Chapter 24 - After School
804 Words
Lily spent the entire day pretending she wasn’t nervous.
Unfortunately—
She was a terrible actress.
By seventh period, she had reread the same paragraph in her textbook six times without understanding a single word.
Because Noah Carter had asked her to walk with him after school.
And the worst part?
He’d sounded nervous too.
Which somehow made everything infinitely more terrifying.
Jason noticed immediately, obviously.
“You look like you’re preparing for battle,” he informed her while spinning a pencil dramatically between his fingers.
“I’m studying.”
“You’ve been staring at the same page for ten minutes.”
Lily looked down slowly.
Right.
The same page.
Ryan leaned back in his chair beside Jason.
“To be fair,” he said calmly, “Noah does have the emotional intensity of someone about to confess under dramatic weather conditions.”
Lily nearly threw her textbook at him.
Emily, sitting two rows ahead, turned around instantly.
“Wait,” she whispered aggressively. “Do we think today is the day?”
Jason placed a hand over his heart.
“Oh my God.”
“I hate all of you,” Lily muttered.
“No you don’t,” all three whispered together.
Unfortunately—
Accurate.
The final bell rang before Lily could continue threatening violence.
Students immediately flooded into the hallway.
And somehow Lily’s heartbeat got worse.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
She was halfway to her locker when she spotted Noah already waiting nearby.
Like he’d been there awhile.
Hands in the pockets of his dark hoodie.
Expression calm.
But his eyes immediately lifted the second he saw her.
That soft look appeared again instantly.
Automatic.
Like he couldn’t stop doing it anymore.
Jason physically grabbed Ryan’s shoulder behind her.
“Oh, he’s gone gone.”
“Deeply gone,” Ryan agreed solemnly.
Noah looked exhausted already.
“Why are you both still here?”
Emily appeared beside them carrying her bag.
“Because this is the most entertainment Westwood has had all semester.”
Fair.
Unfortunately.
Noah ignored all of them and looked directly at Lily instead.
“You ready?”
The question felt strangely important.
Lily swallowed carefully.
“…Yeah.”
Jason made a quiet choking sound.
Emily slapped a hand over his mouth before he could speak.
Ryan nodded respectfully toward Noah.
“Good luck, soldier.”
“I hate this school,” Noah muttered.
Then finally—
He looked back at Lily.
And something about the quietness in his expression made her stomach flip nervously again.
“Come on.”
The walk started silently.
Not awkward.
Just careful.
The afternoon sun painted long shadows across the nearly empty campus while distant sounds from sports practice echoed across the field nearby.
Lily walked beside him quietly.
Close enough for their shoulders to brush every few steps.
And somehow—
That tiny contact felt louder than conversation.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
After a minute, Lily finally glanced at him.
“You’re unusually quiet.”
Noah huffed a soft laugh.
“So are you.”
Fair.
Unfortunately.
They reached the far side of the football field where things were quieter.
More private.
Lily’s heartbeat immediately became concerning again.
Noah stopped walking first.
Then turned toward her slowly.
And suddenly—
This felt real.
Whatever this was.
The teasing.
The almost-confessions.
The lingering looks.
It all felt heavier now somehow.
Noah rubbed lightly at the back of his neck before speaking.
“You remember what you said this morning?”
Lily blinked nervously.
“…Probably not. I say a lot of embarrassing things.”
A small smile appeared briefly on his face.
“When you said this wasn’t a relationship.”
Oh.
Oh no.
Lily’s pulse stumbled instantly.
“Noah—”
“I know you didn’t mean it badly,” he interrupted gently. “I know that.”
His voice stayed calm.
Careful.
But she could hear the honesty underneath it now.
Clearer than ever before.
Noah looked down briefly before meeting her eyes again.
“But I think I’m getting tired of pretending this is nothing.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Lily forgot how breathing worked entirely.
Because there it was.
Not quite a confession.
But dangerously close.
Noah stepped slightly closer.
Close enough now that Lily could see the nervousness he’d been hiding beneath the calm expression all day.
Which somehow affected her more than confidence would’ve.
“I like being around you,” he admitted quietly. “Too much, probably.”
Lily’s heart nearly stopped.
“And lately…” Noah exhaled softly. “You’re kind of all I think about.”
The world genuinely tilted for a second.
Because Noah Carter—
Careful, unreadable Noah Carter—
Was looking at her like he’d finally decided to tell the truth.
And Lily realized with terrifying clarity—
She felt exactly the same way.
- Writer
