Chapter Sixteen Noah’s New Phone #2
I pull my old cell phone out of my pocket and hand it to him. “I’m here to give you this. I have a new phone, so I don’t need it anymore. There’s nothing wrong with it. The battery doesn’t really last a whole day, but I have a portable battery I can give you too. All you’ll need is a new SIM card.”
Noah does not take the phone. He has an unreadable expression on his face.
“You don’t have to give me a phone, Noorani. I don’t need your charity. Sell it or something.” The word “charity” rings between us. The same word Quinn used when he tried to donate that sweatshirt. And I get it. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of pity charity either.
I sigh. “I’m sorry about what happened at the thrift store.
Quinn was—is just a friend. And this isn’t charity.
I don’t need the phone. It’s been sitting in a drawer for the last two weeks.
And I would really like the ability to call or text the best friend I have in this town.
” His cold expression falters when I say that.
“I’m giving it to you for entirely selfish, not selfless, reasons. ”
Noah’s eyes widen, and he blinks a few times. But he doesn’t say anything.
“So will you take it?” I ask.
“Maybe. First, how was your second-ever date, Meera?”
Noah’s warm brown eyes are watching me intensely. It’s not the first time he’s used my given name, but the first time in a while. It means nothing. Probably.
“It wasn’t a date. We went to dinner as friends, but I didn’t really enjoy it—we see things too differently. I’m not going out with him again. And I care more about our friendship than my friendship with him.”
He keeps looking at me as a slow smile spreads across his face.
I smile back and hold out the phone again. This time he takes it.
“Thanks, Noorani,” he says. “I was about to head out anyway. Wanna walk with me to get a new SIM card?”
I smile, nodding. Honestly, there’s nothing I want more.
Noah goes into his house and comes back a few minutes later wearing black-and-white Converse sneakers, and with a guitar case strapped to his back. I ask him why he’s bringing his guitar.
“Been working on a song for weeks, and I finally think I have it. But Aaron says he can’t handle noise in the house. I was planning to play in the park.”
“Oh. Cool.” I want to ask if I can come with him to the park because I really want to hear him play again. But things are fragile between us.
We walk silently toward the bridge before Noah finally speaks. “So, dinner was really that bad? I’ve seen that guy around… He’s always seemed like a tool.”
I shrug. “Quinn’s not a bad guy. I mean, he’s one of the nicest of my cousin Sadie’s friends. But not really my type.” Quinn used to be exactly my type, but things have changed since I’ve been in Cherrybridge.
Noah laughs. “Does that mean you aren’t going to take him to the LeClair party tomorrow instead of me?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m taking you. I mean, do you still want to come with me?”
He nods. “Yeah, absolutely.”
“Your dad’s worked at LeClair Industries a long time. It’s a staff family event. I assume you’ve been before?”
“Nope.”
I frown. “Really? Never?”
He shakes his head. “My dad goes to these employee events because they’re pretty much mandatory.
But he’s never brought us along. I doubt many of the plant workers’ families will be there.
I assume the execs will have better food.
That’s why I’m going with you. Plus, scandalizing your family is so much fun. ”
I chuckle. Scandalizing them is fun. And I don’t want to be forced to be here or go to Randell Academy in September, so I’ll keep being the delinquent stepdaughter so that Jason makes me leave before the election.
“Well, I’m glad you’re coming. It sounds dull as heck, and it will be better with you. ”
I regret saying that almost as soon as the words leave my mouth. I’ve made things weird. Just like I made things weird when I said he was my best friend here.
“Yeah, me too,” he says. “I honestly wouldn’t agree to go to this thing for anyone else.”
I don’t look at him, but I feel his eyes on me. He can probably see me blushing.
“How’s your brother?” I ask, changing the subject.
Noah shrugs. “Fine, I guess. Dad’s addiction sponsor found him an outpatient program in London. Dad’s going to have to drive him there every day for a little while. I feel like…” He shakes his head.
“What?” I ask.
He looks ahead of him, his jaw tightening. “I don’t know. I feel like it might be a little futile. Dad’s trying to get Aaron back on the drums, but everything gives Aaron a headache. He keeps snapping at us.”
