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Iris
"Look, if you come to the beach and do not surf, you are not a human," Michael points out. "I love skating but surfing is a whole other thing you guys must try."
Adi sings out, "He was a skater boy. She said see you later boy. He wasn't good enough for-ouch!"
Not a new thing but yeah, Alyssa slapped his head.
"Oh, thank goodness, he stopped," Tom says, looking upwards at the sky.
Michael and Nick carpooled and reached here, before us. I am sitting on the car's hood, seeing the boys and Yeti, who trolls behind them, as they put chairs and blankets over the sand.
Percy and Daisy are laughing and talking with each other as they take some bags out of the cars. I am waiting for Colt and Victoria to show up who have gone to the shops nearby to get some emergency towels.
Of course, I let them go.
Adi gasps and says, "I am a good singer."
"Shut the fuck up, would you? A walrus can sing better than you," Noah says, sounding mad but I can see the glimpse of amusement in his eyes.
"That's rude, man," Adi says to his best friend, pouting. "Support your best bud."
"Why don't you sing, Noah?" I ask him, going towards them, and he turns to me.
"No," He replies. "I am not singing."
"Iris, do you know he can sing really good?" Adi stands beside me, giving Noah a smug look.
I grin. "I know, Adi. I have heard and seen him sing."
Adi looks taken aback. "Really?" He asks me and I nod my head, slowly. He turns to Noah. "How do I not know about it? And, and why she is the one who has heard and seen you sing? You betray-"
Noah puts his palm on Adi's face and says, coolly, "Shut up."
"Did you just put your palm onâ"
"Yes, I did."
Alright.
I start, "You know what... I just gonna go and..." I look around and see Daisy, sitting on the blanket over the sand. "talk to my sister...bye!"
Daisy takes out her see-through top, revealing her bikini when I reach her and sit beside her.
"Gonna tan?" I ask her.
"Uh yeah, I have become pale. Can't you see?" She says, gesturing towards her body.
"Damn, you may be very annoying but you are hot. Percy's lucky," Michael says as he gets his surfboard from the surf shop, nearby, but stops as a soccer ball gets thrown at him from behind.
Turning, I see Percy look at Michael. "Eyes off her."
I turn back to Daisy, surprised by that. "Wanna tell me something?"
She, instead of looking at me, looks at her nails. "Uh, no..." As I continue to look at her, she sighs. "Yes."
I lean in. "What?"
"We are back together."
Cue the long silence between us.
Minutes pass by as we both just look at each other. Multiple times I open and close my mouth-I really want to say something but I don't know what.
I settle on, "How?"
"He asked when we were..." I wave it off, gesturing to skip that part. "I said yes."
"Yes, to what, exactly?"
She gives me a dry look. "Yes, to trying things out. We are not official yet."
"When did this happen?"
She pauses for a minute and replies, "Four days ago."
"Fo-Percy's playing frisbee?"
"He what?"
We look at Percy as he participates in the frisbee game with Nick, Tom, Caleb, and Alyssa. Yeti is jumping between them to catch it, near the water. Before I can even say 'banana', Percy and Caleb fall into the water with a splash.
"I see why you, both, work well." I nod and turn towards her. "You both suck at games."
"Well, at least we are not a hazard to themselves," Daisy says back.
"Hey, things make me slip-I have no intention of making myself slip, okay?"
"Uh-huh, what more happened?" Daisy looks at Percy, humming.
"Oh god." I roll my eyes.
Suddenly, Colt sits in between while Victoria sits on my other side. Colt says, grinning and looking at Daisy and me, "What's happening?"
I reply, "Daisy and Percy are kind of together."
Colt grins. "Daisy?"
Daisy gives me a look. "Iris."
I shrug my shoulders. "What? You didn't tell me it's a secret and it is just Colt and Victoria."
Victoria looks at Daisy. "You both are? How did he propose?"
"He didn't exactly propose me. We are not official yet." Daisy makes jazz hands emphasize 'official'.
"The water's really cold," Percy says as he comes and sits beside Daisy. An amused look passes among Colt, Victoria, and I.
Now, Adi stomps with Bluetooth speakers while Noah trails behind him, uninterested but seems like supervising Adi.
He says, "I am gonna put on speakers and blast some desi pop."
"You would do no such thing," Noah argues.
Adi turns to him and says, "Oh I would. You need some good songs in your playlist anyway-okay, after this song."
