Six

My head was swimming in mud by the time I got home. I instantly was aware that both my parents were home from work.

ÒSheÕs wasting three days a week at some stupid gym, when she could be doing some academic work.Ó

ÒWould she like to?Ó

ÒGymnasts donÕt have much of a life unless youÕre a world champion. ThatÕs not going to happen to Noel in this lifetime.Ó

ÒBut sheÕs old enough to choose her own future. You worry too much.Ó

ÒIsnÕt that what a mother is suppose to do? How do I protect her when sheÕs risking her life just by doing flips high above the ground?Ó

ÒHow would you know what she does? IÕve never seen you support her when she competes.Ó

Every bit of anger inside me was boiling up inside me. That was it. I couldnÕt take it anymore. I burst into the kitchen, my face beet red. ÒJust quit it, would you! IÕm sick and tired of listening to the both of you fighting. I thought parents are supposed to be role-models, but I donÕt see any of that from anyone in this room.Ó

I turned and ran out of the room without looking back. My parents stood still, shocked. When is all this agony going to end? At my funeral?

At around seven in the afternoon, I found a note from my dad which said he was going to his office to finish up his extra work. Another one was posted on the refrigerator door saying that my mom had an important meeting at school, and there was some pasta sauce in the refrigerator. I wasnÕt hungry, so I opened a cup of canned fruits and took them to the living room.

Knock, knock!

I took my eyes off the television screen to answer the door. My parents had gone out to who knows where and when they were coming back, no one knows. I was flabbergasted by the person at the door. ÒEva?Ó

ÒNoel, IÕm so sorry about this past two weeks!Ó

ÒIs that really you, Eva?Ó

ÒYeah, itÕs really me. I totally got caught up with Leah.Ó

ÒOh, Eva! IÕm so glad you understand. And IÕm sorry I wrote bad stuff about you.Ó I hugged her, spoon still in my hand.

ÒHey! ItÕs me who is at fault.Ó

ÒIÕm just glad youÕre not with Leah.Ó

ÒI am, too. Now that I think about it, IÕve actually wrote down some bad things about you, even worse than what you wrote about me. Please forgive me?Ó ÒI donÕt think I can stand not forgiving you.Ó

ÒI just realized what pain youÕre going through. It must have been horrible!Ó

ÒOh, someone who finally understands!Ó I collapsed on the couch in sudden tears. She put her arm around me and handed me a tissue.

ÒIÕm actually the second person to understand.Ó

ÒWhat do you mean?Ó

ÒJosh does, too. He knows what Leah really is.Ó

ÒNo, he canÕt. He likes her!Ó

ÒNot anymore. I feel so guilty that I believed Leah instead of you. She can be such a snob!Ó

ÒHow did you notice? The last time I saw you, you were laughing with her. And what does Josh have to do with you?Ó

ÒJosh? HeÕs the one who explained everything to me.Ó

My voice was caught in my stomach. ÒJosh?Ó

ÒYes. HeÕs been trying to tell you that all along, but he said that everything he tried didnÕt work.Ó

ÒThatÕs because I made up lame excuses not to talk to him.Ó I covered my face with my hands.

ÒI think you should give him a chance, Noel.Ó

ÒHe probably wonÕt listen since I told him to get away from me.Ó

ÒHeÕs not a quitter, you know. IÕll talk to him if heÕs still home.Ó

ÒThanks a lot, Eva. ItÕs times like these when true friends are needed the most.Ó

ÒHopefully, youÕll trust me from now on.Ó

ÒOf course I will. Now, for Leah.Ó

ÒShe needs some major punishment after what sheÕs done to your life. You havenÕt been out lately, have you?Ó

ÒNo, not really. Why?Ó

ÒYour hair has streaks of grey and your skin is pale, which isnÕt normal for you.Ó

ÒOh, thanks for the compliment,Ó I said sarcastically.

ÒNo, what I mean is that you need some fresh air.Ó

ÒI think youÕre right,Ó I agreed, tugging at a strand of hair which was so pale blond it did look like it was grey.

