The Kissing Booth A New Chapter

NOAH

NPOV 

Damn it I cannot believe that he showed up.  We were starting to act normal again, teasing each other.  I had her laughing and smiling.  Ahh s**t then, of course, I must let my temper get the best of me when she agreed to have coffee with him.  Ok, I need to calm down she did say she would give me a chance that means I need to man up and ask her out.  Hmm, first things first though. 

Lee:  Hey bro what do you need? 

Me:  I need you to stop helping the asshats on my team to take out my girl. 

Lee:  First off, she is not your girl, second until you prove to me you’re not going to hurt her again I won't stop. 

Me:  Damn it, Lee, I love her.  It was torcher watching her with that egomaniac Lewis now Richard is after her.  This is just the beginning. 

Lee:  Well bro you need to step up your game instead of playing I am too dumb to understand a chick book. 

Me:  Lee I have no idea what you're talking about. 

Lee:  Please, I happen to know your buddy Paul is the teaching assistant to your proof, and you knew this was going to be a partner assignment.  You chose Anne of Green Gables to make a connection with Shelly since it is her favorite series.  I also know you worked it out so, that Paul would pair you two up using all that bull s**t about us being like family.  You knew that once Shelly found out, she would work on Anne of Green Gables since you started reading it the same day and how did you do that.  Let's see oh yeah you had the list before the rest of the class.  You also knew that Shells would take her time choosing a book.  So, you set it up to give you alone time with her. 

Me:  Fine, but you better not tell her. 

Lee:  Yeah, right, and have her kill both of us. 

Me:  I will step up my A-game. 

I hung up with Lee and started thinking...then it hit me. I grinned and picked up my computer and started looking up ideas. I knew that the lit prof was going to want us to do a presentation as our midterm and I had the perfect idea on how to do that.  Thankfully Lee and Elle have had so damn many costume parties I have this site bookmarked now I need to log into mom's account and order what I need.  The best part Elle's measurements are all saved on this site. 

After ordering my surprise for my sweet Shelly, I started searching up good steak houses in the area to take her too for a date if she gave me the shot.  I found a place I thought Shells would love called Franks Steak House.  I even found out that there is a big fair on campus with a Halloween Themed Costume competition.  The theme is selected by the professors, and they chose a romantic couple from literature.  I was dancing around the apartment when I heard Elle and Richard outside her apartment.  "So, Elle what are you doing for Halloween?"  s**t s**t shit.  "I don't know why?"

"Well, the children on campus like to dress up and prance around in costumes so I thought we could take off and find something to do away from the childish behavior."  "Oh, uhm I have to check with my twin."  s**t, I must call Lee.  "Well, to be honest, we like to dress up for Halloween."  "So, you act like children.  Reminds me of these two f*****g idiots acting like children playing DDR at the arcade last weekend in LA they even had a routine."  OH, no, he didn't.  "Let me guess it was to a song called Be Together."  "Yeah, how did you know?"  "Well, obviously you didn't pay much attention to the people dancing or were not that interested in me till you realized Noah was trying to get me back."  "Why do you say that?"  "Because that was Lee and me.  So, lose my number."  I heard her door close and almost fell down laughing.  s**t, I need to call Lee.   

Lee:  What now Noah 

Me:  Please please please tell Elle you don't want to do a couple costumes this year. 

Lee:  Why? 

Me:  Look because I already bought a couple costume for us. 

Lee:  OH, really without asking her. 

Me:  Promise you won't tell her. 

Lee:  OK 

Me:  Well, our prof is going to announce he wants us to do a presentation on the book we read to our classes.  In the announcement it is going to state if we can dress as the period, we will get an automatic A.  

Lee:  Let me guess you already ordered the costumes. 

Me:  Yes, and since they just announced that the couples costume contest this year is on romantic couples in literature I thought Elle, and I could go as Anne and Gilbert. 

Lee:  Noah, she is going to love it.  Call her now damn it and asked her out. 

Me:  Ok. 

I decided to run out to the flower shop down the block and bought her a bouquet of daisies and ran back to the dorms.  I knocked on her door, and when she opened it up, I handed her the daisies.  "Noah, thanks so much but what's the special occasion."  "Well, Shelly I was wondering if you would like to go out on Halloween with me and dress up for the costume contest?"  Damn, she is staring at me.  Please don't overthink this Shelly baby.  "Ok, but who do we go as I heard it is supposed to be romantic couples in literature."  "Well, look I am going to come clean; our prof's TA is a friend of mine.  He told me we are going to have to do a presentation on our book and if we dress up as our characters, we get an automatic A.  So, I logged on to the costume site mom likes to use and ordered our costumes and thought we could go as Anne and Gilbert."  "You do realize you would have to jump ahead to when they fall in love."  "OOPs let me go cancel those costumes and get the new ones."  "How about I come and help?"  "I would like that."  As I wait for her to grab her key and walk into my room while I hold the door open, I can't help but be jumping up and down on the inside.  After canceling the original order, we ended up ordering a green Edwardian dress for Elle and a tan day way suit for me.  Elle even looked up and ordered a red wig that she was going to have styled in one of Anne's updos.   

