Two days without seeing Heath and I'm still alive. I did some interesting solo activities like, going to the park which I realized was always more fun when you had someone with you.

I have also been practicing my driving with dad, even though Heath said he'd teach me, I think he wouldn't mind. Dad says my driving has gotten a lot better from the last time I attempted to drive. Turns out I can drive without hitting any garbage bins.

Currently I was working, being the best waitress that I am I took it upon myself to memorize the entire menu. But I'm me, so of course I forgot the whole thing in under two minutes.

"Well what do you recommend?" The guy asks me. He was dressed in a varsity jacket along with the four other dudes at his booth.

"I really like the waffles, especially with strawberries and whipped cream. But that's just because I have such a sweet tooth in the morning. Maybe you'll like it too, if you're like me." I stop myself from talking his ear off.

I was lacking conversation so I'd chat away with the customers even when they had an annoyed look on their face. Luckily, this guy here didn't have that look on his face.

"That sounds delicious, right boys?" He asks, looking around the table. The rest of the guys just nod in agreement.

"I also top it with a side of chocolate milk. My boyfriend and I really are chocolate milk addicts. Sorry I'm getting too personal. Feel free to shut me up whenever." I purse my lips, hiding my hands behind my back.

"It's okay, we don't mind. We'll take your word and go for the waffles." The guy smiles, showing his pearly white teeth. He reminds me of a golden retriever.

"Okay!" I write it down on my little notepad and walk back over to the other side of the counter. Giving the chef the note of their order.

"I'm exhausted. It's only 9am and we're packed." Noa cowers her head over as she takes a seat.

"I know! It's so much more fun when it's full." I smile and look around at the people.

"Fun? I don't call working fun, but I'm saving up for a car. Girls like girls with cars." Noa winks and gets her phone from her bag.

I observe her as she scrolls through her phone. She looked much older than her age, she was pretty and fun to talk to. Sometimes I'd forget I'm older. Her dark hair was tied back into a ponytail, her bangs fell loosely along her forehead looking perfectly trimmed.

I look down at the septum piercing she had put in, I imagine it to hurt a lot when she got it. She had told me how she wanted to get more piercings when she was older since her parents weren't too fond of the idea of piercings. That thought makes me want to pierce my ears, I'd never gotten them pierced so I missed out on earrings.

"You said you pierced your own ears?" I ask her, getting an idea. She looks away from her phone and brings her attention to me.

"Yeah, why?" She narrows her eyes skeptically. Bingo.

The chef, Tony, rings the bell letting me know that an order was ready and I had to bring it over to the customer.

"I'll be back." I tell her and take the tray of waffles, hoping I don't spill anything.

Don't drop it, don't drop it, don't drop it.

I repeat to myself as I walk over to the guys booth. I sigh in relief when I make it to the table without a single stumble.

"For you." I hand the golden retriever dude the first plate and he thanks me. Afterwards I hand everyone else at the table their waffles.

"Oh! How could I forget the chocolate milk? I'll be right back." I slap myself on the forehead, rushing to the back and grab five cups, filling them with milk.

"Noa, get over here and help me so I don't spill." I call out for her and she frowns because she had to actually get up and work.

She grabs most of the cups and follows me as I walk back over to the group of guys and give them their milk. One of the guys smile a little longer at me as I walk back and I smile as I walk away.

"Men." Noa scoffs, sending them a disgusted look, without them knowing.

"They seemed pretty nice." I furrow my brows in confusion and look back at them.

"I'm sure they are. I'm just a feminist and gay so" She shrugs and I nod, politely.

"So Noa, I have an idea." I lean over the counter for her to listen to me.

"I like where this is going." She nods as she leans towards me.

"I want you to pierce my ears." I tell her and back away to look at her reaction.

"Oh. Done, I'll do it." She agrees just like that, this is why I like her she's open to do anything.

"It doesn't hurt too much, does it?" I ask her, hoping she couldn't see the worry in my face.

"Are you scared of a little pinch?" She asks, tilting her head.

"Yes..." I answer honestly.

