By Saturday afternoon, Noah had almost convinced himself that he wasn’t going to the party.
It wasn’t that he disliked parties.
He simply didn’t understand the appeal of standing in someone else’s house while music played too loudly and people shouted conversations directly into one another’s ears.
There were always too many strangers, too little space, and at least one person who would eventually decide that dancing on a table was a reasonable idea.
Noah had been to enough parties to know exactly how they usually ended, which was why he had spent most of the afternoon lying on his bed with no intention of leaving it.
Then his phone lit up.
Maya: Don’t even think about staying home.
Noah stared at the message.
A second later, another one appeared.
Maya: I know you.
He smiled despite himself and placed the phone on his chest.
Five minutes passed.
Then another message arrived.
Elias: Are you coming?
Noah looked at the screen for longer than necessary.
There was no reason for his heart to react the way it did.
It was a simple question from someone he had known for less than a week.
Elias wasn’t waiting outside his house.
He wasn’t asking Noah to go somewhere alone with him.
He was simply asking whether Noah was going to a party that Maya had already invited him to.
Still, Noah found himself sitting up.
Noah: Maybe.
The response came almost immediately.
Elias: That’s not an answer.
Noah laughed quietly.
Noah: Why do you care?
This time, there was a pause.
It lasted only a few seconds, but Noah noticed it.
Elias: Because I know exactly three people there, and one of them is you.
Noah read the message twice.
Then he typed his answer.
Noah: Fine.
I’ll come.
Three dots appeared.
Elias: Good.
That was all.
Just one word.
Noah looked at it for a moment before putting his phone down.
Then he got up and started getting ready.
The party was being held at the house of someone named Ryan, a boy from Noah’s year whom he had spoken to perhaps five times in his entire life.
Noah knew him well enough to know that Ryan’s parents were away for the weekend and that giving a teenager an empty house was usually an invitation for poor decisions.
Maya had offered to meet Noah outside, so he arrived ten minutes before the agreed time and immediately regretted doing so when he saw the number of cars already parked along the street.
Music could be heard from inside the house.
Someone was laughing loudly in the front yard.
A group of people stood near the entrance, holding drinks and talking over one another.
Noah checked his phone.
Maya: Five minutes.
He sighed.
Five minutes with Noah’s thoughts was apparently too much time, because he immediately started wondering whether Elias was already inside.
The thought annoyed him.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“Did you miss me?”
Noah turned around.
Elias stood behind him with his hands in the pockets of his jacket and a smile that was far too pleased with itself.
Noah frowned.
“You’ve been standing there for how long?”
“Long enough.”
“You’re creepy.”
“That’s not the reaction I was hoping for.”
“What reaction were you hoping for?”
“I don’t know.
Maybe happiness.
Relief.
Tears.”
“You’re not getting any of those.”
Elias smiled.
“You came.”
“You texted me.”
“And?”
“And apparently, I have no self-respect.”
“That sounds like a personal problem.”
Noah laughed before he could stop himself.
Elias looked at him for a second.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Maybe you keep asking too many questions.”
Noah raised an eyebrow.
Before he could answer, Maya appeared from the opposite side of the street.
She slowed down when she saw them standing together.
“Oh, good.
You found each other.”
“We were literally standing in front of the house,” Noah said.
“I know.”
Maya smiled in a way Noah didn’t trust.
Elias looked between them.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Maya said.
Noah pointed at her.
“See?
That’s what he says too.”
“Maybe it’s because you ask too many questions.”
Noah stared at both of them.
“You’ve known each other for less than a week.”
“And yet,” Elias said, “we agree on important things.”
Maya laughed.
Noah shook his head and walked toward the house before either of them could continue.
Inside, the party was already loud enough to make conversation difficult.
The living room had been transformed into something barely recognizable, with people sitting on the floor, leaning against walls, standing near the windows, and crowding around the speakers.
Someone had turned off most of the lights, leaving only a few lamps and the colored glow from a string of lights hanging near the ceiling.
Noah immediately regretted coming.
Elias seemed to notice.
“You okay?”
“Perfect.”
“You look like you’re planning your escape.”
“I am.”
Elias smiled.
“Give it ten minutes.”
“For what?”
