I Punched The Bad Boy, And Damn, Did It Feel Good

...Chapter 12...

Noah's POV

I really couldn't tell you what brought me to the idea to offer Ladley a ride to work, maybe it was because I knew she'd have to walk, or maybe it was because for once I didn't want to sit in my own self loathing on the twenty minute drive.

Whatever the reason was, I guess in someway it didn't even matter. She already agreed to the offer, and I'd just come up with something on the spot if she asked why I offered in the first place.

I still wasn't sure what my mom was talking about last night, I was still sleeping by the time she left for work and she hates waking me up.

I was thinking about Ladley as I walked the rest of the way to the cafeteria, that is until a curly haired idiot shoved my shoulder.

"Oh Major Tom, wanna come back to planet Earth my friend?" Bowie Clark wrapped his arm around my shoulder and smiled at me.

"Sorry Bow, I was just thinking." I smiled at my best friend.

"Yeah, you seem to be doing a lot more of that lately." I slapped the back of his head.

"Ow! Thats rude Noah Karters, very rude." He jumped away from me, one hand cradling the back of his head and the other pointing at me.

Bowie Clark and I have been friends since third grade when I was about to kill a carpenter bee on the playground to save Jadia until a lanky curly haired boy tackled me to the ground.

Look I thought carpenter bees could sting.

In short, I didn't kill the bee and the rest is history.

We couldn't be more different in appearance and interests though, whereas everything about me screamed motorcycle bad boy, Bowie was more the trench coat-turtleneck-round glasses type, not to mention he has a hardcore obsession with David Bowie.

Bowie has been one of those friends that you know you could never lose just because of what you've went through together, and even though we belong to very different social groups at school he's the guy you'd find me up with at 1 in the morning playing video games.

"So-" he pushed me down to sit on the steps by the cafeteria entrance- "what's up with your sudden interest in Ladley Ciders?" I should've known he'd find out.

"It's not an interest per se-"

"Let me stop you right there Joseph, its most definitely an interest, and based on the fact you just offered her a ride to work makes me think this is more than just you trying to gain a friend. Don't lie to me, now what's going on?"

"I honestly don't even know, one minute Darcys asking me to bring her to the cafe just as a favor and now there's apparently some mystery surrounding her and all I want is to figure it out."

"I leave for the first half of the week and suddenly my best friend is a stalker."

"I'm not stalking her!"

"Yeah and I hate the planet."

"Y'know maybe you're stalking me, how'd you know I just offered Ciders a ride?"

"What can I say? I'm magical Joseph." Bowie gave me one of his goofy grins before glancing into the cafeteria, where I followed his gaze to a dirty blond haired boy.

"Armando Ford? Really?" I looked back at Bowie.

"Okay have you ever seen that boy get excited about a new set design? Have you ever heard his laugh? He's amazing, and he's so quiet, I wonder what goes on in his head."

"Y'know, Ladley's friends with Armando," I remarked nonchalantly, whereas Bowie whipped around to face me.

"Oh my god can you please please pl-"

"Hush child, I will do what I can, if you help me."

"With what?"

"With figuring out Ladley Ciders."

"If it means a possibility of getting closer to Armando, I'm in."

"Shake on it?" I extended my hand to which Bowie immediately grasped and shook.

"I'll meet you guys at the cafe later." Bowie grabbed his messenger bag before running into the cafeteria to catch up with some of his other friends.

"Oh Noah Karters what have you done?" I asked myself before heading towards Jadia, but I couldn't help my eyes wandering over to Ladley's table for the rest of the period.