The Hudson Boys

C H A P T E R 2 7

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Noah is back at school by Wednesday morning, just in time for Miss Parke's impromptu quiz, much to his dismay.

"I spend four days stuck in a hospital bed and this is how you welcome me back?" He jokes as the teacher passes out the papers.

"Well, I'm very sorry Mr Anderson but maybe you should have done some study whilst you were 'stuck in a hospital bed'." She replies sarcastically. This is one of the many qualities that I love about my Economics teacher. She doesn't treat us like kids and jokes around we is just as much as we do with each other. She also doesn't put up with any nonsense in class and there is no excuse for not doing your homework. Except maybe being in the hospital because she does take pity on Noah and his admittedly impressive-looking doctor's note and tells him he can wait and take the quiz next week as long as he can sit quietly while everyone else does theirs, and that he doesn't whisper the answers to Ryan.

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"So why didn't you just move out of the way?" Ryan jokes later that afternoon as we are seated at our usual table in the cafeteria.

"I told you, I didn't even see him coming." Noah defends once again. Ryan has been having him on since the start of lunch about his recent hospital visit.

"Well, what are we gonna do for the rest of the season?" Ryan continues. 

"You still have Greenberg." Noah offers. 

"You know that Greenberg is terrible. Coach had a minor heart attack when the doctor said you shouldn't play anymore this season." Ryan laughs heartily.

"Are you trying to make me feel worse?"

"We're going to lose now!" Ryan moans in all seriousness.

"For goodness sake, I know alright." Noah drops his head against the tabletop, linking his fingers together on top of his close-cropped hair.

"Ryan." I give the boy who is trying to hold his laugh a stern look.

"I was just kidding around, bro." Ryan tries to console him. "I know it's not your fault."

"I know, bro," Noah replies lifting his head. "I just wish I didn't have to be out for so long. You're right, Greenberg is terrible and we're going to lose."

"And it'll be your fault too." Ryan laughs and Noah rolls his eyes in response.

Though Noah had been cleared to be released from the hospital with minimal to no signs of concussion, the doctors had given strict orders that Noah shouldn't take part in any sport for up to four months with monthly visits to the hospital to make sure that he 'doesn't have brain damage', as Noah had so eloquently put it. Although MK is pretty convinced that he already did prior to the accident.

"So, what are y'all planning to do for the weekend?" I ask.

"Was that a 'y'all' I heard Miss Maya?" MK laughs, an eyebrow raised in my direction as Ryan and Noah join her in snickering at my expense. "These hillbillies are starting to rub off on you?"

"Just answer the question, Ross," I mumble rolling my eyes.

"Ohh, last naming now?" She laughs again.

"I'm going to ignore you," I said pointing my finger in MK's direction. "So what are you two doing?" I redirect the question to the two boys sitting opposite me.

"Sleeping," Ryan replies.

"Eating," Noah adds.

"Aside from that?" I roll my eyes again. It's hopeless trying to get any information out of these two and I think they do it because they know it annoys me.

"Playing football."

"Watching him play football."

"And who's fault is that?" Ryan turns to Noah once again.

"I told you, I didn't see him coming!" An exasperated sign comes from Noah and we all start laughing once again.

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Besides Noah's return, it ends up being your run-of-the-mill, long, boring school day. That is until I almost collide with Tara as I am leaving to meet Ryan at the truck.

"Oi, new girl!" She calls as I round the corner of the main hallway. I try pretending I don't hear her and keep walking, hoping I can make it to the exit before she catches up to me.  Unfortunately, she calls me back again and I turn to face her.

"How long are you going to keep kidding yourself?" She asks narcotically, twirling the end of her blond hair between her perfectly manicured thumb and forefinger.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask, glancing over her shoulder, searching for an escape route.

"You're hanging around Ryan like a bad smell. When are you going to realize that you need to back off before you get hurt?" She laughs in my face as if I am completely naive and delusional.

"Ryan's my friend," I respond, sick of her games.

"That's what you keep saying, but you wish it was more, don't you? You wish he was yours but you're just like a sister to him." Her laugh is a high, shrill sound. "He doesn't like you like that because he already has me."

She stands there, her arms crossed against her chest, looking proud as punch. Does she really think she so that smart? I stared at her, wide-eyed, at a loss as to how to respond. Eventually, I regain the use of my tongue and pull myself up in an attempt to look more intimidating.

"First of all, I don't like Ryan like that." I stare her straight into her cold, grey eyes. "And second of all, you're the delusional one. When are you going to realize that he is so done with you, because to be honest, it's kind of pathetic. You're the one hanging around like a bad smell because you can't get it through your thick head that you and him are so over, like three months ago over."

Now it's her turn to look stunned as I turn on my heels and strut down the hallway, out the main doors, and towards the car park. The moment I leave the main building all thoughts of acting calm and collected leave my mind and I start fiddling with my fingers, a nervous twitch that I picked up from my Mom.

"What took you so long?" Ryan asks, starting the engine as I slide into the back seat of the truck. He and Tate already occupying the front seat, the twins in the back beside me.

"Nothing, just forgot something is all," I mumble, accidentally meeting Tate's eyes in the rearview mirror.

He raises an eyebrow at me, a knowing look in his blue eyes but I lightly shake my head, signaling for him not to say anything. He nods in return and then focuses ahead once again.

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A/N.

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