Permafrost [COMPLETED]

Cade

"Can't someone else go?" Lori asks me, fumbling with the zipper on her jacket.

"No, I have to go back and finish what we started."

Lori can't go with me anymore because of her ankle.

Griffin and Lena went on a special supply run to Res Corp., and Levi and Marcus have already been gone for two days.

Hopefully I find them.

So I'm taking Noah.

"Ready?" I ask him and he nods, telling something to Katie and they hug for a long period of time.

"You doing okay?" She asks him.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Katie sits in front of him and continues to look for answers that aren't there.

I kiss Lori goodbye and climb out the small window, my long legs getting in the way.

The rest of the girls and Luke are staying to take care of Benny, the still unconscious one.

The walk with Noah is long as we go unspoken for most of the journey.

Here's what I know about him so far:

-He hates big crowds

-Only talks if he has to

-Always has sweaty palms

-When he talks he's actually kinda funny but he always has a straight face

-He's 16

-Apparently suffers from emetophobia- fear of vomiting?

-His glasses make his eyes look very small

-Small nose, mouth, teeth, small everything really

-Tends to turn inward mentally

-Sometimes stutters

-Very book smart

"I thought you'd be the extensive talker in this situation but I guess not." Noah says randomly and it cause me to laugh.

"I was just trying to figure you out." I kick at a rock and it scares a tiny lizard.

"How so? Is everything complicated to you?" This time I don't know if he's being funny but I smile, nonetheless.

"I like to understand things."

He seems to make sense of the statement.

"I know you understand girls." His sentence causes my mind to restart itself.

"Why? Having trouble of your own?"

He laughs. "Katie is my best friend. We've been together since I can remember but the problem is, I'm like a brother to her."

The flowers on the side of the trail are dying and the rocks are reflecting the hot sun.

"Not the first time I've had the hots for my best friend." I tell him and he turns his head towards me.

"Lori?" He asks and I nod. "How?"

"I'm not really sure actually. I just finally told her that I was gonna take her on a date. I'd been talking about it practically before I even officially met her. I used to watch her in the music room playing the piano after school. That's when she used to wear her big ponytail on her head. And her skirts covered her shoes. When she rarely talked about her feelings. And painted her finger nails purple. She used to suggest we skip class so we could make out in the back of my car." I watch a ladybug fly past my face. "Those were the days, man."