Umbrella by Rihanna plays out from the speakers. Listening to the music, Colt, Caleb and I look at Daisy, who is looking at us.
"No," She states.
"Yes." We, three, say, together.
Percy smiles, mischievously. "Come on, Anna, I need to see this."
"Of course, he would say that," I hear Nick says, looking at her, and Alyssa and Victoria start to laugh.
Daisy gapes at Percy. "No!"
"You are a wuss!" Caleb yells to her and Daisy flips him off, before sighing. I take out Mom's camera, recording it.
"Do I have to?" She looks at us and all of us nod, eagerly, and, then, looks at Percy. She says, "No matter how I sing, you will still be.... my friend, right?"
Friend, my foot.
"Friend?" Noah scoffs.
Something crosses in Percy's eyes as he looks at Daisy. In three seconds, he pulls her towards her and kisses her.
With a yelp, I turn away, closing my eyes, as all of my friends start to hoot. I am all for them to be together but, seriously, I don't want to see it. I feel an arm turn me around and, somehow, I know the person is not Noah.
"You have to get used to this, Doraemi!" I hear Colt say to me as the camera goes out of my hand.
I open my eyes to see Percy and Daisy seem to be in another dimension until Adi, holding the camera and standing near them, makes them break their eye contact.
"Ask her!" Michael and Tom shout, hooting.
Percy smiles, looking down at Daisy. "I am sorry, Daisy. I know you said we can only be friends but I think even you know that we can never be friends."
"Percy..."
"I love you, Daisy Annabeth Cooper. I love you."
Daisy breaks into a grin and jumps on him, hugging. "I love you too, Percy. If it was anything then, it is more now and it is increasing every day." She breathes out.
Percy hugs her back as he says, "Will you be mine?"
"I will be yours if you are mine."
"Then, we have no worries." Percy pulls back and kisses her again as every guy hoots out, again. Yeti yelps, making them part away from each other, smiling.
"It was so cute," Alyssa says, keeping her hand on her chest. Only now, I catch Victoria and Colt looking at each other until, suddenly, the music stops.
"Okay. Now, I am going into the water!" Caleb says, taking out his wet t-shirt, and in about ten seconds, everyone, obviously except me, is in their bathing clothes.
Giving Daisy the camera and my phone, I look at Percy and Daisy. "I am waiting for the announcement of me being the maid of honor at your wedding."
Percy starts to laugh, seeing Daisy blush, but before she can say anything, I cut her off, "Percy, since you have made it official in front of everyone, I can show Daisy's baby photos."
"I bet Anna would be a cute baby," Percy says, kissing her cheek.
Daisy glares at me and turns to Percy, saying, "I was way way cute than any babies in 1999."
"I think I mean the embarrassing videos of you. Like the one in the play-"
Daisy gives a frisbee to me, cutting me off. "Go and play with Yeti. Yeti? You wanna play with Doraemi, right? Good."
Percy laughs as I roll my eyes, taking the frisbee from her.
"Come on, Yeti. You are still the light of my life!" I say to Yeti, moving backward, as he starts to follow me. I throw the frisbee, making him run towards it.
"You okay?" I hear Noah say, behind me, and I yelp, losing my balance. Before I can even hit the sand, Noah catches me, smirking. "Honestly, I was starting to miss Clumsy Bella."
"Shut up, Noah," I say, huffing out, and stand properly. I restrain my eyes from checking how his body glisten under the warm sunlight with the saltwater upon them-wait a second.
"What the-ugh," I say, stomping away from him. "I am okay," I reply to his question as Yeti comes back with the frisbee.
Noah takes it, smiling at Yeti, and throws it, again. He turns to me, "Want to get ice-cream?"
"Ice-cream?" I grin. "Yeah, duh. You don't have to ask."
He laughs and says, "Sure. We will take Yeti too."
"Ice Cream has a superiority complex and we love it," I say, grinning, as we reach the ice-cream parlor.
The ice-cream boy looks uninterested. "What flavor do you want?"
I pout and Yeti barks at him but he still looks uninterested. Noah chuckles and comes beside me, saying, "Two scoops of a vanilla ice cream and one scoop of black currant." He looks down at Yeti as Yeti yelps. "Also, a plain cone."
"We don't give-" Noah places the money on the counter and the boy stops. "You will get that," He says and goes away.
