7

TAKUMI WILLIAMS

I’d been beginning to think the only expression Noah was capable of wearing was a frown.

But in less than twenty minutes, he proved me wrong, a chuckle escaping my lips as I replayed the whole encounter in my mind all over again.

He sure looked way better than I expected, considering how he’d staggered into the house the previous night. He looked a drunk mess and seemed completely oblivious to the fact that I was in the living room the entire time, watching him ramble on as he struggled with his balance and eventually made his way to his room.

Another chuckle escaped my lips as I turned around, my eyes roaming the couch in search of my phone. I found it easily, the buzzing sound coming from it giving away its location.

The screen lit up as it sat in my hands, a new message popping up.

Caleb: Where are you?

Caleb: Your first class and you’re gonna be late again?

Glancing at the time, I shoved the phone down my pocket and lazily made my way out of the living room to my room. I had morning classes scheduled to start by 9am but I’d never been a morning person. On good days I woke up by 9am and on even better days, 10am. But for the first time since Japan, I was up by 8am all thanks to Noah Mason.

I wasn’t offended though, the sunlight peeping through the curtains oddly not disturbing. I looked around the house one more time and made my way to the room I’d chosen myself to get freshened up for the day.

Majority of my things were still in my suitcase and like I was waiting for Noah to say something, I was yet to fully unpack. Regardless, I found a hoodie and faded jeans to throw on, leaving the house with another bag of chips several minutes past nine.

Caleb was already in class by the time I got to school, seated at the middle row. I spotted him from a distance, pretending to be focused while he actually mindlessly swiped through dating apps, a chuckle escaping me as I slid into one of the seats at the very last row.

“You’ll have to be sneakier than that if you don’t want to be noticed, Takumi.”

All eyes turned in my direction, the professor crossing her arms as she watched me uselessly try to hide my face. In defeat, I flipped my hood and met her gaze, my signature smile appearing on my face.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Adams,” I flashed her the smile. “I lost track of time. I’m still a little jet lagged.”

“A whole week later and you’re still jet lagged,” she shook her head, the class bursting into a fit of chuckles and laughter. “No one indeed does it like you, Takumi Williams. I guess I should be at least glad you decided to show up in class this semester even if you’re forty five minutes late.”

Students chuckled again and with a final comment from her, her lecture continued. I could still feel a couple of gazes in my direction as I pulled out my notebook and pretended to begin paying attention.

It had always been that easy for me. Professors adored me and students loved me. My popularity made it easy for me to use hockey as an excuse to easily miss classes and my charm made it impossible for anyone including classmates to ever have a problem with it.

“You privileged bastard.”

Classes were finally over and Caleb announced his presence by my side by throwing his bag at me. I caught it and rose to my feet, quick enough to stop him from throwing a punch at me too.

Caleb Jones was my friend from my first year at university. He was also on the hockey team and with a lot more in common including our majors and dead fathers, we easily hit it off becoming so close we kept contact the entire time I was out of the country.

“Welcome back to America baby,” he gave me a fist bump, pulling me in for a quick hug. “I can’t believe I missed your stupid ass. How was Japan?”

“Boring,” I returned his bag to his shoulder as we walked out of the class. “I’m so glad I’m back.”

“Oh yeah?” I was almost a meter taller than him, Caleb struggling to wrap his arm around my shoulder as always. “If you’re so glad then why didn’t you text me the minute you got back? Where are you staying? Why don’t you move in with me and the rest of the guys? Right your mum remarried before you left. Don’t tell me you’re living with her and her boyfriend? Shit I can’t call him her boyfriend anymore. Your stepdad!”

“Shut up,” I kicked him by the butt, the title throwing me off a little. “And no, I’m not living with him. I’m living with his son.”

“He has a son?” He paused his steps. “You didn’t mention that. Who is he? Does he attend uni here too? Do I know him?”

“Yes, you do.”

“Oh, cool then,” he resumed walking, turning in the direction of the cafeteria as we walked out of our faculty. “Invite him to the party you’re throwing this weekend so we can officially meet.”

“There’ll be no need to do that,” I smirked, watching a familiar car pull over just a few meters away from us. “Cause we’re going to be having the party at his house.”

“Whose?”

“Noah Mason’s.”

Caleb paused his steps once again and this time, almost coincidentally, the door to the car opened to reveal Noah Mason.

As a sports management major and I on the other hand, majoring in psychology, I had no memory of Noah and I running into each other at uni. He moved in very specific circles but for the first time I was seeing him at my faculty.

“That Noah Mason?” Caleb finally spotted him too. “You’ve got to be joking.”

“No, I’m not,” I didn’t look away from him. He clearly hadn’t seen me, his eyes roaming around in search of either someone or something. “That Noah Mason.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what he was actually doing here. As thrilling as it was to imagine it, he couldn’t be here for me. And from the way he glanced at his phone and watch over and over, I could tell he was impatiently waiting for someone.

“No way in hell.”

I immediately burst into laughter as a familiar wave of perfume rushed past me. With hurried steps, Rayna appeared out of nowhere, waving at Noah as she rushed towards him.

“He came here for her?”

“Isn’t she his girlfriend?” Caleb’s eyes followed mine. “I heard she told half the school when they started dating.”

“She sure did,” I snickered under my breath, raising my brow as I continued to watch them. In no time, she was by his side, shaking like a drenched puppy, Noah looking at her with his usual frown on his face. “Well, this is interesting.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Ignore me,” I turned around the minute she got into his car, my curiosity reaching its limits. I pulled Caleb by the shoulder, reminding him we were on our way to the cafeteria. “So, yes, it’s settled. Party this Sunday.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Invite everyone you know,” I pat him on the back. “Also, invite a lot of girls. I haven’t been in the country for a while so although it’s embarrassing to admit, I think I might have lost my touch.”