After about 750 miles going on I-80W we were close to the address. It was on the northern outskirts of Chicago. We passed parks and office buildings. It was so green and beautiful. I lost service on my phone so we couldn't find the address.
"Shoot." I said to nobody.
"Uh oh, what's up Darce." Noah said
"I lost stupid service. Ugh!" I groaned. Noah just chuckled and said, "Watch this." He slowed down and started to pull over. Two pretty girls with blonde hair were sitting on the curb next to a jungle gym and a large, red brick school. One looked to be 12 while the other looked about 15. Noah rolled down the window.
"Hi! I'm Noah," he turned to me, "This is Darcy. We are a little bit lost and we were wondering if you guys could help. Do you guys know the area?" He asked.
The older girl nodded. The younger girl spoke though.
"Yes, we live here! I'm Jessica!" She said enthusiastically. "Where are you guys headed?" The older girl stood next to Jessica. She looked concerned. Like we were going to kidnap them or something. We, of course, were not going to. Noah turned to me.
"What was the address again, Bear?" he smiled. I snorted because he looked so calm when I had a bullet wound, we were being chased by maniacs and we were probably going to die. And by the way we were chasing my ex-boyfriend who Noah didn't like at all. I pulled out the slip of paper.
"Right, yes, um---1030 south Greywall drive?" I said it like a question. Jessica's eyes lit up. She turned to the older girl.
"Grace, isn't that where the Snows used to live?" She asked, bouncing on her toes. Grace, the older girl, spoke.
"Yes!" She sounded excited. "It's a walking distance if you want us to show you!" She said.
"Oh that would be amazing!" Noah said, I nudged his arm and whispered in his ear.
"My. Arm." I whispered. His eyes widened. His lips made the shape of an O. "There is blood, it doesn't hurt but I don't want to scare them." I said. He leaned towards my ear to speak.
"I'll give you my black hoodie, it's in the back seat." His breath on my neck sent chills down my spine. Why? This was Noah for the love of marzipan. Noah started to get out of the car and walk toward the girls. I quickly got out of the car so they wouldn't see my injury. I opened the back door, found the hoodie, and pulled it over my head. I was overcome with the smell of Noah. His calonge, his soap, him. I closed my eyes and breathed it in.
I shouldn't think like this, I thought, this is Noah. This is not a guy I like. It's my best friend. I then closed the door and walked over to Noah who was making small talk with the girls. We started walking around the red brick school. It was pretty. Large houses were scattered around the school's perimeter. In the backyard of one of the houses there were a couple of girls playing on their playset. Jessica waved to one of them while Grace waved to the other.
"Hey Emme!" Jessica said to the younger one.
"Hey Berkley!" Grace said to the older. I smiled as the girls conversed with their friends. I was never this social as a kid. Noah and I waited for the girls to keep walking to follow.
"So are you guys sisters?" he asked them.
"Yeah!" said Jessica.
"Since birth!" said Grace sarcastically. I was starting to like this girl. She reminded me of myself. "So how about you guys? Siblings?"
"No, just best friends on a quest. We are seniors at a high school in Florida." Noah sounded nonchalant.
I bumped into him and giggled. I surprised myself with how fake I sounded. Grace raised her eyebrows and walked up to her sister. I saw her lean over to Jessica and I could have sworn I heard her say, "I hard core ship it." Then Jessica laughed and nodded her approval to Grace.
I looked over at Noah who was silently chuckling.
"Oh please." I said to him with a dramatic eye roll. "They are little girls!"
Noah looked surprised. "Grace is literally taller than you Darce. She's fourteen and will be fifteen in the next month, she told me herself, they are not little!" I couldn't help but laugh at his defence for them "shipping" us. What did that mean on his part? He "ships" us? I felt myself blush for unknown reasons.
The girls started to go through someone's yard. Noah and I looked at each other and he shrugged.
"Hey, are we allowed to be walking on this person's yard?" He asked, confused. Jess gave a humorless and patronizing laugh.
"Of course, the Marshalls have never minded, have they Grace?" Jessica said with a smile in her voice.
"Yep!" she responded. Wow, I wish I grew up in a small town. It would be so fun to know everyone, I thought. "That's it there!" Grace said as she pointed ahead to a young, charming house, "1030 south Greywall drive. Great house. My friend used to think it was haunted. Doors would shut without anybody being around."
"Oh really." I said with my eyebrows raised. This was even more fun. I looked at Noah who was smiling at me.
"What Darce? Afraid of a little ghost?" he smiled.
"A little!" I said defending myself. Grace smiled and said:
"Well anyway, we better be going! Our dad is taking us to the pool in a bit. Lovely to meet you both!"
Noah smiled and held out his hand for them to shake. They probably thought he was the cutest boy they had ever crossed paths with. He shook both of their hands.
"Thank you both for your trouble and your help. We couldn't have done it without you two brave souls." He said in a mock british accent. I laughed.
"Yes indeed, as the knighted Sir Noah said." I also said in a British accent.
The girls said goodbye and ran off, giggling about Noah and his charm. At that one moment, I couldn't help but feel the same way about him as the sisters did.
YOU ARE READING
All The Lonely People
Romance"I love you" It was something he'd said on many occasions. Our first kiss, the Junior Prom, sitting on the floor of his room doing algebra homework, and next to my locker at school. But I doubt he meant it. The relationship was over. For good. He...
