Chap 20: Crazy things people do for Love - Part1

Noah and his friends hear the students shuffling out of the auditorium.

" He's coming out," Noah says excitedly and searches for his angel among the herd of students.

As usual, Aiden stood at the corner, waiting for others to leave. When he comes out of the auditorium, his roommate Jay suddenly appears in front of him. " Hey, Aiden."

Aiden gave him a slight smile and saw that he was accompanied by two of his friends, out of which one was the handsome guy he had collided with earlier. The guy was smiling at Aiden, and he looked down in shyness.

Noah couldn't seem to take his eyes off the guy he loved. Aiden locked eyes with him for a few seconds and suddenly looked away. There was a softness to his appearance, a mixture of warmth and shyness. It was the look of an honest soul, and in that moment, Noah knew he was willing to do anything for him.

Rob urged Jay, and he introduced them to Aiden. " These are my friends, Rob and Noah," Jay said, pointing them out.

Aiden just nodded at them, not knowing what to say. He was definitely not used to this.

Rob was nudging Noah to talk to Aiden, but he was busy ogling at him. Rob shook his head, and he himself spoke to Aiden. " Are you going for lunch?"

Aiden nodded again.

" Why don't you join us?"

Aiden wanted to be alone, but he thought it would be rude to say no. "O-Okay," he stuttered.

Lunch was awkward, to say the least. Hanging around with friends and having lunch like normal teenagers was new to Aiden. He didn't even know how to hold a conversation.

Noah was seated in front of him, and Aiden felt his eyes on him. He chanced a look at Noah, and yes, he was right.

Noah's gaze was not like those horny guys like Bill who looked at him as if they wanted to devour him whole; rather, it was one of appreciation and love...?

Appreciation? Love? That's impossible. There was nothing in him to appreciate, and why would anybody love him? He was not lovable at all, and for the past 18 years of his life, he had not encountered a single person who loved him. Even his high school teacher, Mr. Davis, cared for him out of pity.

Aiden wondered why Noah was continuously staring at him. Was he angry about the morning incident? Had he not apologized properly? Did he expect more?

Seeing Aiden fidgeting in his seat, Rob pinched Noah on his arm.

"Ouch!!!" Noah jumped up and whisper yelled, " What the f**k!!"

" Stop staring, Dude. You are making him uncomfortable."

Noah was flustered. " I can't stop looking at him."

" Don't be so obvious about it."

Noah reluctantly looked down at his plate and had a bite, and his eyes automatically went back to Aiden. He could only manage to look away for a few seconds. Damn, he was screwed, literally screwed. He never thought just a single glance was all it took for him to fall so deep. Deep in love.

Noah was never a shy person; in fact, he was the complete opposite. He was pretty social and got along with everyone. But now, when he looked at Aiden, he felt like his words were stuck in his throat. He didn't know what to say to him. After much thought, he tried to make small conversation. " Are you from here?"

Aiden stopped eating and glanced at Noah. "Yes."

"So your family is nearby?" Rob asked, and Aiden stiffened. This was the question he was dreading. What could he say? His biological parents were not worth mentioning as he didn't want to be called a thief's son again. His adoptive parents didn't want anything to do with him.

Noah felt his discomfort and was about to change the subject, but he heard Aiden reply softly. " There's no one."

Noah and his friends were shocked and didn't know what to say.

Luckily, the lunch break was over, and Aiden found an opportunity to escape. " I-I got to go." He abruptly got up and left as soon as possible.

" That was awkward," Jay remarked.

" What did he mean by there's no one?" Rob asked.

" I have to know more about him," Noah said desperately.

" He seems to be the shy and silent type. I don't think he would tell you just like that," Rob stated.

" We can check the college records," Noah suggests.

" And how do you plan on doing that?"

Noah gave an evil smirk, and Jay and Rob looked at each other.

" No way," Rob said instantly.

" Please... Won't you help me get my love?" Noah pouted, and Rob and Jay couldn't say no to that look.

"Fine..! What's the plan?"

Noah thought for a few minutes and then said to Jay. " You talk to the admin receptionist for a while, and you..." he faced Rob " ... keep a watch to see if anybody's coming. I will check Aiden's records on the computer."

