"Are you serious?!" I half-yell, half-scoff in disbelief at the idiotic thing my brother just said, earning myself a bunch of irritated looks from the other students sitting nearby in the library. "Hold up," I mutter down the phone to Lee, standing to gather my books and shoving them into my open backpack. "I need to go somewhere I can talk."
It comes as no surprise that he doesn't wait for me to get outside, instead using the open line to plead his (and Elle's) case for why I should let them rent a car in my name to drive from New York to Boston when they come to visit over spring break.
"Come on, Noah, the rental car companies won't rent to a seventeen-year-old," he whines.
"Yeah," I snort, pushing through the front doors to exit the building. "With good reason."
"Are you really not going to help me out? Elle and I planned this whole trip so we could visit you."
I can't help shaking my head, even though I know Lee can't see me, and rub the back of my neck in exasperation. If they had actually spent any time at all planning this trip, they wouldn't be in this mess only a few weeks out from the break. That's pretty standard for my brother, but Elle's usually better prepared. My guess is that booking the rental car was probably Lee's only responsibility, and now he's begging me to fix his fuck up.
"Firstly," I tell him, "don't pretend like you're coming all this way just for me. You're coming so you can spend time with Elle and see your girlfriend since she's going to visit Brown over the break."
Lee makes a huffing noise, but wisely chooses not to argue for once.
"And second, you could actually just fly into Boston, you know? You don't have to go to New York first. Or, if it's that important to go see the city, then fly there and catch the damn train down to Boston. I could even come meet you guys there," I add.
"But the whole point was for me and Elle to do a road trip, like we've wanted to for ages," he complains. "If we don't do it now, who knows when we'll get the chance again."
"Lee," I sigh. "You're going to have plenty of chances to go on road trips with Elle. We've got months off over summer."
"It won't be the same," he mutters, and I can tell he's pouting from here.
Yeah, the unspoken reason it wouldn't be the same is that it wouldn't be just him and Elle going, it'd probably me and Rachel, too. He's really bugging me right now, because he gets to see Elle every fucking day, while I have to wait for the break, and this stupid road trip idea will eat into my already limited time with her.
"Well, that's just too bad, bro. I'm not helping you commit a crime just so you can rent a car to drive five hours."
"Ugh! Noah! You used to be cool. What happened to you out there?"
"I grew up, Lee," I reply stonily. "Maybe you should try it."
Stabbing the end call button with my finger, I shove my phone in the pocket of my jeans and stare up at the overcast sky for a few seconds. As much as I love my brother, he has an uncanny ability to piss me off like nobody else. I suck in a breath and let it out slowly, just as a wry chuckle breaks into my moment of frustration.
"Who got your goat?" Chloe grins, handing me a coffee and taking a sip of her own.
"Who do you think?"
"Hmm, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say... Lee."
"Bingo," I half-smile.
"Oh, no, what's he done now?"
I swig back some coffee before replying, praying the caffeine hits my blood stream in record time.
"Oh, you know, just failed to get his shit together for the trip he and Elle are planning to take over the break. And now, of course, he wants me to help him commit fraud so he can rent a car for them to drive from NYC to here."
Chloe laughs, then stops, grabbing a hold of my forearm with her free hand.
"Wait! They're coming here for spring break?"
"Part of it, anyway," I nod. "Assuming they hurry up and make some bookings, that is."
"Why didn't you tell me?!" she demands. "When are they coming? For how long?"
I don't get the chance to answer, because Chloe's already going a mile a minute.
"We have so much to plan! Oh, this is going to be so much fun! We can show them all the best places! I'm going to have to look up what's on in the city then. I've never stayed here over spring break, but with the placement I got and everything, it's not worth trying to go home..."
She's already unlocked her phone and started madly tapping away, and I haven't said a word, a fact that slowly registers with her. When she looks up, I'm looking down at her, eyebrows raised, smirk firmly in place. Her lips purse like she's trying to hold in a giggle and she clicks off her phone, shoving it back in her tote bag.
"Guess I got a little carried away, huh?"
