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Noah
Iris Cooper is going to be the death of me. I knew that the moment I met her but I am serious, right now. She is just so... unpredictable.
I roll my bottom lip between my teeth to stop myself from smiling, looking at her, right now. I had gone for a shower just some minutes ago. When I come out, I almost freak out not finding her and this is where she is.
Sleeping, she has curled herself into a ball on the couch in my room. Not only that, she is hugging one of the books from my bookshelf like a shield. She has worn an oversized blue-grey sweater, her hands inside the sleeves, and black track pants. I can see her blue socks with cupcake prints peeping from her converse.
I avert my gaze, feeling like a damn fucking creep.
One part of me is telling me to wake her up but there is this selfish darker part of me that just wants her to be like always: so angelic and peaceful. Of course, the darker side wins.
I am about to go to get a blanket from my cupboard when I hear some mumbling. For a moment, I think Bella has woken up but when I look over, again, she is just an inch away from fallâ
Too soon.
I rush and hold her before she can fall flat on the floor. The book falls from her hands and her hands around my neck within some seconds, pulling me closer to her. Whimpering something about cold, she puts her head on my chest and sighs.
She is sleeping right in my arms and all I think is how good of a choice it was to wear a t-shirt. If I had not...
For fuck's sake, shut this fuck up machine of unrequired thoughts.
Getting rid of any more thoughts, I slide one arm under her back and another under her thighs and lift her up. I don't know what I was expecting but Bella is not light; she is definitely generous in the weight category.
But I am not complaining.
I put her down on the bed. As softly as I can, I peel off her arms from my neck and set them on her sides, covering her with the duvet later. I half-expect her to latch her arms around me again but, thank fuck, she doesn't... only for seconds later to clutch on the duvet like her life depends on it.
The door to my room opens and Chris pokes his head in.
"Hey, brothâholy shit, man, is thatâ"
Before he can say it any louder and make Bella wake up, I push him out of the room with myself, closing the door behind me.
And the fucker grins at me.
"What do you want?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
He copies the same posture and says, "Oh, I was just checking on you and what do I see? Iris Cooper in your roomâthe room where you don't allow most people only because you hate people."
I scowl. "Your point?"
"Man, just chills," Chris rolls his eyes. "I don't want to know your adventures withâ"
"It is not like that," I say, interrupting him. "She is... my friend."
And Chris starts choking.
"Wha...what did you say?" Now, he is laughingâmore like wheezing.
"Why the fuck are you laughing?" I ask, restraining myself to straddle the guy, but he keeps on laughing. "Get the fuck out of here."
I am about to enter my room but he stops me. "Sorry, but I needed to talk about Percy."
I turn towards him, confused. "Percy? What about him?"
"How do you not know? Oh, right, you are here withâ"
"Stop with all personal attacks." I roll my eyes. "What about Percy?"
"You know he is starting with training in the publishing company under Uncle Elliot. I just think the guy needs a breakâhe comes late at night and goes off early. I don't think the guy is getting any good amount of sleep. He needsâ"
Daisy.
If anyone can handle Percy, apart from us, it can only be Daisy.
I look back, remembering Bella telling me about her sister coming this week.
I had planned to not help much with the matchmaking mainly because Percy and Daisy need to come together on their own. Bella may like doing it, the same way she did with Colt and Victoria, but I am not really into this.
That has to change now, I guess.
"Alright," I interrupt Chris from talking anymore. "I will talk to Percy."
"Yeah, these days he only listens to you," He grumbles. Now, I hear a loud groan from my room. Chris gives me a smug expression and I just glare at him, shutting up any comment from him.
"Okay, now, you go to your band practice," I tell him, quickly, and entering the room. When he doesn't, I say, "Fuck off from here."
"So soft," He comments, sarcastically, going away.
I close the door, looking towards Bella. She is now in the center of the bed, sleeping in the starfish position with the duvet all wrapped around her small body.
So, she is a hugger... and wild. I am not even surprised.
Thinking to inform one of her parents, I get my phone from the side table. It doesn't take enough time for Mia to pick it up.
"Noah?" Mia says, confused.
"Um, hello, Mia," I start to say, awkwardly.
"Anything wrong?"
"Actually, I got Bella to my place but I guess she was really tired. So, she is sleeping, here."
There is a pause from the other side and I realize how wrong I sound.
"She is just sleepingâI will drop her off at home after she wakes up," I add, quickly.
She laughs, softly. "I understand what you mean, Noah, and I trust you to get her home." She pauses, again, for some time. "Thank you, Noah, for telling me."
"It is nothing," I reply to her.
"No, it is nothing," She says. "Well, anyway, I have to handle my husband after he hearsâI think you know how he will react that is why you called me, didn't you?"
