Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The Sidekick and Valentine’s Day (Part 1)

“You seriously didn’t get chocolate from anybody? Not even a bromance one from Ethan?” Josh asked me, shoving his backpack overflowing with an abundance of Valentine’s chocolate in my face. Some were in tins, others were in gift bags, and a few were wrapped in ribbons. There were a few letters, presumably love letters, scattered among the treats. How did he get that many to begin with? Was Josh actually popular, and I somehow had no idea? The only person I saw with more was my best friend. Though he did get a little less than last year since Amelia kept insisting on confiscating most of it, along with breaking up any chance they had of being alone with him.

Josh shoved his backpack closer to my face, brushing the bridge of my nose with a zipper. I pushed the bag away, causing a few of his precious candies to spill out. Bending down to pick them up, he grumbled about how jealousy was a sin. It was easy enough to ignore his nonsense since he was so far off the mark. I wasn’t jealous. I just wanted to be able to see in front of me without going cross-eyed because of someone being an annoying idiot.

His enthusiasm was understandable, though. It wasn’t every day that somebody got confessed to by that many people. Although, our situations were the exact opposite. While he had a horde of girls professing their love, I was hoping Rika would come through on her promise to give me some chocolate. Not because I expected anything of it, but because it would make me feel like much less of a loser. Maybe Amelia would give me some too since I had helped her out.

Hell, I really would accept something from Ethan at this point.

“I’m just messing with you, man. A lot of this was from the guys in the band and some of our fans.”

I scoffed. “Of course no girl would be interested in someone who’d rather go on a date with his guitar than them.”

He placed a hand over his heart while grinning wildly. “Your words wound me, but I better head out. Can’t keep the guys waiting too long.” Swinging his guitar case from around his shoulders, he unzipped a pouch on the case and handed me a piece of paper. “We have a concert next weekend at the Auditorium. You should stop by if you’re free.”

“That’s in South Creek, isn’t it? Where the rundown sporting goods store used to be?”

“That’s it. See if Ethan and your other friends will come too.”

“Will do,” I said. “I’ll be there for sure.”

“Always knew you were my number one fan. Later.”

I turned from him and headed toward the stairwell that led to the art room. I had to hurry and see what Amelia wanted because then I had to hurry and see what Rika wanted. Then, I could hurry home and steal some candy from my sister who would have undoubtedly gotten some.

And god, wasn’t that pathetic?

I took the stairs two at a time and took a left into the art room where Amelia was waiting. Except it wasn’t Amelia that greeted me. It was Nora; she had her arms behind her back, shielding something from view. Her gaze never left her shoes, even as I coughed to announce my presence and walked closer to her. “Where’s Amelia?”

Her gaze flickered to mine for the briefest of seconds before returning downward. “Amelia ended up having to run home, so she asked me to come instead.”

Leaning against the wooden table nearest to me, I was careful to avoid knocking off any brushes. “Alright, so what are you up to? Amelia mentioned something about there being another prop to paint.”

“No, that can wait until later. I actually, uh… wanted to give this to you.” Nora revealed a plastic bag with a red ribbon tied tightly around the top of it. She handed it to me and I gingerly accepted it, aware that she had made dark chocolate molded into the shape of hearts. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Scratching my cheek, I felt like a naughty child. I had been so focused on receiving chocolate from people that I didn’t even think about what I would do if I did. Now, I had nothing to offer her in return. “Yeah, Happy Valentine’s Day. I’ll have to give you yours tomorrow since I forgot it at home.”

“It's fine. They’re, um, probably not that great, but you can try some if you want.”

“I’ll help myself then.”

All the effort she put in this month learning to make and mold chocolate had been worth it. The bitterness sat on my tongue as it gradually melted, releasing a hint of almonds. It was all my favorite things combined into one and blew anything store-bought out of the water.

“Thanks, Nora. It’s delicious.”

She exhaled deeply, shakily, and finally met my eyes. “I’m glad. I put a lot of effort into making it.”

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"I know you did."