" If we get caught, we will put the blame on you," Jay said.

" No problem, " Noah said casually.

Rob and Jay were surprised. " What about your good-boy image?"

" I don't care."

" He's totally in love," Rob whispered to Jay and followed Noah to the admin's office.

While on the way, Noah suddenly stopped and asked Jay, " Do you know his last name?"

" No, Dude."

They reached the admin office, and thankfully, it was deserted except for the receptionist. Jay faced his friends and said, "Wait here and see what my charm can do."

Noah and Rob wait near the pillar and peek to see inside.

Jay walked into the admin office and smiled at the receptionist, who worked on her computer. " Why are you here, kid? Don't you have your classes?"

Jay made a sad face and said, " I have lost my watch, so I was looking for it. Can you help me find it? "

" Sorry, kid, I can't leave the office unattended," the kind receptionist says apologetically.

" Please, Mam. Since everyone is in class, I have no one to help. If you help me look for it, then we can find it sooner."

" I really can't help you right now. Why don't you look for it after the classes are over? I suggest you go back to your class now and come back with your friends later."

" But..."

The receptionist ignored him and got back to what she was doing. Jay turned around, sulking while Rob muttered. " Such a lame excuse. No wonder it didn't work. Charm, my a*s."

Suddenly Jay fell down and yelped. " Argh!!!"

Noah was about to go to help him when Rob stopped him. " Wait!! I think he is acting."

The receptionist came running towards him and picked him up. " Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

" I think I sprained my ankle," Jay said, giving her a pained look.

" You should go to the infirmary."

Jay nodded and tried to move but cried out in pain again. " I-I can't move on my own. Can you take me there?"

" But I can't leave this place unattended. Can you wait here for a few minutes until someone comes around?" the receptionist asked with a concerned look.

" Arghhh!!" Jay screams again, faking it. " I can't bear the pain anymore. It feels like my leg is about to fall off. Please... help me."

Rob shook his head and signed. " Hope his over-acting doesn't ruin everything."

" Shhh... Maybe it will work," Noah said.

Finally, the kind receptionist agreed to help Jay go to the infirmary. She held his arm and helped him walk out of the admin office. Noah and Rob hid behind the pillar while Jay winked at them and went with the receptionist.

Once they were out of sight, Noah got ready to go into the admin office.

"Dude, the camera," Rob said and pointed towards the CCTV camera.

" Sh*t!! I totally forgot." He looked around and said, " I will climb through the window and crawl down so that I don't come in the view of the camera."

" Fine. Be careful."

Noah tiptoed towards the window and entered the admin office. He crawled through the floor and reached the computer. Luckily for him, the screen was unlocked, and the University website was open. Noah entered Aiden's name in the search bar, and he could see multiple records pop up. He looked for the familiar face, and after a few minutes of search, he found it.

" Aiden Grey," he repeated and had a smile on his lips.

He checked the details and was confused. His parents' names were mentioned as John and Sophia Grey, but their addresses and contact numbers were blank. Even the guardian details were empty.

In Aiden's details, he found out that Aiden was a scholarship student. His school performance was outstanding, and Noah was proud of him. The present address mentioned was their University dormitory, and the permanent address was blank. There was a contact number mentioned, and Noah tried to memorize it.

Noah then heard Rob calling for him." Hurry up; she's coming back."

Noah glanced at Aiden's contact number one last time and closed the screen. He then slowly crawled towards the window and jumped out.

The receptionist entered the admin office, but Noah was already out with Rob.

" Woahh!!! That was close," Rob exclaimed. " Did you get the details?"

Noah nodded, still thinking about it. They head towards the infirmary, where they see Jay coming out limping with a bandage on his ankle.

As soon as he saw Noah and Rob, Jay stopped faking and raced walked towards them. " You owe me one." He said, looking at Noah. " I didn't even struggle so much for my own girlfriend."

" That's because you don't have a girlfriend," Rob mocked.

" I was talking about my high-school girlfriend," Jay scowled. " Did you get the details?" he asked, looking back at Noah.

Noah nodded.

" And...?"

" It's complicated."