My Life as June

Chapter 10: Road Trip

❝The greatest part of a road trip
isn't arriving at your destination,
it's all the
wild stuff that happens
along the way.❞

Noah's fingers halt to a stop when he grows red with what seems like either anger or embarrassment.

I follow him as he strides down the wooden stairs, sporting my dad's grey shirt. I don't dare utter a word for I know well enough to never poke a bear with a stick.  I learned that lesson the hard way.  Let's just say that camping trip with my family didn't turn out the way we hoped it would.

I find him sitting at the kitchen counter eating a bowl of what looks like cereal. Oh, that better not be my Lucky Charms.

I take deep breaths as I walk downstairs, relishing the sugary, sweet scent of Lucky Charms.

How dare he storm out on me like that and then eat my food? If it were any other day, I'd give Noah a lecture on my rules about food, but I don't want to anger him anymore.

I take a seat next to him and I notice the briuse on his face which has darkened since last night. The cut is starting to heal, but he still doesn't look so well. I really owe him one for what he did last night. If he hadn't been there at that time, something appalling could've happened. I shudder at the thought.  It was a good thing, too, that Lucas showed up before things got ugly.

I fiddle with my fingers, trying to act casual, "Did my parents already leave for work?" I ask him, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah, they left a little while ago," he says. "They didn't question me about the cut or bruise or anything, but they definitely saw it. They were eyeing me kind of oddly and I'm pretty sure they wanted to say something, but sought against it." I nod and continue sitting in silence, "Are you just gonna sit there, or are you gonna eat some food?" Noah asks impatiently.

"Hm? Oh-uh- yeah," I stutter, reaching for the box of Lucky Charms on the counter. I take it and grab a bowl from the cupboard. I try pouring the little drops of heaven into my bowl, but when nothing comes out, I get confused and angry at the same time. I get confangry. Add a little bit of hunger and I get confungry.

"Noah Violet Scott," I say through gritted teeth. I turn to Noah, who's busy eating the last of my cereal.

"Violet? What? That- that's not my middle name," he says.

"I don't care what your middle name is. You know what I do care about though?"

"Uh, I don't kn-"

"My Lucky Charms!" I half yell. "Did you eat the last of my Lucky Charms?"

He freezes and drops the spoon into his bowl. Swallowing the cereal, he says: "Oh shit." Oh shit is right. He should know better than to eat my cereal, besides, he has breakfast at my house almost everyday.

I cross my arms, "No, you know what you can do to make it up and to me, though?" I grin at the thought that pops into my head.

"Before you say anything else, I am not buying you a motorcycle. Your mom already said no, remember?" he says, reading my mind, a smile playing on his lips.

"Darn it," I say, propping an elbow onto the counter and resting my chin on it. "Alright, well since you won't buy me a motorcycle, then why don't you tell me why you got so defensive when I asked you about playing the piano, hm?"

He stares at me for a moment as if he was thinking of a way to dodge this conversation, "You know what, I'll see what I can do about that motorcycle of yours. Can you just drop that subject though?" he tries to sound nonchalant.