Your world can change in an instant when you see someone through another’s eyes.
We were at the final baseball game of the season. Noah was the star player for the city league, the Tigers. It was his last year playing for them. We were starting our freshmen year in high school in a few months. Noah was a great baseball player, so there was no doubt he’d make the high school team.
The extent of my baseball knowledge was practically nonexistent. I had been coming to these games forever. You would’ve thought I’d have retained some information through osmosis at least. It’s supposed to be America’s favorite past time. I’m an American, and it was never my favorite past time. The only reason I came was to support and cheer for my best friend.
Noah started playing T-ball when he was 4 years old and quickly fell in love with all things baseball. Even though, I never understood the game, there wasn’t a better way to spend a Saturday than watching Noah out there on the field. Baseball made him happy and excited. I loved watching him. It was worth sitting through a game I didn’t understand to see how much joy it brought him.
I decided to invite Beth Sanders, a potential new friend of mine, to the game. Her family had moved in next door to us about three weeks ago. She was still in her friendship trial period. I hadn’t even introduced her to Noah yet. So far, she had done pretty well.
She was exotic looking with her deep tan, long jet black hair, and emerald green eyes. She had really sharp facial features, her nose, cheekbones, and jaw were all well-defined, unlike mine. My face was round and my cheeks were chubby, at least I thought so. Beth was taller and thinner than me, with legs that went on for miles. She was fun to hang out with, a little boy crazy, but certainly not on the road to becoming Queen of Whoreville.
“Wow, I’m going to love living here. This place is crawling with hotties,” Beth said, as we carried our food up the bleachers to our seats “Who is that?!”
I turned towards the field. “Who?”
“The batter, Stewart.”
“That’s my Noah.”
“Your Noah? I thought you just had an older sister and your last name was Kelly.”
“Not brother, best friend,” I said.
“Your best friend?” She scrunched up her face confused. “You can’t have a guy as your best friend.”
“Why not?”
“It’s unnatural. Weird,” she said, her lips pursed into a straight line.
It was hard for me to think that there was something unnatural or weird about my friendship with Noah. Everything with us had always felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Beth continued to ramble on. “…and you especially can’t have a guy who looks like that as your best friend.”
“A guy who looks like that? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how scorching hot he is?”
“I never thought about it.”
She huffed. “I don’t believe you,” she paused for a moment. “Are you a lesbian?”
“No!”
“I’m just asking because a lesbian is the only type of female, who wouldn’t think Noah was hot.”
“I don’t know if you and I are going to be friends,” I deadpanned.
She smiled at me. “Oh, come on. Look at him. His body is insane.”
“I think you’re insane.”
“He’s a perfect triangle. Broad shoulders, thin waist, amazing ass.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re an amazing ass.” I was getting more than a little annoyed at the way she was talking about Noah.
“I haven’t even gotten to his arms and legs.” She was almost panting.
I held my hand up, hoping to stop her diarrhea of the mouth. “How do you know him?” She asked, breathlessly.
“We grew up together. There hasn’t been a day in my life that I haven’t been with him. Our families even take vacations together.”
“Where does he live?” Beth was becoming too inquisitive about Noah.
I narrowed my eyes at her, not answering.
“Does he live in our neighborhood?” I remained silent. “Oh! My! God! He lives in our neighborhood. Why haven’t you introduced us? You’ve been holding out on me. You have to introduce us.”
Once she started talking about Noah, her words came out at such a rapid fire speed that I could barely keep up. She was talking so fast and excitedly, I had the urge to punch her in the neck just to slow her down.
“Yeah. I’ll be doing that real soon,” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
I didn’t know Beth well enough to make a judgment call, but she appeared to be in need of some sort of medication.
“Come on, Amanda. I need to see if his front is as amazing as his back.”
I looked at her in annoyance, shaking my head.
For the remainder of the game, Beth sat there ogling not only Noah, but every guy she deemed hot, which was the majority of the team. She even thought Coach Sawyer was hot, and he was old. He had to be at least forty.
The game was almost over. It was Noah’s turn at bat. The score was tied. If he scored with this run, the Tigers would be city league champs for the first time.
