Chapter Thirteen

The day comes and goes, and before she knows it, Noel is staring down at her closet at 5 in the morning, barely able to see two inches in front of her through bleary eyes, as she attempts to pick out clothes for her week away.

She doesn't understand how someone like Karl could ask everyone to wake up so damn early on a Saturday for a plane ride. She always assumed he was the kind of person to sleep in until all hours of the day, much like herself.

Yet here she is, barely able to process she is awake.

A loud knock on the door startles her awake, Harken walks in without waiting. She praises herself for putting on pyjama shorts as soon as she got up, finding them laying on the ground next to her bed from last night.

"I could've been naked, you know?" she mumbles, slowly falling back to her sleep-induced state.

Harken shrugs. "So? What is taking you so long, I've been packed for 20 minutes now. Isn't Priscilla meeting us here at 5:30? You haven't packed anything or taken a shower yet."

Noel groans and drags herself back over to the closet.

"Why are you so bossy first thing in the morning? Can't you see how much I'm suffering?" she whines.

"I can help you pack if you're too tired," Harken offers, walking over to her dresser to pull open the top drawer – her underwear drawer.

She walks over and slams her hand over it. "I'm awake, get out."

He chuckles, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, something that has become a norm for him to do when they are about to part, even for a few minutes. "I'll meet you downstairs," he says and leaves.

It is a gesture he does almost daily now, yet her face still heats up and her heart races every time. Harken has made it clear he sees her as a friend and nothing more, or else he would've at least tried to sleep with her at this point, yet he hasn't. But he keeps doing small things like that, things a boyfriend would do.

Shaking her head to clear it, she gets back to her dresser, pulling out a few outfits for the week she thinks will be suitable for the weather, unsure if Miami nights are as warm as their days.

Harken is waiting for her downstairs with a bowl of cereal and banana, rushing her to shovel it down her throat so they can take off when they hear the sound of Priscilla honking outside.

"Hey Nole, did you hear? Apparently, two people had to cancel last minute, and they already paid for their tickets. So, guess who has got us free plane tickets? Looks like all that saving will come in handy, you can spend it all on shopping and food while we're there," Priscilla says.

"Isn't that lucky?" Harken mutters. Noel makes a move to climb into the front seat but is dragged back before she can get the door open. "Sit with me, I'll be bored alone back here,"

"The airport isn't that far," Noel grumbles but rolls her eyes and gets in the car. Priscilla looks like she wants to comment, but a sharp glare from Harken only seen by her shuts her up.

"What are the chances you'll be sitting next to Nolan?" Harken asks Noel.

"What are you talking about? I don't even know who cancelled. Are you going to be okay spending an entire week with the guy? You guys don't seem like you're on good terms anymore."

Harken scoffs sarcastically. "We were never on good terms; I've known Nolan James a lot longer than you think. I grew up in Bisbee, remember?"

She does keep forgetting that, mostly because she can't understand how he has gone to the same school as her and grew up in the same city, yet this is their first time meeting. Even Priscilla knew who he was before, everyone in school too, except her.

"How come you and I have never run into each other before this?" she asks.

Harken presses his lips into a grim line.

"What? Did you try and avoid me or something? Didn't wanna be friends with the shut-in?" Noel teases, elbowing Harken in the side.

He just shrugs but doesn't meet her eyes anymore. "Guess we just never hung out around the same people."

Noel can feel another mood swing approaching, wondering what it is this time that has set him off, deciding to let it go and not aggravate him anymore and stares out the window as the scenery passes by, a lot slower than when on Harken's bike. She is getting dizzy just thinking about it.

They ride to the airport in silence, meeting Nolan and Karl at the check-in counter and grabbing Noel and Priscilla's tickets. Looking at their seats, they are disappointed to see that they aren't sitting near each other at all, having hoped the people who backed out were a couple.

"Lucky me, I got the seat next to you," Nolan says from behind, peering over her shoulder. "I never picked anyone to sit with, a few others didn't and just ordered tickets on the same flight, I guess I just got lucky." He flashes her a grin, one she is all too familiar with.

It's the same one he gives girls like Amy Stone and Kara Phillips. Just when she starts to lose interest, he starts to show it. What are the chances?

Is it a coincidence that we're sitting next to each other? She wonders, but quickly erases the thought from her mind. She must be overthinking it again, that would be just too weird of him to do, even if he does have interest in her now.

Noel can feel someone staring a hole into the side of her face and turns to see Harken giving Nolan a death glare. When he catches her staring at him, his expression softens and he gives her a small half-smile, walking over to join the small line of customers waiting to buy tickets.

