Knowing Noah Trent

Twenty - Forgotten Ice Cream

"That bad?"

“Think, enough spew to drown a small village,” laughed JJ.

I cringed. “How tragic.”

"Shall we tell you everything?" Noah asked as he sat down across from me with his own plate of food.

I sighed. "Yeah just do it."

So they did. While I ate my food, they told me everything and it was horrible. I sounded awful and the situation sounded horrid. For me, for Katie and for Noah and JJ too. 

When they finished, I was disturbed. Parts of the night kept coming back to me and when I remembered them, I felt like curling up in a ball and crying myself to sleep. I mean, I could've died. I was unconscious for a while and I was spewing up everything in my system not to mention the fact someone could've seriously taken advantage of me had Katie not been there.

"I don't want to do it anymore," I whispered, staring down at my plate. "I don't want to drink. I don't want to smoke or do drugs or party.”

There was silence at the table before Noah spoke up. "You don't have too."

"Good because it really doesn’t suit what I’m about. It was fun while it lasted but not after last night. I want to go back to reading and staying at home with my kid brother on a Saturday night. I don't want to be a proper teenager. I can't handle it."

I knew I was going to stand by my words. I think deep down, I didn't really like partying, I was trying to prove a point or something. The events last night just really woke me up and shook some sense into me. Being a little drunk teen wasn't what I wanted to do with my life so I was going to stop. And I was perfectly okay with anyone who called me a loser. Because at least I was still alive.

JJ nodded his head at me, bringing me back to the present. "Kudos to you girl. Partying is not for everyone."

"I can't believe I was such an idiot," I said, frustrated.

"Everyone makes mistakes Clara. It's all good," Noah said easily. "What's done is done. You can't change that but you can grow from it."

JJ nodded his head again. "Wise words from the master."

Noah clipped him over the head and I chuckled. I looked at the both of them. "Thanks for last night. Like really, it was so nice of you to come out there. I don't know what Katie would've done if it wasn't for you guys ... so thanks."

"No problem."

"Yeah, it's sweet as."

When we finished eating, I rinsed our plates and stacked the dishwasher because it was the least I could do. We decided to watch some TV afterwards because we were all really tired. So we moved into the lounge and all sat on the couch in front of the television. We channel surfed until deciding to watch some movie about a bank heist. 

We were only watching the film for ten minutes before my eyelids started to droop. I tried to blink back my exhaustion but it was too hard. So tucking my legs underneath myself, I leaned into Noah. 

"I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit," I mumbled. "Wake me when the movie is finished. And yes Noah, you are going to be my pillow and I don't care what you say because what are friends for, right?"

He laughed and pulled his arm out from under me and draped it lazily across my back so I could get more comfortable. "Yeah, have a good sleep you big baby."

JJ threw me a rug from the other couch and laughed. "Here ya go kid."

"Thanks," I said with closed eyes, a smile on my face.