Chapter 8

Harper

"I don't want to go on this stupid football vacation." I groaned, leaning against the door frame as my dad loaded stuff into the back of his truck.

"Listen, Harper, I'm not leaving you here alone." My dad sighed. "And I'm sorry but staying with your mother is not an option."

"Yeah we know she kicked me out." I rolled my eyes. "I can stay with Jasey."

"I don't know her parents well enough." My dad shook his head. "You're coming on the trip. End of story."

"No." I shook my head.

"The Kellers have a beautiful cottage right on Lake Michigan with enough space for the entire team. You'll get your own room and everything." My dad sighed. "You won't even have to pay attention to us."

"The Kellers?" I raised my eyebrows, my stomach sinking.

"Yes, Noah Keller. One of my captains?" My dad sighed.

"Dad I thought he doesn't talk to his parents." I crossed my arms.

"It belongs to his grandparents. And he lives with his aunt and uncle who get to use the house too." My dad explained.

I forgot about that part.

"Well I can't sit in the back." I shook my head.

"You can sit in-"

My dad froze, a frown forming on his face.

"I don't have enough room in my truck." My dad sighed. "I drive up with the coaches and the guys take a bus."

"I'm not going to travel on a bus with the football team." I shook my head, stepping forwards. "Absolutely not."

"Obviously, Harper." My dad shook his head. "But you're still coming. I just have to figure it out."

"I can ride my bike!" I suggested with a grin.

"Not all the way up north. That's too dangerous. It's a small motor bike that I don't even like you riding here." My dad said seriously. "You're not riding that for four hours."

I sighed, leaning back against the door frame.

"Ah!" My dad grinned as an idea hit him. "One of the guys is driving up after us because he has work."

"Fine." I sighed. "Who?"

"Noah Keller. It's his house that we're going to. I trust that kid, you can drive up with him." My dad suggested.

My eyes widened but I quickly masked my shock.

"Excellent." I forced a smile on my face.

"You'll probably be driving into the night." My dad told me. "I'll tell him to get in contact with you, is it alright if I give you his number?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"Good. I'll have him tell you the schedule." My dad smiled. "You've got all of your stuff there?"

"Yes." I nodded with a sigh.

"Well I've got to get going. Text me when you're on the road."

I gave him a sarcastic smile before disappearing back into the house.

Noah and I hadn't been alone together since the part last Friday.

It was Thursday today and the entire football team (plus me) was taking today and tomorrow off to go up north for a team bonding event that my dad was schlepping me to.

Noah and I sat next to each other in Chemistry and Health but we hadn't talked about anything other than the classes.

And now we were going to be stuck in the car for four hours together?

Spectacular...

I spent the next two hours in my room, listening to the Hamilton soundtrack and trying not to think about my impending doom.

Right in the middle of the saddest song of the musical, 'It's Quiet Uptown', the music stopped and my phone started ringing.

"What." I said with a sigh as I answered it, still laying on my back on my floor.

"I'm not too thrilled about this either." Noah's voice came through the speaker.

"Well you interrupted Hamilton and Eliza reconnecting after Philip's death. That's why I'm annoyed." I replied.

"Holy shit, Harper." Noah groaned. "We are not listening to the Hamilton soundtrack all the way up north."

"Don't worry. I'll use my headphones and we won't talk." I replied.

"We can't talk." Noah replied quietly. "Because I'm driving Roy up too."

"Fucking great." I sighed, sitting up straight. "When will you be here?"

"I'm at your front door. Roy is in the car." Noah sighed.

"Be right there." I muttered, hanging up the phone.

I instantly called Jasey, hoping she'd answer.

"Yes?" Jasey laughed.

"I'm about to spend four hours in the car with Noah Keller." I told her, grabbing my purse from the dresser.

"That's going to be tough either way. Either you'll choke from the sexual tension or you'll die from how much you're about to argue." Jasey snorted.

"With his best friend." I added. "Who doesn't know my role in Noah's life. So we have to act like two people who don't know each other."

"Yikes." Jasey laughed. "Just text me the whole time, you'll survive."

"I hope so." I sighed, jogging down the stairs. "Okay I gotta go I'll text you in a bit."

"Good luck!" Jasey laughed before I hung up the phone.

