Untouchable

Chapter 3

“So, how was it?” Abbie asked as Noah walked through the door. He still lived at home as finding somewhere affordable near work is hard when you can’t drive.

                “She hasn’t changed a bit, though I think she’s had a haircut since, but her hair is still shockingly long.” Noah slumped on the sofa, smiling happily to himself. Jessica, his mum, walked into the room.

                “Has someone finally moved on from Ruth?” She asked, a little amazed at the happiness that exuded from her son.

                “No, they’re meeting up again.” Abbie smirked a little cruelly. Jessica looked between her children.

                “She’s back?” She asked, shock riddled within her normally firm, happy voice.

                “She’s an editor for a science section of a newspaper.” Noah explained, happiness glistening in his words.

                “Mum, he’s happy; leave him to his own destruction again.” Abbie sighed, sitting next to Noah.

                “Yes, but he’s gonna get hurt again because she can’t understand emotion and can’t do relationships.” Jessica snapped. She sat down to her daughter. “Do you not remember two years ago, Noah?”

                “Yes, Mum, I do. And I’m not gonna screw it all up again!” Noah growled.

                “You can’t predict how she’s gonna react!”

                “Yes, Mum, I can! I’ve known her twenty two years! We went to nursery together! I was the first person she told when she got diagnosed when she was three and a half. I worked for seven years to get her to hug me, and I got a decade of hugs from it. I know what I’m getting myself into.” He stood up and stormed to his room, slammed his bedroom door and flopped on his bed. His phone began to ring. He groaned, and extracted his phone from his pocket. Called ID said it was Ruth. He answered it, rolling onto his back, his pulse racing, palms sweating, his pupils, and his breath fast and heavy.

                “Hey, Ruth.” He smiled as he spoke.

                “Hello, Noah.” She whispered in return.

                “What can I do for you?”

                “I want… I want to see you again.” She stammered quietly. Noah beamed in happiness,

                “I would like to see you too.”

                “Really? You want to… to see me again?” Her voice was astounded, quiet, and shocked.

                “Yeah, if that is alright with you.”

                “Are you alright with coming back up to my flat same time next Saturday?”

                “Of course I am.” Noah sat up, feeling ecstatic about everything.

                “Really? Thank you, Noah. I… I kind of want… want you as regular part of my life again, Noah.” She whispered quieter than ever.

                “I want to not screw this up again.” He chuckled.

                “Yes, that would be nice.” Ruth laughed. “I need to go and cook my dinner. I will text you at some point.”

                “Okay, bye, Ruth.”

                “Bye, Noah.” She hung up the phone and Noah collapsed into his bed. He was feeling like those idiot teenage boys that he hated to teach.

*             *             *

“You’re talking to Ruth Anthony again?” Rob, the head of science, said, a little amazed at the idea.

                “Yeah, and it’s gonna take about a decade to do anything though.” Noah almost laughed, but sighed instead.

                “I’ve known you guys since you were 11; it only took you eight years to get as far as hugging.”

                “Rob, I have enough shit about that from my parents about that. I do not need it from you.” Noah snapped.

                “Sorry.” Rob sighed. Tom, another of the physics teachers, looked over at Noah with an element of sorrow for the man, stuck fawning over the single most timid girl, probably in the universe. Noah sighed and headed up to prep for his next lesson. Tom followed him.

                “Bad times, eh?” Tom asked as they headed up the stairs.

                “If you knew Ruth, you would mock me too.” Noah sighed.

                “How come?”

                “Ruth has autism. Not mild either. It took my seven years of hard work for her to hug me. All through school I was one of the few people she would talk to.”

                “You’re in love with an autistic girl?”

                “Yeah. And all she does is break my heart.”

                “I really do feel sorry for you.” Noah pushed the door to his classroom open and looked at the 29-year-old black-haired brown-eyed man that stood before them.

                “If I could look at a girl the same way I look at Ruth, I would abandon Ruth to friendship for the rest of my life.” Noah sighed, walking into his room and banging his head on a wall gently before setting up for the next few lessons. All he could think about was Ruth, and it was exterminating his soul, wishing he hadn’t screwed things up two years back.