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Iris
Caleb and Colt try to ruffle up my hair and, for the nth time, I move away from their hands. Yeti has already left towards the house as I entered the driveway.
"Stop it, dumbasses. Can't you see I am holding the lasagna?" I snap at them, showing them the aluminum-covered tray in my hands, but they both just laugh.
"Assholes," I grumble.
"Alright," Caleb rubs his hands, excitedly, and looks at Colt. "Let the games begin."
"If by games," Colt says in a dry tone. "You mean studies, I am sure I don't want them to begin."
"You asked me to help you for tomorrow's test," Caleb gives him a look as I glance between them, knowing how Colt's room is going to reek of beer by tomorrow morning and both will have a hangover.
"—which you have already studied. Can't you just—?" Colt waves his hands and I laugh a little.
"No," Caleb merely states. He turns to me, hugging me sideways. "Too bad you don't have the same class test like us. It would've been fun."
As much as Caleb, sometimes, scares me with his never-ending bodyguard personality, he is such a nerd. He loves to study and hopes we will too, one day. Colt and I know, for sure, that that one day is not coming any time soon.
"Only you, Cal, will find fun in that," I say, turning towards my home. "You both study hard—all the best!"
Caleb sticks out his tongue and I do it back before I enter my place and they both go to Colt's place.
"Something smells good—is that Aunt Stevie's Lasagna?"
"Yeah," I say. I give Daisy a grin as I enter the kitchen. Yeti has curled himself inside his small room, under the staircase, while Daisy is giving him his food.
"Mom and Dad called?"
"Yeah, they just reached Aunt's place."
"Hmm, something else?"
Daisy smiles. "Dad told me not to anything stupid and to tell you to not eat so much."
I shrug. "So, same old thing."
I keep the lasagna on the dinner table. I lean against the kitchen counter, noticing Daisy, as she rubs Yeti's mane. "Where's Percy?" I ask, straightforward.
She straightens up, looking at me. "He went back to his place," she answers.
"Went back or sent away?"
"We are friends."
"Friends who kiss each other?"
Looking at the surprise and the blush on Daisy's face, I smile, broadly. "Well?" I ask her, again.
"It was once," She waves it off, dismissing the topic. "It is...not going to happen ever again."
"Daisy?" She doesn't look at me, after keeping the pedigree box inside the cupboard. "What happened between you both?"
Daisy's blue-grey eyes flash with disapproval when she turns to me and, for the first time, I feel that she is my elder sister. "You and Noah planned it, didn't you?" She asks me.
I cross my arms over my chest. "Have you seen yourself Daisy? Every time you come here—something makes you go sooner and I know—I know it is because this town reminds you of Percy and what you both had."
"I got over him, Iris!" Daisy says, waving her hands in the air. "I don't—I don't lo—"
She pauses, looking away. She can't say it or even lie about it and we, both, know that. But her speechless expression makes me realize I pushed her way too far.
I sigh, moving towards her. I hug her and say, "Sorry, I pushed you afar—I should not have done it."
"It is okay," Daisy says, quietly, as she hugs me back. "You want me to be happy—" We pull back and she says to me, "—but give me some time. I have a feeling this week might be something."
"Sorry, again."
"Stop saying that."
"Okay."
We both share a smile before her eyes slide to the lasagna. I laugh, knowing what she is thinking. "Patience," I tell her. "By the way, I am going to change—wearing a dress is kinda weird."
She says back, "It suits you, Iris—and I am not the only one who likes it on you."
"Ya, Alyssa gave me—"
"Not Alyssa."
I raise an eyebrow at her but she just laughs, saying, "There are a lot of ways where I think you are the eldest, the rest is still where I am the eldest—save for the age."
"Okay." I start walking towards the stairs when the doorbell rings.
Daisy pokes her head into the hallway and looks at me. "You are closer," She says and goes inside.
"You forgot responsible," I grumble, eight seconds before I proceed to open the door. I stand frozen as I see who rang the bell.
Do you ever have those moments when you don't study a subject and realize you have a test in that subject the next day? Or that you think that something will never happen only to happen sometime later?
This is one of those moments for me.
