Chapter Five
I Do Something Really Weird
The bike rides to school were becoming increasingly annoying and cold. Annoying because a) it was cold and biking when it’s cold is the worst and b) Gabriel insisted on offering her a ride every day. Every. Single. Day.
Noel managed to get to Maths without much hassle, but had to blow her nose every few minutes – it was the bloody wind that did it, and her poor nose was giving her the nickname ‘red noses reindeer’ and ‘Rudolph’ among her miniscule group of friends. Plus, she couldn’t wear her contacts because her eyes were so puffy.
“Morning Rudolph!” Corrie said happily, waving her over. Gabriel was already sitting in his seat, the one directly behind Noel’s – she was positive this was on purpose. “Where’s the rest of the sleigh team, could Dasher not make it?”
“Ha-ha, very funny.” She grumbled, slouching in her seat “November really sucks.”
Ned patted her shoulder sympathetically “No worries Noel, we’re almost halfway through.”
She groaned and banged her head against the desk, and heard Gabriel chuckle as he got up, probably to greet someone across the room. He was so popular, Noel had no idea how he did it – it was only his second week and somehow everyone wanted to be his best friend. This was a gift Noel sorely lacked, not that she really minded.
It’s those cheeks she decided they’re just too adorable for a guy his age, and the hair…the eyes help too…and he’s not in bad shape, either…
Simon Jenks turned around in his seat, the one directly in front of Noel, and gave her a helpless smile “Hey Noel, do you have any idea what the answers are to the next test on the fifteenth? I seriously need to know.”
Noel didn’t know what happened, she was about to reply that how the hell would she know, but suddenly her vision blurred, and when she got it back the whole room was staring at her. The look on their faces could almost be described as fear, but Noel didn’t know what she could have done – had she gone oddly cross eyed or something, made a weird noise? Oh stars, did she fart out loud?
Glancing over at Ned and Corrie, she gave them a desperate look.
“You – uh – started babbling answers.” Ned whispered, leaning close.
Corrie nodded “And your eyes…they rolled back in your head. It was…” she let the sentence hang unfinished, but Noel got the idea.
Letting out a trembling laugh, Noel got up shakily “Got you!” she said loudly “Your faces – priceless!”
Everyone watched her as she backed slowly out of the room, and they joined in with her nervous laughter. She caught Gabriel’s eyes briefly, but he didn’t look scared, and definitely wasn’t laughing.
Exiting the room, Noel crossed the hall and opened the nearest door. This specific door happened to be the janitor’s closet, which smelled strongly of bitter lemon cleaner and cigs. Only seconds after she closed the door, it opened again, revealing Gabriel.
“What was that?” he growled, and Noel felt her heart race – he looked scary. His usually saintly and almost weirdly adorable face had darkened, much like it had in the kitchen, and it nearly had Noel in tears.
Staring up at him, Noel sank to the floor, shaking. “Wh-what?”
“In class,” he said, voice equally terrifying as before. The bare bulb cast shadows over his face, and weakened sunlight attempted to fall through the gritty window. “Do you think that was funny?” he sounded genuinely angry.
“I don’t know what happened.” She said weakly “I don’t remember – everything just went white.”
Now he just looked troubled “You really did it by accident, you don’t remember anything?”
Noel shook her head, watching him carefully.
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose “Okay, it’s...okay. Are you okay?” he looked down at her; worry flashing through those oddly pale eyes.
“You’re scary.” She informed him.
Smiling tightly, he offered her his hand “Sorry Angel, I wasn’t trying.”
Accepting his hand, Noel felt the shivers she was pretty used to now crawl up her spine. The closer she got to Gabriel, the more violent the prickles became. “It’s okay.”
“C’mon, or Miss Cuckoo will have our heads.” There was much jeering when they came back to class, and Corrie looked very put out at the thought that Noel had betrayed her by going to the janitor’s closet with Gabriel.
“He was just checking up on me.” She whispered as the lesson started.
Corrie let out a sigh of relief “You nearly gave me a heart attack, Noel. First you practically have a stroke, and then go to the janitor’s closet with Gabriel Darcy! Don’t scare me like that.”
“Believe me,” said Noel quietly “I won’t.”
The maths incident was the soul of many jokes over the next few days, but by Friday most of it had passed, and so had the weird looks Noel had been receiving from everyone – well, almost everyone. Gabriel continued to watch her as carefully as before, especially when someone asked her a specific kind of question. She didn’t know what his problem was, but he was starting to creep her out.
Monday morning brought hope of a fresh start and being able to just blend into the background again, but all momentary hope was lost when Noel looked out her window to find snow covering the bare oak branches.
“Curses.” She muttered, grabbing her warmest socks and sweaters; she’d have to convince Mark to drive her, and her father was never pleased to disrupt his daily routine. As a bookstore owner he didn’t need to open up until ten thirty, so driving Noel to school at eight thirty was a chore he’d rather not partake in.
