Something of a Kind - By Miranda Wheeler Page 0,46
want?”
Whatever it was, they both knew it was real and Aly was ready to drag it into the spotlight. He didn’t blame her.
If she only knew how bad this could be.
He sighed , scratching his head. “Aly, you need to understand. This has always been a joke for us. Nothing like this has ever happened.”
“Me neither,” she whispered, slumping in her seat. She swallowed, staring out the window.
“Aly,” he offered, helpless. “It’s fine.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he promised. Chewing his cheek, he offered, “It’s a little office uptown, a ways off the main road. I’d be happy to take you.”
Hesitantly, she asked, “Do you think it was the wood beast?”
Voice soft, he confessed, “Yeah, I do.”
“But you don’t want to report it.”
He glanced at her. Hair falling across her face, she had a leg tucked beneath her. Fingers wrought, wide-eyed, she waited for an explanation. If he wasn’t driving, he might have kissed her.
This is important to her.
“No, I want to,” he decided. “You have pics, right? You should probably help out with whatever they’re doing.” As he pressed a button on the stereo, it switched to the clock screen. He grimaced. “I really have to get home, though. You can go tonight, and I’ll head over tomorrow. Or you can meet me after work and we’ll go together.”
“I can go,” she confirmed, tentative. “You’re sure my dad works there?”
Noah rested a hand on her knee. “Trust me?” Sounding confused and amazed, she laughed. “I guess I do.”
He grinned. Not wrong at all.
~
Pushing through the doors of Yazzie’s, Noah stopped in his tracks, frowning. Luke and Owen looked up, simultaneous and guilty. Their hands clasped in front of them, sitting at opposite sides of a single’s table usually taken by elderly couples.
Considering they bicker like one.
It had been that way since they were kids, the two hilarious and passive-aggressive with blood brother loyalty. Noah had always been the referee, or sometimes a front-row spectator or occasional antagonist– the mellow one, the sanest. It had never troubled him before.
It’s never hurt anyone before.
“I hope you girls are reconciled,” Noah smirked. Dropping his hoodie on the table, he crossed his arms. “Otherwise, I’m afraid for any more innocentbystanders.”
“We had no control over that. How would he know it would come out? We weren’t even sure it was there. You said it wasn’t. Isn’t that right, Young?” Owen defended, face reddened. Luke’s eyes grew wide. “You think it’s my fault she got hurt?”
“Nah, it’s not like you threw it. I don’t know if you could lift it,” Noah sighed, pulling a chair over. “So what the hell was all that about?”
“Obviously bigfoot,” Luke snickered. “Hunt nearly pissed himself.”
“And Young nearly got your girlfriend killed.”
“It was just a stone!”
“That could’ve hit her head,” Owen insisted.
“I’m starting to think it hit yours,” Noah interrupted, running his hands through his hair. “It’s starting to get annoying.”
“So Aly isyour girlfriend,” Luke frowned, lost in thought as he rocked his chair.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then she isn’t?” Owen’s head rested on the table. Arms crossed, his hands disappeared in the crevices of his elbow. Noah resisted the urge to kick him, their feet nearly bumping.
“I didn’t say that either.”
“So which is it?” Luke continued. “Why do you even care?” Noah groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. The guys exchanged a knowing look.
“Dude, you spend every single day scrubbing your dad’s broken floors and scraping gum off of tables that belong in a nursing home. I’ve never met a guy so obsessed with coasters, and-” Luke ranted, arms waving wildly.
“You realize you’re eighteen, right? That's sick. Like, old lady behavior. Not good.” Owen looked up as he chastised, fingers smacking is palm with each syllable to reiterate.
“Just go for it. What do you have to lose? Your life sucks anyway.”
“I've seen you twice this week. Twice. Not in school, but actually breathing oxygen or whatever. Twice because of Aly. You're not sleeping”
“Brooding really,” Luke interrupted.
“-when she's around, you pay attention,” Owen continued.
“And she's hot.” Luke added.
“And nice.”
“And not from Alaska's favorite armpit-”
“-Assland,” Owen finished. “It’s all good with her! That girl is a vanilla hurricane. And you’re an Arabian night, my friend.”
“Alaskan nights.” Owen joked, layering thick sarcasm.
“You and Alyson Glass, like white on rice-” Luke stood, planting his hands on his hips as they made a jerky circle.
“Are you seriously gyrating right now?” Noah raised his eyebrows, only half mock concern. It was a silent agreement to let it go, releasing his irritability.