Thomas rubs his face, leaning on the door frame by his elbow. He is wearing a plaid buttoned-up shirt with jeans and sneakers. His blond hair is disheveled in all the direction.
"Thomas?" I say, frozen on my step, as I look at him.
Hearing my voice, he looks at me and, slowly, stands straight. I look at Thomas as he stands on the porch. We both stare at each other, unable to say anything. Fifteen seconds later, he turns away, first, but I still stare at him.
"I... I didn't know you will open it, actually," He, finally, says.
I bite down a scoff as I reply, crossing my arms, "You rang the bell. Someone had to open it."
"Right..." He nods, looking down on the wooden porch.
Taking a deep breath, I ask him, "What are you doing here, Thomas?"
"Honestly, I don't know what am I doing here. I just drove and before I knew it, I am ringing the doorbell." He shrugs his shoulders and, now, I notice his bloodshot blue eyes.
"Is everything all right?" I ask him. He lets out a shaky breath.
Could be faking, Iris. Faking.
"Yeah, I... I..." He fumbles for words and I can't help but be concerned. "Can I talk to you?"
No.
"Ya. Yeah, sure." We both sit on the steps, silently.
"M—my mom..." He rubs his eyes. "She got into a car accident."
I just look at him, shocked and trying to process the information, as he continues, "She was driving back home from her shop and some drunk asshole crossed the yellow light and crashed into the car."
After a beat, I let out a breath and ask him, "Is Mrs. Scott fine?"
"No. Yes. I don't know, Iris. I have no idea. She is in a coma, for all I know. I left the hospital a while ago. I just couldn't wait there." He looks at me as new tears well up in his eyes. "She is my mom. Dad's there but he looks so broken and hopeless." His voice cracks a bit.
"Where's Sia? Is she okay?" I ask him about his sister.
He nods. "Yeah. She is at her friend's house. She doesn't know. I don't know if I can tell her." He breathes out as he looks away. "I am sorry that I am bothering you with all this. I didn't want this to be our first talk after we... broke up..."
And, there's the word.
"Thomas, it's okay. I... I understand. Your family needs you, right now. I think you should be in the hospital because when she wakes, she would want to see you and Sia."
He looks at me; an undecipherable look on his face. "I think I know why I came here of all the places. You are the one I trust the most, Iris. No one would like to talk to their ex after what—"
I cut him off. "It doesn't matter, now."
Liar, Liar.
He has a sad smile on his face. "Eight months and still, you are a bad liar, Wei—Iris. Iris."
I look at him, knowing what he was going to call me, and he looks back at me as all the old memories surge into my brain.
He puts his hand on mine and I don't know why I don't remove mine from his—it is weird, not feeling anything yet something for this moment. I don't let it show up on my face.
He leans down and starts to say, "Iris, I—"
A too familiar rumbling of engine stops him and I turn towards the sound.
Noah gets his bike into the driveway. I know his scrutinizing gaze under the black helmet is on us—specifically on Thomas. As he parks the bike and gets off of it in one swift move, Thomas turns towards me in question.
"Scott," Noah says in a way of greeting as he takes out his helmet. "Fancy seeing you here," He glances between Thomas and me and now, looks at our hands.
I try to take it off from him but Thomas holds on, looking at Noah, with a straight face. He answers, "I can say the same thing about you, Radcliffe."
Noah clenches his jaw, looking back at Thomas with blank resentment.
The air feels too stiff—I swear I want to run away as the tension is increasing slowly and cautiously. One part of my mind knows Colt's house is just a few houses across mine and my place can be seen easily from Colt's window.
If either of them sees—
I have to do something—anything.
I take out my hand from Thomas's grip and he looks at me. I don't look back at him as I say, firmly, "I will meet you in school, Thomas. Your mom—"
"You can say you don't want me, here, you know."
My eyes snap towards Thomas, who smiles as he stands up and goes towards his car. Before going away, he sends a glare towards Noah, who has a very casual posture but the tightness in his face...
When he has gone, Noah turns to me, finding me looking at him, already. "Did he—?"
"No," I shake my head, getting up from my place. "No, he didn't do anything," I answer him, getting inside the house.