“To stop hating it.”
“I don’t hate it.”
“You’ve been here for thirty seconds.”
“Exactly.
Long enough.”
Maya disappeared almost immediately after seeing someone she knew, leaving Noah and Elias standing near the wall.
Noah watched her go.
“Nice.”
“She’ll come back.”
“That’s what they all say.”
Elias laughed.
For the next twenty minutes, they remained near each other almost without realizing it.
People came and went around them, stopping to talk, introducing themselves to Elias, asking Noah questions about classes and teachers.
Elias was surprisingly good at meeting strangers.
He seemed comfortable with almost everyone, laughing easily and remembering names after hearing them once.
Noah watched him more than he intended to.
There was something different about seeing Elias outside school.
During the week, he had seemed like someone who belonged beside Noah’s desk, someone who walked beside him in the morning and borrowed his pens because he refused to remember his own.
Here, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and music, Elias looked slightly different.
More confident.
More distant in a strange way.
As though Noah was discovering another version of him.
At one point, Elias disappeared into the kitchen with someone from one of his classes.
Noah didn’t think much of it at first.
He continued talking to Maya, who had returned with a drink in her hand and an expression that suggested she was enjoying the party far more than Noah was.
“You’re quiet,” she said.
“I’m listening.”
“To what?”
Noah looked around.
Maya followed his gaze.
Then she smiled.
“Oh.”
Noah immediately looked back at her.
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
She raised her hands innocently.
“I was going to ask if you’re having fun.”
“You’re lying.”
“Maybe.”
Noah looked toward the kitchen again.
Elias was still there.
This time, someone was talking to him closely, and Elias was listening with his head tilted slightly to one side.
Noah looked away.
Maya noticed.
“Why don’t you go talk to him?”
“I was talking to you.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Noah sighed.
“I’m not interested in him.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
He looked at her.
She smiled.
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
Noah crossed his arms.
Maya studied him for a moment before her expression softened.
“You like him.”
“No.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t.”
“I believe you.”
“You obviously don’t.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Noah turned away from her.
He wasn’t interested in Elias.
The idea was ridiculous.
They had known each other for less than a week.
Elias was simply easy to talk to.
He was funny, and sometimes Noah forgot that they had only just met.
That was all.
There was nothing else.
Noah repeated this to himself as Elias finally returned.
“Sorry,” he said.
“I got trapped.”
Noah raised an eyebrow.
“By?”
“Someone named Olivia who apparently believes we’re best friends now.”
“That’s fast.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Probably.”
Elias leaned against the wall beside him.
“You’re still here.”
“You told me to give it ten minutes.”
“And?”
“I still hate it.”
Elias smiled.
“You’re lying.”
“I am not.”
“You haven’t tried to leave.”
Noah opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Elias looked pleased.
“Come on.”
“Where?”
“Outside.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re miserable.”
“I’m not miserable.”
“Then prove it.”
Noah followed him.
The air outside was cooler, and the sudden quiet felt almost unnatural after the noise inside.
They walked away from the house and toward the back garden, where only a few people had gathered.
Elias sat down on the low wooden fence surrounding the yard.
Noah remained standing.
“You know, normal people sit on chairs.”
Elias looked at him.
“Normal people are boring.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“Sit down.”
Noah hesitated before sitting beside him.
For a while, they listened to the music from inside.
It sounded distant now.
“Better?” Elias asked.
“Much.”
“See?”
“I didn’t say you were right.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Noah looked at him.
Elias was smiling.
The light from the house barely reached where they were sitting, leaving most of his face in shadow.
Noah noticed how relaxed he looked when he wasn’t trying to entertain someone.
He seemed quieter outside, almost thoughtful.
Noah suddenly remembered something.
“Why did you really move here?”
Elias looked at him.
“My mother’s job.”
“You told Maya that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“It’s not the whole truth.”
Elias was silent.
Noah immediately regretted asking.
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“I know.”
The music changed inside.
Someone opened the back door and then closed it again.
Elias looked down at his hands.
“My parents separated last year,” he said finally.
“My mom wanted a new start.
New job, new house, new place.”
Noah said nothing.
Elias continued before he could respond.
“I didn’t really have a choice.”
