*Picture of Noah's parent's house above!*
Stephanie's POV
I wake up with a huge smile on my face. Even my alarm screaming bloody murder way too early in the morning can't destroy my mood.
I look over at my overflowing walk in closet and decided to make an effort in my appearance today. I walk on my plush sky blue carpet and open the doors to the closet. I twirl my hair around my finger as I try to decide what to wear, and finally decide on black leather skin-tight pants and a lacy white shirt with quilted black flats. I went over to my jewelry box and look at the silver bracelet with a diamond pendant on it that I haven't been able to wear since my mother's death. I feel a sense of determination rise inside of me and I wrap it around my wrist, turning the pendant to look at the engraving on the back. To my lovely daughter Stephanie.
My cheeks were suddenly wet with tears, but I immediately put a stop to them and fix my makeup. I can't rehash my sad past, but I can bring a piece of my mother with me to school.
I walk down the grand staircase and into the foyer where, surprisingly, Carrie was talking on the phone in a heated conversation on what sounded like a disaster involving silk. Confused? Carrie is a fashion editor for Vogue (how someone with the IQ of a q-tip has that job, I don't know), and her main job is to write about fashion shows and new fashion trends. She was always telling Stacy and I what the next season's trends would be so we could have "insider info" as she called it. I, of course, could not care less but Stacy used it to go to school in next season's fashions. We weren't extremely rich like some others in San Diego, but we were definitely in the upper class. Enough so, that Stacy could buy clothes to her heart's content, and I could gag at them.
I roll my eyes at a frustrated Carrie, and walked over to the kitchen where Stacy was looking down her nose at a burrito in front of her.
"Matt, I have told you a million times, I cannot eat so many calories. I don't want to end up like Stephanie for heaven's sake. Just because she doesn't care if she ruins her body doesn't mean I'm the same way." She said.
Matt rolls his eyes and sighs, bringing her a fruit smoothie. The truth is I'm not fat at all thanks to the runs I take three times a week. In fact, I could use a little fat. I was a size four on the bottom and an extra small on the top. All I can say is, thank goodness for push up bras.
I reached over for the discarded burrito, and winked at Matt while taking a big bite of it. I moaned at the amazing flavors of roasted chicken, melted parmesan, and a mix of roasted vegetables. Stacy was completely insane to say no to this masterpiece.
I grab my stuff along with the lunch Matt left for me, and leave to go get Amy. Upon arriving, her house door swings open and out comes a gorgeous looking Amy with flat-ironed hair, white short shorts, and a red halter neck shirt that looks great against her olive skin tone. She finished the outfit with a white leather jacket and shiny red flats.
"Well," I said teasingly once Amy had settled herself into the car and we were on our way to school. "Don't you look purty today. Does someone perhaps have a crush?"
Amy scoffed as she put her red lipstick on with the rearview mirror's help.
"Please, Steph" she said. "Just because a girl decides to make herself look a little more cute doesn't mean she suddenly has a crush. Plus, I could accuse you of the same thing. I mean, since when do you wear leather pants?"
I blushed at her words and she laughs as I deny her accusations. I park in my regular spot and walk up the stairs to school with Amy, until an arm suddenly falls over my shoulders and another goes on Amy. I look to my right with a raised eyebrow and see Collin's mischievous emerald eyes staring back.
"Hello there," he said as he walked me to our class and Noah steered Amy to theirs. "You look quite nice today, but you didn't have to do that for me. I mean, I know I'm gorgeous, but please, try to contain yourself."
I gasp in mock outrage as Collin laughs and sits in a desk next to mine.
"I will have you know that I dressed like this for my crush, who could never be you. And no offense, but I've seen way better looking guys than you. Don't flatter yourself." I tell him haughtily.
He dramatically puts a hand over his heart and says "save me someone, please! I can't with the hurt!" I roll my eyes at his antics and motion for him to be quiet as the teacher had arrived.
All through the day, I'd learned so much about Collin. He is such a sweetheart, and it is hard to compare him to the narcissistic player the media portrayed him as. Of course, there were glares from the females, and some males, who saw me with him, but I just didn't care. He was turning out to be a great friend, and I really wanted to get to know him better.
It was at lunch while Collin was in the middle of telling me a hilarious story of the time when he'd been ambushed by ten year olds who'd believed him to be their future husband, when someone tapped on my shoulder with impatience. I turned around, only to turn into complete mush inside. James Bradley is God's gift to women. With his violet blue eyes, silky black hair, and ripped physique, he could make you turn into a puddle of drool with just one smile full of pearly whites. But while his handsome features were great, what really got me was his amazing personality. He'd been my crush for years, but it was only recently that we'd begun to be friends. I tried to control myself around him, I really did, but God did he make it hard. Those soft and kissable lips were right now pulled into a frown, and his violet eyes were dark as they stared between Collin and I, as if trying to figure out a complex puzzle.