Noah is beside me in just a few seconds. "I know it is none of my—"
"No, it is not," I say, firmly, as I feel a lot of contrasting emotions altogether—all except regret.
"Bella—"
I don't listen to him as I run towards my room.
***
There is a knock on the door—twice.
Books are laid across the bed, and music is being played on from my stereo. I am trying to complete a physics problem. I am just staring at it and hoping it gets solved on its own.
I have already changed to bicycle shorts and an oversized grey sweatshirt (ah, the peace and comfort in this).
"You can come in, Noah," I say.
"How did you know it was me?" I hear him ask as the door opens.
I don't look up at his face as I reply, "My sister doesn't knock—she invades my room like it is hers. Even Yeti pushes open without doing anything but he is allowed to do that."
"It just seemed..." He starts to say but stops when I look at him—no, I look at the two plates of lasagna he is holding. The smell attracts me like a fly to its—okay, Imma stop the thought right here.
"The smell's strong," He inputs in and I look at him. The emotion in those amber eyes rattles me; the same I had seen when he pushed me away from getting hit with a soccer ball.
He is worried.
It is like it is Nutella spread all over the bread. In this case, his face.
I laugh at the thought. Noah stops and looks at me, confused.
"You are laughing," He, merely, states.
I say to him, "I just compared your face to a bread in my brain—it's funny."
"I will assure you," He says, putting one plate, in front of me and sitting across me on the bed. "that I certainly do not look like bread."
"I said your face looks like it."
"Same difference but not the truth. I can walk shirtless every day and share the glory of my body but I don't want this sexy to be a sin."
I blink at his words, before saying, "Are you seriously that self-obsessed? That's just downright shameful."
"I am just being honest and last time I checked, being honest isn't shameful."
"A friendly advice? Don't drown when you see your image in the water, Narcissus."
He tsks. "I ain't Narcissus, Bella. I am Noah and also known as the Adonis."
I laugh, loudly. The sides of Noah's lips curl up. Not a smile, though.
I put aside all my books and take the plate. "Where's Daisy?" I ask him.
"Downstairs," He replies, looking at me. "Probably, talking to someone."
"Is it—oh my god, this is so good," I hum, pointing down at my plate. "This is the reason I love Italian cuisine."
"Then, you would like my Nona's cooking," He says to me, smiling a bit, as he eats too. "I learned cooking from her—some from my Mum, too."
I grin at him. "Then, I have no doubt I would love whatever she makes."
He smiles at me but it, slowly, fades as he asks, "Want to talk about Thomas and you?"
I avert my gaze from him, looking down at the plate. "He just came because he had an emergency—he said he didn't know why he came here and then, said that it might be because he trusts me."
The only sound in my room is of the soft music from my stereo and clanking of the fork against the plates.
"I...I felt a lot of emotions at once after he left," I confess, putting away the plate as I have eaten. "Mainly, I was angry—angry at the fact that he had the decency to come here and say that he trusts me when...all the trust between us has vanished."
Now, I hear Noah say in a low voice, "He still cares about you."
"No, he doesn't." My answer is fast with certainty. I sigh, looking away. "Give me your plate."
"What?"
Noah and I look at each other for a second—but just for a second, I feel something...foreign. Is it possible to even feel something like that?
Steading my voice, I say, "I need to put back the dishes in the kitchen and clean them." I pause and look at Noah, again. "What did you say to Daisy for your stay here?"
Slowly, he smirks. "I told her you invited me for a movie marathon."
"Liar, liar, pants on fire," I say to him, rolling my eyes. "But that's a good idea. We do have some time before sleeping. Wait," I get up from my bed and go to my closet. "Take these—" I throw a pair of my oversized track pants and a NASA sweatshirt which I think will fit him.
He catches them, swiftly, and gives me a look. I sigh and say, "Change into these, jeans and that shirt don't seem good for a movie marathon."
He looks down at the clothes and I don't let him say anything.
"And, I will be back in a minute and a half." I take mine and his empty plates and tell him, wiggling my finger, "No snooping around my room."
Noah smirks, looking around my room. "I am not sure I can...with all this mess."
"You can handle me well enough."
His smirk falls and he looks serious. "I wouldn't call you a mess."
"Then, what would you?"