"Black currant, huh?" I ask Noah.
"Something wrong?"
I shake my head, denying. "Nope." I change the topic and look around. "Ice-cream and beach and sunâI am just soaking it in." I gesture to myself and Noah smiles, glancing at me. I look at him; he has put on his white beater (better for my sanity).
"So," I start to say and he looks at me. "I hate losing but I know not every time I am going to win. So, yes, I am okay but I am not okay with the fact that people think it will affect my nationals' performance."
For a moment, Noah just looks at me but then, he nods.
"That is different," He says, taking the ice-creams, after giving the cone to Yeti. "If in a week you came up with a performance worth watching, I wonder how mesmerizing the nationals' performance will be."
I take my ice-cream and ask him, eating, "You liked my act?"
"I didn't say that." He eats his ice cream too.
"You didn't not say it," I say back.
"Bella," He says, turning towards me. "I liked your performance."
I smile at him. "Than-" His eyes widen but before he can reach my hand to hold me, I have fallen down on the bucket of soap-water and my-"My ice-cream."
Yeti yelps, moving around me, and Noah sighs. He looks at me and says, smiling a bit, "You are..."
"Clumsy?"
"No, you are incorrigible, Bella."
***
Looking at the set of clothes, Noah has put into my trial room, I scoff.
The man got me dresses and a bikini top. I don't have any problem with bikini tops (they can be like a bra) but the dresses are so short that I should call them tops, for goodness' sake.
"I can't believe you got me dresses!" I groan out, knowing Noah is sitting on the couch on the other side of the door. Since pets are not allowed in the shop, he is out and I am sure he is trying to flirt with the owner's Pomeranian.
"They are the only acceptable things in the shop," Noah says, defensively. Yeti barks as if supporting him-traitor.
"There were tops! I saw them."
"I got you bikini tops, Bella." I hear a small force on the door and I can see his shoes from the small gap between the floor and the door.
"I am not going to wear them and go anywhere!" I say.
"Bella, sensing your desperation, I think you want me to come inside and help you out with-"
Cutting him off, I open the door and throw the dresses on him.
"I am not going to wear a dress, Noah," I say and close the door. "Get me something that is comfortable for me to see and wear."
I hear Noah sigh, audibly. "Bella, you will be the death of me."
"Shut up and get them."
"You are very dominant," He says as I hear his steps trail out.
"Look who is saying that," I mumble, taking off my wet clothes. "The person who is so stubborn and can't answer essential questions."
Within a minute and a second, I hear a knock on a door. "Bella?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Wait," I say, opening the door, after tying up the strap of the top near my neck. Noah is looking down as he has his hand out towards me. "Noah?"
He clears his throat and runs his fingers through his hair. "Take the clothes and I got tampon if you want to..."
"You... you remembered?"
Confused, I look at him but he gives me a pile of clothes and pushes me in the room, softly. He closes the door of the trial room with him, outside.
He remembered that I had my periods?
I lock the door, still trying to comprehend what just happened and, now, I look at the clothes.
"Noah Arthur Radcliffe!" I groan out as I see the clothes are, again, dresses.
"You are not the only stubborn person, Bella," He replies and I can hear his smirk.
"Fine," I mumble out.
"What did you say?" He asks, mocking me.
"For you to shut up."
He laughs as I look at the dress and the tampons in a small bag placed upon them.
He remembered.
***
I shove the remaining dresses on Noah, who is typing on his phone, and laugh a bit as he curses, taking them out of his face. His eyes widen as he looks at me and runs his fingers through his hair. I have worn a blue strappy long dress and jeans he got me after I annoyed him.
"It looks good," He says, standing up from the seat.
I say, "By the way, I am paying."
He glances at me and says, "I already have."
"I slipped and got my clothes wet. I deserved to pay for these."
"It is no trouble-"
"Noah," I stop him by his shoulders. "It is. You don't need to pay for me. This is not ice cream. These legit cost something huge. I don't want to depend on you to pay for it. I don't want you to do this."
He sighs. "Bella, I know that. I know that very well but I wanted to pay for it. I am not sorry for this."
"Noah Arthur Radcliffe, I know you are rich and all but no, I am going to pay you back." I shake my head. "Noah..."
He tells me, "Bella, again, there is no need for that. Consider it as a gift for a... friend from another friend."
I give him a long glance. "Whatever you say."
