Unfazed

Chapter Three

Noah's instincts couldn't let him rest in peace. He knew Catherine was in pain, she had lost her parents after all. He did not know her much but enough to suspect that she will not be able to cope up with this trauma anytime soon. What could he do to ease her pain? Nothing. Noah was helpless. Noah was a solicitous soul, his concern for others always made him stood out. It also dragged him down in situations where people outwit him with their spuriousness. But Noah was still dwelling through the byzantine fallacy of this world. The speciousness of people and their penchant towards perfidy and lies.

Noah was an austere man. He was a man of refreshing candor, prudent and gullible.

After unsuccessful attempts at sleeping Noah decided to go to Catherine's and stop by to pick up some pizza on the way. He thought since Catherine did not feel like going anywhere to eat he could get some pizza for her.

Once again he encountered the unkempt chestnut curly hairs and shabby pair of shorts and comic tee worn by Catherine. Her eyes were still red and puffed, just as he had seen her a few hours ago. Looking at Catherine's face he could tell that she was already irritated by seeing him ring her doorbell second time this day and he felt a pinch of guilt for disturbing her at such fragile times but he knew that she had no one else by her side right now. So he gulped in the guilt and lifted up his lips in something as a failed attempt to smile, he then showed her the box of pizza and said "I think you should eat something."

Catherine let out a sigh and let him in. She knew Noah's actions were only drawn from his sympathy towards her for her current situation. As much she hated the feeling of people looking at her with sympathy and thinking "there goes the poor girl who lost her parents" she knew that it would be rude of her to snap at Noah, even if it was what she wanted right now.

She wanted to shout at Noah and tell him to leave her fucking alone, that she doesn't need sympathy from anyone and that she is no more a child. But she let that feeling pass her and tried to keep her calm, besides she could really use that pizza right now.

"Are you always this nosey?" , she glibbed.

"What?", Noah asked nonplussed. He couldn't contemplate the words that just escaped from Catherine's mouth. Nosey? He is just trying to help her, that is it. But then again, she is hurt, he thought.

"Hah, No. I just couldn't sleep thinking about....", he paused, an awkward silence dawned upon them. He knew he created a discomfit situation by letting out those words from his mouth. He wasn't thinking, why wasn't he thinking? He should think before speaking.

Catherine regretted starting this conversation even more. Each response was making this conversation more unbearable for her. She decided that it would be in the best of her interest to sit down on the sofa and start eating the pizza because, one she was really famished and two this will make them drop the conversation right away. So she did.

Noah and Catherine ate the pizza in silence. Noah glanced at Catherine every now and then looking at her stuffing pizza like she had never been introduced to it before. It mollified him knowing that he could be of help to her. Noah was kind to the people who were close to him. Sometimes he made the wrong choice, he chose the wrong people to care for but he was still learning.

Noah's eyes roamed around Catherine's apartment, it was messy but anyone could tell that the furniture in her apartment is expensive. The maple wood cabinets were speaking about the posh world Catherine came from. She had her queen size bed placed in an aclove of white painted walls that had a pattern of bricks under them. She had photos of different people and places on one of the walls. Her apartment was lit up with beautiful accent lights. Catherine looked enervated as if she will soon fall asleep on her sofa. She sighed and Noah wondered whether he had listened to her sighs more than he listened to her voice today, which was true actually.

"Thank you for this" , Catherine gestured at the pizza. But it seemed to Noah that she was thankful for more than just the pizza, her eyes weren't stoic as they were before. Even if Noah had somehow managed to create a moment of awkwardness amidst the two of them, his actions had made Catherine feel better not only because she was famished but because he had been there for her.

Catherine wasn't someone who would tell about her pain to others nor she would tell anyone that she need help or even about things that cause her affliction. But Noah handled Catherine with deference, it really made her wonder if he had a hidden motive? If all this would lead to subterfuge? Why is he being so kind to her? Because Catherine couldn't even remember a time when she had actually been nice to him. She had barely acknowledged him in the University until they had to do a quiz together. She never talked to him after that, Noah would always try to pass a smile but Catherine never returned his gesture. Then why the magnanimity?

Catherine looked at Noah, he had a slight smile on his face. His eyes were gleaming and every part of his body screamed equanimity. How was he so calm?

Noah intrigued her.