Not Very Stereotypical.

Chapter Thirty

Squeezing into to space made by Milly and Leighton on the long bench by the wall I smiled as Noah took a seat across from me next to Gracie and Mitchell. Feeling the glare burn into my head from Leighton I turned to her and raised my eyebrows, insinuating that she'd get her questions over with.

"Where did you go?" She whispered as Mitchell and Gracie begin their own interrogation on Noah. I rolled my eyes but secretly was happy to tell them everything, I needed to because I don't know if it went well or what happens next. The only real date I went on back home was to McDonalds when I was 13 and then to a cheap restaurant to get vodka without needing ID last year. American boys are so much nicer and more caring- well at-least Noah was.

I told them everything, about the rain, the piggy back, the hand holding and how we talked about everything. I didn't bother explaining the talk I had about my mum, that just wasn't necessary to add. I laughed along with the jokes being made and smiled with true happiness as I was squeezed by Milly when another short lady came along with a large tray full of food. She struggled to fit it on the small silver table as the rubbish of other orders made it cluttered. Helping the lady by picking up some of the empty trays, I made some space for the new food and smiled as the dark haired worker took the empties off of me.

Leaning forward towards the table I grabbed the tall cardboard cup and shook it round to identify the drink. Seeing the look Noah was giving me, I scrunched my nose and took a sip out of the plastic straw and tasted the chocolate shake and feeling my stomach satisfy as the random chocolate chips melted in my mouth.

It was a few hours later and the sun beneath the disappearing rain clouds had officially set. The food had been eaten, with help from the rest of the lacrosse boys and the neon lights were bouncing around in the darkness as the diner empties out, leaving only a few of us left in the diner.

"Okay hear me out!" Gracie shouted over the current argument that was taking place. "What if when we go tomorrow we have a campfire!" She smiled, excited as ever.

"With that dramatic introduction I was expecting some sort of mega idea not a campfire." Mitchell huffed, getting up and throwing his empty cup in the bin by the door. The sharp tone of Mitchell's annoyed Gracie so she sulked inwardly and lay back down on her chair.

Ginger Sam stood up along with him, "Right it's getting late. We can just decide in the morning can't we?" He said, shoving his phone in his pocket and beginning to walk towards the door. "Point Dume at 11, yeah?"

Nodding dramatically, Mitchell also headed to the door. "Gracie are you sleeping over or are you heading home?" He asked as Gracie lay down along the now empty chairs with her legs resting on Noah's.

She grumbled as she buried her head in her hoodie and sat up. "You really think I'm going to come to the beach tomorrow dressed in this?" She said sarcastically. Lifting her head to look at Mitchell who was leaving against the door, "All my usual stuff at Milly's has been taken home to wash so I better go back and pack a bag." Gracie said, rolling off of the metal chairs and landing on her feet.

Before she headed to the door she skipped over to me and whispered in my ear. "I'd go for it." Winking, she backed away and headed towards the door where Mitchell and Sam were waiting for her. "See you tomorrow girlies!" She waved before skipping out, arm linked with Sam's.

"Right come on you, we better get back too. Busy day tomorrow." Milly says, shoving Leighton off of the bench. Leighton smiles and gives me a hug before also sulking her way, clearly very tired, towards the door.

As the headlights of the jeep lit up in the car park my eyes turned to Noah, who had been looking at me as I said goodbye. "Ready to go too then Beth?" He said, shortening my name sweeter than the usual nickname. Nodding with an odd amount of excitement, I stood up and walked next to him and towards the door.

Waving bye to Sandie as we left, Noah opened the door for me and we stood on the top step under the shelter as te bell rung and the door closed behind us.

"I had a nice time tonight." I said kicking a clump of grass off of someone's shoes down the steps.

"Me too." Noah said squeezing onto my hand, drawing my eyes to look back at his. The summer showers of rain had finished, leaving only the leaking gutter, dripping by the door. The gaze I had attached to his eyes didn't stop when his free hand moves to the back of my neck and his face got nearer. I closed my eyes in anticipation as the butterflies spread from my stomach throughout my body. The heat of his touch electrified me as his smile lit up the dark night, leaning is forehead on mine, he surprised me slightly as when he moved back his eyes met with mine again.

Mixed with concern and anticipation with eyes settles and his lips rose when I smiled at him, taking ahold of his hand and dragging him back towards his SUV.

"Are you actually going to teach me how to surf tomorrow?" I said leaning my hand on the protein bottle in his cup holder as he began to drive away.

Looking at me with the smirk laid across his face. "Well are you going to be up for it?" He asks, looking both ways before pulling out of the car park and driving down the emptying road.

I laughed turning away, pouting in a pretend strop. "How rude! I'm up for anything me." With a cackle or laughter, Noah looked at me briefly before his eyes went back to the road with his tongue trailing over his lip.

"Anything yeah?" Gasping loudly I hit him playfully but with force on his shoulder. Ugly laughing, I pulled my legs up onto his seat and pointed for him to take the next turning. "No but seriously Bethan, we will see what you're feeling like in the morning and whether the waves are even good enough for you to have a go."

Smiling silly, we spoke all the way home, talking about school, the beach and having a laugh. It's not only when he took the final turning down to my road when I realised I didn't want the night to end and the awkward side of me had sunk deeper into me all night until I didn't feel it anymore. I didn't need to feel it anymore. The moon began to shine through the darkened windows and the only light left shining from my house was the porch light shining the front door.

"Do I need to pick you up again in the morning?" He said leaving back in his seat, looking far too attractive for the simple motion. Unknowingly pressing my lips together I nodded, shrugging at the same time- sending mixed signals to myself.

"Well I don't quite know." I said as he parked the car, pulling his phone from his pocket and placing it in the empty cup holder next to his protein bottle.

"Okay," he started clapping his hands over mine. "Just text me or something. Whether you're getting dropped by your dad, the girls or need me to pick you up." He smiled, making my heart melt. I have his hand one last squeeze before I let it go.

"Right go on Jackson I've had enough of you now." I said smirking jumping out of the car. Skipping around the front of the car I stopped by the drivers window and watched as he rolled it down.

"See you in the morning yeah?" He said patting the empty window with his fist. Nodding and feeling awkward on how to finish the night, I offered him my hand and he hit the both side of it before giving me a fist bump- our new handshake. "Sweet dreams Bethany." He said letting go of me and raising his eyebrows towards my house.

I turned on my heels and shuffled to get inside as the cold air was beginning to nip at my bare legs. As he waited to watch me get in safely, I waved Noah off as I crept through the front door. As soon as the door was closed I sighed a sigh of relieved and yawned as the adrenaline wore off. I needed sleep.

So that's what I did. I slept all night, and through to mid morning, through the alarm I had set until the honking of a horn and a knock at the door woke me up.