The scrumptious aroma of barbecue filled my nose. Roasted vegetables, marinated slow cooked meat . . . yum. The party was perfectly set up in the field itself with the entire town eating, talking, dancing and celebrating joyfully. Mainstream pop and rock music was played and the atmosphere was so inviting and delightful, like there was some festival or carnival going on.

I was filling my plate with dollop of sour cream, lettuce cups and barbecued, saucy meat while listening to the talks of Ginger, Anne and Marya. Ginger couldn't stop chirping about the fights and romantic moments she had with Chad, they were really adorable.

"Do you and Noah fight a lot too?" Ginger asked suddenly and the spicy chicken stuck in my mouth. I swallowed it with great difficulty and drank orange juice. I gawked at Ginger and Mary who grinned while Anne who was busy stuffing food in her mouth, also looked up at me.

"Noah and me, well . . . we are not in a relationship like you Ginger," I reasoned out and the girls whined.

"But you both are in love!" Anne exclaimed and my eyebrows rose high up.

I suppressed my blush and questioned, "What is wrong with you? What are you talking, Anne?"

"I'm saying on the basis of what I witnessed earlier, true love. You both looked so much in love."

"No, we aren't in love! We cannot--- "

"Don't deny it. Besides, we know that you like him," Ginger interjected and I sighed.

"Like is different and love . .   " I trailed off and all three of them clasped their hands together in eagerness. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened between Noah and me a few hours ago. I didn't think he loved me or even like me for that matter. It had been only a month since we met . . . I might have had a thousand reasons to fall in love with him, but it was obvious that nobody in their right sense,would fall in love with a weird, clumsy nerd which was me, Amelia Parker. I wished that only, if only I wasn't in this ugly disguise . . .

"Everyone saw you both, holding each other and you both looked truly, deeply and madly in love!"

"Crazy, stupid love," I muttered and Ginger quirked an eyebrow in question. I shrugged and said, "I have no idea what you all are talking about. We're just friends and that moment was . . . erm . . . anyway, I think we should talk about something else. By the way, what's the time?" 

"You should probably leave, Noah is waiting for you so don't be late," Anne informed and I nodded, while waving them goodbye and walking away quietly.

I rubbed both my arms when the cold air touched my skin while I sauntered outside the stadium. The entire place was eerily silent and cold unlike the stadium which was all noisy and warm, filled with boisterous people. It was five minutes to five and Noah hadn't reached yet. Soon, I noticed a tall figure approaching me and I straightened my posture.

"I'm sorry, I was caught up with Chad and all the other guys. Hope I didn't make you wait for long," Noah apologised and I simply shrugged.

"Five minutes, that's all."

Noah removed his leather jacket and placed it on my shoulder showing his chivalry. The leather jacket provided me warmth and his scent filled my nose. I inhaled deeply and smiled at Noah.

He smiled back sweetly and asked, "You ate?"

"Yes, a lot!" I accidentally burped at the same time which made him chuckle.

"Then come strawberry, get in the car," Noah said gently and I nodded. We walked silently and sat inside the car. I buckled my seat belt and made him do the same.

"Where are we going Noah?"

"I want to show you something."

"What?" I asked and my eyes shone in excitement.

He smiled ruefully and replied, "Do you remember when I told that my Dad was a polo champion?"

I nodded, but he didn't say anything else after that. There was comfortable silence as I quietly watched him drive the car. I couldn't contain my curiosity so I asked softly, "You loved your dad, didn't you?" 

His adam's apple bobbled up and down while his face reflected a mixture of hurt and sadness.

"I don't know. I don't know if I ever loved him because he left us. He left me in my teenage years, he left my mom with nothing. He left Kyle who could barely even talk at that time. He left us all," Noah mumbled in deep sorrow and I glanced at him.

"There must be a reason. What happened Noah? You can tell me," I said softly and placed my hand over his.

He took my hand and gently rubbed it on his cheek, placing a soft kiss on my wrist.

"Five years ago, everything had gone wrong. My dad's company became bankrupt after a big loss and he lost his job. He then chose the wrong way, coming home drunk everyday and without any money, immersing himself in sorrow and self-pity. Our once happy family was then sympathized by everyone in the town. My mom said that there was a particular man who spoiled my dad and it was because of him that he came home drunk. That man was filthy rich and promised my dad for a job."

