of his mind. Thea's stoic expression suddenly pops up in his head and the car swerves for a second. Luckily Noah's car is the only one present on the relatively silent road. "Fuck!" He slams on his brakes and the car screeches to a sudden halt. He slams his hands against the wheel multiple times in frustration. "I shouldn't have yelled at her. I shouldn't have accused her of all that crap. Why did I even say her smiles are stupid, they make my bad mornings better. Don't even think of commenting on how cheesy I sound right now." The bird seated on the hood of the car merely chirps a chirp and then flies away. "Damn, not even chicks who don't know me want to be near me." Noah groans loudly.

"Dude, you really should see someone." Noah leaps up in his seat. He snaps his head around so fast his neck cracks. "What the fuck, Adam, you dipshit! How long have you been here?" Adam sits up straight and stretches his back until it cracks. He yawns and scratches his ear, "Oh I've been here the whole time, even heard the fight between you and what's her name?" "Thea and what the hell is up with you, dude?" "I would like to ask you the same thing, dude. What's going on with you lately? All you could ever talk about was Rhea this and Rhea that now here you are driving away from her house were the both of you just had a major fight." "Her name is Thea and what do you mean? I didn't just talk about her." "Right, you talked about how she looked, you talked about every single performance you've ever seen of her and you keep talking on and on about how sweet she is and how her smile is the highlight of your days." "Uh, well...Um...Well you see... Oh fuck this, I don't have anything to explain for." "Right..." Adam stretches the 'i', while very dramatically rolling his eyes. Noah sighs and grumbles under his breath, "Idiot..."