Chapter Sixteen Noah’s New Phone
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Noah’s New Phone
I hate that Noah still doesn’t have a phone, so I can’t call him to talk about what happened at the thrift store. Or to tell him that I don’t have a real date with Quinn, that we’re just having dinner together as friends. Or to find out if he’s still going to come to the LeClair picnic on Sunday.
Maybe I should cancel my dinner with Quinn? But… why? I don’t see Quinn as the bad guy in that situation with Ash. Ash isn’t the bad guy either. They are just two people who can’t understand the other’s worldview.
Ugh. I have no idea what to do. I open a video call with Keeley and Adanna.
A debrief with my closest friends about this situation is exactly what I need.
But to make my life even worse, they’re both in Adanna’s sister’s car on the way to Montreal for that festival that I was supposed to go to.
I push my jealousy aside and give them the short version of my dilemma.
I don’t tell them about Noah almost kissing me in the thrift store, because honestly?
Part of me thinks I might have imagined it.
“Meera, I don’t understand,” Adanna says. “You’ve been in Cherrybridge for what, two weeks? You’re already in a love triangle? What happened to not dating?”
I shake my head. “I’m not in a love triangle. I’m in a… friend triangle. With two guys.”
“With two hot guys,” Keeley says.
“How do you know they’re hot?”
“Because you have impeccable taste,” Keeley says. “What are their Instas?”
I tell them both Noah’s and Quinn’s Instagram handles.
“Holy crap,” Adanna says. “I… I’m speechless. Keeley’s right, you have the absolute best taste. Both of these guys are gorgeous. Why can’t I get sent to the boonies? You have all the luck, Meera.”
“Why does she have luck?” Adanna’s sister asks, presumably from the front seat.
“She got sent to live in a mansion in a town where apparently every guy is hot, and they all want to date her,” Keeley explains, and I throw her a glare. “As friends.”
It does sound like I have a charmed life here. And I guess I do, on the surface. I still feel like a complete fish out of water 80 percent of the time, though. It’s like I don’t speak the same language as most of the people here, and that includes my mother.
The only time I have felt completely comfortable is when I’m alone with Noah. And I may have lost his friendship because another guy asked me out, but I only said yes to Quinn in the first place to help get Noah off my mind.
The curse is really working overtime with me.
“I don’t see the issue,” Adanna says. “You said you were clear with both of them that you will only be friends, so why can’t you be friends with both? A true friend wouldn’t care who else you’re friends with.”
I sigh. My friends can’t understand how divided this town is.
Or how hard it is for me to figure out where I’m supposed to fit.
And I’m scared that the longer I stay here, hanging out by the pool in Jason’s mansion and shopping with Mom, the more I risk turning into Sadie’s friends, like Mom did with her tennis lessons and lunches at the club.
Maybe I’ll be like Sadie and Liv, well-meaning but with biases they don’t realize they have, thanks to their privilege.
Or maybe I’ll become like Kaitlyn and feel entitled to things just because of how much money my family has.
But I’m also afraid of turning into Kennedy, Ash, or even Noah, resenting people without knowing them because I’ve been burned too many times.
I’m afraid I’ll lose my drive to achieve my goals because I’ll see all the effort as futile.
But most of all I’m scared that the reason I’m afraid of turning into someone else means I don’t really know who I am.
“We need to go,” Adanna says. “We’re at a rest stop.”
I put on a brave front, smiling for them. “Okay. Have the best time, guys. I wish I was with you.” I really do. I wish I could ignore all these confusing feelings and tune out the world while listening to amazing music. I’d even buy a band shirt—and wear it.
“Can you guys get me a festival shirt?” I ask. “I’ll pay you back.”
“Of course!” Keeley says. “We wish you were with us!”
“Bye!” Adanna says. “Text us after your date. We want details.”
After hanging up, I pick up Rosie and hug her. She’s still the best thing about Cherrybridge.
My friend date with Quinn is… fine. He takes me to a trendy burger restaurant, and the burger and fries might be the best I’ve had.
Maybe it’s my mood, or maybe it’s because of that almost-kiss with Noah earlier, but I’m really not feeling Quinn today.
Not even as a friend. He still seems like a good guy, a conscientious guy.
Especially for someone who grew up on the rich side of this town.
