My last period of the school day was RE, a lesson I had with all of my friends. Walking out of my music class, which was modest in its intake, I put on a brave face. I was easily affected by cold comments like Zoey's.
When I arrived at RE, my friends were already seated. I set my bag down onto the table, attracting their attention.
"Hey," Alex said softly, "how was music?" She asked.
I shrugged, sitting down. "Same old, really," I replied, taking my books out of my bag.
"If it helps," Noah began, who was sat directly opposite me on the table in front. "I find you insanely hot." Caleb, who was seated beside Noah, made a noise of disapproval.
"What?" Noah asked in defence, "it's the truth!" I shook my head at him, scrawling the date down at the top of my page. "How would you word it then?" Noah queried, causing me to focus on the pair once more.
I watched as Caleb stared at me, cheeks suddenly flushing.
"Alright," Hailey said from behind us, "we already know—Isobel is the prettiest girl Caleb has ever seen." Alex spun around to laugh with Hailey before bumping me. I paid them no attention and simply stared at Caleb with my lips parted. I could always read Caleb, but this time it was different. Maybe that's what he did think, but I knew it couldn't be true.
I didn't get to find out since the lesson shortly commenced.
Eventually, the teacher set us off on an independent task but, since it was last period, everyone pretty much just chattered.
"So, Reagan's party," Noah announced, sweeping his hair back, "you going?" He challenged Alex first, and then around the rest of my friends. His eyes eventually landed on me. Having received a positive response from all three, it shocked him when I began to look uncertain.
"Why not?" Alex inquired, halting her illustration on the back of my hand.
I shrugged. "I don't know," I said, "I'm not sure,"
"This isn't about the Zoey thing, is it?" It kind of was, but I didn't want to admit it.
I felt as Hailey reached over and laid a hand on my shoulder, "I'm really sorry about that, by the way,"
I shook my head, "It's fine; it's not your fault." I assured her.
"But it's not true," Alex contended, "not any of it."
I nodded. "I know," I said, sighing, "but no one else does,"
Noah scoffed. "You're the most frigid thing since the Berlin Wall, I think everyone knows," Alex scowled at Noah, who shrugged in response, whilst I considered that comparison.
"It'll be fine," Caleb spoke abruptly, "we'll all be there with you."
I contemplated this, and the sincere light in Caleb's eyes made me cave.
I exhaled, "Fine." I replied, hearing Alex squeal.
"You won't regret it." She said, adding petals to her flower doodle on my hand.
I met Liam's eyes across the room for a fleeting moment but glanced away swiftly, startled. "I might."
When the school day was over, Noah accompanied me to my locker. "Caleb left rather fast, thought for a second he'd fancy you on his lap."
I groaned. "You never stop being R-rated, do you?"
He smirked, "It's what you love about me."
"Hey, Thorne, you giving out pictures?" I whirled around, spotting Ray Renton and his friends howling with hilarity as they leaned against their lockers.
My eyes grew blurry and I sighed, beginning to turn. When Noah lingered, I frowned, glancing over my shoulder to notice him clenching his fists.
"Oh, come on, Thorne, what's the cost of one of them anyway? Probably 20 pence for what you've got to offer."
I gritted my teeth, feeling the tears well up. I shook it away, placing a hand on Noah's arm. "Come on," I said, "just leave it."
But he didn't. He stormed right up to them.
"Okay, Noah, you wanna talk to us now, huh?"
Noah hurled Ray into the lockers and I started. I didn't catch what he murmured into Ray's ear since it was extremely low, but I watched as he blanched.
When he was finished, Noah moved aside and strolled back over to me, but not before I felt an impression on my shoulder.
I jolted away, spinning around to see that it was Caleb.
He gawked, disoriented. "What happened?" He questioned, glancing between me and Noah, "I've been waiting outside for a little while."
Though when he noticed my face begin to crumple, he seemed to forget all about the waiting.
"Noah?" He asked, prompting the boy.
"Come on," Noah spoke, weaving an arm around me, "we'll discuss it outside."
Once outside the school, we rested down on a stone wall not too far from the school entrance, and Noah grazed my arm soothingly as I rested my head on his shoulder.
"He said that?" Caleb demanded, sounding angry.
"No," Noah replied, "they all said that," he sighed, shifting my hair back, "Zoey did a number on you, Iz."
I agreed, feeling content in his side embrace. Caleb jumped off the wall suddenly.
