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Noah
"Can you all lower it down?" Adi groans, putting his head on the kitchen island with a loud thud.
"Shut up, Adi," Michael says, holding his head.
Tom scrunches his nose. "I love parties but the aftermath...I hate it."
"I said shut up, Adi!" Michael says, loudly.
Adi replies in the same volume, "I didn't say anything, buttocks!"
All three of them groan, simultaneously.
Parties never changeâespecially when it includes teenagers.
Caleb's party, yesterday, was as chaotic as I had expected. The same scenes of couplesâor not couples making out, drunk teenagers puking, and most just dancing around the house.
I went to the party because a lot of people forced me toâAlyssa, Adi, and Victoria, actually.
Apparently, if you are the captain, you are supposed to attend these events. I call it bullshit.
I lasted for half an hour before I walked back to my car and drove away, not looking back. At first, I felt really good but I was near the Ice Rink when I realized I left Adi. Guess what? Some moments later, I get a video from an unknown numberâ "Twerk that booty, Adyyyy".
It irritated me a lot because a) of wrong spelling of Adi, b) nobody should ever diss him except me, and c) that twerking is actually good.
I came back and picked up Adi in the middle of his make-out with some redhead. As I put Adi in the back, Mike and Tom yelled my name and sat in the car. Long story short, the guest room near my room ended up being the night accommodation for these three idiots with bad hungover.
Tom looks at me. "What you got there?"
"Hangover Cure," I reply, putting three glasses in front of them. When all three of them look at my face, I cross my arms over my chest. "Drink up."
Adi pouts. "It smells."
Mike frowns. "It is seaweed green."
Tom puts down the empty glass. "Done, Dadâerr, I mean, Noah."
Adi and Mike laugh, before realizing everything's too loud and groan again. I roll my eyes at their antics.
I have noticed Adi and Mike have more similarities than differences. It is like they are in the same category but in different sub-categories.
"You feel good?" I ask Tom, taking his glass and putting it in the sink.
"Kinda." He replies, "It felt like chocolate ice cream and pizza had a baby and it was ugly as heaven."
I raise my eyebrows when I look at him. "As heaven?"
"Hell is beautiful. So, why diss that?" He shrugs his shoulder. I nod, getting his point.
When Mike and Adi still make faces at the glass, I glare at them. "Drink before I shove them down your throats."
They drink.
"You, my man, are the best host ever." Tom looks at me, impressed, while Mike and Adi make puking sounds after drinking the hangover cure.
I chuckle. "Finally, someone appreciates it."
"Hey, guys," Percy says when he enters the kitchen and opens the fridge. Getting out a bottle of Gatorade, he looks at three of the guys and then at me. "I thought you didn't do babysitting because it was against your rep."
I narrow my eyes. "You okay?"
Daisy left for Boston this morning and Percy had gone with the Cooper family to the airport to see her off. Thinking about it seems cute but I can only imagine the awkward silence and threatening conversations in the car.
Since yesterday was Daisy's last day, Bella didn't come to the party. I know she wants to spend more time with her sister before she goes... and comes back after a few months.
Percy nods. "I will meet her in a month or something. So, ya, I am okay. We are okay."
"Good. Fuck out of here, then."
Percy laughs. "Nice to know you care, little brother."
"I am taller than you, little brother."
"You cannot give me the last word, can you?" He smiles, smugly, and rushes out of the kitchen before I can reply. The bastard takes the last word too.
Adi says, "I wish Iris had come to the party." When Tom shares a look with Mike, he gasps. "Tell me the secret. I will take it to my graveâno, to the Ganga."
I say, "Bella didn't come to the party because it was Daisy's last day."
Tom snorts and Mike replies, "Daisy was in the party, Noah. She was the one who made Adi twerk."
"I twerked?" Adi looks at us with wide eyes. "Shut up! Was it good?"
"Bella doesn't like parties," I say to them. "But it was at her brother's place."
"Yeah, that's true but first, she used to like going to the parties before," Tom says to us.
Mike continues, "Second, Caleb and Iris might look like they have a happy cousin bonding and they do sometimes but other times, they are just fighting and it is not healthy fighting."
I look between them. "You both are faking it."
"No." Tom shakes his head. "She is one of my closest friends. Forget about lying, I won't even diss that girl."
Mike says to me, "She thinks a lot. So, she cannot stop going to parties just randomly."
Adi hums in thought and I say to him, "Do not think. No good has ever come when you do."
"Go away."
"It is my place."
Simultaneously, all of our phones ring together with a message. I look at the notification and it is from Caleb in the group chat.
Caleb W
09:16 am
So where are you all?
Colt and Victoria are at my place.
Colten D
09:17 am
Definitely not cleaning the place.
Mike
09:17 am
Liar.