The crowd grew quiet. The pitcher took a few seconds and then, threw a fast ball straight at Noah. The sound of the bat connecting with the ball was so loud that it sounded like a cannon had just fired. Noah dropped the bat and took off running faster than I’d ever seen him run before. He rounded first, then second, then third. He slid feet first into home plate. When the ump yelled, “SAFE!!” my Noah became a city league legend, leading his Tigers to their first championship. The crowd went crazy, jumping up and cheering.
I stood and looked on the field, watching as Noah’s teammates ran over, picked him up, and placed him on their shoulders. They started to chant, “STE-WART! STE-WART! STE-WART!” as they turned him towards the excited crowd.
Beth gasped. “Oh yeah. His front is definitely as amazing as his back.”
I shot a piercing glance in her direction.
The cheers got louder and the crowd began to chant, “STE-WART!” Noah looked up into the bleachers. His eyes locked with mine. He had the biggest smile across his face, matching mine. He took off his baseball cap and waved it in the air, looking at me the entire time. He was the only one I saw out there on that field, and he looked at me like I was the only one he saw in the bleachers. Warmth coursed through my body as I stared at him. He really was nice to look at.
I was overwhelmed with pride and joy for him. Beth was wrong. There’s nothing unnatural or weird about the connection Noah and I shared.
We descended the bleachers and walked toward the field where Noah was standing. A large crowd had already gathered around him, shaking his hand or slapping his back in congratulations. I stood off to the side with Beth. I wanted to watch him enjoy his moment. After several minutes, the crowd began to thin. Noah looked past a few people and spotted me. He shook a few more hands, but never took his eyes off of me.
When he reached me, his arms immediately wrapped around my waist, and he lifted me off the ground. He spun me around a couple of times, causing me to squeal.
“Can you believe it, Tweet? League champs!” Excitement ricocheted off of him.
I felt a shiver radiate through me when my body slid down his as he placed me back on the ground. I swallowed hard as I steadied myself.
“I know. Congratulations! You did it! I’m so proud of you.”
He took his cap off and placed it on my head. It was soaked with his sweat, but I didn’t care. I beamed up at him for a few seconds before I was startled by the clearing of a throat.
“Oh, Noah, this is Beth. She just moved…” I trailed off.
I wasn’t sure why I didn’t tell him she lived in our neighborhood. I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret. Besides, Beth would tell him where she lived eventually. I just felt very protective of him all of a sudden. I didn’t like the way she looked at him or talked about him. Beth would have to find her own Noah. This one was taken and he was mine.
A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.-Author Unknown
(Damn, I wish I’d written that.)
“What do you think?” Noah asked, while we sat at the picnic table in the neighborhood park. This had become ‘our spot’.
It was the end of summer vacation. This time next week, we’d officially be high school freshmen. I wanted to enjoy every minute of tonight because once school started, time spent here would be limited. I loved coming to ‘our’ spot at night. Tonight, there was a slight breeze so it wasn’t as hot as it had been. The crickets were singing in the trees all around us and you could hear an occasional ripple of water from the pond when the ducks would paddle by.
Noah was sitting very close to me. We were both wearing shorts and the feel of our bare thighs touching was something new and exciting. I noticed just before the summer, he had started being more affectionate with me. Noah had always been sweet, but recently he hugged me more, held my hand more, and sat closer to me. I liked it. A lot. My body tingled every time he was this close.
We were sharing his set of ear buds listening to music. Both of us were huge music fans; alternative, indie, punk, rock, etc. The music of our favorite band, Lifehouse, was pulsating through the ear buds.
“They’re awesome,” I said, swaying side to side, my eyes closed, letting the music flow through me. “The entire CD is brilliant. The song ‘Everything’ is my favorite.”
“Mine too. It reminds me of you,” he said.
I quickly glanced at him, not sure if I heard what I thought I heard. I looked down and closed my eyes again. When the song ended, I looked over at Noah and caught him staring at me with a slight smile across his face.
“What are you smiling at?” I asked.
“You, I like watching you listen to music. You get so lost in it.”
Our eyes locked as I sucked in my lower lip, running my teeth over it. I felt a warm blush start to creep across my cheeks. I smiled at him, as I handed back the ear bud.
“Do you think they’ll go on tour soon?”
Noah shrugged. “Maybe.”
“If they come to town we have go to see them. I bet they’re unbelievable in concert.”
