Drown in You

5. Because I like you too

It had been 3 weeks since I came to Babylon. Since that argument at the basketball game, I mostly kept to myself. Noah and I still talked sometimes, but not if I could avoid it. I finally had a routine, and life wasn't too shabby. But soon, things were going to change.

It was a regular Thursday. I was in History, mostly spacing out, when this girl started talking to me.

I think her name was Jessica?

"Will, what are your plans for Halloween?"

"Halloween? No clue," I replied.  To be honest, I'd forgotten about it. I never went trick or treating as a kid.

"Whaaat?" She said, sounding more invested in my plans than I was myself, "Everyone's going to a big party at Noah's place. You should come!"

"Noah?" I rolled my eyes. "Not interested."

One thing I noticed more and more is that even if I could avoid talking to him directly, his name always managed to work its way into conversation. And into my mind.

"Aw," she pouted, "Why not?"

"Well I haven't been invited."

"As if that matters," She laughed. "His parents are out of town. Everyone's gonna be there!"

Sure. Everyone but me.

•••

Later that day, I was walking down the hall when I felt a tap on my back. I turned around to find none other than Noah.

"Hey," he said.

I kept walking. "Not interested!"

"Hey, wait up!" he ran after me and quickly caught up, stepping in front of me and stopping me where I was.

"What is it?"

"I want you to come to my party tomorrow."

"No way," I said firmly. "I'm not a fan of parties."

"Well it isn't really a party party. More like a get together between friends."

"Ok... and I'm a friend?"

He frowned. "You don't think we're friends?"

I rolled my eyes. "Last time I checked, friends don't act like babysitters."

"Look Will, I'm really sorry about that. Just let me make it up to you at the party," he pleaded.

I furrowed my brow.

"Get together." He corrected.

"Fine," I said, not in the mood to argue anymore.

"Perfect!"

"I don't know where your place is," I said, ready to turn it into an excuse not to attend.

"Not a problem," he said, handing me a folded piece of paper. "Take my number. I'll text you the address."

I took it, and looked at the numbers he'd written. He could have just written down his address. But then again, I thought as I looked up at Noah, walking away hurriedly in the complete opposite direction of our next class, this guy seemed just a little too prepared to give away this paper.

•••

That night, I put Noah's number into my phone. Aside from my Uncle, Jan, Carol, and Bill, this was the only number on my phone. After all, I hardly ever used it. It was a crappy flip phone that my uncle bought for me about a year ago. I wasn't sure anymore who was even paying for the plan. Just as I got up to go take a shower, I saw it light up with an incoming message.