One Day in California

"You !" Noah's glaring at me, his eyes are shooting fire. He had never look at me that way. The guy who laughed often, the one that always acting silly. I keep on thinking what did I do wrong to him, I wish I could read everything Noah blamed in for that extended glare. Did I really do wrong? I'm froze and shocked at the same time. He walks towards me, "I thought you left !" , "Urgh" frowned in depression, rubbing his forehead.

Jane and Cara froze looking at us.. with thousand of questions inside their head. Then, I take my Hazelnut Coffee..

"Bye" I wave my hand at Cara and Jane, they did the same, but they seemed hardly move their muscles. I grab Noah's hand and leave the café as soon as possible, we have to talk in private. I find a perfect spot to talk as we arrive in the alley which is the backdoor of Vier Café, James usually smoke here during break time, he isn't in the café right now so I think it would be okay if we talk here for a while.

Noah then flared his nostrils as we stop, then trying to smile, I can see a painful smile from his arched lips, he has everything untold inside. Then, he snorted a cheesy laugh "I don't know why I thought you were leaving the town. I was worry as hell".

"Worry?" still hasn't got his point. Why would he worry about me going out of the town.

"I thought you left me..." Noah slaps his forehead, "I mean, I thought you left the town and didn't say goodbye" he continued.

"No, I was planning on leaving by next 4 months, Noah" I give him the exact answer. "Don't say it anymore" he lays his finger on my lips. Happy was Noah's usual state, yet as Noah stared at me in that cold way, he seemed unhappy, his spirits sink into nothingness and his aura turns monochrome. I paused, don't make a sound. Noah turns his back at me, leaning his hand on the wall beside Vier Café's navy backdoor.

"Forget it. Where are you planning to go? Right now?" he tilted his head looking at me, smiling. As he stands towered in front of me I can see his expression clearly, Noah smiles every day and only those who knew him well could tell a real one from a fake. Somehow, that smile hurts me a lot.

I take a deep breath, "Noah.. I am sorry" I said, unconsciously. He paused, lifting his eyebrow, doesn't give an answer. Silence expanded for few seconds.

Noah clears his throat, "So, what are you going to do after this?" he pointed my Hazelnut Coffee. It's getting cold, I haven't take a sip.

"I was about to bring a car back to its place"

I parked them in the parking space and was about to return them back before the owner charged me.

"Can I join you?" he asked

"Sure"

I pressed the pop –up button of the automatic –car –key to unlock the car door as it BEEP. Noah sat on the passenger's seat, he tilts his head looking at me busy clicking the seatbelt.

"You can drive? Are you sure?"

I rolled my eyes, turn my head towards him "What do you think? I have arrived here safely"

"okay, okay I trust you"

I start the engine and drive. I stop by my apartment to lift my bag out from the car, Noah helped me. Then we go back to the car and heading to my main destination.

"Sorry.... about earlier" he said.

"For?" I asked.

"I mean, I was freaked out" I know he's talking about Cara and Jane.

"It's fine. They knew we know each other"

"Really?" he lifts his eyebrow.

I nod my head, "Yeaa... you are making it too obvious. I have no choice" I shrug my shoulders and give him a warm smile.

"By the way, we've arrived" I parked the car in empty space of the broad land, there's a small cottage in the middle, the owner came out as I honk the car.

Noah stands by the gate waiting for me. It's October, he must be freezing, the weather seems gloomy, it looks like going to rain soon.

"Noah" I called him. He tilted his head as I'm running towards him. His hands are inside his hoodie pocket, shivering as the cold breeze blow. "You are freezing? Damn" I touch his sleeve, it was made of thin cloth which is not suitable for the season. "Why would you go out with only a thin hoodie like this dummy?" I pouted. Can't believe I care about him a lot.

"can you walk home ? you are trembling"

"Steffi, I am fine" he said, smiling.. he still able to smile??

I touch his hand, they're cold as ice. I pull one of his hand out from his pocket, hold it tight and bring it inside my pocket. My coat is made of thick wool, I hope he didn't faint or die in our way home. Noah paused, throwing his gaze away as I touch his hand, there's a pink shade on his face. Is he blushing? Or this is the effect of the cold he has? I throw my gaze against him. Yes, I care a lot about him, and his ears are all red.

"Noah" I stopped, we face each other, "Bend down a bit"

He bends his body. "Your ears are dying" I pull his hood to cover his head and ears, adjusting the draw –cords. Then he stands straight as I finished. We are heading to my apartment.

The small raindrops falling from the sky as I realize the rain is going to start. The sky is covered by grey clouds. I and Noah running to avoid the cold rain that might kill us. We rushed into Bonny Apartment, it starts to rain harder and the sky is roaring when we arrived.

"Here" I made him a hot chocolate, he was covered in thick blanket, he has just took a hot bath before I let him sit on my bed. I sit beside him, wiping my wet hair. He took a sip of the hot chocolate as I can hear a slurp.