Priscilla comes skipping towards her. "I hear you got a seat next to Nolan. Now's your chance! It isn't a very long flight so I'd take this small opportunity to try striking up a conversation with him, you never know what kind of impression you might leave on him." She wiggles her eyebrows with a mischievous grin.

Noel frowns and looks down at the ticket, unsure of how to feel about sitting next to Nolan. She doesn't hate it, he isn't a bad guy and seems comfortable to make small talk with, but at the same time, she would rather not have to try and dodge potential attempts to hit on her, if she is right about his newfound interest towards her.

"Yeah...about that," Noel starts to mutter, but commotion over by the check-in counter distracts their attention just in time to see Harken bump into Nolan pretty hard, knocking him to the ground.

"What the hell, Lewis?" Nolan cries out.

"Sorry man, shouldn't have been standing right behind me, I'm a lot bigger than you." Harken just shrugs it off, reaching down to pick up his fallen ticket and bag that slipped off his shoulder, then walks over to Noel and Priscilla with a smile as if nothing happened.

Nolan glares at the back of his head. Karl offers to help him off the ground, but he just shakes him off, a look of anger Noel didn't know he could express with how calm and kind he always appears at school. He scrambles to pick up all his fallen things off the ground and turns once more to look back at them, this time his eyes landing on Noel, back to his usual calm demeanour.

"I'll see you soon, Noel," he calls to her and waves before he and Karl walk off to the security check.

She just gives him a small wave and tense smile back, knowing if she responds it might set off Harken. Once they're gone, she turns a glare towards him and shoves his chest.

"You did that on purpose. What is wrong with you?" she asks.

Harken holds up his hands in defence. "I didn't, I swear! I just turned around and wasn't expecting him to be standing right behind me, so yeah I walked into him a little hard but as I said, I'm bigger than he is. What do you think is going to happen when I bash into him?"

Noel can't argue with that, but she knows deep down he is just making an excuse for picking on Nolan. "This is my first real trip. Can you please not make it a trainwreck with your pissing contest?" she pleads.

Harken frowns, now seeming to regret his actions and nods.

They make it through the bag check with no problems, and thankfully with only 15 minutes of waiting around before their flight is called for boarding. Noel focuses on her ticket and the row and seat numbers above, losing sight of Harken and Priscilla.

She is practically at the back of the plane before she gets close to her seat, smiling when she sees it isn't a middle row and has the chance to sit at the window if Nolan doesn't mind. She opens the overhang and attempts to lift her carry-on duffle bag, overestimating her upper body strength.

A pair of hands reach out and grab the bag from her, swinging it up into the overhang with ease. Noel instantly recognizes the large black Timberland boots and faded jeans, heaving a heavy sigh and closing her eyes in frustration.

"What are you doing here? We need to find our seats," she says.

Harken sticks out his plane ticket for her to see.

"I'm your seatmate, Little Red."

"You have got to be kidding me. Nolan was the one sitting next to me, I saw him holding that ticket-"

The memories from earlier reel in her mind, of Harken buying his ticket, then running into Nolan. They both dropped their tickets, but he was the first to pick them up before Nolan.

"Did you switch the tickets?" she gasps, glaring up at him.

Harken frowns, looking quite innocent, but she sees the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm not sure what you mean. I picked up the ticket closest to me and if it was the wrong one, it wasn't intentional."

Again, she can't argue.

What the hell is going on with him? He's acting reasonably...but he's not!

"You're really confusing me, Harken," she mutters and turns back to her seat to shuffle into the row.

"What does that mean?" he asks.

She shakes her head. "Nothing, just sit down so we can take off. You're the only one still standing."

This trip isn't going to be as fun and easy-going as she planned for it to be.

Thankfully Harken spent most of the short plane ride playing some game on his phone, allowing Noel to put her headphones in and admire the scenery out the window, taking as many pictures with her phone as she can.

Noel seeks out Priscilla as soon as they land and makes their way through bag check again, needing a breather from Harken and his overwhelming presence. They chat about all the things they plan to do this week, Priscilla wanting to head to the beach as soon as they get to the cottage.

"I can already smell it, taste it, the ocean is near!" Priscilla cries out the moment they step out of the shuttle bus from the airport. "Harken, be a doll and get our bags, will you?" she asks with a wink, turning on her heel and making a beeline for the cottage.

Noel shakes her head with a smile but stays behind to help Harken carry their bags in, arriving inside just as Karl is telling everyone where everything in the massive summer cottage is. You can tell from the outside that there are at least 3 floors to the place and most likely a basement, though Karl doesn't seem to mention one.

The rooms are all on the third floor, with a game room, sauna and what Karl says is a 'small' theatre room. Noel can feel that a lot of people are trying hard not to roll their eyes, like her.

