章 33: Noah's Arc - Part One
I'm jealous.
The bitter thought rang painfully true in my head as I scrolled through the pictures in Elijah's chat. He'd send me pictures of him and Lucas together every now and again, and it made my heart clench painfully every time I saw them.
If only I had kissed him that day. If only I had told him how much I liked him back, how much I wanted to be with him.
I was filled with regrets. I couldn't get over him, no matter what I did.
Even in this foreign land that I was now supposed to call home, surrounded by all these foreign people that looked a lot like me, I felt so devestatingly alone. All I could think about was one Elijah McQueen. His long limbs and his tall, lithe figure. His hair that looked just as pretty bleached as it did brown. His skin that was so fair it walked the fine line between disconcertingly pale and strikingly beautiful. His curled lashes, high cheekbones, and thin, pink lips.
I hated the fact that I was in love with Lucas Kim's boyfriend.
As much as my feelings grew for Elijah, resentment began to grow for Lucas. Yes, I was happy for them when I first heard they got together. And then I cried all night. I was glad Elijah had someone by his side. And then I was upset it wasn't me. I was proud of Lucas for finally becoming a better person. And then I was angry it came at my expense.
Through all of those conflicting feelings, I pretended to be fine with it. I maintained the role of the nice, supportive friend that lived miles away and never had a chance anyway.
I thought it would get better as the months dragged on, but it didn't. I was all smiles and happiness when Elijah called, but in my daily life, I was a lonely, depressed loser. I didn't talk to people. I didn't let anyone close. And I certainly didn't make any new friends.
"Are you gonna dress like that every single day?" My mother tutted disapprovingly as she eyed my outfit. I personally saw nothing wrong with the way I was dressed, in my black sweats, black hoodie and equally black snapback covering half of my face. Black was good. Black made it easier to disappear.
"I'll see you later, mom."
"Have some breakfast before you-"
"I'm late," I promptly walked out the door before she could lecture me about it any further. Sighing, I made my way to school.
Let's get this day over with, too.
_
I listlessly sat at the very back of history class, tuning out all the noise around me as I stared straight ahead at the back of my classmate's bread. Did he always have this haircut? Is this even the same guy that always sits here? I honestly had no idea, but the back of his head reminded me of Elijah's because the shape was similar and so was the haircut. I sat absentmindedly, thinking back to the days we'd hang out together at my apartment. He'd ask me for advice with his choreography and how to deal with his stubborn partner, while I fixed us a snack, and he'd grin at me so happily every time he took a bite.
As I was lost in thought, I briefly registered the way the guy in front of me shook his head, ever so subtly. Why's he shaking his head like that? But then I noticed it wasn't just his head, it was his whole body. And that was when my attention turned to his neck and his shoulders, which were incredibly, almost unnaturally tense. Just then, his pen rolled off the desk and fell loudly to the ground, attracting the attention of several nearby students.
In a split second, he toppled to one side, and I reached out so quickly I didn't even register it, holding him before his head could make contact with the ground.
Gasps of shock and terror filled the classroom as he continued to writhe uncontrollably, while I struggled to keep him upright.
"What's happening to him?!" The teacher asked pathetically as students began to gather around in panic.
"He's seizing up! You two, help me lay him down on the ground!" I shouted as I stood up from my seat promptly to get a better hold of him. His eyes were rolled back in his sockets, drool falling from his lips as his teeth chattered, guys entire body trembling violently. I put my backpack on the ground as two students helped me lay him down gently, my hand supporting his neck the whole way down until his head rested safely on my cushioned backpack.
"W-What do we do now?" One of the students asked.
"Call the nurse. If anyone has a napkin or a fan, that would be great." I said calmly, but firmly.
"I'll get the nurse!" The teacher said before dashing into the hallway. A student handed me a box of tissues, while another handed me a hand fan.
"Give him some space!" I shouted when I noticed the crowd forming around us and they obediently stepped back at my sharp tone. "Anyone know his name?"
"Uh... I think it was Robin," a girl said, and I nodded gratefully.
Everyone watched as he trembled for a few more seconds, before it eventually slowed down, and began to go still. I fanned him gently as I wiped the sweat and saliva away from his face with a bunch of tissues, waiting patiently for him to regain consciousness.
It was only a minute before he began to blink his eyes open in a daze, his plump lips parted, nostrils flaring as he panted heavily.
"Hello Robin. My name is Noah, I'm your classmate. Nod if you can hear me."
He furrowed his brows, eyes closing as he bobbed his head up and down weakly.
"Everything is okay. You are in school. You just had a seizure, and it lasted about a minute and a half. The nurse will be here soon." I informed, reassuringly running a hand through his hair. "Are you alright?"
He nodded again, letting out a long, shaky sigh.
I looked up for a second, only to find everyone staring at us in awe. I raised a brow.
"What?"
Before they could pick their jaws off the floor, the teacher came back with the nurse, who rushed past the crowd towards us.
"How is he?"
"He is not injured. He's regained consciousness, but he probably needs to get some rest."
The nurse took a look at the surroundings, eyeing the backpack I used as a makeshift pillow. "Good job, you handled that situation very quickly. Would you help me carry him to my office?"
"Of course," I said, helping him sit up slowly and throwing his arm around my shoulder.
"Can you stand up?" I asked as he stared at me with half-lidded eyes. He nodded.
I pulled him up slowly, walking him all the way out of the classroom and into the empty hallway towards the nurse's office.