"What are you doing?" Noah ordered, straightening. Caleb just watched me, eyes concerned and outraged at the same time. "Hey," Noah said, "I've handled it."
Caleb and I seemed to meet gazes at the same time, and I instinctively leaned away from Noah and outstretched my arms towards him. He smiled and shifted closer so that he could embrace me.
"Thank you, nevertheless," I whispered in his ear. Hugs from Caleb had forever been my favourite thing, and from Alex's rapport in year nine, she had discovered that he thought the same.
While we pulled away, I glimpsed over at Noah, "thank you both," I said, seeing his scowl.
Noah beamed over at me, and I leaned over to kiss his cheek. With that, I leapt off the wall, waving at Noah over my shoulder as I began to wander away.
"We'll see you tomorrow, Noah," I said before I turned and walked away.
On the bus to my house, Caleb offered an earphone-splitter to me, knowing that my phone was out of charge. I accepted appreciatively, and we listened to songs that Caleb had selected on Spotify. Most were some of my favourites, but a few were his.
When we got to my house, my mum welcomed Caleb warmly, persuading him to talk with her in the living room whilst I packed a bag for the night.
I chuckled at her persistence as I stepped up the stairs, stopping at a cupboard to pull out the largest bag I could locate.
As I was packing, I heard one of my floorboards creak, and turned to see my older sister standing at my door.
"You staying 'round Caleb's?" She asked, and I shifted to see her adjusting her messy bun, full of auburn hair, as she rose an eyebrow at me. My sister and I didn't quite look alike. I was constantly saying that she and our older brother received all the good genes. I was the youngest, unfortunately, with Daniel being 23, Rosie being 19 and me 16.
I nodded at her and she folded her arms over her chest. "Don't start," I warned her.
She sighed, wandering into my room and resting on my bed. "I'm simply looking out for my little sister." She returned, passing me my lip balm.
Thanking her, I said, "I'm not so little anymore." It was a common theme that my entire family sought to cocoon me; it was no wonder that I was terrified to tell anyone about me and my dreams—I couldn't disappoint them.
"It's all the same." She countered, beaming at me when I looked up at her. She frowned at the bag I had selected, "Do you want to borrow my black bag?" She suggested, surprising me—she must be in a good mood.
"No," I said, before smirking, "but I do want to borrow your Marc Jacobs perfume," I said, shrugging when she shot me a look.
"Fair enough," she said, arising from my bed, "I know it's all to impress Caleb." I flushed instantly, and she giggled as she walked down the hallway.
When she reappeared, I opened my mouth to dispute her claim, but she held up a finger to me. "If you want this, you say nothing," I rolled my eyes but let it go, taking the perfume and slipping it into the bag carefully. "And no funny business," she stated sternly.
I pulled a face, zipping up the bag. "Caleb isn't like that," I objected.
"No," she replied, and I glanced up to see her appearing thoughtful, "he's a good one," she said, causing me to smile. "Noah, however.."
"We won't talk about Noah," I interrupted immediately, making her chuckle.
"Why are you blushing?"
I frowned. "What?"
She laughed at my expression, before shrugging and swinging around.
"See you tomorrow after school, I'm picking you up," with that, she disappeared. I was too in shock to thank her for offering to pick me up. Blushing? About...Noah?
I shook my head quickly, dismissing it and slinging my bag over my shoulder. Here goes. Let's just hope my best friend doesn't disown me when he realises that I don't dream. Not at all, and not ever.
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hi and welcome to my first late upstate in this book :)
honestly yesterday was such a trash day I was so tired and moody : /
today I cleaned some of my room and worked out ;)
then decided I deserved this in ur lockdown xx
enjoy
-even u, corona #wedontdiscriminate
FABULOUS SONGS
Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
I Lied to You - Janet Devlin
Praying - Kesha
Wanna Know - Sabrina Claudio
Oh Woman Oh Man - London Grammar
Scar - Foxes
Dangerous - Glades
Leave My Body - Florence + The Machine
Nomad - Fleurie
Scripted - ZAYN
Lilo - Lauren Aquilina
My Medicine - The Pretty Reckless
Frozen - Sabrina Claudio
END OF FABULOUS SONGS
Date written:
27/12/18
28/12/18
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Next update: Friday :)
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CHAPTER FOUR SPOILER:
Isobel steps into a dangerous zone.
With her dreams still not existing, how will the night at Caleb's pan out?
🌙