ÒWhy donÕt we go for a jog tomorrow. I heard the weatherÕs not going to be too bad.Ó

ÒI canÕt after school.Ó

ÒNo, I mean in the morning. Just like the old times before any of us knew about Leah. We could walk down to the pond near Ridgemont at around five thirty.Ó

ÒGreat! Hopefully, it will be more relaxing that this house.Ó

ÒYour parents are at it again, arenÕt they?Ó

ÒYeah. Worse than ever.Ó

ÒI knew something other than Leah was bothering you.Ó

ÒWell, itÕs not exactly bothering me, but itÕs building up. I even yelled at them when I came home today.Ó

ÒSince your mom wants you to do more school activities, why donÕt you come after school to the newspaper office. You can be my special helper.Ó

ÒThat sounds like some kiddy thing.Ó

ÒNo, I need some help putting together next monthÕs horoscope for the newspaper. I have too much to fit on one page.Ó

ÒIÕm an expert at cutting.Ó

ÒYup, and if you can, can you help me do one of those quiz things. IÕm so short of time.Ó

ÒSure. If you have time now, why donÕt we start?Ó

ÒI want to do one on friends. To see how much of a true friends you are.Ó

ÒGood idea!Ó

ÒHey! Through all this talk, I forgot to give you this.Ó She held out a plastic container. I opened it, and instantly noticed Josh had cooked it.

ÒWe had some extra, so I thought I would give it to you.Ó

I opened the lid of the plastic container and smelled its contents. ÒIt smells delicious!Ó

ÒI know for a fact that it is delicious!Ó

Eva has been my best friend ever since we found out we live on the same street. WeÕve done tons of things together, but Eva has done even more. SheÕs the eleventh grade Student Counsel Vice President. She gets involved in every school event, and always drags me into them with her. Maybe she can give me some of that energy. I certainly need it.

ÒNoel!Ó

ÒHi Josh!Ó

ÒHi.Ó There was an awkward pause.

ÒOh, Josh Thank you for explaining everything to Eva!Ó I finally said, remember what Eva had said last night.

He took a deep breath. ÒFor a second, I thought you would tell me to leave.Ó ÒNo. And IÕm sorry I did that to you. I guess I took out all my anger on you.Ó Suddenly, I felt shy, not the shy like when youÕre about to go on stage in front of the whole school, but the kind of shy when you donÕt know whatÕs going to happen next. My gaze fell to my shoes.

ÒThatÕs what IÕm here for. IÕm just glad you and Eva got back together. I couldnÕt stand Eva laughing at you with Leah.Ó

ÒWell, thanks.Ó All at once, I wanted to get out of the halls, away from Josh.

ÒNow, I just need to know why I got an ÔFÕ on my finals,Ó I said, remembering I had to go see Mrs. Carson.

ÒYour teacher must have made an mistake.Ó

ÒMaybe. Well, catch you later. Bye!Ó I quickly said. I couldnÕt wait to find out why Mrs. Carson marked me down. I didnÕt notice Josh still wanted to say something until I was out of sight. I blew it again with Josh!

ÒMrs. Carson!Ó

ÒOh, Noel. What did you need?Ó

ÒMy test score.Ó

ÒOh, that. Did you understand why you got it?Ó she said, scrambling through her stacks of loose papers piled mile-high above her desk. (Well, not exactly.)

ÒNo. All of the answers were right except for one.Ó

ÒDid you happen to cheat?Ó she said as if I already knew.

ÒI didnÕt! I studied everyday and night, at least five hours a day.Ó

ÒBut you had exactly the same answers as Leah. Even on the ones you answer in your own words.Ó

ÒLeah cheated, so I get an ÔFÕ?Ó

ÒI donÕt think it was Leah. She has that style of essay writing. I didnÕt think it was you.Ó

ÒI swear I didnÕt look at her paper. I was the one who help her understand the question. I was the one who taught her how to write essays in the first place. And, she sitÕs behind me. How can I look at her paper without you knowing?Ó

ÒYouÕre right. I didnÕt think of that.Ó

ÒCan you change my grade?Ó

ÒOf course, Noel. Just for that, IÕll give you an ÔA+Õ because it was my fault. Is it true that you were grounded?Ó

ÒYes. YouÕve met my mom before.Ó

ÒIÕll explain everything to her tonight when I call her.Ó

ÒThanks a bunch.Ó

ÒNow, if I can get my hands on Leah. SheÕs going to get a zero just for lying to me.Ó I smiled to myself. I could picture the look on LeahÕs face when she hears that Mrs. Carson had found out the real truth. I couldnÕt wait till I tell Eva.

So far, everythingÕs looking brighter. Only if my parents would stop fighting.

Why canÕt my mom understand that I do get good grades. ItÕs like she wants me to, but I already do. Other than that, I really want to see Josh. That is, if he still wants to listen to me after the latest chance he gave me.

* * *

ÒSo she doesnÕt like me after all,Ó I muttered to Aaron. I picked at the salad I brought for lunch.