Alyssa J
09:17 am
I am at Nick's place.
Tom?
Tom J
09:18 am
Mike and I are at Noah's place.
With Adi.
Alyssa J
09:18 am
Ooooh, how did that happen?
Victoria M
09:19 am
Adi, nice twerking yesterday :)
Adi
09:19 am
tAlEnT.
Alyssa J
09:19 am
Also, nice hairstyle ;)
You did look hot.
I groan and Adi cheers. He points at me. "I told you it is good!"
Before the party, Adi dragged me to a salon and got himself (I paid) a Caesar cut, leaving out the top part with that curly hair. I know it is Caesar cut because Adi literally gave a speech to me and his Ma on different hairstyles.
Hearing him yapping about hair was not good. If Adi had been a dog, he would have been a golden retriever.
Bella
09:19 am
Stop boosting his ego. -_-
Alyssa J
09:20 am
You are awake, lazybones??!!
Bella
09:21 am
Obviously.
Colten D
09:22 am
Let's meet in 20 for breakfast?
Alyssa J
09:22 am
Where?
Bella
09:22 am
Coral's?
I smile at Bella's suggestion and notice Adi doing the same.
"We always meet in Ricky's," Mike says, "Why a different place now?"
"Why not?" Adi frowns and looks at him. "Not everything Iris does has to have a reason."
Mike blinks. "Sorry."
"You should be." Adi huffs and Mike looks at me as if asking what's wrong with him. I shake my head, telling him to leave it.
Tom looks at us. "Where's Coral's?"
"It is thirty minutes from here," I tell them.
Bella
09:23 am
They make the best pancakes.
And have maple syrup.
A series of 'Meet you there' follows.
***
We are at Coral's and way past the breakfastâpancakes. It was surprising to see how many of these people like pancakes. Except for Adiâwho hates pancakes, everyone ate at least two.
Bella and I are sitting in front of each other. Adi is sitting on my right while Colt on my left. To Colt's left, Tom is sitting. Bella is sitting between Alyssa and Victoria. Caleb is sitting near Victoria. On either end of the table, Mike and Nick are sitting.
"I think a hot dog is made with a dog's you know what," Adi says, looking at us.
Caleb, Michael, and Tom choke on their hot dogs. Alyssa and Victoria make faces of disgust while Colt and Bella start to laugh.
I roll my eyes and smack his head. Adi groans, rubbing the back of his head.
"What the fuck?" Caleb exclaims after he drinks water.
"Dude, you just ruined the concept of hot dogs," Tom says, gaping at Adi.
Adi says, "Oh, come on, why the hot dog is called by the name? It has to do something with dogs, right?"
"No, it has nothing to do with dogs," Tom argues.
Michael starts, "Actually, it started off as a joke about German immigrants' dachshund dogsâshameless people liked that and thus, we still call it...but, it is not made up of dogs'âholy crap, I can't even look at the thing now."
"Trust me, that is not even close to what he told me about traffic lights," I scoff. "I can't even get it out of my head."
"What did you say?" Bella asks Adi as Adi grins.
"Traffic light colors are like the stages of blood flowâ"
"Oh my god!" Victoria and Bella groan, cutting him off. Alyssa smacks Adi's head and he groans, rubbing the spot.
"Both of you are brutal." He whines, glaring at Alyssa and me.
"The whining just decreases your hotness, Adi," Alyssa says, rolling her eyes. We all look at her, shocked and amused.
"DiâDid the I-have-so-high-standards-that-if-it-was-mountain-it-would-have-been-higher-than-Everest girl just say I am hot?" Adi asks, putting a hand on his chest, as his eyes are as wide as tennis balls.
I should just take him to audition for Cats. The dramatics, this guy has.
"I have a normal functioning body, Adi, I canâokay, with that look in your eyes, I ain't gonna say it, now." Aly wiggles her finger.
Adi shoots up his eyebrows, grinning. "You have gotten the exclusive permission of Aditya to lick myâ"
"Hell, Adi, not interested," She says to him.
"Oh, I know in deep you are begging for me, Ginger." Adi grins and Aly scowls.
Before Alyssa can say anything, Sandy, our waiter, comes to our table and Tom grins, looking at her. Just some moments ago, he asked her out.
"Hey, Sandy. I see you have changed your decision," Tom says, wiggling his eyebrows. Sandy laughs a bit, shaking her head.
"Sorry, Tom, but you are still too young for me," Sandy says to him, smiling, and turns to Bella. "So, have you decided?"
"I will have the caramel salted cupcakes and a mocha," She tells her and smiles. Bella turns away and meets my eyes. She shrugs, saying, "I am obsessed."
