Noah

I’m standing on the top level of the Grill, next to the island bar, wondering why the hell I agreed to come to the Open Mic night. I was here last night with Zoe and Zara, I could have gave tonight a miss. I could be in my dorm catching up on homework. I could be out for a run. I could be at the library studying. I could be anywhere besides here. I don’t know why I agreed to this.

“You okay?” John asks me with concern. He can see the discomfort on my face, he’s so perceptive.

“I’m fine. Thanks John.” He nods his head at me, before turning to Aubrey. He rests a hand on the small of her back and leads her down the steps to the lower levels of the Grill. Of course, they’ll wanna get closer to the stage. I don’t.

“You coming?” Zach asks me. I notice Kim following behind Aubrey and John, so of course, Zach wants to go too.

“I’m staying up here.” I tell him, looking over at Will and Madison talking by the bar. Zoe and Zara will be here soon, this is fine.

“Suit yourself.” Zach shrugs his shoulders at me before walking down the steps after Kim.

“You know, for someone who apparently hates him, you sure do spend a lot of time with him.” I say to Madison, as I approach her and Will. She rolls her purple eyes at me.

“Noah, I can’t help it if your roommate won’t leave me alone.” She throws her hands on to her hips and pouts at Will. He smiles at her. It’s shockingly obvious that he is practically in love with this girl. I don’t see why he won’t just admit it and get together with her. Well… he must have his reasons, I guess.

“Where’s Zoe and Zara?” I ask Madison.

“Zoe’s talking to someone by the entrance, Zara’s not coming tonight.” Madison informs me. I’m surprised by this. Zara was so cool when I hung out with her and Zoe last night. She opened up to me more and more as the night went on, and she told me she would see me at the Open Mic tonight. I wonder what made her change her mind.

“Hey, dude.” I turn to see Zoe standing behind me. She’s wearing a tie-dyed dress. She looks a little bummed.

“No Zara?” I ask, and she shakes her head.

“She was summoned over to her dad’s house.” Zoe sighs. “I reminded her that she’s an adult now and doesn’t need to drop everything to please her dad. But she doesn’t wanna let him down or whatever.”

I don’t pry into this any further. Instead, I buy Zoe a drink and talk to her about school and sports and general shit. I ignore the bewildered looks I get from the girls around me, I’m aware that Zoe and I probably look like a couple to people that don’t know us, but I don’t care about that at all. And we must look like an odd couple. I’m so plain, dark jeans, black shirt. She’s wearing a tie-dyed dress, her hair is pink today, and she’s painted each of her finger nails a different colour. Zoe does look odd, but plenty of other people around North Bridge are quirky too. She doesn’t look out of place, I guess she just looks out of place standing talking to me. But, I don’t care. I like her. She’s probably my favourite person I’ve met here so far.

“Looks like your girl isn’t playing tonight.” Zoe comments after a break in our conversation. She’s picked up a set list some guys beside us at the bar had been looking at a minute ago. And I told her a little bit about what happened with Jamie the other night. No great details, it was very minimal. She asked me about girls, and I had to tell her something, so I told her about Jamie.

“What?” I ask as she hands me the set list. My eyes skim down the list of bands and artists. The Middle isn’t on it. “That’s weird, right?”

Zoe shrugs her shoulders at me. “I don’t really know any of them. I guess they just wanted a night off.”

“No, it’s weird.” I say as I stare at the piece of paper in my hand. “They wouldn’t miss an Open Mic performance.”

I put the set list down and walk over to Will and Madison. They’re sitting at a table in the corner of the top level together now. Very cosy indeed.

“Dude, The Middle aren’t performing tonight.” I say, slamming the set list down on to the table so Will can see.

“So?” Madison frowns up at me. I guess it is a little irrelevant, I just wanna know if Will knows anything about this.

“They’re not playing?” Will frowns before picking up the set list and checking it. “That is strange.”

“Right?” Why is this bothering me so much?

Will puts the set list down again and sighs. “It doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Why would it have anything to do with Noah?” Madison looks between the two of us, confused. Will obviously hasn’t told her what I’ve told him about me and Jamie. Wow, I guess he can be trustworthy when he wants to be.

“Hawkins likes him.” Will informs Madison. “She told him so, just the other day.”

Madison’s jaw hits the floor, and she looks up at me in horror. “Jamie Hawkins!? Ew!”

I know she doesn’t like Jamie. I excuse her immature comment and turn my attention back to Will.

“Should I do something?” I ask him.

“Like what?” He asks slowly, like I’m stupid and he needs to dumb his voice down for me.

“I don’t know. Call her, text her, make sure she’s okay? I haven’t talked to her or seen her since I walked out of her house that night, when she….” I can’t finish that sentence. The memory still makes me feel weird. I don’t like it.

“Dude, just leave it.” Will says, shaking his head slowly. “If she isn’t playing tonight to avoid you, well, you need to respect that. Just leave her be.”

I blink at him, before turning and heading down the steps towards the lower level. I need to ask Zach about this.

“Noah, hang on.” I hear Will say from behind me. He’s following me, fine. I’m just going to talk to Zach, that’s all.

“Noah!” Will grabs me by the arm, so I spin around to face him and shake myself free of his grip. What the hell?

“Why is this bothering you so much?” Will asks me. I look around, we’re standing right next to Aubrey, Kim, Zach and John’s table. They’re looking over at us, wondering what’s going on.

“It isn’t. I just…I don’t know. I don’t wanna be a dick towards her, that’s all.” I explain.

“No. it’s not that. You like her. Just admit it, Noah.” Will says evenly, looking me right in the eye.

“I don’t!” I shout at him, because we’ve been through this plenty already, and I am not doing it again.

“It’s okay, you know, you are allowed to like her. I won’t stand in the way, not that she would let me if I tried. What’s stopping you? Is it because I used to date her?” He asks.

“What the hell, Will? It has nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with anything, because I don’t like her!” I yell at him, feeling myself get angry. He needs to stop pushing me.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” Zach is beside me in seconds. I ignore him and continue staring Will down.

“Dude, I’m not trying to piss you off, I’m just saying, if you-“ Will starts, but no, I’m not listening to him.

“Well don’t just say! I don’t like her, and I’m getting real fucking tired of everyone telling me that I do!”

“If you didn’t like her, you wouldn’t give a shit about her not being here tonight. But you do.” Will folds his arms across his chest and glares right back at me. Why isn’t he backing down from this?

“Fuck off, Will. I don’t need to stand here and take this shit from you. Especially considering your weird as shit friendship or whatever it is you have going on with Maddie.”

“This isn’t about me.” He says flatly. I touched a nerve, I know I did, so I go on.

“No? So you get to stand there and accuse me of liking someone, when I’ve already told you I don’t, but I don’t get to bring up how you’re obviously fucking in love with Madison? How is that fair, Will, huh?”

He frowns at me for about 3 seconds, before turning around and storming away from me. Good. He can fuck off.

“What the hell just happened?” Kim asks, worried. She, Aubrey and John have approached Zach and me.

“Nothing.” I say, running a hand through my hair and looking away from them.

“I honestly don’t even know!” Zach says to Kim, shrugging his shoulders at her. They’re all confused. Whatever.

“I’m gonna talk to Zoe. See you guys later.” I stalk away from them, and none of them follow me. Good. I need another drink.