Forever with His Edith

Eighth Grade-Eden

AN: Let me know if you have any ideas for a one-shot you'd like to read!

Eden-Eighth Grade

I was bored out of my mind.

My foster family was no help. Papa was at work, Zeke and Jenna weren't even in the state, Joseph and Isaiah were killing zombies on their video game, and Momma was chaperoning Noah on his first date.

I was in my room, just finishing the rest of my homework. I reckoned I could read a book, but I wanted to be doing something with my best friend.

If Noah was here, we could go swimming or throw his football around. Maybe he would go with me to the park down the street and we could practice my soccer skills. We could go for a run and maybe he could take his shirt off and I could get a little peek of his new ab muscles... heck, I would even water Momma's flowers with him if it meant I could spray him with the hose, making his clothes stick to his body.

So maybe I was a little infatuated with Noah lately. It wasn't my fault I was in eighth grade and my body and brain were changing me into a boy-obsessed fool. And really there was nothing wrong with admiring a boy that was clearly worthy of admiring. Noah went for a run every morning. He had football practice every day after school. There was a makeshift gym in the shed in the backyard for the boys to work out in. Noah worked hard for the body he had, so really he should be proud of himself that I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

Momma noticed. Of course, Momma noticed. She sees everything. She'd always smirk at me when she caught me looking or blushing at his sweaty, shirtless body after he returned from some form of exercise. She'd always laugh when I'd put my head in my arms, embarrassed by being caught.

Noah scored a date with one of the prettiest girls in our class, Paige Felts. She was gorgeous, with honey-colored straight hair and dark brown eyes. I had noticed them flirting in class for a couple weeks and he always texted her, even when Momma told him to put his phone away.

Paige and Noah planned a date to the bowling alley a couple weeks ago. Noah invited me to come, but obviously, I said no. I never liked the way Noah would cockily smile at all those pretty girls, a smile I could never get. In fact, Noah even seemed a bit timid around me as of late when we were alone, even though we still acted the same way we always had, touchy and attached at the hip.

I fell into my bed, dramatically draping my arm over my forehead. When would they come back? It had been, like, three hours since they'd left. Did bowling take that long? I hated bowling. I wasn't strong enough yet to bowl the properly sized ball and couldn't even get the ball down the lane, even though it had been three years and I was eating right and gaining strength every day.

I heard a screech and a cheer from Isaiah's room and ran upstairs to see what the commotion was about.

Isaiah was dancing around the room and Joseph had his head in his hands, fake crying, screaming "why" over and over. Both boys were still in their pajamas, Isaiah shirtless and Joseph with a wife beater. Their hairs were standing up in all directions and there was a pile of half-eaten food strewn around the room.

When Isaiah saw me in his doorway he leaped to my side, grabbed my hands, and dragged me around the room, bouncing up and down. I was still amazed at how affectionate this family was. "I won, I won, I freaking won, you loser!" Isaiah screamed at his brother as I giggled. I liked this side of Isaiah. He wasn't grumpy and making fun of me, he was just my happy and loving big brother.

When Isaiah let go of my hands, I sat beside Joseph and laid my head on his shoulder, my silent encouragement to keep trying. Joseph rested his head on mine and sighed. "I'll get you next time, you just watch. Pumpkin here is my good luck charm. Winner gets to play Eden."