"Hey Steph, you didn't tell me you knew Collin Jacobs," he said. He looks over at Collin with suspicion as Collin does the same to him, and I can practically feel the testosterone flowing between them.
"That's because we've only recently become friends. Collin, this is James Bradley a good friend of mine. James, you already know Collin." I said to both of them. They shake hands while silently assessing each other, and I smile at how gosh darn cute it was! They finish their silent examinations, and James joins us for lunch. It was a bit tense at first since both boys seemed to just glare at each other, but I slowly thawed the silence out, and soon enough we were laughing together like old friends.
After lunch, Collin escorts me to trigonometry and smiles goodbye to head to his next class. I go over to my seat, and upon sitting down I am immediately ambushed by all the popular girls in class, including Stacy.
"So Steph, what'd you have to do to get Collin to follow you around? Oh wait, never mind I can guess. I mean, it'd have to be something pretty slutty to get him to not pay attention to one of us. Just look at you, who would possibly be attracted to you unless you were easy?" Said one of the queen bitches, Jenna. In truth, I wasn't offended in the slightest. All I could do was laugh. I mean, here were the number one slut of the school accusing me of being easy. The irony of it all was too much, and soon enough huge guffaws were coming out of me.
"Like, what are you laughing at? It's like, so sad, 'cause like, everyone here knows how pathetic you are, like seriously, you should like be more like Stacy who, like, has so much class." Said one of the most annoying human beings ever put on this earth, Alyssa.
I snorted in a very unlady like way at hearing this. Stacy was as far away from class as you could get. All you had to do was look at her tight, white shirt and see the bright red bra under to know how much of a harlot she really is. Sometimes I really wonder if it was possible to live with no brain in your head. If it was, I had no doubt Stacy and her group of dumb blondes would be the perfect example. It's not that I have anything against blondes, I actually have a blonde friend who was so smart she actually skipped a grade, but these girls were the perfect example of the blonde stereotype.
"Well you see guys," I answer with a fake concerned smile. "Collin was just so upset. It was so sad to see him that way, so I comforted him until he was calm enough to tell me what was wrong, and you know what he told me?" They all nod, completely enraptured in the story.
"He said: why are there so many blonde bimbos in this school?" I tell them with a fake shocked face. They narrow their eyes in fury, but had to let it go since the teacher came in and told them to sit down or they'd get detention.
By the end of the day I am practically bouncing with excitement at finally being able to hang out with Collin at Noah's house. Collin and Noah go into a black Lamborghini and tell Amy and I to follow them to the house.
It wasn't a long drive, maybe about 10 minutes, but the change in scenery was drastic. The hot California sun still beating down on our necks, but there was a slight cooling from the shade of the overhead trees, and a relaxing lake glistened in the distance. This was a place where people went when they had money but didn't feel the need to flaunt it with gaudy mansions. Already, Noah's parents are on my good side, and by the smile on Amy's face, I can tell they were on hers now too.
We turn into a gravel driveway and a beautiful modern home appeared when the trees cleared. It was the perfect mix of modern architecture, comfort, style, and warmth. We get out of our cars and the front door swings open revealing a smiling middle-aged woman with a little boy on her hip clutching a teddy bear in his little fist.
"Hello there!" She said jovially. "It's so nice to meet you girls! After all the talking these two boys have been doing about you, I feel as if I've known you forever!"
Amy and I laugh as the boys' cheeks got red from embarrassment.
"Hello, Mrs. Steinfeld. It's a pleasure to meet you too." I say as Amy repeated the greeting. Mrs.Steinfeld shakes her dirty blonde hair and puts her free hand on top of her heart.
"Please girls, call me Jenna! Whenever someone calls me Mrs. Steinfeld I feel like my mother in law, and trust me, that is not a good thing. Now come in, come in! Make yourselves at home."
We all came through the door and see a wonderfully decorated home and heavenly smells coming from a high end kitchen. The little boy on Jenna's hip squirmed to get down, and immediately ran toward Noah who grabbed him and swung him around. He then brings him over to where Amy and I are standing with smiles on our faces.
"Ladies, this is Sam, my little brother. Sam this is Stephanie and Amy, some friends from school." He said. Sam looks at us with the same bright blue eyes of his brother and sticks his hand out for us to shake. We hide our grins at how cute he is and shake it, then settle on the floor to hear him talk about his teddy bear, Speedy(he's as fast as a rocket!), in his adorable seven year old voice. Suddenly, a man wearing an apron comes out of the kitchen and walks over to us with a big smile.