ÒShe has to. What girl wouldnÕt?Ó He asked, looking up from a Star Wars book he was reading and placed it upside down on the table.

ÒAll of them! IÕm just getting carried away. I should listen to you.Ó

ÒIf you listen to me, IÕm telling you that you should ask her if she does like you.Ó

ÒShe likes Chris.Ó

ÒChris?Ó He paused. ÒDonÕt know him.Ó

ÒHeÕs a junior.Ó

ÒBut no one goes better with Noel than you.Ó

ÒSo. Maybe if I think like you, itÕll be easier.Ó

ÒWhat?Ó

ÒMaybe I shouldnÕt even bother with girls until I graduate.Ó

ÒHey, I just happen to not like anyone here. EveryoneÕs too. . . I donÕt know. But I know that you should try asking Noel one more time.Ó

ÒHmm. . . youÕre right. Finding out she doesnÕt like me is a lot better than hanging around, waiting to see if she likes me.Ó

ÒAsk Eva. I saw them together this morning. SheÕs her best friend. She has to know.Ó

ÒIÕll try it. Too bad I canÕt read minds.Ó

ÒYeah, and know what everyone is thinking.Ó

ÒIt would come in handy.Ó

ÒThat would be one advantage, but you still have to have the nerves to ask Noel.Ó

ÒI think mine are dying out.Ó

ÒWell, all I can say is that I wish you luck.Ó

ÒOh, that really helps.Ó

ÒItÕs won you all those medals, didnÕt I?Ó

ÒLuck isnÕt enough this time.Ó I stood up just as a bunch of people headed our way. Aaron was lost in the crowd and I didnÕt see him the rest of the day.

SEVEN

Well, at least Eva and Noel are back together. Does Noel really hate me? Maybe sheÕs just too caught up in this whole mess to even bother with me.

ÒJosh!Ó

ÒHey sis! WhatÕs up?Ó

ÒDo you like Noel?Ó

ÒWhy do you ask?Ó I shifted my weight onto the other foot as I dialed my combination on my hall locker.

ÒBecause I want to know. She really likes you.Ó

I jumped at those words. ÒAnd how do you know that?Ó I asked, coolly.

ÒBecause I begged her to tell the truth. So, do you or do you not?Ó

ÒI guess I do.Ó

ÒHavenÕt you asked her out yet?Ó

ÒHow can I? SheÕs trying to avoid me every time I talked to her. Today, she listened for a bit, but said she had to go talk to Mrs. Carson.Ó

ÒThatÕs not an excuse at all. Noel got her score raised from and F to an A + because they found out Leah cheated off of her. I know you would have been eager to find out that Leah is the one that cheated.Ó

ÒSo should I try again?Ó

ÒYou have to, bro. SheÕll listen this time. I promise. Just so you know, I canÕt come home after sixth period, so IÕll see you when I get home.Ó

ÒOkay, bye!Ó

ÒSee ya!Ó

I walked towards the back parking lot of the school, thinking of what Noel would do if I asked her out. But first, hopefully, she would listen to me. If she doesnÕt like me, the worst that can happen is that sheÕll think IÕm a total dweeb.

* * *

I opened the door to a room filled with computers. The soft hum from the computers sounded harmonic to my ears and gave me comfort. I looked around the room. Loose papers hung off the bulletin boards and lots of papers were stacked on top of the desks. The constant clicking from the keyboard and the small murmurs from students animated the room. The atmosphere was perfect for concentrating.

ÒSo this is how the newspaper room looks like.Ó I took one step forward.

A man in his forties stood up from the student he was helping. ÒYou must be Noel,Ó the man said, his voice low pitched.

ÒYes, I am.Ó

ÒHello. IÕm Mr. Coleman, the teacher supervisor. Eva has told me so much about you.Ó

ÒThen I guess I donÕt have to tell you much about myself, do I?Ó

ÒI donÕt think so. IÕm glad to finally meet you. This is where Eva works. You can do anything you want until she gets here after the bell rings. Do you have study hall now?Ó

ÒUm, yes.

ÒIn that case, enjoy!Ó

ÒThank you very much.Ó

So this must be where all the work on the weekly newspaper is done. Maybe next year, IÕll be on it. It looks like a neat place.

Just when I thought I had gotten used to the surroundings, Eva walked in and sat down in the table beside to me.

