Page 23 of We Thought We Were Invincible
“Um.” I gestured to my apron. “Yeah. My family owns the place.”
“Ah, cheers to that. I've been coming here after my runs, but I guess I've missed you until now. I've talked to Kat. Is that your mum?”
I laughed. “Not unless she had me when she was like twelve. No, my aunt, but I live with her.”
“Very good,” he said. “Is she… ah… here?”
“She's in the kitchen.” I waved away his question, leaning on the counter. “Can I ask you something?”
He nodded. “I think 'shoot' is what you yanks say.”
“How did you pair us for the fiction project?”
“You're expecting me to have some master plan, is that it?” He laughed. “I'd like to say it was because I observed your personalities and determined which combinations would make for the best stories. That'd be pretty brilliant. Sad to say, only a few weeks into school, my magical talents still need honed. No, I paired you based on your seating in class. Your partner sits at the same desk, just during a different period.”
I sighed, relieved there was nothing more than coincidence behind this choice.
“Is it possible to get a new partner? I'm sure Morgan would switch me.”
He smiled. “That's not how this works. Use whatever differences caused you to ask for a new partner. Those differences will only enhance your experience together and ultimately lead to a better story. Get through it and then put whatever you were feeling into your writing. That's how this works.”
“Noah.” Kat walked up beside me. Was that breathlessness I heard in her voice?
I looked up into her face, noticing the rosy cheeks and shy smile. Shifting my glance to Mr.Chase, I took in his even wider smile and the way he was trying to flatten the hair on top of his head.
“Oh my God,” I squeaked. They both looked at me oddly and I just walked away, leaving them to whatever that was. I couldn't remember the last time Kat had a date. She was always busy with the diner, the house, and us. Raising two teenagers at twenty-eight wasn't easy. Not for the first time, I thought of everything she'd given up for us.
If she could give up a career she loved, dating and having a family of her own, and pretty much everything else to take care of her sister's kids and business, then I could get through this project and so much more.
* * *
“Didyou know Kat has a date with a teacher tonight?” Colby barged into my room.
“Mr.Chase, yeah I know.” I continued braiding my hair.
“She's calling him Noah.” He screwed up his face, and I laughed.
“That's his name.”
“No, his name is Mr.Chase.”
“Do you even have a class with him?”
“No, but Jamie does, and he says it's the worst because the girls in the class swoon more over the teacher than they do over him.”
“Sounds like Jamie.” I backed away from the mirror and sat on the edge of the bed to pull my shoes on.
“What's up with this project you two have to do together?” he asked.
I looked up. “He told you about that, huh?”
“Yeah, he's been going on about what a terrible project it is.”
“It's actually pretty great,” I admitted. “With the exception of the partner thing. Mr.Chase.” Colby scowled at the name. I just laughed, shaking my head and continuing. “Mr.Chase wants us to experience something new. Then we write as if our fictional character did that exact thing.”
“I'm gonna agree with Jamie on this one.”
I threw a pillow at him and he ducked, both of us laughing. This felt good. Our relationship used to be like this all the time, light and fun. We were friends, not merely siblings. But, as Mr.Chase said, everyone experiences things in different ways. When Mom died, I hid away, and he moved on.
