Eden

Chapter 9: Constellations

Jade's POV

Sliding into my ripped Foo Fighters tank top and grey sweatpants, I finally feel like I'm back in my own skin. I feel normal. Or close enough to normal. I don't know how things could ever be completely normal again.

"Sup, loser," Noah greets me from his seat as I open the balcony door. His eyes immediately latch onto my tank top, his gaze lingering as I collapse on the sunlounger beside him. He passes me an already lit cigarette.

"First of all, that's my line. Second, my eyes are up here." I point to my face before flashing him an annoyed grin. I take a nice long drag off my cigarette, admiring the deep silver moon hanging in the sky as it illuminates a path on the water.

"Chill. I like the band." He looks excited at first, then surprised, and then his smile slips ever so slightly. "Foo Fighters. I used to listen to them with my dad."

He takes a drag off his cigarette, exhales, then watches the smoke dissipate into the darkness of the ocean. I blink in confusion. He listens to the Foo Fighters?

My heart churns, and I can feel a hint of vulnerability crawling its way out of my chest. I used to listen to them with my dad too.

No. He could be lying, and he happened to pick the perfect lie. This could be a trick, a game—and I'm used to being played.

"What's your favorite song?" I can play this game too. See if he's being real or if he's just making a simple fake claim that guys like him normally do to get on my good side.

He responds with almost no second thought. "Best of You."

I scan his face looking for signs of hesitation, but all I can spot is the sincerity with a hint of sadness glowing in his soft green eyes.

Sadness. Why is he sad? What could possibly be wrong now? Maybe it's me. Maybe he thinks that I'm wasting his time. Correction, I am wasting his time and he knows it.

Averting my gaze to the darkness of the horizon, I take a nice long drag before muttering under my breath. "That's my favorite too."

I turn at the sound of Noah shuffling around in his seat. "Why did you look so surprised when I said I like the Foo Fighters?"

I shrug. "You seem like a typical white boy that blasts Mo Bamba all the time."

He chuckles. "You're pretty quick to judge people you know that?"

"Yeah Yeah Yeah. I've heard it all before. I know I judge people too quickly which ruins the chance at me having something good. But enough about my personality failure." Rolling my eyes, I take a nice long drag before exhaling.

We share a moment of silence as the smooth sound of ocean waves collapsing over each other flood the balcony.

"What's your favorite food?" Noah abruptly asks.

I glare at Noah. "What?"

"What's your favorite food?" He repeats himself. "We might have more in common than you think. If you wanna get over your personality failure, might as well start somewhere. Plus it's a good pastime."

I stare at him in confusion. He must be really bored if he's willing to get to know more about me.

He angles his body so it almost faces me. "What's your favorite color?"

I glare at Noah when he asks me this question. Nobody really cares what anyone's favorite color is.

"Lame question. Try again." I take another drag, watching the smoke drifting out into the dark horizon.