"Feeling better?" I turned my head looking at his puppy face, still shaking.

He nods and say "Thanks"

"Thanks to you, you bought me that chocolate sachets. I love it"

"I bought that in France, when I was shooting a movie"

"Whoaa. That's why I can't find any of them at the supermarket" I mumbled.

Noah set aside the hot chocolate on the bedside table. He lays on the bed, hugging my bolster, turning his back to me "are you going to sleep now?"

"Yes, for a moment" he covers himself until his head.

"Okay" I continue drying my hair with the towel.

***

It's 7 p.m. He's still sleeping, I ordered Beef –Burgers and French Fries with free hot lemon –tea. "Thank you. Have a nice day !" the man smiles. I give him a warm smile and then slam the door close. I place them on the countertop, waiting for Noah to wake up so we could have dinner together.

Noah hasn't got up, even I make a lot of rustling noises just now. I walk towards the bed, he was facing the wall. I sat down beside him, watching him sleep. That peaceful angelic looking face, that turns my heart beats even faster, he has a perfect lips, perfect eyebrows, perfect eyelashes, perfect eyes, perfect face, and of course perfect personality. How can he born to be so perfect.

I was about to go, but then Noah slid his hand, holding mine really tight, I tilted my head looking back at him, he's still in eyes closed. "hmm. Please stay, even for a while" he sounds very clingy, this is the very first time.

I sit back as he requested.

"don't you feel hungry?" I asked, there's something in him, that makes me hard to say "No" to him. His big warm palm covering mine, at the moment I feel fluttered, my heart beats faster, there's butterfly in my stomach. He grasped my hand, like he won't let me go.

"Stay for a while" he said.

Is he sick? Or something?

I gasped, touching his forehead "Are you sick?". I feel so worry about him.

Noah chuckled softly, "I'm not Steffi. I just need you right here with me for a while" still sounds clingy. My heart can't regulate myself, it feels tight in the chest. There's a rhythm in my heartbeats that serve thousands of melody.

Noah moves, leaving an empty space on the bed "Here. Sleep here" still talking with eyes closed. Did he just ask me to sleep by his side? What the hell is going on?

"I'm not going to **** you" Noah's eyes wide open, glaring at me. He taps the empty space with his hand "Please?" begging with clingy puppy face which melts my heart. I clicked my tongue and lay beside him "Alright Alright".

"Then what?" I turn my head towards him. He gives me a gentle smile and rest his head on my shoulder.

Among my stillness, there's a pounding heart. That's the moment

when I realize.. this is Love.. because I feel comfortable by his side.

There's a sound of glass clinking, and the sound of my ice cubes taken off from the mold. I woke up from my deep snooze. I thought I could hold it a little while, but then Noah appeared from the kitchen holding a glass lemon tea with ice cubes?

"You just froze to death and now you drink cold lemon tea?" I groaned.

Noah lift his eyebrow. "I feel hot, don't you remember we did something special?" he grinned.

What? What so special? My brain's working so hard to remember the last thing I do before I fell asleep. I was just sleeping, the last time I remember is when Noah leaned on my shoulder.

"I was just kidding. Come on. No fun." Noah slapped his knee, laughing very loud. Moments ago, he acted so clingy, right now he is being a b**ch.

I moaned, I want to kill him right now, ups No No I can't.

"Should we eat now?" Noah lifts his hand pointing with his thumb.

"I'm starving" I slid my legs down, with Elmo's slippers on, walking towards the kitchen to prepare something before we eat our dinner.

We lay on the bed enjoying Jimmy Fallon 's show.

Then Noah clears his throat which makes me startled, was assuming he is going to say something regarding to the show.

He smirked.

"What?" I asked

"I bought you Sushi few days ago when you were gone"

Oh my god, he keeps his promise about the Sushi.

"I...I am sorry" my tongue hardly move. I'm so touched.

"It's okay. You are here. That's more than enough"

Duh.. a hit on the chest, my heart was about to jump off. Even in this cold day, I can feel my face is warming itself. Noah stretches his arms, his palms are on my cheek. "It's warm...." enjoy touching it since he's cold.

"I'm not a heater !" I yelled.

Noah snorted a loud laugh.

***

I borrow him my L –sized sweater to keep him warm since he was freezing with that single hoodie on. He stood up while finish his sneakers.

"will buy you Sushi tomorrow, we depart at 7 evening" Oh, the Halloween is happening tomorrow.

"Okay" I nodded. I touch the side of the door, about to close it.

Then Noah stopped me. "Wait" he said, looking at me at the eyes, a very soft –gaze that brings me another heart –throbs. "Thanks for today" he implied. He lifted his hand, I don't know what is he going to do. But then, he revokes his intention.

"will come over at 6. Get yourself ready !" he waves his hand and walk away, turn his head at some time, smiling sheepishly.