Taking small strides, she wandered over to the tall window pane near the teacher's desk. She stopped before it, pressing her palm against the glass and staring off into the distance. Her gaze stayed straight ahead, resting on nothing in particular in the courtyard that the window overlooked. I didn’t want to interrupt her. It seemed like she had something important to say, her demeanor unusually serious. “I wanted to say, um…"

Nora's sentence went unfinished, and she sighed. It was a long, listful sound that filled the room with a sense of anxiousness. I figured it must be a difficult subject she was attempting to broach, so I decided I would give her an out. Whether she took it or not would be up to her.

“Hey, I still got to find out what Rika wants. We can–”

I was interrupted without a second thought. “I know you don't owe me any more favors, so feel free to say no, but at least consider it. Ok?"

I nodded, but then realized she couldn't have seen me unless the glass made my reflection visible to her. "Ok."

"Ever since that day at the fair I've been thinking about you. How strange you are, how little you make sense, and how much you piss me off. But, the more I got to know you, the more I realized something. You may act all stand-offish, but you're kind. That's why you go out of your way to help people. Teaching Amelia how to fish in Monster Slayer, going on the rides with me until you were sick, confronting Sara to make sure she left the rest of us alone, making sure everyone had a good time at the aquarium, and having me over at your house even when you didn't feel like it. That's all..."

My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out her pause. I tapped my fingers on the tabletop, matching the erratic rhythm of my pulse. My breath was hitched in my throat, and I doubted I could say a word. Even if I could, I doubted anything I said would make sense. It would be a scramble of word vomit, leaving me to opt for the option of continuing to shut up.

Flipping around to face me, she continued. "I know it's not fair to you since you're still getting over Rika, but those are all part of the reason why I like you. P-part of the reason why I want you to be my boyfriend."

Boyfriend? What was this crazy girl saying? My left arm felt stiff at my side, my hand trembling uncontrollably. I could only think of how unreal this situation was. Nora, of all people, was confessing to me. That wasn't right, though. I knew she was head over heels for Ethan.

"But you like Ethan?" Had I been in a clearer state of mind, I would have cringed at how my voice cracked. Right now, I wanted an answer.

She flinched and cursed. "At the aquarium. I should have told you at the aquarium like Rika did. I don't like him. I'm not sure I ever really did. I only pretended I did to keep up with Amelia. It felt like she was moving on without me, and I didn't like that." Nora laughed weakly, her small frame shaking. "Kind of screwed up, huh? But seriously, how much clearer could I have made it to you without actually confessing? I had to beg and grovel to convince Rika to help me figure out an excuse for you to let me come over to your house. I even showed up almost every day over break to come see you. And I’m literally asking you right now to go out with me. Do you think I’m joking?"

Her voice was pleading now, and it broke my resolve. I couldn't say I didn't understand. Not when she was obviously so upset. I took a deep breath and shook my head. "No, I get it. I know you're being serious."

Thinking back on it, Amelia must have realized it as well. She had mentioned to me at the aquarium that the two of us would eventually figure it out. At the time, I thought she was talking about Rika and me, but now I realized she had been talking about Nora and me.

Amelia had helped set this whole thing up because she was too perceptive for her own good.

That still left me with the issue of her confession. Nora was one of my best friends, but I thought that was all we would be. I never thought she harbored any feelings for me, and, as much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I was still getting over Rika. Would it be fair to try and reciprocate her feelings with that being the case?

"Nora, I'm not sure about this. I don't care about it not being fair to me, but it wouldn't be fair to you if I went into this half-assed."

"It doesn't have to be official. We can try acting like a couple for a while, go on a few dates and stuff and see where that leads us. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, but at least we tried."

Was that really all there was to it? She made it sound so easy, but I couldn't help but imagine all the risks that came with it. I didn't want to lose a friendship over a trial relationship, but did anyone get anywhere without taking any risks in life? Maybe this could turn into an amazing story we'd be able to tell our children one day. How their wonderful mom managed to convince their dopey dad to give dating a chance. And why couldn't I fall in love with Nora? I already liked her personality and thought she was super cute. We might just be able to make this into something genuine.

And that sounded good to me.

"Let's give it a shot if you'll have me."

Her crashing into me and enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug was her response. I wrapped my arms around her, wheezing for breath while I leaned down and laughed into her hair. While I had no idea what the future held, in the present, I couldn't be happier.