ÒFinished the quiz?Ó

ÒYes. This will test how loyal of a friend you are. I fixed it up a bit and typed it out. Want to try it?Ó

ÒSure.Ó

ÒWhat did you get?Ó

ÒA twelve out of thirty. A true friend who is always there for other people, but has a humanly side to them. Try thinking before taking action,Ó she read. ÒDoes that mean I make a few mistakes?Ó

ÒYup. No one can be perfect! They only seem perfect.Ó

ÒIÕm glad IÕve found that out before I became a poor, self-loving loner.Ó

ÒI only know one person who fits that description.Ó

ÒMe too. So, have you talked to Josh?Ó

ÒNo. I think he got the wrong idea. He probably thinks IÕm still trying to avoid him.Ó

ÒNo he doesnÕt.Ó

ÒAnd how do you know that?Ó

ÒHe is the one who got me back into my senses, and because he is my brother.Ó

ÒOh, how stupid of me! I totally forgot about that! HeÕs your brother, duh!Ó ÒI guess he doesnÕt seem like it. I have brown hair, he has blond hair. HeÕs more athletic, and IÕm not.Ó

ÒYour whole family is athletic in different ways.Ó Eva was a sports fanatic. She had tried all but a few of the sports IÕve heard of, but can never stick to just one. Well, she does like soccer a lot, though. ÒI actually forgot he was your brother. How dumb can I get?Ó

ÒAs dumb as Leah.Ó

I laughed. ÒI hope Josh will talk to me.Ó

ÒHe will. Just donÕt make any excuses to leave. I think heÕs had it up to here with you running away.Ó Eva gestured with her hand a foot above her head. ÒHe said to me that you were going to kill yourself. Is that true?Ó

ÒYeah. I felt like dying! My mom was going to keep me out of gymnastics since my dad was regretting ever marrying her.Ó

ÒWhatever you do, donÕt kill yourself. Life is definitely looking up for you.Ó

ÒYeah, it is. WhereÕs your horoscope?Ó

ÒOh, here.Ó

ÒHey Noel!Ó

I looked up from the page I was typing. ÒHi Chris! I didnÕt know you were here.Ó

ÒI write the sports section here. I didnÕt think I would see you here, of all places.Ó

ÒOh yeah. I forgot.Ó I looked back at the page I was typing. My hands were still typing away at the article pinned up to the clipboard next to the monitor.

ÒI want to do an article on you, since the football team has no updates. I want to interview you, since you are an gymnast. IÕm interviewing Michael, Josh, Sheri, and Leah, too.Ó

ÒOh, sure.Ó

ÒOkay, how do you spell your name?Ó

ÒYou know how.Ó I said, crossing my eyes.

ÒSorry. IÕm just following my form. What gym do you go to?Ó

ÒSkyline Academy.Ó

ÒTell me about yourself and gymnastics.Ó

ÒUmm, IÕm tall for my age, in a level with Leah, and my coachÕs name is Mary. I like gymnastics because it makes me calm and relaxed. I learned self control because of gymnastics. I might have to quit because my mom doesnÕt want me to, but I try to maintain an academic side to me. You have to have both brain and brawn.Ó I paused. ÒI donÕt have much else to say.Ó

ÒThatÕll be enough, since I only have one column. Thanks for your time.Ó

ÒNo, thank you.Ó

ÒUhh, Noel. If youÕre not busy Saturday, do you want to go to the movies with me?Ó

I looked to Eva. She just smiled, but didnÕt give me any clues. ÒI donÕt know if IÕm free. I have a meet coming up, so I have to be at the gym.Ó

ÒOkay, well, see you later.Ó He pushed back his stool and went back to his desk.

As soon as Chris was out of ear-shot, Eva burst out laughing. ÒNoel, you had a huge crush on him, and what do you do? The same thing youÕve been doing to Josh.Ó

ÒThat is, I had a crush. Now, heÕs just something I lost with the diary.Ó

ÒYou still havenÕt gotten it back, have you?Ó

ÒNo, and I donÕt really want it anymore.Ó

ÒWe have to get Leah back.Ó

ÒNo! I know something better,Ó I said, scrolling up to the top of the page.

ÒWhat? Get her back for good?Ó

ÒNo. Be friends with her.Ó

ÒWhat? Have you gone crazy?Ó She exclaimed.

