charity project // mischa bachinski (ride the cyclone)

5 - just studying.

I placed my book bag onto my chair in chorus class and then walked over to Noel.

"How are things going with the new boy?" He looked up with a half-smirk.

I could feel my face heat up. "Fine. Just fine."

Noel laughed. "I know that's a lie. Just look at you! You're blushing!"

"I'm not!" I protested.

"I saw you two at lunch. You looked like you were in deep conversation. And were you holding his hand?"

"That was once. And I have a good explanation that I cannot tell you for reasons."

"Crush reasons?"

I eyed him. "Why do you want me to like him so badly?"

Noel sighed dramatically. "If I can't have my own romance, I'll make other people have it for me. It's only fair."

Mischa entered the classroom and smiled at me before sitting down.

"I'll tell you something when I get the chance. After school, maybe?" I whispered to Noel.

"I would, but you heard Doug yesterday. Three o'clock, or else!"

I gave him a sly smile. "You probably don't need to worry about that. I might've told him that our grandmother was all we had after our parents died while you were changing. You should've seen his face."

"You dirty liar!" he grinned. "You are the best person ever!"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I've got to do what I've got to do. I don't condone lying, but this is Doug."

"Your house after school?"

"Absolutely."

...

I opened the door for Noel. My house was basically his second home, and it has been for quite some time.

"Good afternoon, Y/n!" My mother walked in from the kitchen. "You too, Noel!"

"Good afternoon!"

"How was school today for you guys?" she asked.

"It was great! Guess what Y/n has!"

I frowned.

My mom raised her eyebrows. "Good grades?"

"No! Well, yeah, she does. But she also has a boyfr- hmmph!"

That was the sound of me slapping my hand over Noel's mouth to prevent his continual spread of propaganda.

"Isn't that funny!" I laughed, dropping my book bag on the ground with a loud thud. "You know, we should really get going. So much homework, you know!"

I practically dragged Noel into my room and shut the door.

"What a killjoy," he muttered.

"See, the silly thing about that is that you don't need to go flinging false information at my mother!"

He held his hands up. "Sorry, sorry. So what were you going to tell me?"

Following this, he flopped onto my bed and rolled onto his stomach. Noel rested his chin on his hands and kicked his feet in the air.

"There's a girl involved, but not exactly in the way you're thinking."

He immediately stopped kicking his feet in the air and frowned. "Oh?"

"Apparently, he was friends with this girl in Ukraine. Her name was Talia," I explained.

"What about her?"