18 BREAKFAST WITH NOAH AND MY MOTHER

The breakfast with Noah and my mother is tough. My mother always comes back to my 'wild night' and takes every opportunity to ask me if I'm tired or hungover. Granted, my behaviour last night was untypical for me, but I do not have to keep listening to it all the time. Was my mother always okay? I know she just wants to do my best, but since I go to college, it seems to have gotten worse, or maybe even the one week distance has changed my view of her.

"Where do we want to go shopping?", Noah asks between two bites of pancake. I shrug and wish he had come without my mother. I would love to spend time with him alone. Besides, I have to tell him urgently that he does not need to tell my mom about the details of my life, let alone the bad ones. That would be easier for two too. "Maybe we just go to the shopping mall around the corner, I'm not really good at looking at it yet," I reply as I slice the last piece of French toast.

"Have you considered where you want to work?" Asks Noah. "Do not know yet, maybe in a bookstore again? It would be nice to find an internship that has something to do with the publishing industry or writing." This statement brings me a crazy smile of my mother. "That would be wonderful, a place where you can work while studying, and where they hire you full-time after your graduation," she says, now very pleased again. "Yes, that would be ideal." I try to hide the sarcasm in, my voice. Noah hears him anyway and presses my hand under the table. As I push the fork into my mouth, the touch of the metal reminds me of Hardin's lip piercing.

For a moment I freeze.

Noah notices and looks at me questioningly. I really have to stop thinking about Hardin. And immediately. Smiling, I pull Noah's hand to kiss her. After breakfast, my mother drives us to the Benton Mall, which is quite big and quite overcrowded. "I'll check it out at Nordstrom's, I'll call you when I'm done," she announces, much to my relief. Hand in hand, Noah and I walk through a few shops. He tells me about his football game on Friday, and how he landed the decisive goal. I listen attentively and tell him how great it all sounds. "you look good today."

My compliment makes him shine. His perfect white smile is really adorable. He is wearing a reddish brown cardigan, khaki trousers and elegant shoes. Yes, he actually wears slippers, but they are smart and somehow fit in with his personality. "You too, Tessa," he says. I know, I look awful, but Noah is just too nice to say that. Unlike Hardin, who would not hesitate for a second.

'Hardin, aaaaaah.' Since I do not want to think about Mr. Rude, I pull Noah on the collar of his cardigan to me. But when I want to kiss him, he evades me. "Tessa, what are you doing there? Everyone is staring at us." He points to a group of adults trying on sunglasses on a stand. I shrug my shoulders teasingly. "No, they do not, and even if?"

I really do not care. Otherwise I'm not like that, but now I really want him to kiss me. "Just kiss me, please," I beg. Apparently he sees the despair in my eyes, because he raises my chin a little and kisses me. Gentle and slow, without urgency. His tongue barely touches mine, but it's still beautiful. Familiar and warm. I'm waiting for the fire to ignite in me, but nothing happens. I can not compare Noah with Hardin. Noah is my friend, whom I love, and Hardin is an idiot who rummages regularly with umpteen girls. "What's wrong with you?" Noah teases as I try to pull him to me. With reddened cheeks, I shake my head.

"Nothing, just missed you, that's all," I answer. 'Oh ... and besides, you cheated on you last night,' adds the voice of my conscience. Instead, I say, "But, Noah, could you please stop telling my mother what I'm doing? I'm uncomfortable, I think it's great that you get along with her so well, but I feel like a kid, that gets betrayed. " It feels good to get rid of that. "Tessa, I'm really sorry, I just worried about you, will not happen again, I promise."

Then he puts his arm around my shoulders and kisses me on the forehead. I believe him. The rest of the day is much better than it started, especially because my mother takes me to the hairdresser, where I cut my hair and let something go through. Now they are still over my shoulders, but the new cut gives them more fullness and looks better. During the entire trip Noah overwhelmed me with compliments.

Everything just feels right. At the entrance to the dorm, I say goodbye to the two of them, promising once again to keep myself away from all tattooed people within a hundred miles. When I enter the room, I am almost a bit disappointed that no one is there. I'm not sure if I was hoping to see Steph or anyone else. Without taking off my shoes at least, I sink onto the bed, so exhausted and tired am I.

Of course, I sleep through the night and wake up at noon at twelve. There Steph lies asleep in bed over there. I spend the rest of Sunday learning in the library, and when I come back she is gone. When she still has not reappeared on Monday morning, I'd like to know what she's been up to all weekend.