ÒNo. All she needs is two good friends. Or maybe even just one.Ó

ÒI donÕt know what youÕre thinking, but IÕm going with you.Ó

ÒTrust me this time, would you?Ó

ÒOkay. . . if you say so.Ó

ÒI had enough with having enemies. ItÕs bad enough that people hate me for nothing, but itÕs worse to have Leah as an enemy.Ó

ÒWhat does that mean?Ó

ÒLeah has a reason to hate me. All I have to do is find out why, and clear it all up.Ó

ÒWhy do you always make things sound so easy?Ó

ÒReally? Well, by what I know, everything I say is a lot harder than I think. I think IÕve gone crazy.Ó

ÒWeÕll see about that when you talk to Leah.Ó

ÒYou have to come along, too.Ó

ÒOh, why didnÕt I know?Ó She rolled her eyes.

Ring, ring. Click.

ÒHello?Ó

ÒUmm, is Noel home?Ó

ÒThis is Noel.Ó

ÒHi, itÕs me, Josh.Ó

ÒHi Josh!Ó

I felt myself shaking, like there was an earthquake going on. There was dead silence on the line. Maybe the line got disconnected.

ÒNoel,Ó a different voice called.

ÒYes?Ó My voice was soft but high pitched.

ÒIs that you, Noel?Ó

ÒYeah. Is that you, Eva?Ó

ÒYeah, it is. Please forgive Josh. I should have listened to him when he said he canÕt talk on the phone. See how different we are.Ó

ÒFor a minute, I thought it was his idea to call.Ó

ÒNo way! I begged him to call. He just ran outside, away from the phone. I should have known he hates talking on the phone.Ó

ÒI donÕt like it either. I talk on the phone only to you, because you call me so much.Ó

ÒI guess I blew it for him. HeÕll never want to talk to you, ever.Ó

ÒNo, you didnÕt. IÕll talk to him if I ever get up the nerve. For now, just tell him I love him, okay? Bye!Ó

I quickly hung up the phone with a bang. The sound rang in my head over an over again. I leaned against the kitchen wall, feeling sick to my head all of the sudden.

I guess heÕs the kind of guy who never wanted the telephone to be invented. Same as my mom. I donÕt usually talk on the phone unless itÕs Eva. But most of the time, we go over to each otherÕs house, which is only across the street.

* * *

ÒIÕm so stupid!Ó I mumbled to myself.

ÒHey, you canÕt be that bad, Josh.Ó Eva said.

ÒTell me why not.Ó

Eva had closed the glass sliding door leading to the deck. She leaned against the rail next to me, slinging one arm over my shoulders. ÒBecause of what Noel just said to me.Ó She smiled brightly. Maybe too brightly.

ÒAnd what might that be? That IÕm a total jerk?Ó

ÒNo. Actually, Josh, itÕs the exact opposite.Ó

ÒWhat do you mean? What girl would like a boy who doesnÕt like talking on the phone?Ó I looked away to the bed of flowers, feeling tears swell to my eyes but just staying there like a clear film of plastic blinding my sight.

ÒThereÕs one girl you particularly like who wouldnÕt mind not talking on the phone.Ó

My heart jumped at those words, but I didnÕt let it take over me yet. ÒDonÕt try to cheer me up, okay? It just makes me feel even worse.Ó

ÒIf I canÕt cheer you up, maybe youÕll listen to what Noel just said to me.Ó

ÒWhat?Ó I asked, getting ready to hear the worst, but hoping for the best.

ÒShe said to me to say to you that she likes you.Ó

ÒShe likes me?Ó I was completely baffled.

ÒNo.Ó She giggled, a smile hovering around her lips.

ÒI knew it. She thinks IÕm a weirdo.Ó I bit my lower lip to keep from punching the railing.

ÒNo! She doesnÕt like you. She loves you.Ó

ÒWhat?Ó I almost choked at my breath, if thatÕs possible.

ÒYou heard me right. She really likes you, Josh. But she didnÕt say anything else. She hung up right away.Ó

ÒOh.Ó I felt weird. Did Noel really mean it when she said she liked me? Scratch that. Did she mean it when she said she loved me?

ÒShe doesnÕt like talking on the phone either. I had that in mind when I made you call her. I didnÕt notice it was her when I talked to her because she sounded totally different.Ó

My heart was now beating ten times faster. ÒBut you always talk to her.Ó

ÒAnd you always talk to Aaron.Ó She coughed at that name. ÒThat makes the two of you.Ó

I looked up into the starry night. Eva went inside, leaving me alone. I secretly made a wish as I saw an arched path a shooting star had made. T he North Star made me think of Noel the most. Though not as bright as the sun, it still stood out from all the rest. It guides the lost.

Then I spotted the moon. It was like Noel, too. A glowing piece of rock at night, it is faintly visible in broad daylight, but always seeming to be there.

