Noah and Gabrielle had grown up together, their friendship had started when Gabrielle and her mum (who had been pregnant with Gabrielle’s younger sister at the time) had moved into the house next door to Noah’s family. With Sears being such a small town it was custom for the neighbours to welcome new families into the area so Noah’s mother and father had come round with their children to say hello.
Noah was 2 months older then Gabrielle so they were the same age when they had met. Noah’s older brother was 4 years older and had been forced by his dad to come round and say hello; as soon as that was done he had disappeared back home to play his video games. Noah also had a baby sister who had been asleep when the family had come round to greet the new neighbours so in the end it was just Noah and Gabrielle who played ‘house’ as the parents had chatted about the town, careers and other various topics.
The two children’s friendship grew when they found they were in the same primary school in the same class. This was not too much of a coincidence as Gabrielle was either going to go to the public school that Noah went to or the private school that was a 20 drive away from the town and cost a bomb each term.
Noah, being one of the geeky, quiet children, was happy to welcome the ‘new kid’ as a friend and seeing as they had already met it seemed natural for them to become friends.
As they grew older Gabrielle began to make new friends who at first had said that she should get rid of her ‘geeky shadow’ of a friend Noah but she stood by him and told them straight that if they were going to be friends they’d have to accept Noah too.
New friends also brought new boyfriends for Gabrielle; although they were still young she was seen as one of the pretty girls in school which people admired. Noah was protective of Gabrielle just as she had been for him when her new friends had rejected him. The boys at school used to wind him up saying how he loved her but both Gabrielle and Noah had said that they thought nothing more of each other then best friends.
This changed however when they moved up to high school and their child-like innocence was washed away with the arrival of new, older people who swore and said ‘naughty things’ in front of them.
Noah no longer felt the same way towards Gabrielle as he had for the first few years that he had known her. He didn’t see a child anymore, he realised how much she had grown up. She had curves and confidence that seemed to have sprung up over night. Noah felt he had to impress her to keep her friendship. He was jealous when she was asked out on dates by other boys and he felt like he could be so much better for her.
He started to act differently, he wanted her attention. He cut his hair, bought new clothes, changed his look but nothing seemed to interest her. To Gabrielle he was still the same old Noah that he always had been.
It wasn’t until three years of crushing over Gabrielle that Noah finally decided to do something. It was New Years Eve and Gabrielle had recently dumped her latest boyfriend who hadn’t met her standards. They were on the beach sat on a blanket watching the fireworks leading up to midnight when Noah had hugged her close as he noticed her shivering. She leaned into her best friend used to his comforting hugs from the many times she had curled up to him sobbing over the last boy who had broken her heart. Noah had felt nervous, he knew this was going to be that make or break moment that people talk about. Just as midnight was announced and people all around them cheered, he had lifted Gabrielle’s face towards him and kissed her. Both hearts fluttering they melted into each other savouring the moment. The minute they broke apart Noah panicked wondering what she was going to think but Gabrielle just wrapped up closer to him and smiled.
“I hoped you would do that” was what she had said as Noah rested his head on hers. He felt an almighty sense of success and was completely elated. She had hoped it was going to happen and it had. No longer did she see him as that Noah he always had been but the confident, worthy Noah he had always hoped to be.
That extract is from around the middle of the chapter and is one of the mushy bits. It's not all like that and nothing like the whole story. It seems that the story begins all happy and lovely until about chapter 3 so who knows.
I'm going up to the Harry Potter premiere in London tomorrow with a friend and I cannot wait. We're getting a coach at 6:10am and getting there for about 9:30am-ish. Oh it's going to be good!
Sammy I love you and I hope it all sorts itself out.
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