Well. That's one way to skip history class.
_
After the nurse did a quick checkup, she put her stethoscope around her shoulders and went to sit at her desk.
"You don't seem all that shaken up. I'm guessing this isn't the first time," she stated.
Robin lay down in bed, looking bored. "Nope."
"Have you seen a Neurologist?"
"Yes. I've been diagnosed with idiopathic generalized epilepsy like, what, two years ago?"
"I see," she typed some notes into her computer, "Your parents know about your condition?"
"Yeah, duh. Who do you think took me to the doctor?"
I watched him attentively, noticing the way the corner of his lip twitched although he spoke confidently.
"O-kay... Are you on any medications?"
"Carbamezapine, twice a day. Look, I'm fine, I just have a bit of a headache. Can I take a nap now?"
She eyed him carefully for a moment before speaking again, "I still have a few more questions. How often do you have these seizures? Is there a specific trigger?"
He shrugged, "None that I know of. Just happens. I don't get them very often. This is like... The fourth of fifth time."
"Okay. I'll have to call your parents just to-"
"My parents are out of town," he said quickly, cutting her off. "There's no point making them worry. Besides, I really just wanna take a nap, I'm having the worst headache."
She tilted her head to the side suspiciously, but then her phone buzzed and she sighed. "I really have to get to this meeting. I don't think you should be left alone right now.
He rolled his eyes, before eventually, glancing sideways, his eyes meeting mine for a brief second. That was when I realised how deep and brown his eyes really were, contrasting the sharp, mischievous glint in them. "It'll be fine. Noah here's my good friend. He can stay with me until you're done with your meeting! I think he's proved more than capable of handling the situation if things go tits up."
I raised my eyebrows, about to open my mouth to object but noted the way his eyes bore into mine, almost imploringly.
"Y-Yeah, I can stay for a bit."
The nurse stared between us for a long moment before her phone buzzed again and she stood up. "Fine. If anything happens, use the phone to call me. My number's there."
I nodded slowly as Robin grinned, watching her rush out of the office. He sighed happily, eyes falling closed as the room fell quiet. I stared at him for a moment, both annoyed and intrigued. His long lashes almost brushed against his high cheekbones, his plump lips pulled up into a content smile.
"I am beautiful, aren't I?" He asked cheekily, cracking one eye open as I scoffed and looked away, flustered.
"You lied."
"Yeah, obviously, we're not friends."
"Not about that. Your parents have no idea, do they? Nor are they out of town."
"Well..." he grinned mischievously. "Maybe?"
"Let me guess, you're not taking that medication either, are you?"
He stiffened a little, smile fading off his face and replaced with awe. "What are you, a lie detector?"
I scoffed, crossing my arms haughtily, "Give me one good reason I should stay here and wait for the nurse to come back, and not tell her about the bullshit you just pulled."
"Hm... you get to skip at least one more class and have a good excuse for it?"
I raised a brow, unsatisfied.
"And you get to freely stare at my beautiful face as I nap for the next hour or so?"
Annoyed, I stood up and started to make for the door.
"Wait, wait! I'm sorry! It was a joke. Geez."
I whirled around to face him as he sat up in bed, face scrunching in pain. I found myself softening, wanting to ask if he was okay, but stopped myself.
"Sorry. At least let me properly thank you."
"I don't need it," I grumbled.
All satire was gone from his face now, and he gave me a sincere look. "I mean it, Noah. That was the first time I woke up from a seizure like... that."
"What do you mean?"
He sighed, "Waking up from a seizure can be so disorienting, confusing, like time stopped for only you and nobody else, leaving you with a gaping hole in time that you can't fill. To have someone calmly look into my eyes and tell me what happened to me... it was more reassuring than you think."
I blinked, a little speechless at the way his tone softened, the way my skin tingled under his gaze. Clearing my throat, I quickly uncrossed my arms.
"Th-That's just standard protocol. I did the bare minimum."
"You did what nobody in that classroom could do, Noah. Not even the fucking teacher. Nevermind the fact that we're surrounded by a bunch of dumb teenagers... most people have no idea how to deal with someone having a seizure," he said bitterly, before his intense eyes locked on me again, "But... how do you know?"
I pursed my lips, remembering the times Elijah tutored me in Biology. The topic of epilepsy came up once and he knew so much about it, since he always studied things outside the curriculum. Out of my own curiosity, I had asked him to teach me what he knew. All of it came rushing back, the moment I saw Robin writhe like that.
"It doesn't matter... you don't need to thank me. I only did what I had to." He continued to stare at me earnestly, curiously, as if trying to read the thoughts swirling around in my mind. I sighed and walked back toward his bed, sitting on the armchair next to him.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to skip a few classes." I grumbled underneath my breath.
His grin widened. "That's the spirit."
_____________________________________
Surprise? Haha. It's finally here. People wanted it, I said I'd do it, and as usual, it took way too long and came out at a very random time. That's noticemesenpai2000 for you.
This will be a short little spin-off from OATS, and I'm not certain yet but it'll probably be 5-6 chapters long. I'll be uploading them on a weekly basis, so be on the lookout for Noah's long-awaited arc! I'm excited for this one, and I hope you guys are too!
While we're on the topic, I also wanted to let you guys know that I'm currently working on a new book. It's called "Sizzling, Simmering Hearts" and will be out on Webnovel very soon, so be on the lookout for that!
Drop and vote and comment if you want Part Two of Noah's Arc!
sam~
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