With that, I leave the room, not waiting for a reply—or the lack of it.
***
It takes me more than a minute and a half to come back to my room. Only because Daisy wants to go to a party but doesn't want to leave me alone and tries to convince me to get Noah and come with her.
I say no.
Just no; parties are not my field of expertise and also, I have seen things happen which I don't want to see ever again.
When I open the door to my room, I find Noah looking at the—
"I told you no snooping!" I say, going towards him and closing his eyes. He smirks but doesn't remove my hands.
I take this as the time to look at him and... just damn. Everything fits perfectly on him, even though the track pants seem more like trousers for him.
"Bella as Belle?" He muses and I snap my attention towards him. "Quite a coincidence."
"Sh—shut up"
I turn to glare at the picture. The picture he is talking about is of six-year-old me, wearing a golden yellow gown, on Halloween. I was Belle of The Beauty and The Beast.
"You are blushing."
"Am not!" I pause, touching my cheeks with my other hand. "Okay, fine, I am."
He chuckles but I don't remove my hand. "Bella, I didn't know you were into this kink."
"Oh my god."
Immediately, I remove my hands from his eyes and go back to my bed without looking at him. I can hear him laughing and it takes everything in me to not throw pillows at him.
But, trust me, that day is coming soon.
Grumbling about stupids and idiots, I keep my books on the table and I get my laptop. I look at him only to find him looking back at me as if trying to analyze my movements.
"What? Do you not want to have a movie night?" I ask him, sitting on the bed, and shifting a bit to give him space.
He eyes space I left for him and raises his eyebrows. "Besides you?"
"Yeah, duh." He hesitates and I look at him, questioningly. "Are...you uncomfortable with me?" He narrows his eyes at me as I can't keep the amusement away from my tone.
"I will let you know that Bella, I am not uncomfortable," He says and proceeds to walk towards the bed.
Then, it strikes me.
My bed is so specifically for me which means...
I keep my concentration on my laptop as the bed dips beside me. The growing warmth in me spreads like wildfire as my heart beating so fast.
I let my hair be the curtain to hide my flustered face as Noah's arm brushes with mine. I feel like being on a hot pan with—
I swear I am obsessed with the food analogy.
"So," I draw out and Noah jumps a bit with surprise. "Which movie do you wanna see?"
"Anything is okay," he replies, shrugging and settling on the bed, after keeping a minimum space between us.
"Marv—"
"Not any one of those."
I look up at his face and make a face. "I don't like you, Noah Stupid Radcliffe."
He looks down at me with a small smirk. "It is Arthur," He says to me but I look at him, confused. "It is Noah Arthur Radcliffe."
I just keep on blinking, dazed. Dazed at how his English accent came out just a second ago.
"Oh okay," I say, turning towards the laptop. "We are gonna have an Avengers marathon."
"Bella," He groans.
I give him a grin. "Arthur." I pause. "You know what? I will call you Arthur from now on. It somehow suits you more."
He opens his mouth to protest but he settles on: "Okay"
Within seconds, I start the first movie, keeping the laptop on the pillow on my right leg and his left one.
"I don't actually like the first one, to be honest," I say to him. "I don't know why but I don't. It was the second one that I kind of like."
"You didn't want me to see the pictures?" He asks, suddenly, and I look at him, shocked. He is serious when he, slowly, lifts his gaze from the laptop to mine. "Why?"
"No, I don't want you to tease me for it," I reply, gulping at the intensity in his eyes.
"I would not tease you for that," Then, a small smile appears. "Maybe for some other things like how pink your cheeks are right now."
I look away. "Oh goodness, shut up."
"You... looked cute in that."
I glance at him and give him a look.
"Me in a gown and my old long hair was done in a bun, making a bored expression as Dad clicks my picture. Yeah, cute." I scoff out.
He shakes his head for a second and asks, "What's the story, though?"
"Halloween. I wanted to go to school as—"
"Kim Possible," Noah states, amused. "You are obsessed."
"Shut up," I grumble. "Any-hoo, some idiot had taken it away and Belle was the only costume I had of my size. I don't remember how but Grandpa..." I pause as I remember something else.
Two days, twenty-one hours, fifty-five minutes and six seconds... and counting...