"What's three years in the world of love, Sandy?" Tom says before Sandy can even go back. "I have everything planned. A hot-air balloon. Wide blue sky. You and me alone, well, except the person tending it. Then, a bit tour over the beach as the beautiful sunsets and, in that scenery, we will kiss each other."
I think Tom just made that up and looking at all of the girls' expressions, I am sure. Sandy looks shocked too as she looks at him.
Sandy recovers first as she replies, "Um, Tom, as appealing as that sounds, I am leaving the town, tomorrow. Today's my last working day. I am going to WSU for the spring session."
"What if I arrange it today?"
Colt murmurs, "Like hell, he will."
Sandy doesn't hear Colt. "Tom... okay, I promise if I come back in July after you graduate high school, I will go on a date with you."
"Well, I'll wait for you," Tom says, grinning without an inch of hesitation. Sandy smiles at him, before going away from our table.
"Tomâ"
"âthatâ"
"âwasâ"
"âamazing!" Alyssa, Victoria, and Bella say, together, impressed, Tom just shrugs, grinning.
Caleb rolls his eyes. "No, it wasn't."
"Well, fuck. Tom, you were the last one I thought would something like this," Nick says, laughing.
"Oh, here we go." Mike groans and looks at Colt. "Dude, keep your woman happy. Take her on dates like this otherwise, Tom will take them away."
Victoria looks at Colt, narrowing her eyes, mockingly. "Well? Learn something."
Colt lets out a laugh in reply, knowing Victoria loves their dates no matter what.
"Damn, sunset kiss? Ooh, la la," Alyssa says, laughing, and then, says to Tom, "Where did you get these ideas?"
"Just my brain, people. Just my brain."
Mike shakes his head. "No, you didn't."
Just now, Sandy puts my food, winking at Tom and, weirdly, Tom blushes.
I chuckle and proceed to take a burger from the nearest plateâBella's. She rolls her eyes but doesn't deny it. I peek at Caleb, thinking he will glare, but he is busying scowling at the hot dog.
"Hey," Bella kicks my feet. She whispers, "Tomorrow, remember?"
I purse my lips and nod. "Of course, I remember."
I remember the day you might just kill me.
"Where are you taking me?" She asks, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Tell me. Tell me."
"It is a surprise."
"No, it is not."
Smirking, I stretch my arm to take some chips from her plate but she smacks my hand away and glares at me.
"I will tell you this. Wear something casual."
She raises an eyebrow, probably thinking of all the places that can be casual. "Okay. Give me more hints."
"No."
"Pleaâ"
"No."
"Ugh."
"Yes, ugh."
Before she can reply, someone else calls her.
"Iris!" A junior, I think, comes to our table, looking at her. I notice he is holding a bouquet of carnations out for her.
"Hey, Alec!" She says, smiling back, but when she notices the bouquet, she starts frowning.
"Somebody made the manager give you these flowers. These are seriously not from me if you are thinking that." He gives them to her and walks away, saying bye or something I don't hear.
"Carnations?" I hear Caleb say.
"You got competition," Adi whispers to me and I glare at him. He just shrugs. "Just saying."
"Aw, that is so cute," Alyssa says, grinning.
Nick says, "Looks like the cases of a love-bite."
Bella gives him a dry look. "Shut up."
"Damn, I spy with my eye a little note," Victoria says, wagging the paper.
"God, Vic. Give it to me." Bella tries to take it from her but Colt takes it from her and starts reading out.
"Dear Iris... Saw these carnations and thought of you. Just know that I will wait for you until the sun dies down."
Thomas Scott.
Fucking Thomas Scott.
Bella looks at the flowers and keeps them on her lap. "I like cupcakes more," She says out, taking a big bite from her cupcake.
"Why are guys, now, getting so romantic?" Alyssa says, taking the note from Colt's hands. "Aw, there's no name."
Michael, then, takes it and looks at it. "Hmm, written in calligraphy. There are a lot of people who write in calligraphy."
"Iris has an unknown Honey Boo Bear, now," Tom coos, wiggling his eyebrows.
Caleb scoffs. "No, she doesn't."
I feel Colt, beside me, cringe and Bella closes her eyes in annoyance as she keeps on eating the cupcake.
"This is an outrage. Now, women will demand more from their..." Adi trails away, looking at Victoria and Alyssa's glare. "I mean this is wonderful and the sweetest gesture, ever."
"Yeah, very much wonderful," Bella murmurs. "Well, if I am not going to be in a relationship, then what's the point of this?"
She looks at me. "Right?"
I do not reply.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
so, guess what? i included the whole gang's aesthetics in the preface. i had been thinking a lot if i should or not. then, i decided fudge that, i am putting them up. sometimes, i love my decision making quality. other times, i wonder why i got a brain if it doesn't even work.
stay calm and cool and hydrated.
until the next one,
Inerys.