"Hello ladies! I'm Jonathan, Noah's dad. It's so nice to meet y'all, especially the dancer my son won't shut up about." He says with a twinkle in his hazel eyes as he looks at Amy and a charming southern accent. Noah groans and put his face in his hands, complaining to his dad that he was embarrassing him. Amy looks at him with amusement as Jonathan gives out a big, booming laugh.
"Daddy, I want food!" Little Sam says with a stomp of his foot for emphasis. Jonathan laughs again and picks him up.
"No worries, Sammy, your mom's just putting the finishing touches on it. Why don't you go tell Serena to come downstairs?" Sam nods and runs up the grand staircase, and Jonathan steered us all into the dining room. It was a spacious room with warm colors and an oblong table that was filled with scrumptious looking dinner. My stomach grumbled at the sight and my cursed redhead insta-flush cheeks blushed at the laughter I received.
We were all sitting down when Sam came walking in with his hand holding the hand of a gorgeous, petite blonde girl who looked to be in her 20s. She smiled at us as she sat down with Sam.
(Esti Ginzburg as Serena Steinfeld)
"Hello, I'm Serena, Noah's older sister." She said with a friendly smile. Amy and I introduced ourselves and got to talking with her about Noah and Collin. Dinner was absolutely amazing, and filled with different stories about the boys. Suddenly, in the midst of Jenna talking about a particular story of the boys, Serena sat up with an evil grin.
"You know, mom, we actually have that home video of them in the den." She said. Jenna's eyes brightened and she clapped excitedly.
"Oh yes! Girls come with me!" She said as she grabbed our hands and led us downstairs. Noah could be heard in the background pleading with his sister to stop as she laughed maniacally.
We reached the bottom and when Jenna turned the light on, I found myself in a wonderfully decorated den with a huge flat screen tv, two tan couches, a coffee table, a pool table, a foosball table, and a shelf full of trophies and pictures on the back wall.
Jenna puts the video on and ushered us to the couches with an excited smile. The screen blinks on and we stare as a little Collin and Noah walk across the screen with fairy costumes on. Noah begins dancing as Collin sings, and you could see the beginning of their talents shine through. We laugh until we're almost crying at the boys and their antics, and at their sulky teenage versions who stare at the tv with pouts.
When the video was done and Noah's family went upstairs to clean, Noah decided to stay in the den with Amy to get started on the outline for their showcase piece, and Collin brought me with him to the sunroom telling me he had something to show me.
We got to the sunroom, and while everything is just as beautiful as the rest of the house, all I can focus on is the bright red grand piano in the corner. Collin leads me to the bench and sits me down next to him.
"So, yesterday, I was so inspired and I actually wrote a full song. The words were just flowing and soon enough I had a full song. So, would you mind just singing with me? Here are the lyrics, and I can start it off. It tells you where to come in. You ready?" He asked. I nodded and he began to play.
(Just Collin) I would have never thought I'd be here with you
To start a friendship that is so brand new
It's so amazing I have to say
Never met someone that had so much in common with me
Now I can look into your eyes all day
And just say (both) oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
I wanna harmonize with your melody
And we'll sing oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Ain't it a perfect harmony
(Just Stephanie) Sometimes in your lifetime you
Look and you search for someone just to care
Look around and it was there
And we didn't need to go nowhere
When I can't think of the right words to say (right words to say)
I just sing oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Come on and harmonize with my melody
And we'll sing oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Ain't it a perfect harmony
You got me (I got you)
I got you (You got me)
Yeah you got me (I got you)
A perfect harmony
The song finished and we looked into each other's eyes. Just as I was about to get completely lost in them, slow clapping came from the doorway, and Collin and I turned to find Noah's family as well as Noah and Amy standing there with smiles on their faces.
"Oh how beautiful! Stephanie, darling, you have the voice of an angel!" Jenna exclaims. I blush again and everyone laughs and came in to congratulate us on the wonderful song.
Soon enough it was time to go, and Amy and I thank Noah's parents for having us over before leaving to go home.
Amy waits until we are alone and on our way home in the car to look at me with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and asked "So, are you going to tell me what was going on with you and Collin before we all came in? Because it seemed like you two were getting awfully close in there."
I thank God for the dark night when I blush, and deny Amy's subtle insinuation that Collin and I were becoming close romantically throughout the ride to her house.
But as I drove home after dropping Amy off, all I could think was: what if?
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A/N: Yay! I FINALLY got this chapter finished, and I'm so happy that I was able to make it extra long for you guys. Sooo, what do you think of Noah's family? Do you ship anyone new (hint, hint: it's not anyone obvious)? Did you like Collin's song? The song is on the top, and it's called Perfect Harmony, from the movie Rags. I just thought it was so perfect for that scene. Please comment, vote, and share to tell me what you think!! Adios!