When Words Fail, Music Speaks.

Chapter 22: You can't sit with us

It's now lunch and we are sat at our normal spot at lunch, under an oak tree through the double doors, next to the canteen. I haven't told them about Noah. I'm waiting for the right moment.

"Hey, my parents are going out tonight," Alice exclaims. "Do you guys wanna come over after school?"

Aidan and Nicole say yes immediately but I stay quiet.

"Olivia?" Alice asks, confused.

"I can't." I bite my lip looking down.

"What? You need to come!" Nicole exclaims.

"I need to tutor someone after school." I say avoiding their gaze, careful not to use the name.

"Oh. Okay." Alice says looking down, disappointed.

"So why were you late?" I ask Nicole and Alice and Aidan nod, wanting to know also. Phew, I changed the subject.

"My brother was being a prick and hid my hair straighteners." She says casually poping crisps in her open mouth. "So I threatened to rip his action figure if he didn't give them back. Stupid douche."

We all laugh. Nicole and her brother Jack are always fighting. He being only ten, Nicole always wins but he's still persistent to annoy her.

"Speaking of stupid douches, here comes one now..." She says and jerks her head behind me.

To my surprise I see Noah coming up to our table looking nervous. My mouth drops open. Oh no. This is not good.

"Hi." He says awkwardly and puts his lunch down next to me-opposite Aidan who has his teeth clenched in anger.

"Excuse me, You can't sit with us." Nicole sneers at him and makes us laugh at the mean girls quote. Noah furrows his eyebrows confused so Nicole says: "Don't fancy sitting with your friends?"

"They aren't my friends." Noah states. "They never were. I was just too dumb to realise."

"Damn straight you were." Aidan mumbles but Noah doesn't hear and carries on.

"So can I? You know, sit with you guys." He stumbles nervously. His ears turn pink.

"Of course!" Alice chirps. My eyes widen and Aidan and Nicole glare at her. "What? I felt sorry for the guy!"

Noah sits his lunch down smiling but it drops to a frown when he finally notices Aidan's tense figure opposite him. "You alright, man?"

"Of course I'm not fucking alright!" Aidan spits banging his fist on the table making me flinch. "You think you can saunter over here like the past four weeks never happened!"

"I apologised to Olivia dude! What's your problem?" Noah says surprised but it makes it worse.

"What's my problem? What your problem? Did our five years of friendship mean anything to you?" Aidan shouts and the canteen starts to quiet down watching the scene.

"Of course it meant something!" Noah says still confused as ever. "But I apologised to Olivia!"

"Yeah, well. You never apologised to me." Aidan shouts and Noah looks taken back. After clenching and unclenching his fists several times he storms out. Noah starts to go after him but I grab his arm.

"I'll go." He looks like he'll protest but I run out before he can get a word in.

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I find Aidan eventually sat in a deserted corners of school, his head in his hands.

"Hey." I say quietly as I sit down beside him but not too close, knowing he needs his space right now.