Show Me How

Chapter 2- Average

“stand up Noah!”

Sighing I push Josh away and return my gaze to the sky. While the stars aren't so visible because of the city lights, I like looking at either way. Maybe it’s because I find them pretty and I liked how they shined in the dark. Or that I was waiting for some signal from the universe, and me staring at it would hurry it. Either way, the music blasting from the house behind and Gabriel bugging me didn’t help. 

“What are you looking at?” Raising my head I sigh at the sight of Gabriel in front of me. 

He was wearing his usual tie-dye t-shirt with ripped jeans. Except that for this time it was a green and yellow one. His blonde curls were tied back in a bun and his blue eyes looked at me curiously as he switched looking up at the sky and me. Probably trying to find out what the hell I was doing. Not very unusual for Gabriel. After all the boy either spent his time rolling blunts in the park or harassing the smart quiet kids with his stupid questions.

“The sky dumbo,” I say and sit up. 

Looking back at the house I can already imagine the beer bottles and used condoms that are going to be left for me to clean. Holding out my hand Gabriel rolled his eyes and grabbed it, hoisting me up. Brushing off the grass from my clothes I frown at the blunt in his hand.

“I thought you said you were trying to go 2 weeks clean.” Snorting he takes a long drag and shrugs. “I have a test on Monday, and no way was I going to suffer through it sober.” 

At the mention of school my already sour mood plummet down. “Please don’t remind me. I already got my parents pestering me about it.” Laughing Gabriel throws his arm over my shoulder as we walk, all while drowning me of the smell of deodorant and weed.

“Come on Noah be the life of the party and forget about school.” Groaning, I looked at the house and walked up to it. Not bothering to disagree, I plaster the smile that has made me known as Noah Chen Tucker.

No the brightest, but not the dumbest. Not the comedian, but I did know how to break out a couple of good jokes. You could say I was the definition of average. 

Average looking. 

Average grades. 

Average personality and overall, 

Average.

A complete contrast to my older brother which my parents can’t stop reminding me of. Samuel Yu-Hsuan Tucker is everything my parents could wish for in a kid. Graduated at the top of his class, well-liked, and a good reputation. At this moment he is out of state attending college. Making it even worse now that it gave my parents yet another reason to speak highly of Samuel. 

Sometimes I wonder why my parents choose to even have me. All of my life I was compared to Samuel’s success. 

I got a 98% on a test, Samuel got 100%. I got ranked top three, Samuel made it number one. I got nominated, Samuel won. 

I could find the cure to cancer and life in distant galaxies, and my parents would find something greater he had accomplished. 

And while I know my parents love us all equally, being the forgotten child sometimes gets tiring to the point where I have given up to impress them. Because no matter what I did, whether I was the greatest kid on earth or the worst - I would always be Noah.

Forgotten and ignored.

“There you are, you disappeared suddenly.” Smirking at Isiah I pull him in a side hug. “Really? Sounds like someone missed me a lot.”

Frowning he punches me on my shoulder playfully. “Shut up.” He says and takes a sip of the red cup in his hand. 

Unlike Gabriel, Isaiah was perhaps the most put-together guy out of all of us. Despite only growing up only with his dad who is a librarian, Isiah did well in life. His big curly hair which reached to his shoulder was often styled and braided by his dad, attracting a lot of girls. 

“Man, did you see Oscar? He just went upstairs with the twins.” Looking up at the stairs, Isaiah wasn’t lying. Walking up the stairs was little Oscar being led by the Robinson twins. One of the twins was holding his collar while the other held onto his wrist. 

While his green eyes didn’t look around frantically, his mouth was hanging open as they entered a room. “Poor guy, should we save him?” Tilting his head Isiah shakes his head.

“Nah he has probably been dreaming about this all summer.”

Chuckling I lean at the wall. Despite being a year younger than us, Oscar quickly became part of our group two years ago when he started hanging out with us. With a baby face and skinny body, Oscar suffered being called pretty. Which attracted many girls, but being called the ‘model’ or girl looking guy in the group affected. Resulting in him cutting his hair to a buzz cut and getting a septum piercing so he could look like “a man and not a boy” whatever that meant.

“If it goes 10 minutes and we haven’t seen him I’ll pull him out,” I say which Isiah grinned at. “By then they have mauled his ass.” Laughing I can already picture his fearful face. 

“Now tell me what is on your agenda tonight?” 

Sighing I take a sip of the beer bottle. “Other than drinking my tears up, nothing.” Laughing Isiah slaps my shoulder. “Well drink up as much as you want, but I am leaving. I’d rather not wake up at 8 realizing I am late for school tomorrow.” 

“You're leaving me all alone?” Grinning he raises his brow at me. “Parties without Isiah exist, but parties without Noah don't exist.”

“You're joking right?” 

“Unless pigs can now fly, then no I am not joking.” Rolling my eyes I raise my glass as he starts to walk. “Sleep for us both will you,” I say, which he only waves as he walks out. 

Just like that, I feel the smile on my face falter. A glance on my phone already told me it was way later than what I had agreed on with my parents. But then again they believe I am at the library studying. Which is comical in some sense, since I will be reeking of beer rather than old papers from the 60s.

Just as I place the top of the bottle on my lip, a tap on my shoulder stops me. Turning around a girl dressed in shorts and a deep cute red top smiled at me while playing with her brown straight hair. “Hey Noah, we are playing beer pong and I could use a partner. You in?” 

Biting her lip she runs her finger on the rim of the bottle while expectantly waiting on my answer. Looking over her head a group of girls stood in a small circle watching by the beer pong stand. Everything in my body was saying to leave, go home, or even return to the grass and stare at the stars. 

But then there is the other part. The part that doesn't want to go home because I already know how empty it’s going to sound like. Where I know I’ll be sitting in my room with a headset, blocking the noise of my parents working in their separate offices as they’ll leave me post notes on the fridge. And seeing that the alternative was playing beer pong with a group of attractive girls. 

Why not.