The morning only got worse when she put her contacts in backwards (twice) and mistook toothpaste for moisturizing cream.
Thumping down the stairs into the kitchen, (wearing her glasses and smelling oddly of mint) Noel dreaded informing her father of the alteration to his morning “Dad, I need you to drive me to school!” she called, grabbing her coat from the hook “I know you’ll be mad, but it’s dangerous and –Gabriel?” sliding into the kitchen, Noel was greeted by not only her parents, looking unusually chipper, but Gabriel, too.
Not only was he sitting her kitchen, but in her seat, and sipping tea from her mug.
Now, Noel wasn’t particular about a lot of things (ahem, lie) but she did not like germs. Germs were the worst, most disgusting things on earth and if someone’s bodily fluids touched her stuff then they would see no end of it. She didn’t like public restrooms, never drank from water fountains and was rather wary about pools and baths.
“Hey Angel,” he said, raising Noel’s mug to her in greeting “Top of the morning to you.”
She glared at him “That’s my mug.”
Bernie shot her daughter a stern look and poured more tea into Noel’s mug, sloshing it over the sides in her excitement “Oh hush Ellie, its fine.”
“Ah, no it’s not – that’s my mug. His saliva is on the rim of my mug.” She argued, still standing in the doorway, coat and boots in hand.
“It’s like kissing Ellie,” said her father absently, turning the page of the daily chronicle, not noticing the colour that rose to his daughters cheeks, or the sly grin Gabriel gave her.
Not returning his greetings or smiles, Noel sat on the floor to put on her boots “What are you doing in my kitchen?” she asked bluntly.
“Gabriel has offered to give you a ride to school!” Bernie chirped happily.
“Yes,” Mark piped up “Which means I don’t have to change out of my pyjamas yet.”
Flushing at the sight of her father’s rather ugly vibrant green boxer shorts and Willy Winkie night cap, Noel stood up “I can call Ned-”
“Ned has chess practice all this month Noel, remember?”
Realizing she had no other option than giving in to her parents (and apparently Gabriel's) wishes, Noel laced up her boots and stood up. “Fine. Get your salivated orifice off my mug and get a move on.”
Noel had to admit driving to school was a lot more comfortable than riding a bike. For one, there was a heater, which blasted hot air straight into Noel’s chilly hands. Second, you could listen to music and third – there was no danger of crashing and falling, because someone else was doing all the work.
“So, what’s your preference?” asked Gabriel as they waited for the car to heat up, trying to ignore Mark and Bernie’s faces pressed up against the window.
Noel looked down to see an iPod plugged into the stereo and was surprised “This model of car shouldn’t have a player like that.” She said, going over the rest of the electric equipment, including seat warmers “Actually, it shouldn’t have any of this.”
Gabriel smiled and pressed shuffle “I’m surprised you noticed. My friend Stephen, back in NY State, is a wiz with cars and anything mechanical.” He visibly brightened when talking about his friend “Hey, maybe you’ll meet him sometime.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Somehow Noel doubted it, and would have preferred if they could have ridden in silence, but Gabriel was insistent on asking her about every single thing in her life. The 12.7 minute ride was spent with Gabriel practically surgically removing answers from Noel on every aspect of her existence.
Why did she decide to become a vegetarian? Was she born in Aytonville? How long had she known Corrie and Ned? What was her kindergarten teacher like? What did she eat for breakfast? Who were her favourite musical groups? Did she like school?
The questions went on and on, and Noel found it hard to answer brusquely and swiftly. Gabriel was too good at this, and not once was she able to ask him anything about himself. She really didn’t know much about him, other than he was born in Toronto, his mother died of cancer, his grandmother of old age and had a friend named Stephen who was really good at fixing up old cars.
That’s a lot more than you know about most people said her conscience and you’ve known them since diapers.
But I do know those things about them she argued that’s small town living in a nutshell – everyone knows everything about each other. Plus, I don’t know anything other than that stuff besides his obsession with Harlequin romance novels.
Realizing Gabriel was waiting for answer and that talking to yourself was a sign of madness, Noel came back to reality – which was a warm car with heated seats, not to mention Gabriel. And who could forget Gabriel?
Not you her conscience sniggered he’s all you’ve been thinking about…
Noel frowned shut up she thought, before remembering that she wasn’t crazy. Not yet anyway.
A/N: One of my favourite lines:
"Get your salivated orifice off my mug and get a move on.”
Haha, Noel is just so...nerdy yet loveable.
Question: Uh, what is wrong with Noel and why did Gabriel go psycho? Thoughts my lovelies?
Your enthusiasm warms the cockles of my heart! You truly are the best.
Rose<3