"Yes, I think so," I reply to her. I remember how subtly Steve told me that he will run his bike over me if I do anything rash with Bella.
"Have a good day, Noah," Mia tells me before the call ends.
I look over at Bella who is sleeping, too peacefully. "You sure must be the princess with so many people protecting you," I say, going towards the couch to sit. I don't know why but I look back at her again.
She starts rolling, making the whole sheet wrap her that I have to stop myself from laughing.
Holy fuck, she is adorable.
As immediately as that thought comes into my mind, I frown, looking away. I remind myself she is just a friend. She just fell asleep at my place and as soon as she wakes, I am going to take her back to her home.
"Stay"
I snap my gaze towards her, surprised. She is still sleeping, contradicting my initial thoughts of her waking up, but it seems like she even talks in her sleep.
She squirms, frantically, murmuring only one word: 'Stay'
I really want to meet the originator of this word because, fuck, this word is the magnet that is pulling me towards her, right now. As I sit, beside the bed, holding her hand and whispering some assurance words, I try to convince myself this is platonic, that it is what I am doing for a friend.
***
Somehow, I'd fallen asleep with my hand intertwined with her and when I wake up, I almost have heart failure.
Bella's face is inches away from mine and then, as if that's not enough for the universe to torture me, she opens her eyes.
Dark earthly brown eyes staring at me, softly. Then, a series of emotions pass through them: innocence, then confusion, then innocence, again, and finally, realization.
She springs away from me, taking away the warmth in my hand.
"Oh my god! What happened? Where am I?" She asks, frantically. She looks around, clutching the duvet closer to her chest, and then, checks herself. Now, she looks at me, again. "Noah...oh, oh."
I run my fingers through my hair, trying to hide my amusement. "Yes, oh," I say to her. "You fell asleep."
"No, shit," she grumbles, putting her hands on her face. Then, she peeps at me between her fingers. "Did somethingâ"
"No," I say to her, earnestly. "Nothing of that sort happened."
"No, not that," She shakes her and asks, shyly, "Did I do something? I know I am a very wild sleeper andâoh my god, did I say something weird? I have been told I am a talker too."
I reply to her, "Well, you would've fallen flat on your face but you didn't, and... as for talking, you didn't say anything of importance."
Except for one word.
"Oh, good. What's the time?" She tries to get a look at the clock, beside the bed. 06:02:00 pm.
"What the hell?" She gets up from the bed. "I have been here for two hours nineteen minutes and eight seconds? Mom and Dad woâ"
"Bella, I called Mia," I tell her, interrupting her, as she paces across the room.
"Howâyou?" She gives me a shocked look.
I raise my eyebrows, telling her, "I am a very responsible human being."
"Uh, yeah, justâughâwhat was her reaction?"
"She was okay," I reply, casually.
"Okay? Okay..." She huffs out. "Obviously, she will be!"
"What do you mean?" I ask her, confused.
"Oh, you know what I mean." She wiggles her index finger at me and I don't bother keeping away my smirk.
"But I want you to tell me."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you." She says, firmly, as she crosses her arms over the chest and turns away.
"Is that your way to hide your true feelings towards me?" I don't care how it sounds but I just like seeing her so frustrated.
She scoffs, slowly turning towards me. "My true feelings? Towards you? Please, Noah, how many times do I have to tell you that I hate you?"
"Every time you say it, I know you mean you love me."
She rolls her eyes at me. "I hate you and your stupid smirking face."
Then, she stares at me, biting her lip, as she sweeps her gaze over me.
"You like Thor?" She asks, looking at my tee. I give her a confused look, before looking down at my t-shirt. Obviously, I had to wear a marvel themed t-shirt but I don't mind it as it seems to make Bella smile.
I reply to her, "I don't like superheroes. Beth got us these. She is in love with Chris Hemsworth." I add, chuckling.
"He does have very good hair and eyes," She states, nodding, and I give her a look. "Wait, you don't like superheroes. What kind of person are you?"
"The one who lives in reality," I say, drily.
"That is such an absurd reason!" She exclaims. But when she turns towards the glass wall, she smiles. "Wow. You, actually, have a great view of the beach."
She goes towards the window, sitting on the couch, in front of it.
Cautiously, I walk towards her and sit beside her. "It is okay," I say, looking at the scenery. I look back at her as she watches it with a small smile on her face.
"How did you even get this room?" She asks, looking at me.
Confused, I ask, "What do you mean?"
"I am dead sure, Noah, that there would have been some competition for this room."
"I got this room by challenging my brothers to a food eating contest and as you can see, I won." I smirk, adding, "I don't like losing."
"I know," She shrugs, grinning. "Neither do I like losing. Anyway, what was the dish that made you win it?" She asks, curiously.
