Noah Silas Anderson

Chapter Twenty-three: "Getting the band back together"

Kenya set the table with the help of Brooklyn.

She's all "what a nice home", "oh such a beautiful family," "I'm from Texas, y'all!"

Brooklyn is dangerous (for me) and bringing her to Terrance's was a mistake! If I was smart, I'd take her home and just watch her from a distance from now on. Except, well, I'm not smart.

"Dinner is ready," Kenya exclaimed, "Brooklyn, I hope you like tacos!"

"What she means is, she hopes you like spicy food," Terrance said, nudging Brooklyn as the three of them walked to the dinner table in the decorative dining room.

"I'm from Texas and my mom is Spanish, are you kidding me. Before all the diets, I put hot sauce on literally everything. I'm used to spicy food," I heard Brooklyn say back, getting the couple to laugh at her charm.

"Yo, Noah," Terrance called out. I stood tall and walked around Brooklyn's body to get to the chair beside her.

"So, where's Gael?" asked Kenya as she put the bottle of Seagrams on the table.

"I don't know," I spoke, "last time I saw him he was getting chewed out by some girl in the hallway."

"Brooklyn, what made you move here?" asked Kenya.

Brooklyn swallowed and put the other half of the beef taco on her plate. "I lived with my parents and things were getting a little... difficult. I just wanted a fresh start and I got this crazy job offer!"

"Wow, sounds lucky," Kenya beamed.

"I'll say," Terrance snarled, staring right at me. "Noah, what do you think? Wild coincidence, huh?"

I sunk in my seat and tightened my grip on the bottle. "I guess," I mumbled, not caring to be part of their conversation.

My eyes rolled and I got up to get another handful of tortilla chips.

As I dug in the bag, Terrance walked over and put his hand on my shoulder. "Let me holla at you in the other room real quick," he said in a whisper so the women wouldn't hear. I dropped the chips onto my plate and followed him to the guest bedroom across from the girls' room.

"What's up?"

"Noah, who is that girl?"

"What? That's Brooklyn, I thought we already went over this-"

"Why'd you bring her here?"

"Tacos?"

He smacked his thick lips and paced. "Noah, is that one of the girls Zane was talking about?"

Realizing he caught on, I didn't bother lying. "Yeah, man."

He sighed heavily and flailed his arms. "Noah," he scolded me, pinching the bridge of his wide nose, "you can't keep doing this irresponsible shit."

"What irresponsible shit?!"

"Shit that got you into this mess in the first place! I knew you and Gael one day wind up in some shit over some girls. Noah, you know I try to keep work as far away from my family and home as possible - you and Gael being the only exception. Now what's gonna happen if you get attached to this girl? She's gonna be around more and I don't want my daughters asking me one day what happened to her. Now I'm sorry, but I don't want to get involved with this mess y'all got with Boss."

"Terrance, it's not like that. He asked us to watch them, okay? Everything's fine, they work for him now, too."

"And what about when they stop wanting to work for him? Or when they find out a little too much? Or how 'bout when they realize what they saw was real?" He said in my face. I clenched my jaw but didn't waver until Terrance took a step back first.

"I hate talking to you like this, I'm not ya Pop, but ima keep it real," Terrance paused, looking at me intently, "you like her?"

"What?" I spat, making a twisted face.

"Do you trust her, I mean? Will you keep an eye on her?"

"That's my fucking job," I grumbled back.

Terrance put his arms up in innocence and let it go. "Then I'll drop it. Just do the right thing, young blood. I hate seeing you lose your shit like this. You're on strike one with Boss and you know he don't give too many chances." Terrance walked out of the room first to rejoin the women at dinner while I stayed back, his words replaying in my head.
As bad as I wanted to throw and break something, I couldn't. I just balled my fists and walked down the dark hallway.

"Come on, Brooklyn," I gritted, walking to the front door.

"Leaving already? Brooklyn was going to let me-"

"Yeah, we have to go. Thanks for dinner, Kenya," I rushed. Her face fell and she got up to walk us out, followed by Terrance.

"But I wasn't finished my tacos," Brooklyn pouted, hesitating to raise from the chair.

