Day 69 / 13:10
It feels like the hottest afternoon on record, one of those clammy, muggy days when everything feels sticky to the touch. Noah and Juliet have been over their plan again, making sure that they haven’t overlooked a single detail. Or rather, Noah has, while Juliet calms him down.
‘Relax, Noah,’ she’s said, over and over. ‘It’ll work like a charm.’ She’s in her usual place, and now she’s talking about the sea and swimming and how once she’s out and home the first thing she’s going to do is go to the beach with Lily and her mom, and this time it’ll be her mother doing the driving. Then she jumps to what they had for lunch and how the menu at Greenhills is so boring. From there she launches into her sessions with Ms Turner and how they’re getting easier. ‘She’s not so bad after all,’ Juliet concedes.
Her mind is all over the place and she’s more fidgety than normal. She keeps looking down the corridor, then back up at Noah.
Noah stands up from his desk. He takes Juliet’s mug from its place, just to the left of his row of seven blue ones and switches on the kettle.
‘Tea, coffee?’
As he asks, Sadie and Willa appear, each holding a mug. Each looking like they expect him to say something, but Juliet gets there first.
‘I asked them to come, Noah. Is that okay?’
He waits for a ripple of discomfort, for a waking moan, but there’s nothing. He waits, just to make sure, but all is quiet.
Sadie looks anxious. ‘We don’t have to stay.’ She looks at the navy blue mug in Noah’s hand and a flush colours her cheeks. ‘I mean, we don’t want to disturb you, or mess with any routine. Only Juliet said—’
The kettle’s boiling now and Noah switches it off. ‘Sure,’ he says.
‘I asked Morné too,’ Juliet says casually, as if his room has suddenly become the Mount Nelson, ‘but he didn’t want to come.’
‘We brought our mugs,’ Willa says, raising theirs in the air. It’s purple with a gold rim. ‘I’ve even made my own tea. And, if you’re worried about these: Ta dah!’ They wave a packet of biscuits in the air. ‘Plenty to go around.’
Juliet slips into his room. ‘Can I lean against your bed, Noah?’
‘Umm … sure.’
‘You guys sit down here with me.’
Willa looks at the floor in distaste and stays in the doorway. ‘I’ll stand, if you don’t mind.’
‘Pass your mug, Sadie.’ Juliet looks up at him. ‘Are you cool with this, Noah? I thought we could all, you know, hang for a while.’ She flashes a smile at Sadie. ‘No need to talk about anything heavy.’
Sadie’s still anxious. ‘We can go if you want?’
Noah waits. No reaction. Maybe having so many people in his narrow space has blocked the sound waves.
He lifts the kettle. Easily enough for four cups without adding more.