Your Never Fading Smile

Chapter 7

Since yesterday, I would avoid Noah no matter what.

But...

"Liam! Wait!" Let's just say I wasn't really good at this. Too bad he found me right in front of the dorm's entrance after class. "Liam!!" He yelled getting a grip of my arm preventing me from running away. "Why? Why are you avoiding me?" I took my hand back abruptly and Noah's eyes widened. "Leave me alone. Don't ever talk to me again." I replied starting to walk away once again. Not daring to meet his eyes. "...That's bullshit..." I heard him mumble through gritted teeth.

"Was the you who smiled with us all a lie?!" I stopped on my tracks and closed my hands into fists. "...Yes. It was all a lie." I replied coldly. "You're lying!" "I'm not, so stay away!" I yelled but he instead walked towards me and turned me to face him by holding my left shoulder. "If it's not a lie then why are your eyes so sad?" I didn't replied. "You can't just suddenly stop hanging out with us and say that you never considered me and Jason your friends... Something happened between you and that girl. I know that. But was it so bad that you began avoiding us?" A long silence followed after that as I kept looking to the ground. "Liam... What's wrong?" I let out a sigh and explained everything to him.

~~~

"Is that so..." I nodded my head, too ashamed to even talk. "Who cares what the others are saying." He laughed and my eyes widened. What the hell is he saying?! "Are you an idiot?!" I yelled glaring at him as he kept looking at me with his calm gaze. "We are friends no matter what the others are saying." "But what if-!" "Do you think they'll believe some random girl or the most kind and famous guy at school?" At that I stood motionless as I had just realized how much famous was Noah at school. "Don't worry. If there's a rumour like that, I'll take care of it. You shouldn't push yourself away just because a random girl tells you to." He ruffled my hair as I stared at him with a surprised face.

"... I am the idiot here, aren't I?" I mumbled and he just laughed. "Of course not. You just wanted to protect yourself and us from unnecessary trouble. That's understandable. But you could at least talk to us about it man. Don't just suddenly disappear like that." "I'm sorry..." "Haha, don't be. I'm glad everything's fine now." He gave me a playful punch on the arm as he showed me a smile. "Let's go find Jason."

~~~

"Where the hell were you since yesterday?! Do you understand how worried we were?! We are your friends damn it!" Once we found Jason, he started yelling grabbing a hold of my shoulders. "Why didn't you say anything about your epilepsy?!" I looked elsewhere with pained eyes. He is right... I should had told him sooner. "I'm sorry... I didn't wanted to make you two worry. It was wrong of me to disappear like that yesterday."

"You... I'm just glad you are fine now. What happened yesterday seemed very scary." And it really is. I thought to myself a he finally let go of me letting out a sigh. "Just so you know, we are here for you. Don't disappear on us again." He finally gave me a smile and that made me feel at ease. Noah was right. They are truly my friends. If the rumors come out, we'll figure something together. "Don't worry, I won't do that ever again." I replied with a smile as we brought our fists together. "We are friends after all."

~~~

[Somewhere late the evening, inside of the school building, Noah confronted the suspicious girl from yesterday.]

"N-Noah? I-Is there something I can help you with?" The girl blushed looking to the ground. Noah was standing right before her with glaring eyes. "That's the girl who wanted to start the rumor..." He thought bitterly to himself as he laid his body on the wall. "What's your name?" He asked in a calm tone as the girl immediately looked at him with glimmering eyes. "M-my name is Celly Brown! I'm in the fashion department, a second year and I always really admired you and-!" "I don't really care about the other things since I only asked about your name."

Noah cut off the girl by the name Celly with a mocking smile as she blushed once again in embarrassment. "Now that I know your name and age, it will be much easier for me to blackmail you." Whispered Noah to Celly as her eyes widened in terror. "W-what are you talking about...?" She stuttered and Noah gave her a mischievous smile. "Do you seriously believe, I would let you harm my friends?"

"Don't tell me... Is this about that stupid orange guy?" She mumbled with a trembling voice and Noah just chuckled. "That stupid orange guy, happens to be a very dear friend of mine. So if you still consider spreading the rumors, then consider as well your career nonexistent." "You can't do that!" "Oh really?" "Y-you don't have the power to do something like that!" At this point, Celly started to walk backwards in fear as Noah stared at her with his calm gaze.

"Is the power of money not enough for you?" He smirked as the girl was feeling now completely helpless. "Why...? I-I don't deserve something like that! Why would you go so far to protect someone like him!" "I won't have to go so far if you don't spread the rumors. So think about it carefully." He warned her now walking away. Leaving a very dejected Celly behind.

"Why did I had to fall for someone like him..." She mumbled to herself with a hurt expression. "I give up..."

~~~

"Oh, there he is!" I turned to look at Noah who had just arrived. "Hey~ Sorry I was late, I had something to take care of." We were going to hang out in the city today so we were waiting right outside of the university. I wonder what it was...

"In all the years I've known you, you never changed. You are always late." Whined Jason as Noah just laughed. "I'm trying~" "Yeah yeah... Keep trying." I replied in a sarcastic tone with a laugh as he placed a hand over his heart to show fake pain. "I'm hurt... How could you agree with Jason, Liam?" "He's right you know. You are always late." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry~ Next time, I'll try my best to make it in time~" "Let's hope you stay true to your words." With that, Noah showed a small and kind smile. "I'm always staying true on my words."