"Who was that man?"

"I don't know, I don't even want to know. That man and my dad became best friends though. One day, my dad left just like that. He just left a letter saying that he had been offered a job which is pretty risky, but a good pay by his best friend and that he would soon send us money."

"Then that man, your dad's best friend was a good man. He offered your dad a job, didn't he?" I shared my honest opinion and Noah's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists.

He banged the steering wheel and my breath hitched. I flinched involuntarily in fear, my eyes widening at him. I had never seen Noah angry before, never. Noticing my scared presence, he immediately calmed down and his face softened.

"He offered my dad a risky job, a job which took his life! He destroyed our family! He destroyed everything!"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to--- "

"No it's fine. I don't want your sympathy now," he cut me off dismissively and I immediately regretted opening my mouth.

We didn't talk for a while. Noah drove faster now, which made me afraid for our lives. He then took a sharp breath, his nostrils flaring and I watched his muscles flex. "Kyle is not my brother."

"Sorry, w-what?"

"Kyle is my half brother. One day, my dad came home drunk as usual, but with a baby boy in his arms. A baby which was only few months old. A baby which resembled my father's looks."

"That baby was Kyle," I said slowly, the information sinking in my dumb self.

"My dad told me and my mum that the baby was a mistake, that Kyle was a mistake. That he had indeed cheated on my poor mum. Kyle's mum left Kyle to my dad, she just left Kyle to his father. Kyle's mom was a selfish, cruel woman who just left Kyle and never came back."

"Do you know who that woman is?"

"I don't know nor does Kyle know that my mum isn't his mother. We don't plan to tell him either, we'll wait till he grows older, old enough to understand," He explained and his deep blue eyes sparkled in fury. "My mum couldn't handle the situation, obviously hurt because of my dad's betrayal. For days she wouldn't eat or sleep. And when my dad left, she couldn't raise Kyle alone. A child which was not hers, but some other woman's and her husband's, who reminded her of pain and suffering."

"Is Carla okay now?" I asked meekly and he nodded.

"It's been years, Strawberry. Now, we both love Kyle a lot, we have moved on for good. Besides, Kyle is oblivious to all this since it isn't his fault. Mum treats him like her own son. It was quite difficult to handle in the beginning, but this is life. Life is full of challenges and we have to face the truth some or the other day."

Noah parked the car in front of his house and I didn't ask him anything else, just followed him inside his house. I was filled with guilt which was gnawing my soul in the inside. He told me something so personal that nobody else knew except a few and I on the other hand have confessed nothing about my messed up life.

He guided me to his room and I realized that I had never seen his room. The last time I had only seen his basement. Noah's room was plain and neat unlike other teenage boys rooms. There was a comfy bed near the French window, a desk and a beige chair in one corner, a wardrobe framing against the wall and book shelves filled with hard cover copies.  The walls were painted dark blue in colour just like his eyes and colourful paintings were hung up on the walls. There were no posters of half naked girls, thankfully.

"You made that painting?" I pointed at one of the most colourful painting which was hung up on the wall.

"Yeah, but that's not what I wanted to show. Come here."

I went and stood beside him in front of one big shelf beside the wardrobe which consisted of various shiny medals, trophies and shields.

"These are my father's, or you could say these 'were' my father's. He won all of these in the polo matches.  Though I'm not really a fan of him, but I did miss him, today actually," He admitted in a low, shaky voice.

I examined all the certificates placed inside the shelf. His father's name was Henry and I wondered how he looked.

In one corner there was a family photo, a happy family picture of Noah, Carla and Noah's father. I quickly opened the shelf and held the photo frame in my hand while squinting my eyes at the frame.

"This picture was clicked when I was ten years old," Noah said shyly and pointed at his picture. I looked at the ten year old chubby, cute, little boy and smiled. I looked up at Noah and he ran a hand through his dark hair awkwardly, his neck turning into a deep tinge of pink. I looked a little up in the picture and saw beautiful Carla smiling kindly.

My thumb was placed on Noah's dad's face. I removed my thumb curiously and my eyes widened in shock and astonishment. My heart thumped against my chest loudly as my mind refused to believe. The photo frame slipped through my hands and crashed into a hundred, tiny pieces. I stumbled back and murmured, "Uncle John."