I hold back the shiver, remembering the taste. "Expired pop-tarts in organic hair dye and dead fish baits with a day-old fried ketchup."
"Others couldn't eat that? I would not even hesitaâ"
I scoff. "There was a bit of expired mustard dipped into Chris's toes, too."
She makes a face, disgusted. "That is so gross. Mustard dipped in toes? I would give up then and there. I already hate mustard and now you just made me hate it more."
"How can you not like mustard?" I ask her, bemused. Keeping my elbows on my knees, I look at her as she rants about her hate for mustard.
Her voice is like cherry blossom; the soft blush of spring with perfect sweetness. The black spots are not hard to miss but does she know she has a birthmark, just under the jaw?
Her bright brown orbs reflect the lights from the room. When she tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing the round cheeks which are tinted with small acne but they look more like paint sprinkled, randomly.
She is so natural that is unnatural.
Just now, her phone rings, breaking her rant and my thoughts. She turns towards her bag and gets out her phone.
She groans, looking at her phone. She picks it up, putting it in front of her, and says, "Ugh, isn't it enough that you already coming on a Saturday?"
"Well, hello to you too, sis."
I take a peek and, of course, it has to be Daisy. I look at Bella, hoping she catches my eyes. She does and gives me a questioning look, before looking back at Daisy.
"Tell me the latest gossipâoops, wrong person," Daisy says to her, now.
Bella scowls. "Call Caleb or Colt foâ"
"Oh, please tell me Colt and Victoria are together now. I love that girl. She is so effing cool."
"I know, right?" She says, excitedly. "But they aren't together yet."
To be honest, it is going to be soon that they will be together. They already have started flirting with each other and they are not subtle about their attraction towards each other. But I am sure they don't really know about their own feelings.
"Sweet Niblets." Bella gives Daisy a look. "I am catching up with some Hannah Montana. Don't judge."
I turn to look at her phone. How the hell Percyâthe typical mature nerdâlanded with Daisy?
Bella starts to say, "I am notâ"
"Where are you? You definitely don't have that good of a beach view from your room."
I give Bella a dry look as she understands my last expression.
"I am at... someone's place..."
Subtle, Bella, real subtle.
"I know you are at someone's place but whose?" Daisy questions her. "Are you getting laid, Doremi?"
I start coughing, hiding my amusement, as Bella quickly gives some vague reason and ends the call. She puts her arm around her face, groaning.
"I swear half of my friends are obsessed with sex."
"I agree," I reply to her, amused. "By the way, Doremi? What is that?"
"Ojamajo Doremi" She grumbles. "Meaning Magical Doremiâso, when I was a kid, Daisy-like the sister she is, made me wear this anime character's costume for her birthday. According to her, I also danced in that danceâlike hell I would."
I chuckle. "So, it is true that she loves manga and anime?"
"Yes, she absolutely adores it."
"Then, we don't need to worry about her getting along with Beth. She loves them, too," I tell her and she nods. "But seriously, how Percy and Daisy..."
"You are not the only one who is questioning, Noah," She laughs.
I nod and tell her, "I know what to do with them."
She turns towards me, fully. "You do?" She asks, excitedly.
"Yeah but..." I remember Bella being under pressure with a lot of stuff and now, she is the assistant coach. It just won't be good for her if she gets included in my plan.
"But?" She asks.
"But you are not getting involved."
***
Bella is stubborn, probably more than I am.
Because she is just not letting go of not including her in the plan as she tries to convince me.
Dropping her at her place, she turns to me, after getting off of my bike. She tells me, "She is coming this Saturday, you stupid. If you tell me now, I would have time to prepare everything."
I shake my head, saying, "That is the thing, Bella. I don't want you to prepare anything. I am going to do it."
With someone else's help.
"What? No, my sister is involved in it. Thus, I have the right to know the plan and help you."
I park the bike and get off, leaning back on it. I say, firmly, "No."
"Why?" She groans and I have to stop myself from smiling.
"Because."
"Come on, Noah, please tell me." She pouts. I have to think of all repulsive thoughts to make myself stand on my ground.
"Please. Pretty please?" She says again.
"No," I say to her. She huffs out, angrily, and abruptly turns towards her house, not even looking at me.
What the hell?
"Are you not going to say goodbye?" I say, loudly.
"Nope," She says back, continuing to walk, just as a cold wind passes. She stops on her path and I know she is going to say something. "Go home, Noah, it is freezing." She says, continuing to go.
She is way too pure for this fucked up world.
I smile but I wait till she is inside, safely. I don't know why I say it, even though she won't hear me, but I can't hold back.
"Just trust me, Bella."
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- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
ahhhhhh! definitely not me fangirling over this soft and cute chapter! i am absolutely positive little things is such a perfect song for this chapter! ð¥º
until the next chapter,
Inerys