"Bella?" My eyes meet his as he asks, again, "You fine?"
"Um, wha... oh, ya, I am fine." I blink, coming back to the topic. "Yeah, so, he and Daisy convinced me to wear it and Mom and Aunt Gabriella did all the makeup. All this time, I was just scowling while Dad was filming this. To worsen it all, there was a Beast in my class, too."
"Who was the Beast?" Noah asks, suddenly.
"Cedric Hunter."
"Casanova Cedric? The one who submitted his first time as an essay for the memorable event?" he asks, eyebrows raised.
"Thus, the name. You know what the worst part was? My dumb classmates and the teacher made us dance and he stepped on my foot. Idiot. I have never murdered anyone else so bad through my eyes."
"I am not surprised to hear that," He says, chuckling, but then, his eyes meet mine again.
I say to him, "Noah, you didn't tell me the reason."
He sighs as he runs his fingers through his hair. "I thought you forgot." He says, looking at me. "I wanted to get away. He is at home and..."
He again runs his fingers through his hair.
"Your...dad?"
"He isn't my dad, Bella. He is just the biological father. He doesn't deserve that tag from me." He says, quietly, though I can feel the anger in him. I turn a bit to look at him as he looks at me.
"You don't share a good relationship with him?"
"Have you ever come across some person who puts so much pressure on you just because the person needs to keep up his reputation? A person so selfish that he only thinks about himself and not about the needs and welfare of his kins? Heck, he doesn't even know about my life."
He clenches his jaw and looks away.
He takes a deep breath and says, "He wants me to be someone I can't be, Bella, and apparently, not being that person is a disgrace to our family and its business."
He scoffs, leaning against the headboard. "Fuck, I know I have done things to anger him off and to see that prideful smile falter."
"Why, exactly?"
"To be honest?" He glances at me, tilting his face. "I don't like him, Bella, especially the shitty attitude he holds."
"Did you try talking to him? Tell him what you think?" I shrug. "Maybe he will—"
"I tried. I fucking tried when I was younger but he wouldn't give a shit. Now, if I just talk to him... I don't want to disturb the younger ones with any fight."
The color of his eyes has changed again to that ugly shade but the worst is the broken feeling I can see in it.
The walls, I always notice he puts up, trying to conceal his true self from the prying eyes. The smirk and the cocky attitude are just a mask for a broken and lonely person within. For the first time, I feel a sense of similarity between us – the feeling of losing someone you loved.
"I... I don't know what to say, Noah," I tell him, breaking our silence of thirty-eight seconds.
"Just don't apologize," He tells me and I know what he means.
"I won't because I know how shitty it feels to hear someone say sorry for something—"
"—they never felt but only, feel pity for."
"Yeah, exactly." I look at him as he looks back at me when I lift myself to hug him but stop when my laptop—
"Shit!"
"I caught it," Noah assures me, holding my laptop in his hand. He gives me an amused expression and I can't help but laugh a little.
"Hold it a little longer," I say to him.
"What do you—oh"
I hug him. He tenses on my touch but, slowly, he wraps his other arm around my waist and relaxes. He smells like lemons with a woody touch as I put my head just on the crook of his neck.
"Arthur, if you ever need a hug, tell me," I whisper to him.
Noah turns his head to me and I see him, looking down at me. He replies, "I will."
I look across his face.
Long chocolate hair strands fall upon his forehead, trying to hide the faint scar. The light freckles on his olive skin just on his nose. His slightly longer eyelashes and damn, the rare pair of amber eyes. Slowly, my gaze slide from his sharp yet crooked nose to the naturally rouge-tinted lips, just when I notice a small hole near in the corner.
"Did you have a—"
The door opens. "I chose this sequin dress and I look—oh my—"
Noah and I spring apart, looking away from each other. Then, the weight beside me decreases and I look as Noah gets up from the bed.
He clears his throat and looks at me. "I will—"
I say, rapidly, "Yeah—it is the first room after you turn left from here."
He nods and goes but not before saying, "Good night, Bella."
"Night, Arthur."
He chuckles, going out of my room.
Daisy leans on the doorframe and says, looking at me, "Do I want to know?"
"Shut up."
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