Noah's POV
"Please, Emma. I know we broke up a while ago, but you have to do this for me," I begged.
"Noah, you are going out with Cody now. And Owen already posted you guys on his trust account," Emma sighed.
"But not a lot of people know yet. Please, Emma. If you don't do this, then Alejandro will make fun of me," I urged.
"I thought you don't get embarrassed because you're, 'too smart?'" She raised an eyebrow at me.
"Yes, usually. But it's different this time... Please?" I pouted and clasped my hands together.
"Fine... but if anything goes south, I'm calling Cody," she obliged finally.
"Thank you, Emma!" I cried.
"Let's get this over with," she sighed.
*
"Emma, we're so glad you could make it," Heather crooned. We arrived for the Saturday Spill, hand in hand and hating every second of it. If only I hadn't been so sweet to Cody at school, then maybe I wouldn't have been in that mess.
"Yes, I'm very happy to be here too," Emma strained to say.
"This week, we're getting Jamba Juice," said Leshawna. She and Harold were sitting together. Harold raised an eyebrow at me. Oh yeah, he was there when Cody asked me out.
I pulled him aside while we were walking to the Jamba Juice in the shopping center and whispered, "They don't know. Emma and I are just pretending until this date is over."
"Smart move, Noah. I swear I almost chopped off your hand when I saw you and Emma, seemingly double-crossing Cody," he whispered back.
"Just don't give us away, and everything will be fine."
As the triple date goes on, Emma and Noah are put into several situations where they have to express affection towards each other. Such as the following. Do not forget to add on to the compromising situations between Nemma.
"Noah, it is okay if you can not kiss your girlfriend," Alejandro condescended, "I can't blame you."
I turned to Emma hopefully. She rose swiftly and said, "No. You know what? I'm going home to a boy I actually want to kiss. Bye, guys. Noah." She pulled out her phone and sent a text to most likely Cody and nodded at me.
"Wow, tough cookie," Alejandro teased. "I see you've found a girl who matches your hotheadedness."
"At least we both have hot heads," I retorted.
"We've only been together for two weeks and you're cheating on me?" Cody.
"You guys what now?" Leshawna said.
"Kidding!" Cody laughed and took a seat next to me. I sighed internally and graced Emma for informing Cody on what was happening. Thank you, Emma.
"So, Cody... What brings you here today?" Heather asked him.
"Uhhhh." Cody faltered. He glanced at me and finally came up with, "I came out here to buy something for my girlfriend. Yeah, my girlfriend, uh—"
"Sierra?" Harold piped up.
"No, actually. Her name is, um, it's—"
"Didn't you say her name was Annie? Annie Nguyen?" I cut him off.
"Yes! Yes I did, Noah! Annie Nguyen."
"Annie Nguyen, huh? Does she go to Wawanakwa?" Alejandro inquired.
"She does." Cody answered.
"What classes do you have with her, if any?" Leshawna asked.
"AP Bio, math, Chinese 2, and AP HuGe." Cody returned.
"Oh, you also have some of those classes with me. I don't recall an Annie Nguyen, and I have dirt on everybody," Heather said.
Cody chuckled nervously. "Well she's definitely in those classes..."
"Noah is also definitely in those classes, too," Heather continued. She smirked at Leshawna and Alejandro.
"How long have you guys been together?" Asked Alejandro.
"Two weeks." He answered. He's gonna crash and burn. I thought to myself.
"Cody, what's her IQ?" Leshawna asked.
"160," he answered.
"180, actually," I intervened. If he was gonna pretend to have a girlfriend, and model her after me, he'd better get my IQ right.
"Noah, isn't that your IQ?" Alejandro asked.
"Yes. Cody's girlfriend and I have the same IQ, Al. Get over it," I growled.
"Back to Annie, does she have a favorite color?" Heather asked.
I remembered I told Cody the day before, when we were at my house, that my favorite color was teal. Before that, I didn't have a favorite color.
"She told me yesterday that her favorite color is teal, and she didn't have one before. I'm not sure why, though," Cody said.
"It's probably because that's the color of your eyes," I said. It was risky, but I wanted him to know.
"Lucky guess, Noah? Or is that thanks to your big brain?" Leshawna turned to me with confidence.
"It's the color of his eyes, isn't it?" I snarled back.
"We've already established that she's an official genius, but is there any subject that she struggles with?" Alejandro asked.