"Come on, Little Red. Time to unpack and then hit the beach, we need to start showing you off and scoping out some potential dating material." Harken grabs his and her suitcases, beckoning her towards the stairs.

Priscilla gives her a weird look. "What is he talking about?"

"Harken convinced me to go on this trip by promising that he would help me get one date this week since he messed up my first potential date."

Priscilla's face twists in confusion even more.

"We're only here for a week, that's barely any time to try and date someone here. Plus, you'll probably never see them again after we go back home."

Noel smiles and nods. "Exactly. Doesn't that sound like a perfect way to experience my first date? Chances are they won't be my soulmate or whatever, so it would be easier if I have the chance to drop the relationship before it gets serious. One date, that's all it is."

She doesn't really understand it herself, and she isn't exactly holding onto the hope or interest of finding a date this weekend, but she does think it is a nice way to get a little bit of revenge on Harken for what he did. Chances are he wanted to spend this weekend scouting for girls himself but now has to accompany Noel to find her own guy instead.

Finding the guest rooms on the third floor, Harken has of course picked rooms right next to each other, shocking her by already halfway through unpacking her suitcase into the dresser.

"What are you doing? I can unpack my own clothes, Harken. I'm not a child."

He doesn't even stop or turn to look at her as he answers. "What are you afraid of me seeing? I've lived with you for a few months now, Little Red and your dad has made me do the laundry several times. I've seen your underwear; it isn't anything to get embarrassed about."

That is clearly an insult...right?

"Alright, fine, then you can be tasked with picking out the bathing suit I should wear. You're the all-knowing master here, right? Show me what you've got," she says and sits down on the bed, marvelling at how soft and comfy it is, nothing like hers at home and she has never minded her mattress.

She definitely will after this week is over.

Harken rifles through the handful of choices she brought for bathing suits, most of them being two-pieces. He picks out a matching red bikini with black polka dots, holding it up to her as if envisioning it on her, making Noel feel slightly uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Perfect, put this on and meet me downstairs." He tosses it at her and gets up from the ground to leave. Shutting the door, she takes a quick shower first and makes sure that there is nothing missing from her clothing, not entirely trusting Harken to be past his pranking days.

Changing into the bikini, she stops in front of the tall bathroom mirror above the counter, feeling rather pleased with how well the bikini suits her despite her curly copper hair and hazel eyes, it makes her features pop a little more and not in a way that amplifies her dull features. She is genuinely surprised at Harken's fashion sense.

She grabs a couple of towels before leaving the bathroom and heads downstairs. Harken is waiting for her at the bottom, checking his phone impatiently. He looks as if he is about to turn his head and yell up the stairs for her but stops when they lock eyes.

Noel watches as his eyes go from her eyes and trail downwards, before slowly dragging back up to meet her eyes once more, something dangerous shifting in his gaze.

"You can't wear that," he says.

The smile drops from Noel's face and is replaced with a frown.

"You're the one who picked this out," she says.

He runs a hand down his face, looking flustered.

"I'm aware, that was before I saw you in it. Jesus, Noel, we're here to get you a date, not a one-night stand."

She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. "Do I want to know what that even means?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you? You look too hot right now, you're going to attract not only the good guys but the bad guys. We want good guys, nice ones not assholes." He gestures wildly at her outfit to emphasize his point.

She scoffs and rolls her eyes. "That's hilarious, real funny. I was actually wondering if you have really given up on you're pranking days, but you made a strong comeback."

"Wha- No! I'm not joking about this, and yes I have stopped the pranking and harassing, haven't I?"

Noel has to admit, he is a great actor and even she can't help but smile.

"Come on, we're wasting daylight here," she says and walks past him. She hears a loud groan come from him before he stomps after her.

Noel doesn't have to guess where Priscilla is to know before even spotting her in the water when they finally reach the semi-private beach, only being semi because the area is shared by the section of cottage owners alongside Karl's cottage.

"Hey, Nole, you need to get in here! The water is gorgeous, I'm so happy we came here," Priscilla calls to her. Noel holds up a finger to say hold on, turning back to help Harken set down their towels, seeing that he brought a cooler she didn't notice before, probably because he started harping on her the moment she stepped down the stairs.

"Are you coming?" she asks him.

Harken just sits on the towel and looks toward the water with a scowl, clearly going through one of his mood swings again but surprisingly staying calm and quiet about it this time. Not wanting to change that, she simply nods her head and kicks off her sandals and walks towards the water.

Harken continues to scowl at the retreating figure of Noel, torn between staying silent and running after her. Once she is far enough, he feels the irritation and anger he has felt since seeing her in the skimpy bikini suddenly melt away and doesn't even consider the outfit skimpy anymore.