Me:  So, you're ok with this 

Elle:  Yes, Noah, I told you I would give you another chance. 

Me:  I would like to take you to dinner before. 

Elle:  Ok, so this will be an actual date. 

Me:  Yes, Shelly I already told you I want you back. 

Elle:  Ok, Noah, well I better go it is getting late. 

At that point, her phone rang. 

Elle:  Hello?  What?  Do I need to come home? Ok, I will tell them.  Well, keep us informed. 

Noah:  Shelly what's wrong? 

She looked at me, and tears were streaming down her face.  She kept trying to tell me but couldn't.  Luckily, I knew I was getting my answers when my phone rang, and it was my mom. 

Noah:  OK, what happened, is it Max or Brad?  Ok. No, she is right here we were doing homework.  Of course, I will take care of her.  Well, keep us informed.  Someone called her, and she told them she would tell us.  Good yeah call Lee he needs to come to my room.  Love you all too.   

She looked up at me, and I just opened my arms, and she ran into them.  "I wasn't there to protect him.  He saw it all."  "Shh Shells, Max is ok he was pushing Brad out of the way he will be home soon."  All I could do was hold her; it was killing me that I could not take this pain away from her.  Although I think it is more fear than anything else, she is going through right now.  I could feel her shaking and sobbing.  "Calm down Shelly baby; he was clipped and received a broken hip thank God that is all.  Mom said her and dad are going over and packing a couple of bags for him and Brad so they can stay with them until Max heals completely.  Luckily dad knows how the construction company works so he can go and help make sure the men follow orders."  I chuckled, "All those times dad and Max dragged us to the sites to make us help to teach us the value of a dollar I guess paid off since dad even learned something."  I felt her knees start to buckle, so I picked her up and carried her to my bed, laying her down.  When I tried to pull away, she clutched me and sobbed even harder.  I crawled in next to her and felt her curl into my arms.  I laid there with my eye's closed, inhaling her intoxicating scent.  I couldn't help but think how much I missed just holding Shelly. There was a knock on my door before Lee walked in.  I looked at him, smiled, and motioned for him to be quiet. 

Lee:  Why don't want to scare her? 

Me:  No, dork, she fell asleep crying.  Help me get her to her room. 

Lee:  Ok 

I stood up and lifted her into my arms.  Feeling her curl up in my arms and snuggle into my chest made me sigh. I couldn't help myself, and I saw Lee smirk as he held open her door.  I walked her over to her bed as Lee turned down her sheets.  I had just finished laying her down and was getting ready to leave when she said: "Stay with me, Noah."  "Are you sure Lee is here?"  "Yes, please."  I looked at Lee, and he nodded while I crawled in next to her.  I watched Lee as he pulled out a sleeping bag and pillow from her closet.  I chuckled "should have known you two would still follow the rents rules about sleepovers."  "Yep, no sharing a bed."  "I hope she doesn't get pissed about this when she wakes up since I am included in the new rule."  "Nah, I texted mom and told her she said since I am here, and Shelly is hurting she gives us a pass."  "good I know part of her problem is she is thinking about Mary."  There was a knock on the door, and when Lee opened it, there stood John and Richard.  Lee didn't even notice them since he was telling me, "Yeah, knowing Max got hurt is going to be trying on her.  Did she say anything after she hung up with the little man?"  "Hey, guys look she just fell asleep, and we are not waking her up."  I could tell Richard was pissed."  John looked at us, "Ok, what happened guys you two being in here it has to be bad."  Lee looked at me, "Bradley called Shelly."  "Bradley...that's her little brother right."  "Yep, turns out earlier today he was playing in the front yard with a couple of my former teammates working on conditioning and strength training so he can try out for the Buckner High team."  I felt Shelly shaking, so I started running my fingers through her hair, singing "True Colors by Cindy Lauper to her in her ear."  Lee looked at us and started, "When a car jumped the curb.  Luckily Max was there, and he ran shoving Bradley out of the way but was clipped by the car and now has a broken hip.  He is in the hospital and will be for a few days before he goes home.  He will be staying with our parents along with Brad, so Shelly here won't try to run home to take care of them."  "Damn that must suck is she ok."  "She is hanging in.  The problem is whenever Max gets hurt; she starts to panic since the last time one of her parents was sick, she lost her mom.  I know that Mary is part of the problem."  I heard John chuckle "didn't take your brother for women power ballads from the 80's” ” Nah, dude Cindy Lauper was our mom's favorite singer, and both of them sang True Colors to us kids whenever we were sick, hurt or scared."  "Makes sense.  Look tell her she doesn't have to come to practice tomorrow let her relax."  I looked up, "That won't happen.  Lee here will be at practice to watch her if not; I will be on the football field you can get me.  Oh, and if she zones out during a workout..." John cut me off, "Don't bother her if I value my life got it."  As Lee closed the door, I heard John "look, there is a lot of history there; I know why those two boys are in there.  Even if Flynn wants her back right now at this moment, all he is to her is a big brother holding the memories away just like Lee will be her twin doing the same thing."