Still, her presence was like the sun. Shining down on me, disappearing in the night. Her presence is natural and unthoughtful, but like an eclipse, it stands out sometimes. I hope it would stand out a lot more. Not once in a century. That night, I went to sleep, imagining Noel saying that she loves me, over and over again.

* * *

I heard the door to my room creak open. My dad peeked into my room after dinner. My mom had another teacherÕs meeting, so she wasnÕt home.

ÒNoel?Ó

ÒYes Dad?Ó

ÒNoel, honey. IÕm sorry that I made you upset.Ó

ÒItÕs okay. I was just over-reacting. I donÕt like to see you guys fighting over me.Ó ÒI know. ItÕs just that I donÕt like it when your mother makes you stay home just because you didnÕt do so well in school. ItÕs like IÕm hurting you.Ó

ÒItÕs okay, really. WeÕre having a re-match this Saturday, anyways. Also, I found out why I got an ÔFÕ on my test.Ó

ÒWhy?Ó

ÒI didnÕt. I got an A + on it. Mrs. Carson thought I cheated off of Leah, but really Leah is the one who cheated off of me.Ó

ÒIÕm glad you got that straightened out.Ó

ÒBut donÕt tell mom that. SheÕs supposed to get a phone call tonight, or some time when Mrs. Carson has time.Ó

ÒIÕll be sure to zip my lips shut.Ó

ÒI think mom will like gymnastics once she really takes the time to watch it.Ó

ÒWeÕll see about that.Ó

ÒWhat do you mean by that?Ó

ÒOh, you have to wait and see for yourself.Ó

ÒHey, Eva!Ó

ÒHi Noel! Ready for our run!Ó

ÒAs ready as can be.Ó I had been stretching for five minutes.

We took off down the road, jogging on a trail leading to a small, hidden lake, not accessible by car. I was beautiful outside. The hot spring temperature hadnÕt shown up yet along with the blazing sun. Only sunlight peeking over the mountains separated inland from the shore.

ÒFresh air!Ó I deep breathed slowly, savoring the clean, fresh scent.

ÒYup. So, what are we going to do with Leah? How do we get her to like us?Ó

ÒFirst, I want to know why she doesnÕt like me?Ó

ÒIÕve been thinking, Noel, that sheÕs jealous of you.Ó

ÒHow can she?Ó

ÒJust like when you were jealous of her.Ó

I contemplated for a moment in silence. Only the tweeting of the stellar jays searching for food for its young could be heard. ÒYou know. Now that I really see, you are just like Josh. You both think sheÕs jealous of me.Ó

ÒItÕs not just me. Jane and Maggie wants to apologize to you, but they feel too bad to come up to you.Ó

ÒWeÕll just have to see about that when I ask Leah why she doesnÕt like me. IÕve seen Jane and Maggie look at me, not in a mean way, but they were interrupted by Leah.Ó

ÒTheyÕll probably talk to you today. I told them that you didnÕt mean any harm.Ó I sat down on a bench about twenty minutes later, out of breath. Eva wanted to run some more, so she kept on going until it was six thirty in the morning. Eva is on the cross country team at school. I never liked running for a long time. About fifteen minutes later, when the sun had finally shown itÕs true colors, we headed back. It was still a little bit foggy and cold when we arrived at school.

I took a shower and changed into a relax fitting pair of khaki shorts and a white, short sleeved, button-front shirt. I tied a plaid, long sleeved shirt around my waist, just in case it was still cold outside. On the other hand, Eva had put on a purple shirt with a pink flower that and a pair of jeans. I still had on a pair of brown hiking boots. ÒHey, you and Josh look like a perfect pair.Ó She spotted Josh when he was going in between the rows of tables.

ÒWhy do you say that?Ó

ÒYou and Josh dress alike.Ó Actually, he did. ÒThis morning, he said he went up to HikerÕs Point with that idiot, Aaron.Ó Did I tell you she hates him? ÒHe said it looked like he was looking down into a giant bowl of whip cream.Ó ÒHe doesnÕt look like he went hiking.Ó

ÒYou donÕt either.Ó

ÒBecause I didnÕt.Ó

ÒClose enough.Ó

He looked like the type of guy who was one-on-one with nature. I hoped he was because I was. He was wearing a pair of jean shorts under a flannel shirt and an off-white polo shirt. I love nature. Living where I lived, it was possible to get up close to natural wildlife.

ÒEarth to Noel! DonÕt forget about Operation Leah.Ó

ÒUh, yeah. I havenÕt forgotten.Ó

ÒOh, really?Ó