“That must be rough at home.” I remember how loud the conversations were when I dropped by earlier.
Noah runs his hand through his hair. “This isn’t my brother’s first rock bottom. And I get it. I want him to be well too. Dad wants Aaron to make something of himself. But sometimes…”
“Sometimes what?”
He’s silent for a while. “Sometimes it feels like Dad would care more about my future if I were an alcoholic too.” He exhales. “I can’t believe I admitted that out loud. I’m a terrible brother.”
I shake my head. “No. You’re an amazing brother. But I get it. I know the pitfalls of being the good kid. People don’t let you be anything else.” I pause, remembering something I learned about Noah yesterday. “Hey, is what Kennedy said true? Did you really get a scholarship to college?”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment, then nods. “Yeah. To TMU.” He’s still focused in front of him and not looking at me.
My eyes widen. “TMU like Toronto Metropolitan University?”
“Yes. To earn a BA in musical performance.”
I whistle. Wow. I exhale. “That’s amazing, Noah. Why aren’t you going?”
He looks at me with his brow raised. “Um, I was arrested for trespassing, remember? My principal rescinded his letter of recommendation, and TMU took back the scholarship. They had a good-behavior clause or something.”
My eyes widen. “Seriously? That’s so wrong.
” I wonder if this would have happened to me if I was arrested a year later, after getting university acceptances.
“How did you get arrested, anyway?” He doesn’t say anything, so I smile awkwardly.
“I mean, you don’t have to tell me, but I told you about Gabe and his viral social media ambitions. ”
He takes a deep breath in and shrugs. “It was at LeClair Industries. I was hanging out at Gordon Park with some friends, and Dad called to say that I needed to get home because Aaron was freaking out. It takes fifteen minutes to walk home, but only five if I hop the fence and cut through LeClair grounds. I used to do it all the time, and no one cared. But apparently now they do care, and they wanted to make an example out of me.”
Holy crap. I grab Noah’s hand for a second to make him stop walking.
“Are you serious? You lost your scholarship because of LeClair Industries? Does Jason know this? I can’t believe he let them arrest you.
” I mean, I’m no fan of Jason, but this seems too evil for him.
No wonder Mike said he would never vote for Jason.
Noah shakes his head. “It wasn’t because of Jason. I doubt he even knows. It was plant security. Executives don’t care what happens to the little guy.”
“What did your dad say when you lost the scholarships? He could have fought his company for you, couldn’t he?”
Noah shakes his head. “He did fight. He got my sentence reduced, and my fine waived because he’s a good worker.
But not the scholarship.” Noah looks down at the ground, but I can see that his brows are furrowed, and his jaw is clenched.
“He said, That’s why it’s better not to even try to get into the big leagues.
He didn’t want me to apply for the scholarship in the first place. ”
I sigh. Everyone has failed Noah. His father.
His brother. This stupid town. My stepfather.
Because of Jason, or because of Jason’s family, neither Noah nor his father gets to follow his music dreams. I should tell my mother all of this…
She has no idea what kind of man she married.
I’ve never been angrier, or more ashamed to be a member of the LeClair family.
I’m going to do everything I can to help Noah Jacobs get the heck out of this town so he can make his dreams come true.
When we get to the cell phone shop, we have to wait for the lady to be free, so we play Tetris on my phone, taking turns playing rounds and comparing scores. He’s way, way better than me, but it’s still so much fun. Literally everything is fun with Noah. Eventually he gets his new SIM card.
“I didn’t wipe the phone,” I say as we’re walking out of the shop. “I meant to, but I forgot. I back up my pictures, though, so you can reset it to factory settings.”
“Okay.” He’s already tapping on the phone, eagerly setting everything up. “So, I have a vocal lesson in a few hours and was going to hang out in the park until then. Want to come? Unless… It will probably be boring for you.” He bites his lip nervously, and it’s so darn cute.
I shake my head, grinning. “Not boring at all. I’d love to watch you practice.”
He smiles as wide. “Okay. Perfect.”