I Dont Date Blondes

C H A P T E R F O U R T Y - ONE

It had been 4 days since I'd seen Noah and I'd been avoiding him like the plague.

I felt so sickeningly guilty for letting go of the envelope. Not only because it had held the fate of his family in it but because I knew plane tickets weren't cheap.

He had text, called and even occasionally knocked on my door because he knew how guilt I felt after I had said sorry about 62829 times and 62829 times he had said "Juliet don't worry about it".

Just because he said don't worry didn't mean I was not going to. Half term started in three days. In three days Noah should have been with one of his parents but instead he was going to be alone and insatiably bored.

"So he's not going to see his parents?" Emilia asked as I shook my head and stuffed my face into my pillow hoping it would suffocate me.

I hadn't told her everything about Noah and his parents, only that he had tickets to see them and I'd let them blow away.

"That's harsh" she commented, "especially over the holidays". I rose up from the pillow abruptly as I groaned and said, "not helping Emilia!",

"Right, right" she said shaking her head now too.

"Maybe you could buy him a new one?" She asked, "tried it" I said in response, "he told me the flight was completely booked out and that he wouldn't accept it if I did and he'd storm up to the airport and make me take my money back".

"You could always keep him company during the holidays as an apology?" She suggested and I shook my head, "I can't. I'm driving back down to see my parents".

Emilia paused for a moment with furrowed eyebrows and then said, "that's it! Take him with you" she said.

I laughed out loud, "I'm not going to do that" I said shaking my head for about the billionth time today,

"Why not? You guys get on well together? You don't live far? And you owe him a whole bloody airplane ticket!" She exclaimed,

I raised an eyebrow, "he probably won't even want to" I said trying to brush the idea away,

"You don't know until you ask him!" She retaliated, "I'm not going to ask him" I challenged.

"Juliet Thomas if you don't I will!" She scolded playfully throwing a pen at me.

She walked over to me intently as she grabbed my upper arm and pulled me from my seat. She began to drag me away from my room as I grabbed and tried to cling on to anything that I could.

"Emilia!" I shouted as she half sprinted out of the building and towards the courtyard, "you don't even know where he is!",

She never stopped or faltered in her steps and she shouted back to me, "that's why we're going to the science department!".

She dragged me through the old building as I stumbled down the corridors. Her head swivelled between classrooms as a professor began to head our way, "Can I help you ladies?" He asked watching us wearily.

Emilia abruptly stopped and offered him a smile as she said which ended up coming out more like a question, "yes..er..second year physics?"

The professor nodded, "the practical room upstairs" and pointed towards the stairs. Emilia thnaked him and grasped my arm once again as she dragged me up the stairs.

We stopped outside of a badly painted blue door as she walked inside. The class were all wearing lab coats and were huddled in groups amongst themselves, "yes?" I heard the professor call out,

"We're looking for Noah James?" Emilia said slightly more nervous,

"Emilia?" I heard Noah ask as I peered over her shoulder to see him coming forward. The teacher gestured for him to go as he headed over towards us.

"Hey Emilia whats- Juliet?" He asked after realising that I was here too.

My face was crimson red in embarrassment as I stood there almost hiding behind Emilia.