| Chapter 24 |

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Dedicated to PointlessK for her amazing cover in the external.

Chapter 24

On Wednesday during lunch, I finally had a chance to talk to Marissa. I was pulled out of lunch yesterday for the unveiling of the mural. It came out nice and I’m happy I was a part of creating it. So when I dropped down in my seat on Wednesday, Marissa smiled at me. “Nice job on the mural, by the way,” she told me.

“Thanks,” I nodded as I glanced at it. A few people took notice while others just walked by it. To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be that big of a deal so my feelings aren’t hurt. “So, what was so important that you blew off pizza on Monday?”

She grinned at me. “Just important things,” she shrugged.

“Sitting on the couch stuffing your face with chips is considered important things?” Noah’s voice asked. I felt my stomach jolt and I turned around, looking at the familiar dark haired boy as he approached the table.

“To me, it is,” Marissa responded.

“That’s what you were doing?” I asked her.

“Well, I was watching Gossip Girl, too!” she muttered, earning a glare from me.

As Noah passed us, he shook his head. Once he was at his table, out of our hearing range, I looked at Marissa and sighed. “I have a question for you.”

“Hm?” she asked as she looked at me.

“Why are you okay with the idea of me liking your brother? I mean, you don’t seem okay with Chloe liking him. I’m just curious,” I shrugged.

“I guess, in a way, you’re better for Noah,” she replied. “I mean, you guys are both my friends but you’re a better person for Noah than Chloe is.”

I simply nodded. “And another question,” I smiled sheepishly. She nodded and I laughed, awkwardly poking at my food. “Doesn’t it bother you to be involved in your brother’s love life?”

“What do you mean?” she asked with a grin.

“You know, how you asked me about kissing him. Isn’t that a bit weird?” I asked her.

“Well, you don’t have anyone else to talk to about that kind of stuff. Who are you going to gossip with about kissing him? You don’t have a sister to talk to about this kind of thing, and if you brought it up to your mom, she’d probably give you the talk. I mean, of course it’s weird because it’s my brother but I kind of just ignore that fact. I know you’d do the same for me if it was your brother,” she smiled. “And besides, who’s going to tease you about it?”

I looked at her and smiled. “Thanks, Marissa.” She simply nodded in response.

<<>><<>> 

Once the last bell rang, I jumped from my seat and jogged out to the parking lot, looking for the familiar blue eyed boy. “You never run like that in gym class,” his voice greeted my ears.

Embarrassed, I turned around and looked at Noah as he stood against the wall with a bottle of water in his hands. “You watch me in gym class?” I asked him and he shrugged.

“When I’m bored and in need of a laugh,” he explained as he twirled the cap in his hands. I pushed his arm and he stumbled slightly, smiling faintly as he regained his balance. “I’m just being honest.”

“Not everyone can run like you,” I told him.

“They wish they could,” he responded and I glared at him.

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