"Maybe just a little," I chuckle, throwing an arm around her shoulders and turning us both back towards the library doors. "But it's totally part of your charm."
"Damn right," she laughs, and I feel the last of the lingering irritation from my call with Lee disappear with the sound.
I should've known Lee would find a way to ruin my good mood again sooner rather than later, though.
"You've got to be kidding," I groan, burying my face in my hands as Elle gives me the news of her and Lee's updated spring break trip via FaceTime that night.
"No, Noah, I am not kidding," she frowns, sitting up against the headboard of her bed.
"So, you're really going to drive all the way from LA to Boston? And back again?"
"Yeah," Elle nods. "Via New York on the way there," she adds.
"And how long will that take?"
"Lee says it's a two day drive from here to there."
I do my best to swallow a scoff. "I mean, sure, if you drive continuously, with no stops."
"Well, there's two of us," Elle insists. "Lee and I will swap out for each other every few hours, and the one who's not driving can nap."
"Elle," I frown at her through the screen. "That's not safe. And, honestly? It doesn't sounds like a whole lot of fun, either."
She rolls her eyes at me.
"It's me and Lee. When have we not had fun?"
I could keep harping on about this, but it's not like it'll get me anywhere. Once Elle sets her mind on something, it's pretty futile to try and change it. Sighing in defeat, I rest an elbow on my desk, leaning my cheek into my knuckled fist.
"Fine. Just promise me this doesn't mean you're going to be here for less time than you planned? I miss you, Shell."
Elle's expression softens and she leans closer to the camera.
"I miss you, too. And I'll be there for the same amount of time. We have an extra week off because of the repairs and stuff they're doing at school, so it still works out fine."
"Okay. But you know," I half-smile, "if you just got on a plane, we'd have like four extra days together..."
"Noah, stop," Elle laughs. "We're going to be together day and night. You're probably gonna be sick of me by the end of it."
"Never," I grin, shaking my head. "Not possible."
That earns me another eye roll, but I don't miss the pleased smile Elle gives me along with it.
"Yeah, okay, whatever."
"Think you'll get sick of me?" I ask quietly.
Elle quickly shakes her head.
"No. No way."
"Sure?"
Her expression turns mischievous.
"Well, maybe... but only if you start snoring."
"I don't snore," I tell her flatly, then quirk an eyebrow. "You, on the other hand..."
"Shut up!" Elle giggles, putting her palm up to the camera like she's shoving me. "You're such a jerk."
"Yeah, but I'm your jerk," I grin.
"Yeah, you are," she smiles in that way that makes my chest feel tight.
God, I wish she was here already.
I also wish I could say that the next few weeks fly by, but that would be a total lie. They drag, as I plod through the same routine over and over again. Wake up, go for a run, shower, breakfast, classes, lunch, more classes, go to the library or meet up with Chloe and the guys to study, find time in there somewhere to eat dinner, then back to my room to write up assignments or read some more before bed. Going to the gym to bash out a weights session here and there is a highlight.
Sometimes, on a Friday or Saturday night, when we can't stand the thought of cracking open another book, we head out, for dinner, or drinks, or to do something stupid to blow off some steam. There's a bowling alley not far from campus that has video games and a karaoke room, and somehow it's become a favorite haunt of ours. So, I guess it's unsurprising that I find myself there again, kicking the rest of the guy's assess on the lanes. Aiden, Joseph, Caleb and Dylan are, without a doubt, some of the smartest people I've ever met, but their sporting prowess is pretty much non-existent, not that it stops them being ultra-competitive.
But they're all battling for third place behind me and Chloe, as per usual. Or at least they would be, if Chloe didn't ditch out to take a call five minutes ago. Aiden's just started campaigning to skip over her turn, giving her zero points for this round when Chloe rushes back in, tossing her phone into her bag and picking up her ball with a flick of her hair. She pins Aiden with a look.
"Don't even think about it. Now step aside and watch how it's done."
I hide a smirk behind my drink as he holds his hands up in surrender, muttering apologies and then takes a seat as Chloe readies herself at the lane. But as I watch her, I notice something off about her posture. It's a little stiff and there's tension to her shoulders. She still manages to pull off a spare, but the fact that she won't meet my eyes when she turns back around has me narrowing them slightly as I try to figure out what changed.
