The Reaction

ELLE

Noah Reed moped at us. 

Maybe he heard the wrong thing, because why did he have that look on his face? 

“What did you just say?” It took Noah seconds, almost a minute to come back to his senses. “Is my sister being for real?” As if Cassie were a ghost, he ignored her as though she didn't exist in the room. “Liam is your boyfriend?” 

“Yeah?” Cassie still replied, confused as I was. She looked at me at some point. “Do you have any idea what is wrong with my brother?” 

A good question. 

But how was I supposed to know? 

The door creaked open. Noah walked further into the space. “You can't invade my privacy like that, Noah.” Cassie warned.  

“Your room isn't better than mine, Cassie.” Noah looked around as if it were his first time in Cassie's room, then he took a seat on the chair that came with the dressing table. “Tell me more, I'd like to know everything.” 

Now it was embarrassing. 

Why did he think I would give him all the details about my relationship with Liam? A sigh threatened to escape my mouth but I swallowed it back. “I don't know what you mean by wanting to hear everything, Noah.” 

“Tell me everything, Elle.” 

The sigh I held back from escaping my mouth, finally escaped. 

Nothing prepared me for a moment like this with anybody, talk more about Noah, my best friend's brother. “Liam Hayes is my boyfriend. We started dating two weeks ago.” 

“Two weeks ago—” Noah repeated. “What's he like? Do you enjoy the relationship?” 

Wasn't I supposed to? A question I would love to throw back at him, but there wasn't any need for that. “How can you have a boyfriend, Elle?” He asked this time around. 

I looked up at Noah, and he had a look of disappointment on his face - the kind that confused me. What the hell was going on?

“I'm old enough to have a boyfriend, Noah.” 

“You're sixteen.” 

“I know. Sixteens’ have boyfriends. The boys have girlfriends too. I know a few from class.”

He wasn't listening. 

What exactly was going on? I wanted to ask, but I didn't see a need to. 

Noah was like an older brother to me, and I could imagine why he felt bad about the whole thing. No, I couldn't imagine.  

“Don't you have something to do?” Cassie saved the day, as usual. “Go away.” 

“Yeah, I take my life seriously and concentrate on basketball - instead of keeping women or even one woman around in the name of a relationship.” He was reaching the door when our gazes met, leaving me embarrassed and flushed. “I hope he's treating you right.” 

“Oh, please, Noah. We won't be babies for long. I'd have a boyfriend too, soon.” 

Not a single reply; Noah shut the door. 

For a moment, there were no footsteps. Then there were footsteps. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth, and I fell on my back and let out. “What the hell is going on with him, Cassie?” 

“That's how bad brothers do, and this is less of what he does to me. Ignore him.” 

Ignore him? 

I had never seen Noah in that mood, using such a tone to speak. 

Unless I was overthinking it, then something wasn't right with Noah and my relationship with Liam. But if Cassie, his sister, insisted on ignoring him, that was a good thing to do. 

“Soo—” 

I looked at my best friend. “So, what?” 

“We were discussing something before my brother came. How it is with you and Liam.” 

“Oh?” I sat up. “Yeah.” 

Was this still a good time to talk about Liam? Already, I lost interest in the whole thing. “He's a gentleman - treats me right. Although it's like, two weeks into the whole thing, I'll see how it goes in the third month.”

“Right.” Cassie sat up too.  

She got off the bed and reached the closet. “I have some new dresses, come check them out.” She pulled the handle and the closet opened. “Told mom I'd give you some.” 

“No, you won't do that.” I refused as I got off the bed, also catching up with her. “They're really pretty. But can you wear them, at least? Many of your dresses are roaming my closet, and I haven't even planned to wear them.” 

“You have a boyfriend now, you'll wear them.” She pulled a dress from its hanger, threw it at me, and asked. “What do you think?” 

Throwing back the dress at Cassie, I muttered. “I think you should have your dress, that's what I think, and keep it or wear it. Just take it far away from me. Seriously, Cassie Reed.” 

“I'm just trying to help.” 

“By giving me your dress? Does your mom ever ask where they even go?” 

“She knows the truth. Didn't she do the same with your mom when she was here?” Cassie smiled, her thoughts hanging in the air that it showed on her face. “Do you ever wonder what they'd be doing if she were here with us?” 

Conversations like these were the kind I didn't like to have. Not because I don't want to, but because of what it triggered. “I don't know, Cassie.” It was a better reply than “I don't want to talk about my mom right now.” 

“Well, I know.” 

“What, then?” 

“One of them would share a dress and the other person would take it - new or not. We're sisters, Elle - it's just different families and who gives a fuck?” She lowered her voice. No one must hear her use the ‘f’ word. 

“Right. You have a point.” 

“I always have a point.” She grabbed three more dresses. “I know they'd look good on you.” She threw them at me. “Let's go get something to eat before you test them. Liam Hayes has to know he bagged a good woman, and he won't if you don't look hot for him.” 

Dumping the dresses, I followed suit. 

I was hungry, after all. 

I had been hungry since Noah walked in with those questions. 

Where the hell was he? 

I looked around the living room when we were in it - a sigh of relief escaping my mouth as I assumed he was far away from my sight. 

By the time the weekend ended, it was time for me to go home. And I was ready. 

I was in fact ready two days ago. 

“I won't be going with you today—” Cassie broke my heart with the sentence when I was all packed and ready to leave. “Mom is taking me to check my eye at the hospital. I thought it could wait until tomorrow but she says it may be urgent.” We hugged briefly. “Noah will take you home in his car. Call our homeline when you're settled in your house, can you do that?” 

Did I have a choice?

While Cassie headed out in Mrs. Reed's car, I was settling in Noah's. However this ride would be, I wished it hadn't happened at all. 

“You can join me in the front if you like.” 

“No.” There's no way I'll do that. I shook my head, finding my way to the back seat. “I'm fine here, Noah. Thank you.” He shut the door for me and caught up with the driver's seat. 

It was a quiet ride. 

There wasn't much we usually talked about. Most of the time it was Cassie who initiated a conversation. Although it felt different this time, I didn't want to pay any attention. 

“How was the weekend?” 

“It was good for me. How was it for you?” 

He chuckled. I looked up, noticing him staring through the rearview mirror. “It was alright for me, too, Elle. Thank you for asking.” 

Another round of silence existed in the car. What to say, I didn't know. Now I wish I had a phone; something to use in distracting myself. And why did this ride take long? It was usually short whenever Cassie was in the car with us. Or did Noah take a longer route on purpose? 

“Which route did you take?” 

“Mm?” 

“Route. Which did you take?” 

“The usual. Are there two of them?” 

“Never mind.” 

Completely ignoring Noah, I faced my thoughts. 

The dresses Cassie shared with me were all beautiful. Of course, it would have been better if she hadn't given them to me at all, but I also loved them for myself now that she did. 

It was almost an hour already. But when I looked out the window, there were places I recognized - a sign that we were almost home. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes, thank you.” I picked up my backpack, put it on, and was ready to leave. All I needed was for the car to stop, then I'd hop down and be gone from Noah's sight. “Almost home.” 

“Yeah.” 

Finally, after a long wait, the car parked in front of our home. “You're good to go, Cassie.” Noah muttered while I undid the seatbelt, letting out a smile because I saw my brother who usually waited to see me home whenever I went hanging out at the Reeds’ home. 

“Thank you for the ride.” I pushed the door open and was about to hop down.

“You're welcome. Do you think that boy is good for you, though? Liam? That's his name, right?”