"Then no, it won't hurt at all." She pats me on the back before giving me a tight smile and walking to the back.

I don't really believe her but I'm still going to do it. I always felt like I was missing out when everyone else had earrings, even Heath has one. Id surprise him after, showing off my new pierced ears.

I made a mental note to call him later. He kept his word and called me everyday. Yesterday he told me he cooked for himself, which I wished i was there for because I like watching him cook. And eating it afterwards.

I finish my shift, continuing to talk to the customers and picking up orders until finally it was time to go. Noa begs her dad to let her leave when I did and he agreed.

I hop in her dads old truck as she drives us to her house. It was fun having a new friend and working together. We liked different things but at least Noa was fun to be around with.

"When you walk in, you're gonna see a mess. I'm warning you. I didn't expect anyone to be coming over so I didn't clean." She turns over to look at me once we were parked in front of her house.

"Also you're gonna see an ugly freckled little boy. Don't be scared, he might bite sometimes but he can refrain himself." She nods slowly making sure I understand, I let out a giggle.

"He's also my little brother. Now that that's out of the way, come on in." She gets out of the truck and I do too, following her inside.

Her house was a big crème colored house, it looked like some rich persons house that I would usually make fun of. But I like Noa so I won't.

She opens the door and right away a small poodle starts barking at us as we walk in. Noa holds the poodle back by extending her leg out, keeping him there.

"Thomas! Come get your rat!" She shouts loudly, and I hear a faint groan before seeing a little boy with freckles coming over, picking the poodle up. He reminded me of CJ since they looked about the same age.

"He's not a rat, you are. You're lazy ass can't move him yourself." I was taken back by his language but let out a chuckle.

"Shut up. We're going upstairs, don't bother us." Noa ruffles his hair, causing him to slap her hand away and glare at her.

"Sorry about that, he's just upset at the fact that he's ADOPTED." She emphasized loudly on the last word making sure he heard.

"Mom said I'm not, Noa!" He shouts back before walking over to a different room.

"He's not but it makes him cry every time." She scoffs playfully as she leads me upstairs.

"You don't look rich but your house does." I said looking around.

"No offense." I hold my hands up, realizing that may have sounded a bit mean.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Rich people are assholes anyways." She walks into her room and I look around since there was so much to look at.

Posters hung all around her walls, black curtains over her windows and plants everywhere. I realize what she meant by she hadn't cleaned, clothes were all over her room spread out on the floor. It was messier than mine.

"Let me find the equipment I need first, also if you see a tarantula crawling around somewhere. It escaped its cage." She tells me causing panic to rise in me.

"Kidding." She laughs lightly and I hold a hand up to my heart.

"But I do have one. And a snake, wanna see?" She asks excitedly and turns around.

"Don't take it out, Noa." I whine as I watch her open the cage.

"This is sniper. He won't bite you, promise." She smiles at me and I hesitate before going over there.

The small black snake was just chilling there. He doesn't look too harmful, I reach in to touch him with my pointer finger out.

"Oh MY Ah!" I scream, loudly. Noa flinches and backs away, looking scared.

"What happened?!? Did he bite?" She asks, panic in her face.

"No. I just wanted to scare you." I shrug, chuckling as I go in again to touch Sniper.

"You bitch." She laughs and goes to put away her snake back in his cage.

"I just needed a good laugh." I tell her and return back to the edge of her bed to sit down.

"Why don't you laugh at this" she reaches down and grabs a shirt from the floor and throws it onto my face. It slaps me in the face because I couldn't catch it on time.

I dramatically fall on the bed, holding a hand to my cheek. Acting as if it slapped the day light out of me.

"That's going to leave a bruise." I hold my hand to my left cheek. Her shirt was soft perhaps polyester, I didn't bruise that easily.

"Good. Now sit here. I wasn't going to go too hard but now that you tricked me, I might just accidentally clip it on harder for you." She grabs the gun piercing thingy and I frown.

"That sounded dirty." I walk over to the chair in front of her and take a seat as I watch her prepare for this.

