I wake up to the deafening sound of my alarm, seeing 6:00 am. I yawn, stretching and popping my legs out of my covers, feeling a shiver reach my spine. Changing into my clothes I think of the past week.
Last Sunday, Noen drove me to BeachFest day 2 and we met up with Josh and Dylan, spending the entire day, just the 4 of us. We ate, hung out, talked, danced, sang along with the bands, and rode all kinds of rides. During the night, as we walked around the park, Dylan and Josh ended up going to the bathroom at one point, and me and Noen were left to talk. I had been hoping that he would kiss me, all night long I had been waiting and it had been the perfect moment to sneak in the perfect kiss, and he ended up leaning in, when Josh came busting out the bathroom door, jumping on Noens back while Dylan picked me up, carrying me to the end of the park where the closing gates were, as the festival started to shut down. Noen drove us all home since Josh and Dylan ubered over.
The next week was wayyy busy. I had practice Tuesday and Thursday to 8 and by then my father would be home to cook dinner and I would finish my homework about 10, showering and getting into bed an hour later. Noen and I talked on the phone and at school but there was an absence of his presence. On my gamedays, which were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Noen showed up but I was rushed in and out of the games, only seeing him for maybe 10 minutes before playing and after before my father drove me home. My father told me he wouldn't be able to help me study on finals week because he would be in San Fran. Dad took me to Miami Beach for that Saturday and Sunday, so I couldn't hang out with Noen then either. I was really starting to get cranky with the time we were spending without each other.
Finally, returning to the present day, Monday, the first final being in the chosen elective final grade. Mine was business and entrepreneurship, and I has studied a good 2 hours for the final, saying my grade in that class had never been below a 98. Noen was scheduled to pick me up in 30 minutes and I had already changed and put makeup on, so all I needed was to straighten my hair. To admit, I was excited to see Noen, to talk, and touch him, after a whole week of absence.
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"Good luck, breathe, and believe in your gorgeous self. " Noen gave me a huge hug, kissing my forehead as he adjusted his back pack strap on his shoulder. He flashed his usual smirk and made roses sprout on my cheeks, as I wink back. "Bye, baby." Noen had never said anything remotely close to those words to me before but it caused my knees to weaken and my breath to catch. I quickly walk back into the classroom and take my seat, waiting for the timer to start and tick down for the next 8 hours.
The next 4 days had been on the exact same schedule, 8 hours of testing everyday with a 40 minute lunch at the end of the day, before me and Noen went back to my house to make tiktoks and watch movies. I got impatient every day that went by that Noen didn't make any moves. I started to question if I was unattractive to him, or if we crossed the boundary of the friendzone. I told myself, getting off facetime with him on Thursday night, that I would talk to him about my feelings for him the next day after the finals. I mean tomorrow was the last day of school and truly no one cared at all. When the time actually came, Noen and I were in the media room, blankets and food ready for our movie.
"Noen?" I said looking at his tiktok profile, seeing all his videos in Florida had consisted of me featured in them, my stomach flipping.
"Yeah?" Noen questioned from the projector 2 steps below mine. He looked back and locked eyes with me, standing and walking towards me. "Whats up?" He ran his hands through his hair, trying to make it cooperate.
"I wanna talk about...us." I say, sitting up on my knees on the couch, so I can be a bit taller. I feel myself wanting to back out of the entire conversation and pretend I didn't say anything, but Noens face was already showing a ton of different emotions.
"What about us?" He questioned, his eyebrow raising. He looked me up and down quickly, taking in my body language and then taking my hand. "Are you upset with me?" He purses his lips, looking me in the eye.
"What? No!" I say giggling as he sits next to me, turning towards me. I turn towards him, crossing my legs and keeping his hand in mine. "I mean like, relationship wise." I hear my voice crack in the middle of my sentence and I stare at his hand, not wanting to see his reaction, scared of the rejection.
"Rose-" Noen sputters, his hand tightening around mine. I felt heat rush to my cheeks as I know what the next words are gonna be. Rejection. I wasn't enough. I knew it. I shouldn't have brought it up. I knew I was gonna be broken.
"Oh, well. I mean, if its one sided its fine. I completely understand." I stutter out, finally looking at his eyes, which showed confusion. I look away continuing, and dropping his hand, feeling my hands start to sweat. "I mean, I hope this doesn't change anything, its just usually when I tell a boy how I feel it doe-"
I felt Noens hand on my face, turning it gently towards his and feeling his soft, perfect lips touch mine, cutting me off mid sentence and sending a shock jolting through my body. I feel frozen in time, as if I was meant to be in this moment. I feel Noen pull away and he looks me in the eyes, searching for an answer to his action. I gulp and he takes a deep breath, his face still only and inch from mine.
"Im sorry, it was-" I cut off Noens words with my lips, this time moving my hands to the back of his neck, and leaning more towards him. Noens hands meet my hips as he starts to interact with the kiss, making it more passionate. He pulls me on his lap and wraps his arms around my waist, holding me to him. I run one of my hands through his soft, faded, pink hair, my lips creating magic and starting the zoo in my stomach. I feel Noens tongue lightly go over my bottom lip, sending a shiver down my spine to be eliminated my his fingers that run down my lower back. We continue, everything feeling complete, and perfect, until his phone starts to ring. He covers it with the blanket, not breaking the kiss, holding me tighter so I wouldn't try to escape his grasp. His phone dings twice and mine dings before he pulls away with a grown.
"Well, if that isn't great." Noen says, grabbing his phone as I grab mine, seeing a new email. "It was my manager who called and sent a text for me to open my new email. That's it?" Noen complains, his voice a low growl. I giggle and open the email, reading the first few lines and jumping from Noens lap.
"Good evening, Rose. We are proud to announce that you have been selected out of many amazing creators on tiktok to attend our self created tour, The Lights Out Tour Phase 2. This phase we have made the executive decision to add the great ladies of tiktok and many more new creators to join our original team." I start to jump a little, as I read the email aloud to Noen, he stands up from his place on the couch and reads along.
"We hope that we will see you on our team, at the first Phase 2 stop in Boston, on the 17th, which is only 10 days away! This will be a great opportunity to grow as a creator and to start your truly influential career. Plus to meet new creators and lifelong friends." Noens smile grows as he looks at me and looks back at his phone, finalizing the email.
"Congratulations and with love, The tiktok team." Me and Noen say in unison. I drop my phone and jump into his arms, holding him tightly. He laughs as he swings me around. Me and Noen have only dreamed of being invited to the Lights Out Tour Phase 2 and 3. We watched as all the amazing creators attended the first phase and had so much fun. We commented on all of their posts about how much fun it looked, and now?! We were going!
"Finally!" Noen yells, looking me in the eye. "We've wanted this for weeks!" Noen puts me down and puts his hand on my cheek, kissing me again, as I feel myself melt into his arms.
There was nothing that could make my life any more perfect. Nothing. This was all I wanted. Or that's what I thought until I met, him...