"Chemistry. She says it's extremely frustrating to be so smart and struggle with a subject that's basically all math," Cody answered.
"Noah says that all the time," Heather said.
"She probably got it from me. After all, we're both the smartest kids in the school, right?" I said harshly.
"Cool it, Brainiac. You're a little too defensive, right now, amigo," Alejandro said, with disappointment.
'Well I don't particularly enjoy listening to my boyfriend gush about a girl who sounds just like me. Even if she isn't real,' I thought angrily.
"Sincerest of apologies, dear Al," I said, "It's just surprising that you're so invested in a love life that isn't yours."
"Snake," he hissed.
"Eel," I snarled.
"Oh come on, amigo! Season three was forever ago! We are friends now."
"You cheated me out of a million dollars!"
"Guys! Alejandro didn't even get the money. Zeke did. And then he fell into a volcano," Leshawna yelled.
"Whatever," I murmured. I sank into my seat.
They continued to shoot their questions at him, Cody answering each one with something about me. I watched his eyes light up as he talked about me, and caught myself staring at his hands, his lips, his eyes.
I huffed and nudged his leg. He glanced down at my open hand and then up at me. I gave him a slight nod. His mouth curled into a small smile, and as he turned his attention back to the others, he grabbed my hand and stroked my thumb with his.
I stared at my drink, and realized that Cody could avoid further interrogation if he drank something. Then he could go to the restroom, and dodge even more questions. My drink would be diminished, and we were free to go home. I picked up my drink and waited for Heather to stop talking.
"You know, Cody, it sounds like you just described Noah to us," she said.
"Uh, well... I guess. But they're different people. Very similar, you know, but they're very different too," he rambled.
Before Heather could respond, I cut her off and said to Cody, "Hon, you want a sip?" I froze and facepalmed myself sixty times in my head. Cody didn't notice. He stretched his arms, only letting go of my hand when it was above the table.
"Oh yes, babe," he said. He took a few sips of our drink, and finally caught up with what just happened. "Don't tell Annie," he said in a tiny voice.
Harold shot us a look of sympathy.
Alejandro kicked back and crossed his arms across his chest.
Leshawna smiled and low-fived Heather who said smugly, "No need to. She ain't real."
Cody flushed red and said, "No she's definitely real... but she's actually a boy and his name's Noah Sterecra."
I let my head drop onto the table. I groaned and muttered, "Are you guys gonna belittle me for being bi, now?"
"What? Of course not! We love you, Noah!" Heather reassured me.
"What made you think that, amigo?" Alejandro asked.
I raised my head and looked around at them. I sighed deeply and said quietly, "Before we were invited to Wawanakwa, I had this group of friends at my old school and we used to be really tight. But when I came out to them, they went out of their way to make me regret ever being alive. It went from slurs on post-it's to public ridiculing to even beating me up. I just don't want that to happen me again, and I especially don't want it to happen to Cody."
Alejandro shook his head in disbelief.
"Mi amigo, I had no idea. But you must know... my brother José is gay. I would break up with Heather before ever bullying someone for a simple reason like that," he said.
There was an awkward silence. Cody leaned onto my shoulder and said to the group, "Got any cute pet names for a guy named Noah? I can only think of No' and Noey."
"Awww, Noey is so cute! Boy, I like that one," Leshawna laughed.
"Noey is clearly the superior between No' and Noey," Heather snickered.
"Call me Noey, and we're over," I quipped.
The group laughed as Cody giggled and sat up. I admired his joyful figure, and completely forgot about the rest of the world. He looked up at me. I cupped his face gently and leaned in for a long-desired kiss. He pulled away and said softly, "Mango-pineapple is good on you."
"No need to get crazy, it's lovin' time at last," Alejandro sang.
"Shut it, Al," I said with a smile. Cody downed the rest of our drink and stood up.
"As much as I'd love to stay, Noah owes me a date for pretending to go out with Emma, so we'll catch you guys on Monday."
I draped an arm over Cody's shoulders and waved briefly at the group.
"Have fun," Leshawna teased.
When we got into my car, Cody smacked the back of my head.
"What was that for?" I complained.
"That's for going out with Emma," he said.
"It was all fake!"
He kissed my cheek.
"That's for looking out for me. Now, you owe me a date, Noey! Let's go!"
