The Boy Next Door

15 - Are you proud?

"Your dad gave you a horse for your 12th birthday?!" Noah exclaimed, the next morning at school.

"An actual fucking horse," he added.

"Stop making it a bigger deal than it is," I said.

"You know what I got for my 12th," he said. "20 bucks and half a painkiller."

"Best part is, I had to use the 20 bucks the next day to take my mom to the hospital cause she overdozed," He said.

"What?!, are you joking," I asked, looking at him.

"What, you've never had your mom pass out on the couch with 7 bottles of bear and white foam around her mouth," He said casually.

"Noah, WHAT,"

"I'm joking," He laughed. "About the foam, she really did overdose though," He said.

"And??"

"And, I took her to the doctor, he fixed her up, told her to quit drinking," He said.

"Anyway," He changed the topic.

Bro????

Wow.

"At the party on friday," He started.

Please don't be about Cole, Please don't be about Cole.

"One of my friends said that he thinks you're cute," He said. "His name is Jermiah, hes kind of dick but I feel like maybe he'd be a nice boyfriend," He said.

"Actually nevermind, he's a little weird," He mumbled, and I laughed.

"I'm not really looking to date anyone," I sighed.

"WHY NOT," Bella chirped from beside me.

"Oh hi," I smiled, "I don't know," I said.

"There's so much that's changed recently, I don't want to deal with...thinking about whether or not I like someone and then worrying about if they like me or not and, getting to know them and making time for them." I said.

"Yeah that's valid bay-bee," Bella said. "You know what else is valid," She smiled.

"This 25 dollar gift card to get our nails done,"

"What, where'd you get it," I said with interest.

"My mom gave it to me," She said, "I maxed out my credit card two months ago. My mom got really mad and cut off my allowance. She thinks I haven't bought anytbing for a month and a half so she felt bad for yelling at me and gave me this," She squealed.

"Care to join me today evening?" She said.

"I would, but I have to..uhm...you know, go help at the kitchen or whatever," I said.

"Told you you were in denial," Noah said,

"I still am," I complained. "I'm gonna walk in there and say that I will give them my kidney. Hey what if I ask-

I stopped my sentence mid way. I was gonna say, 'what if I asked my dad to talk to principal Whitlaw'. I realized how bitchy that sounded half way through so decided to shutup.

"Hmm?" Noah hummed.

"Nothing," I sighed. "I'm gonna get to class," I said, "I'll see you guys at lunch?"

"Yessir," Noah looked up from his phone.

"See you," Bella smiled.

****

"Excuse me?!" I gasped.

Cole chuckled.

"Sweetie this ain't gon' be easy for you if ya gonna work here with that attitude," Maggie said.