"Okay, spill," I tell her after the guys peel off on our walk home at the end of the night.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she says stiffly, still refusing to look at me.
"Don't bullshit me, Chloe. Something happened back there, when you left to take that call. You've been off ever since then."
She winces slightly, brows drawing together as she finally makes eye contact.
"Do you think anyone else noticed?"
"Maybe, maybe not," I shrug. "So what if they did?"
"It's just," she bites the corner of her bottom lip for a second. "I know what they'll say, and they're probably right, but I don't want to hear it right now, okay? I've got enough going on without adding more drama to my life at the moment."
Okay, this doesn't sound good and while my mind starts spinning, my feet grind to a halt. Chloe manages another step before stopping, turning to face me with a worried expression.
"Clo," I start gently. "What happened?"
My usually bubbly friend gives a defeated sigh before admitting, "It's Jason."
Her on-again, off-again boyfriend is not one of my favorite people, to put it mildly, but I tuck away that thought for now in an effort to get her to open up.
"So, it was him that called earlier?"
"Yeah," Chloe nods glumly. "Finally. He's been avoiding me this week, and I hate being that girl who calls constantly, but I needed to confirm plans for tomorrow night..." She makes a face. "Not that it matters now."
"What do you mean?" I frown.
"He bailed."
"On the fundraiser? But aren't your parents in town for that?"
"Yep," she nods sadly. "They got into New York this morning. Dad had some meetings there today, and then they're heading down first thing tomorrow. We were all supposed to have lunch, so they could meet him before the benefit. I have no idea what to tell my mother, let alone my father."
"What was his excuse?"
"Oh," Chloe waves a dismissive hand. "He just said that he's under a ton of pressure at the moment, with school and the deadline for the exhibition and everything, and he didn't have the bandwidth for 'meeting the parents' on top of all that."
I bite my tongue while I come up with a suitable response to that crap that won't make Chloe feel worse. I mean, I don't have a lot of experience meeting girlfriend's parents, for obvious reasons, but this is bullshit. More and more I think this guy is a walking red flag. He flakes out on Chloe at the smallest hint of inconvenience to himself, and she deserves better.
Sucking my lips in, I nod slowly.
"You know that's total dick move on his part, right?"
"Yeah," she agrees sadly. "I know."
"So, what's the plan? For tomorrow, I mean."
Chloe shrugs. "I don't know. Guess I go to lunch with my parents and make an excuse for him. Of course, my mother will go into a spin, because suddenly we'll be a seat down on the table and, I mean, God forbid there be uneven numbers or look as though her daughter was stood up. The shame of it."
Her small smile as she says the last part makes me huff out a laugh. Chloe describes her mother as 'particular' when it comes to these kind of things, which I take to mean anything other than perfection is unacceptable. If it were just about anyone else, I would wish them the best of luck with what will probably be a very unfun situation and go on my way. But this is Chloe, who, for reasons only known to her, decided to drag me out of the mess I found myself in at the beginning of the year, becoming my best friend in the process. Maybe I can do something for her this time around.
Scrubbing my hand up the back on my neck, I throw the offer out there before I think better of it.
"I could go, if you want. If you think it would make it better, I mean."
"You would do that?"
Rolling, my eyes, I smirk at her.
"I mean, I think it's only fair you trade in your wishes for it, since I'm assuming there's a dress code..."
Chloe smacks my arm with her purse, grinning.
"You rotter! I should've known you weren't offering out of the goodness of your heart!"
"Hey!" I laugh. "I could've kept my mouth shut! You clearly hadn't thought about the fact that you're holding two wishes over my head."
Chloe smacks me again, unable to hold in a laugh of her own.
"Yet! I would've gotten there eventually."
"You really are off your game, huh?"
"Shut it, Noah Flynn! Making fun of my emotional turmoil is not cool."
"Then why are you laughing?"
She growls and hits me a third time.
"You really are the most infuriating human, you know that?"
"Yeah," I smirk. "But it's part of my charm."