I grabbed my over night bag that I'd stuffed full with everything that I'd need for the long weekend.

"Listen, just don't try and be overly nice to him." Noah said as I opened the door. "Don't act like you know me."

"No shit sherlock." I replied. "I know he's the one who always says shit about people from the team to my dad."

Noah's eyes met mine. "It's my family's cottage." He whispered.

"I know." I whispered back.

"You'll be staying in the attic." Noah added with a sigh.

"I figured that much." I nodded, looking down at my feet. "Oh, by the way, I got this bikini that doesn't show my tattoo so try not to go flaunting yours around my dad and we'll be fine."

Noah gave me a thumbs up, taking my suitcase from my hands as we walked towards the car.

"You're in the back for now but-"

"You're kidding me right?" I raised my eyebrows. "We won't make it to the highway before I puke if you stick me in the back."

"Fuck." Noah sighed, opening up the trunk. "Roy, get in the back."

"What?" Roy asked in shock, spinning around to look at Noah as he put the suitcase in the back.

"She gets carsick in the back." Noah told him. "Move it."

Roy sighed, climbing over the seat to get into the backseat.

"Thanks." I muttered as I got into the front seat of Noah's car. "Nice Jeep." I told him as he got in the driver's seat.

"Thanks. It was my uncle's." Noah replied.

I just nodded, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

"So, Harper." Roy said happily, leaning forwards to stick his head in between the two seats. "That friend of yours, she single?"

"You're not her type." I replied with a laugh.

Noah's face was struggling to keep back his smirk as he focused on pulling out of the driveway.

"Babe, I'm everybody's type." Roy winked. "Can I get her number?"

"First of all, do not call me 'babe'. Second of all, trust me, you're not her type." I shook my head with a sigh.

"Bullshit." Roy replied. "What's her type?"

"Boobs. Long hair. And certainly not what's between your legs." I laughed, turning around to face him.

Roy's eyes widened.

"She's gay?"

"Very much so." I nodded, glancing at Noah who was laughing now.

"You're so damn desperate." Noah said to his friend.

"So... You two ever-"

"Oh fuck off." I rolled my eyes, facing forwards again.

Roy sighed audibly from the backseat.

It was shocking how different Roy was from Noah's best friend from home.

Hank was polite and nice with an appropriate sense of humor.

The car fell into silence and I glanced over at Noah.

His eyes were focused on the road with one arm draped over the steering wheel and the other resting on the center console.

The car was completely silent all the way to the high way, nobody saying anything.

We'd been on the interstate for five minutes maybe when Roy leaned forwards with a sigh.

"So, Harper." Roy grinned, looking at me.

I sighed, turning to look at him.

"What?"

"With your dad being the coach and all, and you being friends with Kelly and Anna now, you're practically part of the group." Roy told me.

"Lovely." I replied.

"Trust me, be honored." Roy nodded. "But I gotta say this... We've got this thing where we have each other's backs. So tell us, what was your dad on about last week with his whole 'pregnant again' thing?"

"Excuse me?"

"I've been trying to figure it out from everyone but nobody knows. I mean, tell me, is that clothes hanger abortion rumor true?" Roy asked.

I felt like I was going to puke as my stomach twisted.

"Nope, it's not true." I shook my head. "Don't people like die if they try that?"

"I was just wondering. I mean you don't look like you had a kid."

"Well I didn't." I crossed my arms, facing forwards again. "My dad doesn't know what he's talking about, I haven't lived with the guy since I was six."

"Damn well don't get all pissy about it." Roy sighed, leaning back again. "I was just asking."

I glanced over at Noah and he looked at me.

We held eye contact for about three seconds, both of us thinking of the same event before he turned back to the road and I looked down at my phone.

"You guys are boring." Roy sighed.

Neither of us replied and silence filled the car again.

Fifteen minutes later, Roy leaned forwards again.

"So, Harper." He said, resting his elbows on the center console.

Noah pulled his arm back as Roy's hands brushed his elbow.

"What, Roy?" I raised my eyebrows, turning to look at him.

"Why'd your mom kick you out?" Roy asked curiously.

"It's quite a long story." I replied.

"We've got a four hour road trip." Roy grinned.

"Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you my secrets." I replied, facing forwards again.

Twenty minutes later, Roy broke the silence by leaning forwards.

"I have to pee." He said suddenly.

"It's only been an hour, are you serious?" Noah sighed.

"Dude, I'm serious." Roy replied.

Noah swore under his breath before quickly pulling onto the exit ramp that we'd almost passed.

"Hurry up, you have three minutes or I'm leaving." Noah told him as Roy jumped out of the car to run into the gas station.

"That was hell." I said, turning to Noah. "He wasted no time in getting right down to it."

"Why did she kick you out?" Noah frowned.

"She's been ashamed and disgraced by me for two years now, Noah. She hates me for getting pregnant, she hates me for getting an abortion, and she hates herself for it because she still sticks to her strict republican upbringing which involves being heavily pro-life." I replied. "So eventually she got fed up and I'm here."

"Damn." Noah frowned.

"That little unborn baby caused so much shit in our lives." I shook my head, absent-mindedly playing with my necklace.

Noah looked down at the necklace, letting out a sigh.

"I have a feeling this weekend is going to suck." Noah whispered, his eyes meeting mine.

I offered a smile.

"Doesn't everything involving us get that way?" I shrugged.

"Harper..." Noah said quietly. "I think um... I-"

"Damn that was the grossest bathroom I've ever been in." Roy announced as he got into the car. "Noah you want to switch or are you good driving?"

"Uh, I'm good for now." Noah nodded, putting the car into reverse to pull out of the spot.

I watched him carefully, wondering what he was about to say before Roy got into the car.

Four painful hours later we arrived at the cottage just as the sun was setting over the lake.

"Look." Noah pointed as we got out of the car.

"Yeah I saw." I nodded, grabbing my suitcase.

"Throwback, huh?" Noah raised his eyebrows.

"Where's my room?" I asked, not taking the bait for his little moment of reminiscing.

Noah sighed.

"Follow me." He said with a sigh as Roy appeared next to us.

I followed him into the house that I knew better than I knew my dad's house.

"Coach!" Noah called into the kitchen. "We're here!"

"Come get s'mores! We're down at the beach!" Coach called as he walked out of the back door onto the deck.

Roy instantly went to follow him, leaving Noah and I alone in the house.

"You know where to go?" Noah asked quietly.

"Obviously." I nodded, glancing at the stairs. "Go get s'mores. I'll uh, I'll keep my distance from the team this weekend."

"I'm sorry." Noah said suddenly.

"For what?" I frowned.

"This, everything..." Noah sighed. "Literally everything I've ever done."

I offered a small smile. "Yeah, me too." I shrugged before lugging my suitcase up the stairs.

I turned the corner, walked along the hallway, and opened up the door that went up to the attic.

I took a deep breath, looking up at the staircase to the room that held so many memories.

"Fuck this." I whispered before ascending the stairs.

I hesitated as I stepped up the last step into the attic. As I stepped in and shut the door behind me, the musty smell hit my nose and I felt a wave of emotion rush over me. I set my bag down next to the small bed in the corner and heavily sat down, the air leaving my lungs. This was harder than I thought it would be.

I laid back against the bed, tears filling my eyes.My fingers ran over the fabric of the quilt, tracing the familiar pattern with careful motions. I stood up and walked around, the memories shockingly strong in my brain. I looked up at the ceiling, the splattered paint somewhat faded, but still there.

I stood up again and walked over to the window. I looked down on the beach where the team was gathered around the fire pit.

As delicious as the s'mores seemed right now, I knew I was in no state to be near Noah.

Folding my arms against my chest, I walked around the room and looked at everything.

Stuffed behind the dresser was a large poster board. My eyes widened as I pulled it out, dust flying everywhere.

With a laugh, and a slight cough, I looked at the pictures plastered on the board.

Most of them were of Noah and me over the two years that we were together. Most of these pictures had been taken at the cottage, we'd come up here during the summer, but the other pictures were from various school dances or random pictures.

"Harper!" I heard my dad yell from somewhere else in the house.

"Yeah?" I called back, stuffing the poster board behind the dresser again.

"Come down and join us!" 

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Fuck trains. I just wanna go back to the apartment with the hot boy :(