"Then walk home," I barked, my hand on the doorknob already. I watched as Brooklyn finally got up. She and Kenya hugged, then Terrance.

"Aw, well, it was nice meeting you," Kenya talked, "hope we see you again soon!"

"Don't be a stranger." Terrance said to Brooklyn but cut his dark brown eyes to me. I impatiently readjusted my stance and opened the door after they said their goodbyes.

"Good night, baby," Kenya shouted as I walked Brooklyn to the Hummer at the end of the driveway. Brooklyn waved while I just hurried inside.

After an excruciatingly quiet car ride, we made it back to Beach Plaza - the building we were all now living in.

I cut off the engine and smoothed my hair back before pulling my hat back down.

Brooklyn watched me and I got annoyed. "What?"

None of this is her fault. I guess what Terrance said hit me hard. If Zane wants, at any moment, he could have the Cassie and Brooklyn fired, beat, or worse. And I've seen what happens to some girls that have worked for him - they get used and abused. I don't know if it's because Gael and I are attracted to these girls, but I'll be damned if anything like that happens to them.

"Are you weirded out by me being here?" she asked quietly.

"What, Brooks, no? I'm glad you're here," I told her the truth.

"I'm not saying we're going to fall in love and skip off into the sunset, but obviously you're stuck with me; and if we're going to be friends, can you be honest with me? And I don't mean just not lying, I mean keeping secrets, and not saying how you feel WHEN you feel it," Brooklyn spoke in all seriousness.

"You have my word. Is there a follow-up to that?"

"Just that I've never had real friends, and I know for a fact that Will kept things from me. I think there's a reason we all met on the cruise and ended up here - it's fate - as corny as it sounds. Ya know? Stop, don't laugh!" She giggled and covered my mouth to stop me from laughing at what she said.

The guilt kept coming back. Here she is thinking this is all because of some cosmic reason when really it's because I had to make a fucking call to a sick man who wants them for whatever twisted reason!

I looked out he window and Brooklyn brought my face back to hers.

"Hey," she cooed, "sorry for getting all sensitive on you. We can change the subject."

"No, it's not you. It's-" I stopped myself from talking and pulled my lips into my mouth. It doesn't fucking matter.

Brooklyn softly smiled and then palmed both sides of my face. She did that ticklish eyelash thing to me again and I jerked away.

"You've gotta stop doing that," I laughed.

***

BANG! BANG! BANG! I pounded my knuckles on Gael's door. When he didn't answer after the third try, I figured he wasn't home.

Brooklyn stopped slurping the Big Gulp drink she got from 7-eleven, and swallowed, saying, "Maybe he's at Cassie's." True.

Like I said, that's Gael for you. Gael's never had a girl play this hard-to-get, so he was enjoying this challenge. And Cassie didn't seem like the type to just give into his playboy lines or fall for only his looks.
I personally can't deal with the whole "I'm troubled and don't trust anyone" type because I got my own shit going on.
That's why I appreciate Brooklyn, she's a little off, but she's an open-book and rolls with the punches. I'm glad I got to know her and didn't judge a book by it's cover. Because when I first saw her on the cruise, no doubt she was beautiful, but I would've just assumed she was some stuck-up rich bitch. Well, she is a rich bitch, but she's funny and so much more.

Brooklyn followed me to 306, right across the hall from Gael who was my next door neighbor.

A middle-aged woman stepped out of her apartment angrily glaring at Brooks and I.

"Sorry, sir," I apologized, waving my hand. Brooklyn's mouth opened and she snickered, hearing me call the butch woman a man.

After a quick knock, the door was opened by Gael.

"Told you," Brooklyn bragged about having guessed this is exactly where he'd be - at Cassie's.

"You sly dog," I laughed in his face, pushing my way in.

"Cassie, it's been ages!" I shouted, walking inside her unfurnished one-bedroom apartment.

"I saw you a few hours ago, Noah," she sneered, going back to eating her Chinese food.

"Chinese? We had tacos," I made conversation, now feeling more energized.

"Bro, I texted you," Gael tried saying but I stopped him right there.

