Knowing Noah Trent

Twenty One - The Graduation-Send-Off Dance

“Hey Clara. How are ya?”

“Good. Just finished eating breakfast,” I replied, trying to keep the shakiness from my voice. “So you’re going to Lion Rock?”

“Guess you saw my Facebook status but yeah, I’m going for the week so just wanted to ring you and let you know what’s up.”

“Cool,” I said.

He chuckled. “Okay, I’m just gonna come out with it. Do you wanna go to that grad dance with me?”

“Seriously?” I blurted out.

“You sound surprised.”

“Because I am. I thought you would ask Ashley Thomas or something,” I said quietly.

He exhaled. “You really should stop doubting yourself. I want to take you, you fool. Look I gotta go because JJ is shoutin’ at me. I don’t get back 'til like the day before the dance so I probably won’t see you until then. I’ll pick you up from yours at 7, okay?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

“Cool. Bye Clara, I’ll see you later.”

“Bye Noah.”

He clicked off and I put my phone down, a smile on my face. I couldn’t believe I was going to a dance with Noah, who would’ve thought eh.

I did a little happy dance around the house, twisting and jiving like I was the best dancer ever.

This was going to be so much fun.

+   +   +   +

The week without Noah went fast. Bobby came home so I spent a bit of time with him. Katie and I went shopping and I found the perfect dress that was neither too girly or completely bland. I was having a good time and I wasn’t pining over Noah’s return either.

Although on Tuesday, when he was tagged in some photos on Facebook with these really pretty chicks, I won’t lie and say it didn’t bother me because it really did. When I saw them, I got an uncomfortable pain in my stomach as if the green-eyed monster was clawing away at it.

Katie told me not to worry and that all boys were like that. Even Josh partied with pretty people when she wasn’t there in their early days. She told me not to worry but I couldn’t help it because Noah was nothing like Josh. Josh was your boy next door; he was sweet and he whole-heartedly loved Katie. Noah was the polar opposite and Katie and I both knew that. Really, I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop because I wanted to prepare myself for it. No way was I going to be the pathetic girl who shed tears over Noah's departure, there was no way at all I was going to be that girl.

On the Friday, late in the afternoon, Katie and I both went to get our hair and make-up done. The woman did my make-up naturally as I asked and did my hair in a simple bun. When I looked in the mirror, I thought to myself that maybe I was pretty enough to stand next to Noah. 

Then again, I still wasn't cool enough. 

When I got home, I put on my dress and heels and stared at myself in the mirror. I felt good. I felt genuinely happy. So when mum called me from downstairs, saying I had a visitor, I had a huge smile on my face.

As I descended the stairs, I focused on putting one foot in front of the other and not tripping over and landing flat on my face. When I was safely on flat ground, I finally looked up properly. I was met by Noah with a smile on his face. He was dressed in an all-black suit and I just about melted on the spot, I'd never seen him look so good. I gulped nervously. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied. "You look amazing."

I blushed a deep red. "Thanks. You look really good as well."