Baby Daddies

Chapter Nineteen: BS and P

“No stakeout is completely without donuts,” Paul said, sliding the small box towards Noah.  While he waited for the other boy to take one out, Paul zipped his jacket up and lifted the binoculars to his eyes.  From the roof of the school, it was easy to see everyone entering the parking lots.  Thanks to Naomi’s idea, they had the best seats in the house.  Noah tried resisting but ultimately gave into the temptation of pastries.  He removed a glazed donut from the box and took a bite, looking through his own binoculars.  If or when they saw a Prius, they would mark it down in their notebook.

The plan was that they would use their free time during lunch and skip last period to go looking through the parking lot for the cars they marked down.  It seemed like a long shot, but they had to at least try it.  They had until Friday to get their baby back.  Five days, today included.  It wasn’t nearly enough time.  The idea of turning up to class on Friday without the baby scared even Noah.  He would never admit that, though.  He wanted to seem determined.  If both he and Cole were frantic, nothing would get done.  He took another bite of his donut.

“We’ve got a Prius pulling through the main entrance,” said Paul.  He blindly reached for the notebook and pencil, not wanting to lose sight of the vehicle.  Noah helped by putting the supplies in his hand.  He also followed the car.  The silver Prius pulled into a parking spot by the gymnasium entrance.  Out climbed a timid-looking guy who had to be a sophomore.  Neither Paul nor Noah had seen him in any of their classes before.

“Probably not our guy, but mark him down anyways.  You never know, I might have pissed him off in the past,” Noah instructed.  Paul began scribbling down where he had parked.  He turned and said,

“I don’t really think you’re a bad guy.”

“Don’t I feel special,” he said sarcastically.  Paul sighed and reached into the box again.

“Cole likes you, you know.”

“Bullshit.  He deals with me because we have to.  But only for five more days.  Then we can go our separate ways.  We’ll graduate and never have to speak to each other again.”

“You really think he hates you as much as he lets on?”  Noah glanced at the boy and snorted.

“Of course I do.”

“If you really knew Cole, you’d know he was only putting on act.  I think you’re putting on an act as well.  Whether you believe it or not, you’re more similar than you think.”

“Look, Dr. Phil, can we just get on with this stakeout peacefully?  I don’t need to argue with you as well.  You’re the only one out of the three of you that I actually enjoy being around.”  Paul shrugged and returned his focus to the cars pulling into the parking lot below.  The idea had already been planted, though.  It hadn’t occurred to Noah that Cole might be putting on a show as well.  He knew that he was acting, but Cole?  The guy had always seemed like an open book.  An emotional, overdramatic book that was constantly changing its plot.  Constantly making things more difficult, digging a deeper hole.

Noah didn’t want to think about that.  He wanted Cole to be the big, bad villain that trumped and stomped on everything and anything.  It made him feel better to think that Cole hurt everyone like he’d hurt him.  He didn’t feel so alone if he believed that he was the only one Cole used.  He took a breath and finished off his food.  Noah peered through the binoculars once more, ready to mark down any more Prii.

Parenting class had been as tense as ever.  Cole wanted desperately to see if Noah had found anything out but was too afraid to whisper during the lesson.  He knew the boy didn’t want to talk to him in private, let alone in a classroom setting.  When Ms. Baxter had finished her lesson and allowed everyone to chat for the last ten minutes, Noah slipped his headphones in and turned on the music.  Cole tapped his pencil uncomfortably, left without anything to do.  He checked his usual social media sites on his phone but that took no time at all.