"Sorry, we went to dinner" I told the room.

"Cassie, this is a really nice place," Brooklyn complimented.

"Thanks. I got a good deal on it. Once I get settled, I'll be alright," she said.

"Cassie," I spoke up randomly, "I feel like you don't like us."

"I don't really know you guys, I'm just freaked out by all of this," she expressed, getting up to take her plate to the kitchen. I watched her walk away from our conversation while Gael and Brooklyn talked about whatever.

Still curious about Cass, I joined her in the kitchen. She looked at me for a second and then returned her attention to the refrigerator where she popped her container into. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Seriously, Cassie, why don't you like us?"

"Noah, I don't even know you guys. I'm just weirded out, I don't know what to say," she let out.

I looked over my shoulder to see Brooklyn still entertained by Gael so I turned my back to them, leaning against the counter, and stared down at Cassie.

"What's the matter," I asked, "we're all friends here?"

"Friends?" She scoffed. "We know nothing about each other. I don't have friends."

"Well that's because you don't want them. And you don't make friends by pushing people away and walking around like you can't be bothered."

"How nice of you to give me advice. Do you do this to all of your friends?" I laughed off her sarcasm.

"None of my friends are like you. Seriously," I said, "I'm not saying tell me your life story, but we're trying. Every time you talk to us it's like you're holding back. We're not going to hurt you. I mean, Gael might annoy you to death, but he's harmless!"

"The people that say they won't hurt you, hurt you." Cassie paused, staring away blankly for a moment. She blinked and said, "I'm trying. This, all of this is new to me. It's always just... me."

I felt for her, I really did. I just hated the way she thought, but I can sort of relate.

"I don't buy that. If you go around thinking everyone is the same, you won't experience anything. I just don't think it's fair to give us the cold shoulder because of shit someone in the past did. But what do I know?"

"It's not just shit someone did in the past, it's shit that's currently happening, but you seem like you know it all, Noah. You don't have to buy it but I moved and got a fresh start for a reason. Like I said, I'm trying and I will try harder."

"You don't have to tell me that, tell yourself. And I don't know it all, but I know enough. Enjoy things, Cassie, it won't kill you." I carefully nudged her petite body.

"You're right. I apologize," Cassie sighed. She finally looked up at me and flashed a smile but tried wiping it away.

"Uh uh, don't try being all cute now. Smile, Cassie!" I tickled her ribs and she squirmed away, giggling throughout the kitchen.

"What's so funny over here, I wanna laugh, too?" Gael interrupted us. He stood on the other side of the counter, staring us down.

Cassie and I came down from our laughing fit and just casually shrugged our shoulders. "Nothing, really," we replied in unison.

"Gael, look," Brooklyn shrieked with excitement as she waved him back over to the window, "they're literally fucking now!" What if I wanted to look, I thought. She didn't tell me to come watch.

My lip curled as I watched Gael go over and laugh it up with Brooklyn. Cassie said something to me but I was too busy getting assaulted by Brooklyn's eyes and the feeling was mutual.

When Cassie tried to get my attention again, I tore my sight away from Brooks as effortlessly beautiful she is.

"Huh?" I asked what she was talking about.

"Is Gael always like this - so pushy? What's his deal?" asked Cassie as we both leaned on the counter on our elbows, looking out at living room where Gael and Brooklyn joked and innocently wrestled.

My jaw clenched and I swallowed, turning away from them. "I don't know, I've never seen him like this either. You're definitely his type though, and he likes a challenge, so."

"Hey, Cass," Brooklyn interjected, "I'm gonna go, but maybe we can hang out tomorrow, go shopping or something?"

Cassie nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, sure."

Brooklyn was about to leave when I urged Cassie to take another step.

"I never got your number," she yelled after Brooklyn.

"Oh," Brooks giggled, "it's-"

After they said their goodbyes or whatever, Brooklyn let the door shut in my face. I'm not sure but I probably deserved that.

"Good night, Cassie," I said, opening the door, "remember what we talked about!"

"I'll work on it," she claimed, giggling as she shut me out. "Good night."