How can one pull off looking adorable and sexy at the same time?

He leans up and watches as she hesitantly wades into the water, jumping back and squealing whenever the waves splash against her, almost swallowing her tiny frame.

Noel joins Priscilla and they stand waist-deep in the water, looking down at the ocean floor and admiring all the colourful aquatic flowers, rocks and the occasional small sea critter that swims past their legs.

"You look pretty hot in that bikini, Nole. Where did you get it?"

Noel doesn't actually remember where she got it, or the fact that she even had it, until Harken held it up earlier.

"Not sure, it was Harken who picked it out for me."

"Don't you think he's been acting a little weird towards you lately?" Priscilla asks, giving a side-eye glance to Harken back on the shore. "He has been staring at you since you left him there, and he's been following you around for weeks, nearly attached to your hip everywhere you go. We don't even hang out that much."

"Well, you and I don't live together. Besides, Harken doesn't seem to have a lot of friends, and maybe none of them have really asked to hang out so he's always at home, and coincidentally so am I."

Priscilla chuckles. "Are you kidding me? Both Abel and Isaac have tried getting him to go out with them several times, but Harken has turned them down every single time, always saying he would rather stay in for the night or making excuses about homework. Abel has even tried catching him before he leaves work, but he's just met with more excuses."

"Wait, did you say work? When the hell did Harken get a job? He's on parole right now, can he even work?" she asks, not really understanding how the whole judicial system works when one serves time and is then released.

"Abel got him a job as a dishwasher at the pub, but lately he hasn't been showing up for most of his shifts, I don't know when he got it, I just found out recently myself."

When did he get the job, and why hasn't he ever mentioned it?

She feels maybe they haven't become as close as she thought they have these past couple of months, thinking something like that would be mentioned to her, but Priscilla also said he hasn't been going recently.

Does that explain where he kept going after school when they weren't on talking terms? It would make sense, if he got the job back then and where he got the money for the motorcycle helmet for her.

"So, what are you trying to say?" Noel asks.

Priscilla splashes water lightly against Noel's stomach. "God, you're dense. It's obvious he likes you."

"That's ridiculous," Noel laughs and splashes her back.

"Come on, Nole, honestly think about it. Has any other guy acted like that toward you? Has any guy ever acted like that toward me? Not trying to gloat, but I've had quite a few guys interested in me but it's obvious their interest stops when they reach between my legs."

Noel cringes. "That's disgusting. You're kind of a slut, Priscilla," she teases.

Her friend gasps loudly and sends a big wave of water her way, soaking Noel. This continues back and forth between the two for a few seconds before someone grasps Noel's hand and wraps an arm around her waist from behind, pinning her to their solid chest.

"Are you serious right now, Little Red?" Harken whispers in her ear, his tone dark.

She wiggles free of his grasp and turns towards him. "What's wrong now?"

He just points down at her chest, drawing her attention to the fact that her top has shifted a little and the tops of her boobs are pressing out. She lifts the material a little to cover them, then looks up at him and shrugs.

"Is that it?" Priscilla asks. "You ran all the way over here from the shore because you happened to see Noel showing a little bit of cleavage?... In a bikini?"

Harken glares at her, turning back to Noel. "I already told you how attractive you look in this bathing suit. You're already attracting the wrong kind of attention here; I'm just looking out."

Noel lets out s frustrated breath. "Harken, I'm not a child. You're not here to supervise me on this trip, you're here to do exactly what you're opposing right now – getting male attention. Who cares if they're only interested in me for one night, isn't that the point you made to get me on this trip and a part of this plan you made? Meet a guy, go on a date, and disappear. Right?"

Harken just huffs in annoyance at her, She knows there isn't anything he can say to excuse his behaviour now, but he still refuses to explain himself.

"What is going on with you? I've done everything you've told me to do since we got here, yet you keep giving me shit for everything little thing. What am I doing so wrong?" she mutters.

"You're appearing too easy right now," Harken practically explodes.

Both Noel and Priscilla hang their mouths open in shame. Noel feels the corners of her eyes prick with tears, and shoves Harken to the side to make her way back to the shore, not wanting to burst into tears in front of everyone.

Priscilla hits Harken over the head. "What the fuck is wrong with you? That was completely uncalled for. You've been acting like her dad and boyfriend at the same time, it's freaking even me out." She scoffs at him then follows after Noel.

Harken stands there with the same thought on his mind.

Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with me? What am I even doing?

This is Noel's first trip to somewhere fun, the closest thing she can consider to a vacation, and he has already soured her mood within the first hours of their arrival.

Way to go, Harken, you ass.