boys //ziam

chapter fifty-seven

"i'm moving your bed out so i can have a bigger gaming station when you leave," oliver says to his brother.

"mom won't let you do that," noah replies. "and i'm coming back. i'm not leaving forever."

"i don't want you to come back," oliver says, hoping to make his brother upset. but noah barely has a reaction. he decides to take it to the next level. "mom will have the new baby and no one would care about you anymore."

"that's not true, stop saying that," noah says. he knows oliver doesn't mean what he's saying, but it's still upsetting for him to hear it.

"what are you gonna do? tattle?" oliver teases. "that's all you ever do anyway. too bad you wouldn't have mom with you in your new school."

noah walks out of their bedroom, slamming the door. he doesn't want to prove oliver right so he decides to just cool off in the living room. his dad is there so he tries to turn back when he sees him.

"noah?" liam notices him before he leaves and calls out his name.

"hey dad," noah says.

"where are you going? come sit with me," liam says. noah sighs internally, he was really just looking for a place that he could be alone.

"nowhere," he replies. he goes to sit next to him. it's awkward, he never knows what to say. the only people he likes having a conversation with is oliver and his mom. he feels like they're the only people that understand him. but oliver is being mean now so he's out of it.

"are you excited for your new school?" liam asks, trying to bring up conversation.

"yeah, i guess," noah says.

"you don't sound excited. what's wrong?"

"nothing," he replies.

liam sighs. noah awkwardly fiddles with his fingers. he's annoyed with himself, why can't he keep a simple conversation going? he hates how awkward he is.

he wants to get up and leave, he feels like a burden. without oliver next to him, he feels useless.

him and his brother go so well. oliver is more outspoken, so he always speaks for him. noah doesn't need to talk a lot when his brother is around.

that's how it's always been. it's always been oliver and noah, he can count the number of times he's hung out with his dad alone. but oliver is the opposite, he doesn't need noah, he can talk to anyone.

that's why he wanted to be without his brother for once, he wants to experience life for the first time without him. but oliver just doesn't understand why he chose to go to the boarding school, and noah has a hard time explaining it to him.

"noah," liam says. "if you change your mind about going to the boarding school, you can tell us. you don't have to go."

"okay," he says.

"do you still want to go?"

noah nods.

"why? was it because i suggested it? i can't help feeling like i'm making you do something you might not want to do," liam says. zayn is still slightly upset with him about it, he thinks that noah wouldn't be able to handle it. liam just wanted him to go to a school that'll vastly improve his success in the future, but noah is only twelve. he's still so young. maybe zayn was right.

"i do want to go," noah replies.

liam smiles at him. "alright then. but if you change your mind-"

"i know, i'll let you know," noah says.

"good. are you and oliver still fighting?" liam asks. it's practically impossible not to notice the two brothers haven't been getting along like they used to. noah nods in reply to the question.