He’s actually done the work to learn about social inequalities, and talks a lot about the housing crisis and how it’s affecting Cherrybridge.
He even says that he’s brought up to the board at the club that the racial demographics of the members don’t match the demographics of Cherrybridge.
I know Adanna would say that he has a white savior complex, and after today, I think maybe he does.
I’m grateful he doesn’t mention anything about the thrift store, but I can’t forget that he called Ash a random.
“So… you’re going to university in Toronto in the fall, right?” I ask.
He nods. “Yes. Prelaw at University of Toronto. My father wants me to join his firm here, but I don’t know. I suspect it will be hard to come back after living in the city. Maybe I’ll work for a nonprofit there, or in a legal aid clinic for a while.”
“U of T is my top choice too,” I say. “For architecture.”
Which leads to a discussion about equitable design, and then about my favorite buildings in Toronto, and about the BEAD mentorship program.
I actually do enjoy the conversation. It’s been a while since I could talk about my goals with someone who has similar dreams for themself.
If we were having this discussion in two months in Toronto instead of now in Cherrybridge, I know I would enjoy it even more.
Right now all I can think about is what Noah would think of whatever Quinn says.
“So… can I ask you something?” Quinn asks while we’re eating dessert. Salted caramel profiteroles, which turn out to be big cream puffs like the ones my mom used to get in a tub, except with ice cream in them.
“Yeah, of course.”
He squeezes his lips together a moment, then smiles. “That program in the park… how close are you with the kids there?”
“I’m mostly just close with Noah. He’s been a good friend since I started the program. He’s also going through some stuff at home, and I want to be there for him.”
Quinn smiles. “I really like that about you. You’re seizing the opportunity to help the less fortunate, even while doing court-ordered service. People of color are targeted by the police much more than those born to privilege, but you’re making the best of it.”
I raise my eyebrows at Quinn. Does he think I was arrested because I’m Brown, instead of because Gabe and I were being dumbasses?
I suppose it might be true. Maybe if we looked like Kaitlyn and James, we would have gotten off.
And yeah, Jason’s fancy expensive lawyer probably helped me get a lesser sentence.
But Quinn is making it seem like I’m hanging out with Noah as some service to the poor biracial son of an alcoholic, instead of because he’s the best person in this town.
Quinn doesn’t seem to notice my annoyance, and motions for the bill from the waitress.
After he pays, he drives me home, and we talk about Jason’s neighborhood on the way.
I’m not saying much because I’m in a terrible mood.
When he pulls into Jason’s driveway, he turns off the car and smiles at me. “That was fun,” he says.
I sigh inwardly. I hope he’s not thinking of kissing me. “Yeah, it was. Thanks for dinner. It was a great burger.”
He looks like he wants to say something more. He finally speaks. “So do you want to do that again sometime?”
“Oh, um. You know. You’re a great guy, but I’m so busy with my stepfather’s campaign and my community service.”
He nods. “No worries. We’ll still see each other when we hang out with Sadie and Liv. And maybe at the club, too.” He smiles, and even though he’s just as handsome as he always was, I don’t really feel that pull of physical attraction I did when we first met.
“And when you’re in Toronto next year,” I say, “we should totally take that trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario together. The architecture on the inside is cool.”
“That would be great.”
“And thanks again for understanding. And for dinner.”
He smiles and nods, and I get out of the car.
Saturday morning I wake up early. Well, early for me at least. I put on my new black cargos with a T-shirt, and scarf down some toast and a yogurt cup.
After packing my camera and some other stuff into my backpack, I start walking to Noah’s house.
Mom and Jason have a doubles tennis game at the club, and I don’t want to call Liv for a ride because I really don’t want anyone to know where I’m going.
That’s also why I don’t use the Uber account Mom set up.
It’s a seventy-minute walk to Noah’s, and pretty much the whole time, I’m cursing the lack of public transportation here. I have no idea how anyone without a car is supposed to go anywhere.
It feels like a bit of déjà vu when Noah opens the door barefoot again.
But this time he seems much less happy to see me than he was when I was here a few days ago.
I can hear male voices from inside. Mike and Noah’s brother, I assume.
Instead of inviting me in this time, Noah comes straight out and stands on the porch.
He crosses his arms. “Why are you here, Noorani?”