Birthday Flowers | The Kissing Booth

6. Omelettes and Overtures

(Elle)

Noah and I had both driven to the cemetery, so I offer to follow him to his parents' house and then drive us to the Pier. As I drive alone, the cautious hope I'd felt sitting next to Noah morphs into something more like panic. What exactly are we doing? Ten minutes of small talk after two years of silence, and now we're going to hang out like old times? I wonder if Lee will kill me if I call for help. He's made it clear he wants out of Noah's and my disaster. But he's my best friend and I'm calling anyway.

"Lee's House of Keep Me Out of This, how may I help you?"

Shit. How does he always know? "Um, hi. What am I keeping you out of?" Maybe I can play dumb.

"You tell me. Noah posted to his instagram from LAX last night and now you're calling me. And I know Noah's not visiting my parents because they're here. And now I can tell from your guilty silence that I'm right. So how can I help you and yet also stay the hell out of it?"

"You know I love you very much."

"Yes. And I haven't murdered you or my idiot brother yet, so I must have some fondness for you. So what happened?"

"Noah was at the cemetery." I don't have to tell Lee why I was there.

"And?"

"We talked. I mean, not about much. But it was nice."

"And?"

"We're going to hang out. At the Pier." I can hear Lee sigh. "That was my plan for today! Before I had any idea Noah would appear. But then I... invited him along."

"So here is all I'm going to say: maybe consider addressing what happened two years ago before you get naked."

"Lee!"

"I'm serious, Elle. I've seen you guys together and I've seen you guys implode. I am the world's expert on the Elle and Noah circus, much as I wish I weren't. You're very good at being together and very very bad at fighting. Before you get swept up in your nauseating hots for each other, figure out why you didn't talk for two years. And that is all I'm going to say."

"Ok."

"Ok, I'm going to listen to you for once Lee?"

"Ok, those are fair points that I will definitely take under consideration." Lee's not wrong. I want to ask if he has any idea why Noah has suddenly chosen to reappear, if Noah has said anything, but I've already put Lee in the middle enough. I move us on to neutral topics. We catch up on classes, on wacky roommate stories, on Lee's attempts to get over Kristina. Before I know it I'm driving up to the Flynn house and Noah has beaten me there.

Right, Noah. Regarding whom I'm no closer to having a plan, or any guess as to his own intentions.

I pull up to the entrance and wave Noah over, but he shakes his head and gestures to the door instead. Interesting. I park my car and join him at the door.

"Lunch," Noah tells me. "I was up early and it's almost noon. I need real food before you start  plying me with funnel cake and cotton candy."

I can't help but laugh. Noah's college coaches turned him into a nutrition zealot, and Lee and I got lectured incessantly about our junk food habits when we were all in Boston together. We in turn teased Noah mercilessly about his protein bars and green smoothies, but I can't deny the results. If ever a body deserved to be treated like a temple... but that's a dangerous train of thought. Eyes up, Shelly. No getting distracted by your ex's impossible hotness. I follow Noah in and perch awkwardly on one of the bar stools by the kitchen island.

"You're not going to make one of those disgusting smoothies with green things and tofu, are you?"

"Those green things are called vegetables, Elle. If you tried eating some your brain might be able to remember that. But no, no scary smoothies for you. I'm just making eggs."