As she was getting everything ready, I feel my phone vibrate in my pants and I pull it out to see an incoming call from Heath.

"It's Heath. Shh." I quickly answer the call, a smile appearing on my face.

"Sup bro." I answer the call, acting cool. Or what I thought was cool but the look on Noa's face makes me regret it.

"Don't call me that." I hear him say as I hear shuffling in the background.

"What do you want me to call you then?" I ask, pointing to the earring I wanted Noa to pierce on me.

"Anything but that."

"Sup sweet cheeks?" I change and Noa burst out laughing.

"What are you doing? I miss you." Heath admits and I can imagine a frown on his lips.

I quickly put him on speaker as Noa tells me she has to mark my ears first so I let her do her thing. I put my phone to the side for now.

"Just hanging out with a friend. What have you been up to?" I ask as Noa leans toward me, marking my ear.

"Showering. What friend?" He asks, and I glance at Noa.

"Noa."

"Who the fuck is Noa? Thalia?" He starts asking and I'm pretty sure I forgot to ever mention Noa to him.

"My friend from work, remember I told you?" Honesty I don't think I did tell him so if he's confused it's okay.

"I don't remember shit. Since when do you have other guy friends?" He asks, in a calming tone.

"Uh, Noa is a woman. Hold on I'm taking you off speaker." I tell him but Noa makes me sit still as she marks a spot on my other ear.

"Who the fuck names their daughter Noa? I thought it was a guy." Heath says, still on speaker phone. I smile awkwardly at Noa since she's hearing everything.

"And.. now you're off of speaker." I tell him as I put the phone back on my ear. Perhaps it was a little too late. Noa was glaring at him through the phone.

"So... how was your day?" I chuckle nervously, knowing Noa was listening.

"Good. But I'm only saying good so you can come see me already. I want to see you." He sighs through the phone.

"But do I want to see you?" I ask and the other line goes silent.

"Just kidding. Of course I want to see you too. Soon, don't worry. And what happened to I was annoying? Bet you miss my talking now, huh?" I know he most definitely does.

That should teach him a lesson. Don't take things for granted.

"You are annoying. But I like it now." He told me and I don't know if that was an insult or a compliment.

"Yeah you do. I have to go now but I'll call you tomorrow. I love you." I end the call after he says his goodbyes and proceeded to let Noa do her thing.

"I'm going to count to three and then I'll do it okay? You'll feel a small pinch." She tells me and I take in a deep breath.

Please, don't let me faint.

"Ok. I'm ready." I shake away the nerves and wait for her to count down.

"Alright."

"One-" she finishes piercing a hole on the first ear.

She lied. What happened to on three? I should've know. Am I really that easy to fool?

"Did you all of a sudden forget your numbers? You forgot three. You'll pay for that." I glare at her as she moves on to the other ear.

I shut my eyes and bite my lip when she does the other ear. It wasn't too bad, my ears were red after the impact but the shiny diamonds in my ears were worth it all.

"Am I just absolutely stunning now?" I ask sarcastically as I flex my new earrings. I look myself in the mirror, you could barely notice the earrings with my hair in the way.

"Yeah, all thanks to me." Noa sasses and I shake my head.

"Oh my God, I'm bleeding. Noa!" I shout and slap my hand over my mouth.

"Holy shit!" Noa jumps up and rushes over to me.

"Sike. I lied." I confess and she takes a deep breath.

"I told you you'd pay for what you did." I call it payback. Never mess with me. That ought to teach her.

"You're lucky I like you." She scoffs shaking her head.

"No, you're lucky I like you or things would have been worse." I cross my arms at her.

I spend the rest of the day eating snacks with Noa as we chat and watch scary horror films because apparently they were her favorite. I preferred Romcoms but I knew I had someone who would watch them with me and that was Heath.

I missed Heath and his comforting kisses but it was nice to just hang out with friends once in a while. Especially ones that are girls because I could gossip all about Heath.

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A/N

This chapter was fun

Also I didn't even intend to make Noa a big character but writing about her is fun so there might be more of her later on.

Thanks for reading xoxoxo😗😗😗

8/24/22