Re: Coffee: Noah & Bea
It was a little weird with Bea, tbh. Weird in the sense that, when ...other Holly had been around, having emotions for her (strong ones), Noah had felt them too, often. I mean, Bea was hot and she was nice. In high school, she'd intimidated half the dudes (and some girls), and the other half(/some girls) crushed on her. There was some heavy overlap in the middle. And while Noah had liked her, and while their relationship had ended amicably, it was awkward to have still, like, popped boners for her when they'd really been Holly's boners. It was confusing, you know? And when other Holly had been around, actively feeling things, it was a sort of mire that was difficult to parse through, to know where it started and ended. Noah had felt compelled, because of the feelings that weren't his, in part at least, to stick by Bea before she left town. But, it was weird to be sitting here now, not feeling the..., well, the love other Holly had made him feel. It was a little empty? But, sort of a relief, because he didn't really need that kind of complication.
Anyway, she was shaking her head, and Noah smiled at her as she turned her cup around in her hand. "I make up someone every few months, if need be, you know? Right now her name's Charlotte. I definitely wasn't thinking about Charlie Powell, but now that she's back, Mom's sure to ask." Noah rolled his eyes, but it was good-natured endurance of a parent's foibles.—Noah knew he definitely hadn't said that he needed a mattress, just a better one, so he was a little confused by Bea's reaction, in spite of what he knew about her, but he just laughed. "Yeah, dude, that sounds great, but where do you even get a mattress? I'd just go to the Salvation Army, the one, like, just outside the Capital."
It was nice, what Bea was saying about teaching, and Noah smiled at her, looking up after another swig of his PSL. (Which was delicious, btw.) "It's, uh, a little overwhelming, but I like it. I get to coach in place of Coach W." He'd obviously retired, given Noah now had his job. "Hence—" Noah gestured to his outfit. "But, it's fun." And fun mattered to Noah, dude, even if it shouldn't.
Bea slumped back in her chair, and Noah's brows drew together as he watched her. He was sitting back in a sort of sprawl, but his gaze was focused on her face, on her expressions as they passed, feeling only a vague undercurrent of her emotions—or what he assumed were hers. For all he knew, it was someone behind him or a combination. It was probably hard for a high-achiever like Bea, not doing anything. Noah thought it sounded pretty relaxing. "I'm sorry, dude. Do you have plans for here, or are you just, like, figuring it out?" He waited a beat, then let it hit him slowly. "Oh, man—has anyone told you?" He knew they hadn't, though she could've seen his name on the forums or something. Noah's expression was earnest sympathy. "Holly's here."