when i look at you

3

about threeweeks have gone by but i still haven't texted noah. he still comes in everyday but he acts like he never wrote the note.
"jackson come here" i hear my manager yell from the back so i walk on over as i walk in i see a girl about 5ft around my age she has jet black hair and green eyes
"this is your new coworker" my manager says
"hi i'm alaina huffman" she says cheerfully
"hey i'm clarissa jackson" i say smiling
"i can tell we're gonna be friends" alaina says
meghan walks in
"oh who's this little cutie" alaina says
"my little sister her names meghan" i say
"hi meghan i'm alaina"
"hi" meghan says with a tired voice
"oh come here meghan let's take a nap" i say
"be quick jackson and huffman go start taking orders" our manager says
"i will" i say
"got it" alaina says
"wait jackson i need to speak with you after you put meghan away"
i nod
i put meghan to sleep and come back to the office
"is that one brown haired boy your friend" she asks
"no he's a customer" i say
"everyday?" she questions
"he says he comes here everyday" i say
"yeah ever since you've been working here. don't take this the wrong way he's giving us a lot of business but i just wanted to make sure he's not some creep" she says
"wait so he never came before i worked here?" i say shocked
"nope his first day coming here was your first day" she says
"oh" i say
"well get back to work" she says and i walk out to alaina
the door rings and we both look up
"wow he's cute" alaina whispers and i laugh
"hey clarissa" noah says walking in
"wait is he your boyfriend" alaina asks
"he's not my boyfriend"
"i'm not her boyfriend" noah and i say at the same time
"she's my friend" noah says
"acquaintance" i correct him and he laughs
"come on we literally talk all morning for weeks" noah says
"wow you guys should be friends" alaina says
"i gotta make some food alaina can you take his order" i say
"um sure" she says
"wait claris-" noah says but gets cut off by alaina asking him what he wants to eat
i walk back and make drive through orders and alaina eventually comes back with noahs order i tell her to take over the drive through line after i make noahs food and i walk out to him
"so you really didn't come here everyday" i say breaking the silence
"what" noah looks up with a red face
we look at each other
"who said that"
"my manager"
"ok fine i only came in here to be friends with you" noah says
"oh" i say looking down
"what's wrong" noah asks
"i keep pushing you away" i say
"i honestly think it's funny" noah says smiling
"oh" i say starting to smile
"CLARA" i hear meghan scream noah stands up and looks at the back i look at him and run back i hear him following me he's become pretty close with meghan so he's probably worried
"meghan what's wrong are you ok" i say rushing to her side
"i had a dream where daddy and mommy smashed a beer bottle at your head again" meghan says with tears in her eyes
noah looks at me with horror in his eyes
"i'm sorry clara i forgot noah doesn't know" meghan says making the situation 10 times worse
"jackson what's going on back there"
"nothing" i say
"if you don't keep your work life and personal life separate i'm going to have to fire you now go help huffman" she says
"can i go on break early"
"um whatever"
i pick up meghan and run out of there before noah
"clarissa you better tell me what's going on" i ignore him
"clarissa i will call the police" i knew he wouldn't do that so i ignore him again
"clarissa stop" i keep walking to my car and put meghan in her seat
"clarissa if you sit in that car and drive away i swear" i shut the door
"what do you want" i walk over to him
"what is going on" he asks
"nothing" i say and look down
"no this isn't nothing i heard meghan in there oh my god did your parents kill your brother and you're trying to cover it" noah says
"what the fuck noah no why would you say that, you don't know me" i say and start to walk away
he grabs my arm
"let me know you please just tell me what that was all about" he says
"fine" i say
we stand there in silence
"are you gonna tell me"
"i'll tell you later i can drive you home or something" i say
"ok" he says
"you can just sit in the back with meghan"
"ok"
i get meghan out of her seat and hand her to noah and we walk back in
"oh hey where'd you go" alaina says
"long story but i'm back now"
we talk and work until my shift is over noah walks out the back with meghan. we walk out and go to the car
"we're stopping by the cemetery" i tell noah and he nods we drive in silence once we get there i give meghan to the lady in the front and noah and i walk over to connor
i sit down and motion him to sit down next to me
"so my parents have been alcoholics since my brother died" i say and noah wraps his arm around my shoulder
"i'm sorry" i rest my head on his shoulder
"it's been such a long day" i say
"you're avoiding this again" he says
"but if i tell you you'll have to be a friend" i say laughing
"fine with me" he says smiling
"sometimes they get mad and take it out on me ok there i said it" i say
"have you told anyone" noah asks
"no and it better stay that way" i say
"i won't tell anyone i promise" noah says
"thank you noah" i say
"no thanks for telling me clarissa"
"you can call me clara" i say smiling at him as his face lights up