Noah's Guide to Catching a Cat ✓

03| Fors

03| fors

fortune, luck

Staying so close to Nadine, Noah gets the chance to witness everything first hand. He see's them begin by having all the possible suitors line up outside her fortress of a house. They line up, each waiting their turn. Each person spends exactly one hour in her house and leaves after.

Some are disappointed, others angry, and some are heartbroken when they walk out. The media swarms these men as they leave, one after the other. They pester these men with questions, but all of them can't say what occurred, or even what the cat looked like. 

Noah shouldn't have been surprised that they all signed an NDA. 

It's just another day for Noah in the first week he's been back. He's pulling his socks up, his dog, Clay by his side, tail wagging ferociously since he's come back. 

"Where are you heading of to?" His mother appears in the living room where Noah's just putting a leash on the sandy haired dog. 

"For a jog."

"Again?"

"That is the point of exercise, mom." Noah stands up he leans forward to kiss his mother lightly on the cheek. "I'll be back in an hour."

Since he's come home, his mother dislikes it when he heads out. She's almost protective in keeping him at home. Partly with all the reporters around, the last thing she wants is for Noah to be one of those boys lining up outside of Nadine's house. 

Clay wags his tail. 

His mother follows him right up to the door, her fingers playing with the apron she likes to wear when she's going to bake. "You won't take too long."

"I'm not going to line up outside of Nadine's house with Clay," Noah says firmly. 

She blows a breathe out in relief, "That's good," She says. "I was hoping you could check and see if your dad is lining up outside."

Noah is stepping out when he hears this. His body stiffens, "what?"

"He doesn't want to marry her or anything," his mother says annoyed, "he's got it into his head he can catch her cat wherever that furry creature is."

Noah closes his eyes. "Right." Of course. There's a reason why Noah chose to work in Washington. As much as he loves his family, he can't deny that they can be a little eccentric. 

"Yes, so just," She's playing with her apron again, "ask him to come back before it's too late okay? Some of the boys have been lining up for days."

"I'll do that," Noah replies. It wasn't out of his way. In fact, he was going to jog around Nadine's house because he's curious. He wants to witness what's going on and the aftermath. With that, he takes off running, Clay at his heels, tugging occasionally at the leash. 

Noah stays a ten minute jog away from Nadine. Everyone in his school stayed close by. Even Clove who's three houses away from him. 

He's a minute away from Nadine's house when Clay darts towards an orange cat. The cat jumps hissing, as Clay tugs his leash. 

"Down boy," Noah says pulling Clay away from the hissing cat. With slight effort because while Clay isn't a big dog, he's not exactly small in size either. Noah manages to get his dog off the cat and back on track to Nadine's house.

There, he's not surprised to find a long line of people outside. He jogs, keeping an eye out for his father. Surprisingly, now that Noah's paying attention. He notices that it isn't just young men trying their luck, there's men who look close to his father's age cuing up, some with varying shades of grey hair. 

What's Nadine thinking?

Noah couldn't begin to understand. As he jogs, he looks at their faces, some might want her and the money, others could be like his dad, trying their luck for money. He finally spots his father in the middle of the line in his best grey shirt. 

"Dad!" Noah calls. Clay spotting the father in question, begins tugging at the leash as they jogged towards the middle aged man. 

"Noah," His father says when Noah comes close, "going for a jog?"

"And sent to find you," Noah mentions, a little annoyed. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying my luck," His father says with a wide grin. "What I lack for in youth, I'm sure I make up for in experience."

Noah's glancing at the line, thinking about how long his father would have to wait here. "It'll take you a while before you're at the front."

"Time worth waiting for," his father says.

Noah doesn't think so. From his guesses, it looks like 18 hours. And that's if everyone takes half an hour. More, if as pattern suggest they take an hour. "Mum would beg to disagree," he says. "What if it's a package deal? what if you have to marry Nadine."

Noah doesn't want to say it, but he's certainly thinking about it. 

"If that's the case," his father says, "I'll leave."

A few people were eavesdropping, Noah could see it. They wanted to hear tactics, they wanted information. It makes Noah uncomfortable. He's not the type of person that's comfortable on stage.

Mores so, Noah doesn't like standing in the line, even if he isn't exactly in the line. Clay tugs at his leash as though sharing Noah's sentiment. 

"Okay," Noah says, moving a step away from the line. Almost instantly, he feels relieved by moving away. "Just try and be home by dinner." 

His dad nods, but they both knew it's a lie. The line would take too long. Odds are Noah or his mom had to bring dinner to him. 

Right now, there's not much Noah can do. So he turns around, and continues his jog, looking uncomfortably at the long line and trying not to think too much about Nadine. 

AN

Hi all, I'm posting chapters for this story since it's already complete. Updates will be a bit sporadic, and whenever I'm allowed, I'd love to see your comments here. I'll make sure my boyfriend tells me what each and everyone of you says about the latest chapters. 

Your favourite (injured) Villain,

Pain.

p.s. I might be involved in an accident, but I assure you there were no heroes involved.