His Tiny Dancer [COMPLETED]

XXIII

~Saturday January 15th~

Just as I sit back into my couch the doorbell rings, causing me to stand right back up. So much for a few minutes of relaxation before Noah gets here, I think to myself. I had assumed that he'd be here a little after three - which is when I told him I'd be home - but it is three o'clock on the dot when I open the front door to let him in.

"Hey, come on in," I say politely when I see his oddly nervous looking expression. I notice him subtly take a deep breath before the nervousness fades away and the normal confident, mildly cocky Noah is back.

"I know I came here to be tutored, but I thought we could go somewhere else instead," he says with a growing smirk.

"Where?" I ask, confused.

"It's a surprise," he responds with mischief sparking in his eyes. I furrow my eyebrows in thought. At this point I'm pretty positive that Noah is over the whole locker incident and isn't going to drive me into a dark forest to kill me, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have something up his sleeve. On the other hand, I really didn't feel like doing French homework anyway. "Don't you trust me," he says when he notices my hesitation. I meet his eyes and search for sincerity, finding child-like hope and joy just begging me to say yes. I hold his gaze, waiting for him to get impatient and annoyed, waiting for him to give up, but he doesn't.

"Okay," I say, not being able to hold back a small smile at the way his face lights up.

"Let's go," he says turning away from the door and gesturing for me to follow him to his car. We walk up to his black Jeep and I'm surprised when he opens up the passenger side door for me. Sure, Noah and I have gotten over all of the arguments we've had, but I never expected him to become a gentleman.

"Thanks," I say softly, hating that I feel myself blushing slightly. He gets in on the driver's side and starts the car, smoothly pulling out of my driveway. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I say after a minute of comfortable silence.

"Nope," Noah says smiling slightly but not taking his eyes off the road.

"Will you tell me if I guess correct?"

"Nope."

"Can I have a hint?"

"Do you know what 'surprise' means?" He says looking over at me.

"Yes," I respond laughing, "I just don't like them." We're quiet again, but it's not an awkward silence. Instead of feeling like I desperately need to think of something to say to continue the conversation, I feel relaxed in the silence of his presence next to me. I simply glance out the window, watching the clouds in the sky and wondering if it will snow later, listening to the soft sound of the car.

"How was the audition?" Noah asks after a few minutes.

"Good. It felt good," I respond, truly feeling content with the audition.

"When do you know what you got?"

"Monday. They put it out around noon, but obviously everyone is at school then. Luckily I go straight from school to the studio on Mondays though, so I'll get to see the cast list earlier than most people."

"Cool." He pulls into a Target parking lot, choosing a spot far away from the door. "This is not our final destination," he says when I give him a confused look. "We have to walk the rest of the way."

"So... are we going to a park?"

"Nope."

"Ice cream?"

"Nope."

"Some other kind of restaurant?"

"Are you hungry?" Noah says, amused.