The Last Noel

Chapter Nine

In the days that followed, Collinsville slowly dug itself out of the snowy abyss. Noel, however, could feel her anxiety building with each passing day. She'd left the farmhouse, and Anthony, the day after their heated conversation. They hadn't spoken since.

It was now the 31st and Noel sat in her apartment, staring at her packed suitcase in the corner. She knew she had a party to get ready for, she just couldn't force herself to care.

Her parents were having what they'd dubbed a "Christmas Do-Over" party instead of New Year's Eve since everyone had so quickly been shut up inside due to the storm. New Year's was just a sort of backdrop to the party.

As she sat on her couch, wallowing in self-pity, there was a knock at her door. Ignoring this particular knock wasn't going to work either.

"Noel Daniels open this door right now!" Ruthie yelled

"Alright, Jesus, I have neighbors you know!" she said as she opened the door, only to find Ruthie wasn't alone.

"I brought backup!" she announced proudly as Kate and Holly filed in after her.

"What are you 3 doing?" Noel asked.

"Rescuing you from yourself sis!" Holly answered.

The day she left Anthony's, she and Holly had had a long talk about how Holly was suddenly having thoughts of settling down with Dallas. The entire idea scared her since she was only 22-years-old but Noel knew that deep down this was exactly what Holly wanted. She was almost finished with school herself and would soon join the local salon as a hairstylist. While a part of her wanted to see her sister run off and turn into the hairstylist to the stars or something, Noel knew this was where Holly was happy.

What she hadn't told Holly was that Dallas had already picked out a small ring, asked their father's permission and even asked Noel and their Mom. Holly was going to be proposed to before the night was over.

"And what are you doing? You can't even drink, prego!" Noel said, folding her arms at Kate, who had told her about the pregnancy the day she got back to her apartment.

"I can still party Noel, I'm not an old woman! You'll see when you have kids someday. "

"Yeah, that's not in the cards for me." Noel said sadly.

"Damn right it's not!"

"Ruthie!" Kate snapped

"No, please, oh best friend of mine, elaborate on that!" said Noel

A defiant looking Ruthie dropped her makeup case on the couch as she spoke. "I'm just telling the truth, until she pulls her head out of her ass and realizes that the love of her life is right here practically begging for her back, not to mention her whole family and her friends are all right here, she's not gonna settle down and have a family!"

"What about Paris, Ruthie?"

"Oh bullshit with that Noel! You never talked about Paris until Anthony left, then all of a sudden you've got dreams of a sidewalk café in Paris? Please."

"You know you're being a real bitch right now, what is your problem?"

"Uh guys, maybe now's not the best time to -" Holly tried to interrupt but Kate shushed her. "They need to do this Holls, they need to get it out."

"My problem is you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself and expecting everyone else to when you've got an entire life laid out in front of you! How long were you miserable without Anthony? Well now you know the truth, you know the full story, you know he still loves you and what are you doing? Still running. You're running from a ghost that you won't let die Noel! You've got the power to stop all this misery you keep wrapping yourself in but you have to actually use it! Stop letting the past dictate your future."