Suddenly, he hopped off the table and stood in front of me. Reaching into the back pocket of his cargo shorts, he produced two tickets, and held them up in front of me. He tried to contain it, but the grin on his face was getting bigger and more adorable each second.
“Performing Arts Center, three weeks, you and me, Tweet,” he said excitedly.
It took a second for me to register what he had just said. This would be the first concert either of us had been to. It was hard to contain my excitement.
“You’re kidding?!”
“Nope.”
I jumped up and flew into his arms, causing him to stumble backwards, and fall to the ground with me landing on top, straddling him. We were out of breath and laughing.
“Noah Stewart, you are the bestest best friend a girl could have.”
“I am pretty awesome, aren’t I?” He shot a flirtatious smirk up at me and my insides melted.
“Yes you are,” I said in a low voice.
We laid there, so close our noses were almost touching as our eyes locked on one another again. Noah had the most amazing eyes. They were light blue and so bright, it looked as if they were lit from the back.
I wish I had eyes like that. Mine were a weird color. Mom always said they were teal. What kind of color is teal? I can guarantee the color teal is the least used crayon in the Crayola big box.
I realized I should have probably gotten off of Noah immediately, but I didn’t. He seemed perfectly fine with me staying put, straddling him. My palms pressed against his chest let me know how toned and solid his body was, under his t-shirt. Playing baseball since we were little kids had been very, very good to him. I could also feel how excited he was. I had never felt anything like that before pressed against me. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared. It felt right.
My gaze fell to his mouth. When I saw his tongue dart out slightly and run across his lower lip, a warm sensation took over my body. The butterflies in my stomach were doing cartwheels. Our breathing had gone from shallow and quick, to deep and slow. I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. Noah was my best friend. I had always been excited when I saw him and wanted to spend all of my time with him, but what I was feeling was more than what I had experienced before.
Noah’s gaze dropped down to my lips, slowly moved up my face, and back to my eyes. Raising his hand, he tucked some of my hair that had fallen against the side of his face, behind my ear. My cheek and the shell of my ear tingled as the tips of his fingers skimmed across them.
“You were extremely sure of yourself, getting those tickets without asking me first. What if I didn’t want to go with you?” I said, teasing him. My voice was so quiet, it almost sounded like a whisper.
“Impossible. I know my girl too well,” he said, smiling up at me. I loved it when he called me his girl. He cleared his throat and then said, “I guess we better get up.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry about that.” A rosy blush took over my cheeks.
I rolled off of Noah’s body and sat up next to him. He didn’t stand immediately. I guess he needed a little time to calm down, so did I.
When he stood, he held his hands out to me, and helped me off the ground. Once I was on my feet, he pulled me in close against his chest, and said, “That was fun. What would you do for tickets to see Green Day in concert?” He had a smirk on his face.
The combination of our bodies pressed together, his bright blue eyes, and that smirk, had my head spinning, and my body experiencing sensations that I wasn’t use to feeling.
I wasn’t sure if it was my raging hormones or Beth drooling over Noah, constantly, but I had started looking at him differently. I didn’t like the way she looked at him or talked about his body parts. These new feelings were confusing to me. I knew when I was with him, I felt excited, happy, and safe. When we weren’t together it felt like a part of me was missing.
Since we shared all of our firsts together, I guess it was only natural that my first crush would be on Noah. Even though his body responded when I was on top of him, I knew teenage boys got like that for no reason at all. It was just the hormones flooding into his penis that caused it to react that way. Noah saw me as a friend, not a girlfriend.
Besides, I knew I wasn’t the right girl for him. There was nothing special about me. I was average height. My features were okay. I had been told I was cute. It was probably my round face and puffy cheeks. As a kid relatives always wanted to pinch my cheeks for some reason. I was slightly curvy. A few months ago my boobs decided to make an appearance all of a sudden. They had been developing slowly and steadily. Then one day, ta-dah, I had ta-tas. They weren’t huge, they weren’t small, they were average. My shoulder length hair was dark brown, like Emily’s, but not silky and shiny like her hair always was. My skin was pale, unlike the year round golden tan of my sister’s complexion. And then there were my freaky teal colored eyes that caused a lot of stares to be directed my way.
Noah deserved perfect because he was, and I was as far from perfect as you could get. Plus, we were best friends and I never wanted that to change.