“Do you miss it?”
“My old home?”
“Yeah.”
Elias thought about it.
“Sometimes I miss who I was there.”
Noah looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
Elias shrugged.
“I don’t know.
Maybe it’s easier to start over when nobody knows you.
You can decide who you want to be.”
“And who do you want to be?”
Elias looked at him.
The question seemed to surprise him.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
Then he smiled slightly.
“Someone who doesn’t spend Saturday night sitting behind a house with a guy he met four days ago.”
Noah laughed.
“That’s a good start.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Who do you want to be?”
Noah looked down at his hands.
No one had ever asked him that question before.
At least, not like that.
“I don’t know.”
“You have to know something.”
“No.”
“Everyone knows something.”
Noah thought about it.
“I guess I want to be happy.”
Elias was quiet.
“That’s it?”
Noah looked at him.
“Isn’t that enough?”
Elias smiled.
“Yeah.”
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Noah could hear his own heartbeat.
He didn’t know why.
Nothing was happening.
They were just sitting beside each other.
Still, he became aware of every small detail.
The warmth of Elias’s shoulder when it brushed against his.
The sound of his breathing.
The faint smell of smoke and something clean from his jacket.
Noah shifted slightly.
Their shoulders touched again.
Neither moved away.
The back door opened.
Maya appeared.
“There you are.”
Noah looked toward her.
“Were you looking for us?”
“Yes.
Obviously.”
“We’ve been here.”
“I know.
I checked the kitchen first.”
Elias looked at Noah.
“That’s insulting.”
Maya ignored him.
“Are you coming back inside?”
Noah opened his mouth.
“No,” Elias answered.
Maya looked at him.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
“I know.”
Noah laughed.
Maya sighed.
“You’re both annoying.”
“Goodnight, Maya.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Then why are you saying goodnight?”
Maya stared at him.
Noah covered his smile.
Eventually, she gave up.
“I’ll be inside.”
She walked away.
Elias looked at Noah.
“Your friend hates me.”
“She doesn’t.”
“Not yet.”
Noah laughed.
The night continued like that.
They eventually went back inside, although neither of them stayed near the crowd for long.
Elias introduced Noah to a few people, and Noah introduced Elias to others.
They spent more time together than apart without ever making a decision to do so.
At some point, Noah realized he was having fun.
He blamed Elias.
By the time the party began to thin out, it was well past midnight.
Maya had already left with another friend, and Noah stood near the front door, waiting for Elias to find his jacket.
“You ready?” Elias asked.
Noah looked at him.
“To go home?”
“Unless you were planning to move in.”
“Tempting.”
They stepped outside together.
The streets were quiet again.
Different from the morning.
Different from the way Noah had imagined the night would go.
They began walking without speaking.
After a few minutes, Elias broke the silence.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Did you hate it?”
Noah smiled.
“A little less than I expected.”
Elias looked pleased.
“I’ll take that.”
“Don’t get used to winning.”
“Too late.”
Noah shook his head.
They reached the corner where they would eventually have to go separate ways.
Neither stopped immediately.
Elias looked at the road ahead.
“Hey, Noah?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you came.”
Noah felt something shift inside him.
It was small.
Almost nothing.
Still, he noticed.
“Me too.”
Elias smiled.
“Same time Monday?”
Noah smiled back.
“Same time Monday.”
They stood there for one second longer.
Then Elias turned and began walking home.
Noah watched him disappear beneath the streetlights.
He should have gone home immediately.
Instead, he remained where he was, hands in his pockets, replaying the evening in his mind.
Nothing important had happened.
They hadn’t confessed secrets they could never take back.
They hadn’t made promises.
They hadn’t even touched, except for the accidental brushes of their shoulders.
And yet Noah couldn’t stop thinking about the way Elias had looked at him when he asked who he wanted to be.
Someone who wants to be happy.
The words returned to him as he finally started walking.
At the time, Noah didn’t understand why his chest felt strangely warm.
He didn’t understand why seeing Elias leave made him look forward to Monday.
He didn’t understand why a person could enter your life only a few days earlier and already make ordinary things feel different.
He only knew that he was smiling.
And that, for the first time in longer than he could remember, he was looking forward to tomorrow.