The Middle - Volume Three ✔️

Chapter 13 (Noah)

Noah

"Mom?"

I can hear her clambering around in the kitchen, so I wait. She's ignoring me. I know she is.

"Mom!"

I try again. Still nothing. I sigh before getting to my feet, exiting the living room and walking into the kitchen. My mom's cleaning. Furiously. Because she's mad.

"Didn't you hear me?" I ask, leaning against the counter and watching as she violently scrubs the inside of a pot. I can't remember the last time she cooked.

Still, she ignores me.

"Sarah's coming over. She'll be here soon." I comment, and finally, my mom looks up at me. She loves Sarah.

"Is she bringing her boyfriend?" Mom asks, panicked. "I need to straighten up the living room!"

"No, she's coming alone. Relax, will ya?" I roll my eyes on reflex. Old habits die hard. "I'm gonna go for a run before she gets here, let her up if I'm not back."

"You hold on one second, mister." My mom says angrily. Finally, I've been waiting for this for days. I raise my eyebrows, inviting her to begin scolding me for how I spoke to my dad the other day.

"I do not need that man calling me up to complain to me about you, you hear me?" She folds her arms across her chest. "You're old enough to talk to him yourself, and honestly Noah, it's completely your decision. You wanna cut him off? Fine, cut him off. I get it, he was never there for you. But he's trying now. He gives you money, he's paying your tuition, he's trying. The least you could do is give him a chance."

I make a conscious effort to not roll my eyes. I know she's right. I just don't see why I have to play nice with my dad all of a sudden after a lifetime of him being absent. I know there's probably a reason he wants to have some kinda relationship with me now. I just - I don't know. I think he deserves for me not to make it too easy on him. He has to put in work.

"I'm sorry I stormed out of his apartment. And I'm sorry he called you. But, he has work to do. You gotta agree with me on that." I reply.

Her frown eases off and she shakes her head before giving me a small laugh. The guy left her alone with me. She must agree with me on this, I know she does.

"I don't like talking to him, so don't give him anymore reasons to contact me, okay?" Mom says with a small smile.

"I don't like talking to him either, how do you think I feel?" I say, giving her a small smile back.

"Yeah, well you like his money, so keep him on side. God knows I couldn't afford to put you through college on my own." She smiles at me again, pretending like she's kidding. We both know I would not be at NBU right now if it weren't for my dad. I smile back at her. She's done her best as a single mom.

"Hey! Ohmygod, it is freezing out." The front door opens and Sarah walks in. The hell?

"How did you get up here?" I ask as she shrugs out of her coat and pulls a woolie beanie off of her head.

"Some guy was leaving, he held the door for me. Are you cooking, Janine?" She asks, looking around the kitchen curiously at all the pots and pans my mom has been cleaning.

"No, I was de-stressing." My mom replies with a laugh. "You wanna go out some place for lunch?"

"Always." Sarah beams at my mom.

"You're staying for lunch? What about Joel?" I ask, confused. Those two have been inseparable the entire time we've been in New York.

"He's gonna eat with my mom real quick, and then he's packing." Sarah replies.