Becoming Beautiful (Wattys2014)

| Chapter 13 |

Dedication to xsnowberryx for the AMAZING cover!

Chapter 13

I nervously shifted in my seat, waiting impatiently as my mother readied herself for my friend’s arrival. “Mom, don’t ask about Noah’s mother, or Marissa’s mother. Don’t ask about parents in general.”

My mother nodded, rolling her eyes. “I wasn’t going to.”

I just nodded as I sat on the couch, watching her fix her hair in the mirror. She was wearing a casual pair of jeans and a blouse. We weren’t doing anything fancy for dinner; in fact, she’s ordering pizza. But we can’t have her running around in her sweatpants with paint stains on them. Once the doorbell rang, I sprang out of my seat and opened the door, greeted with the sight of Marissa standing there with Noah, who looked bored, behind her.

“Hello, come in,” I smiled awkwardly as I opened the door wider, standing beside it. Once Noah entered, I closed it behind them. Earlier, I made sure that the house was clean and that there weren’t any random items sitting around. I turned and noticed Noah looking around, his eyes falling on the television before they fell to the couch and then the bookshelf. They stayed there for a moment. Marissa was wrapping my mother in an unexpected hug. She easily accepted it, though.

She extended her hand to Noah, who surprisingly took it in his own. “I’m Penelope. I’m assuming you’re Noah.”

Noah nodded, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He seemed surprised that my mother knows who he is. Or maybe he recognizes her. “Yeah, I’m Noah.”

“I’ve already met Marissa. Sit, sit, make yourselves at home,” my mother told them, taking a seat on the small love seat while we were all forced to sit on the three seater.

“Happy belated birthday, Noah,” my mother announced, smiling at Noah, who nodded back in response, allowing his eyes to drift towards the bookshelf. My mother noticed and nodded towards it. “Go ahead; feel free to check it out.”

He stood up and walked towards it, running his hands along the spines of the books. I nervously crossed my legs, thinking of the blue gift bag behind the couch, under the small table with a vase on it. I was going to give it to him yesterday but decided against it. I’d rather not make it awkward by giving him a gift in the eye of the public, not that I’m embarrassed- more like frightened by his potential responses. “So, Marissa, how’d you and Kenna become friends?”

Marissa looked at me, wondering if she should tell her that I was her designated driver or if she should make up some story on the spot. I just shrugged and she smiled at my mother. “Well, your daughter doesn’t drink and is terrible at doing makeup, no offense Kenna, and I happen to drink on occasion and I’m okay at doing makeup. We agreed that she will be my designated driver and I’ll do her makeup when she wants me to.”

I was surprised that she openly admitted to drinking. Normally, someone would feed a false story to an adult, especially one of their friend’s parents. “And where does Noah come into the picture?”

I couldn’t tell whether or not my mother was disappointed in me for being friends with Marissa. I mean, she knows Marissa drinks; she’s known for a while, but I hope she’s happy that at least Marissa is honest about it. If it were anyone else, they’d probably lie about it or make up some lame excuse.

At the sound of his name, Noah glanced at us before turning his attention back to the bookshelf. “Your daughter coerced me into being her friend.”

My face reddened at the idea of forcing Noah into being my friend. I didn’t force him, did I? “That isn’t true!”

“All you ever do is force me into conversations that I don’t want to be included in,” he sighed as he pulled a book from the shelf.