One of the employees starts batting her eyelashes when she looks at Noah who gives the rest of the outfits to her. It has become so normal that I don't even want to roll my eyes. But you know what is not normal? Noah is ignoring all her advances; not once, he looks at her.
Damn, I feel bad for the girl.
After long seven minutes of pathetic one-sided flirting, we go out of the shop as I am holding the bag with my clothes in it.
"I am going to pay back," I state, crossing my arms over my chest.
He chuckles. "I know."
I roll my eyes and then, my eyes fall at a huge toy hammer in a toy stall. I take it and smack his head with it. Shocked, he turns back to me with wide eyes.
"What was that for?"
"That was for being so unapologetically cocky." I smack him on his butt, again, laughing.
"Why again?" He asks, moving away from my attacks, as he keeps my bag on the counter.
"If you have seen Tangled, do you remember that scene when Rapunzel hits Flynn with a pan?" I say, trying to smack him again, but he is quick to move away.
"What, now? You love Tangled?"
"Favorite Disney movie after The Beauty and The Beast. There are a lot of things, you don't know about me, Noah."
He smirks, looking at me, as he replies, "Well, I am certainly hoping to know them all."
Feeling there is an edge to his statement, I freeze as I blink my eyes. Before I can even ask him what he meant, he pulls out a light-saber and puts it on my neck.
"Any last wishes, Lady Bella?"
"Yeah," I smirk. "War."
The clashing of the toy hammer and the plastic lightsaber begins... and ends in five seconds when we hear a kid's voice.
"Thor and Obi-Wan are fighting?"
We look at the confused kid and then, at each other. I start to laugh, while Noah shakes his head, amused.
After playing with some swords and lightsaber, I try out hats and sunglasses, while Noah clicks my pictures. Sometimes it is reverse but he frowns when I click his picturesâwhy so broody?
Now, I have made Noah wear a huge pink hat and I am wearing a crown. I am trying to pretend to be a royal while Noah is being him, of course.
"Cheerio, mate," I say, doing my worst impression of an English accent.
"Do you even know what it means, Bella?" Noah chuckles. He backs away to click my picture and just then, a whole set of hats on the stands fall. We look at the mess, wide-eyed.
"Well, shit." Noah mumbles.
"Okay, we need to leave," I say, putting the hats we tried on the counter, as Noah, quickly, gets my bag of clothes. "Oh, wait, Yetiâ"
Yeti barks from outside of the shop, making us known he is here. I sigh, going towards him whenâ
"What's happening here?"
Noah grabs my hand and we start to run with Yeti.
***
"Where were you, guys?" Adi asks as we come to the circle all of them have formed and are devouring tacos.
Noah and I look at each other. I burst out in laughter while Noah grins. Breathless, I sit down between Colt and Noah as he keeps huge bags, beside him.
Caleb gestures us to continue. "Well?"
"Just shopping," I reply, grinning.
"Nice dress," Alyssa says, giving me a thumbs up and I smile, taking the tacos, Daisy passes me. Yeti is sitting beside her and eating his own food, we had got from home.
"Uh, why do you have Hello Kitty stickers on your head?" Nick asks Noah, drinking beer. Noah looks at Nick in confusion, before putting his hand on his head to check it.
I look at Noah and snicker. "Oh my godâhow did that happen?"
"No idea," he mumbles, trying to take it out. I roll my eyes at his failed attempt to do that, before leaning forward and take it off from his head, putting it back on his hand.
"There you go," I give him a smile, before starting to eat my taco. "Good thing, we didn't steal anything. I wouldn't want cops to investigate and catch us."
"Damn, good times," Noah murmurs. Adi gives him a look but Noah ignores it as he takes a huge bite from my taco. I roll my eyes but I can't seem to get my mind off on why did Adi give off that look.
"Had fun?" Colt asks me, raising his eyebrow, while Victoria wiggles her eyebrows, looking between Noah and me.
"It is not like that," I say, eating my taco.
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- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
hi, hi. hiiiiiiiiiiii! so i took a break from most social medias and i think it was one of the best thing i ever did. a lot of things had been going on for past few weeks and it had become necessary for me to have a certain level of mental peace. i am better and am back to writing-also studying a lot (my classes have started)
anyway, how are you finding the chapters now? are noah and iris hitting off to something more? ð
until next chapter,
shukriya,
Inerys