The New Kid: a Noah Beck Fanfiction *completed*

18

Blake came in next, and he was speechless as he pulled Amelie closer to him. Mads practically sprinted to Jaden as he crossed over the threshold. Noah came in, and it felt like we were the only people in the room.
"You look amazing," he whispered as we moved to the side to let the other couples in. I didn't pay attention to anything but him until Quinton came in, and Sheri brought me back to reality.
"We will meet you guys at the lake, okay? Drive safely, please."

Griffin, Dixie, Noah, and I piled into Griffin's car. Addison, Bryce, Josh, and Nessa were in another car, and Amelie, Blake, Avani, and Anthony made up another. Quinton, Cynthia, Jaden, and Mads were in the final car.
The small talk on the way to the lake was excruciatingly painful. "So, did you guys have fun getting ready today?" Griffin asked, turning the radio down.
"What kind of question is that?" I joked. "Did you and the boys have fun getting ready today?"
"Touche," he replied, laughing.

We pulled into the lake's parking lot, seeing that the others had beat us there. "You know, for someone with an entire envelope of speeding tickets, you drive like a grandpa," Dixie joked, opening the car door.
"Alright, let's get started," Sheri said, clapping. She was always so excited, and it was crazy to me, mostly because our own parents weren't around often.
She took what felt like hundreds of photos, and Addison grabbed Bryce's hand, looking at the watch on his wrist. "Mom, we've got fifteen minutes to get to the steakhouse. I love you, but no more pictures."

We got back into the cars, and we drove in silence. It wasn't awkward, but I could see Griffin looking at us in the rearview mirror every so often. There's something about knowing that your older brother is watching you that makes you want to maintain a distance.
"Hello, I have a reservation for sixteen for Johnson," Griffin told the host as we piled into the restaurant. She led us to a table in a secluded section of the restaurant.
"Here you are. Your server should be with you shortly," she said, motioning to the table in front of us.
As we sat down, I looked around the table. Everyone else there was a couple, but I didn't know what direction Noah and I were headed in. "Everyone looks so good tonight! My name is Marie, and I'll be your server. Can I get you guys something to drink?" our waitress asked as she greeted us. We ordered our drinks, and Noah grabbed my hand under the table.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.
I nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking about us, I guess."
Noah looked at me. "I don't know if you intended to talk about this right now, but we can. I want you to be my girlfriend. If that's too fast, we can wait, but I like you a lot, Grace."
I kissed his cheek as Griffin shot me a look. "I don't want to take anything too quickly, but that's the main goal for me, too, Noah."

When Marie came back with our drinks, we ordered our meals. Blake and Amelie sat to the left of Noah, and Addison and Bryce sat to my right.
"Addi?" I whispered, leaning over to her.
"What's up?" she asked, taking a small sip of her water.
I sighed. "I think that Noah just asked me to be his girlfriend."
Addison whipped her head around to look at me. "He did what?"
I quieted her outburst. "Shh. We didn't make anything official yet. But he asked."

Bryce leaned over. "Who asked what?"
I felt my face flush. "I'm pretty sure that you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"You're right. Say yes," he said, chuckling at my discomfort.
Griffin eyed us from across the table. "What are you guys talking about?"
Thank God for Dixie. "Griff, you are the nosiest person that I have ever met. Calm down."

Marie arrived with our meals. We ate, and a light conversation filled the table. As we finished up, Marie brought us our bills. I pulled my credit card out of my clutch, and Noah shook his head. "Are you crazy? Put that thing away. I asked you to come with me, and that includes more than just a night of killing it on the dance floor."
I chuckled at that. "You're aware that I cannot dance, correct?"
"Tonight," he said, grabbing my hand, "you'll learn."

We all got back into the cars, driving the short distance to the hotel that the school had decided to hold the dance in. Griffin parked, and we all gathered around his car.
"Here's to senior year, you guys!" Bryce yelled as he led the group over to the door.
Noah grabbed my hand, pulling me to the back of the group. "You look amazing, Gracie. I got really lucky when I met you."
"I guess we have Griffin to thank for that," I said, caressing his hand.

We walked into the hotel's ballroom, and Amelie and Blake had stopped near the entrance. We were one of the first groups there, and as student council president, Amelie was ready to greet people as they came in. Noah and I headed to the dance floor, and I forgot about every stressful thing in my life. Ryland, my parents, Griffin's judging gaze, none of it mattered. The only thing that I needed to focus on at that moment was Noah.
Dixie and Griffin danced over to us. "You two look like you're having a lot of fun," Dixie practically yelled over the music.
"Just remember to leave room for Jesus," Griffin warned, and I couldn't tell if he was joking. When he saw the look on my face, he clarified. "I'm kidding, but if you hurt her, it's not going to go well for you."

Noah laughed nervously as they made their way over to Addison and Bryce. "He's kidding, right?"
"He's definitely not," I answered. "Hurting me won't be an issue, though, will it?"