~ Episode Fifteen ~

Noah Has a Girlfriend?!:

A Knight in Teacher’s Armor!

“I’m home!” Eri’s voice reverberated off the picture frames hanging in the foyer. They shook harder when she shut the front door.

Her parents wouldn’t have answered—Helen was at her weekly sewing class and Ken wouldn’t be home from the shop until after six. Noah was the only one she expected this afternoon, considering he had Wednesdays off from school.

She let her backpack fall to the bench in the hall. As she slipped out of her windbreaker, one of the many framed photos hanging in the foyer caught her eye.

It was a snapshot of the two siblings together on their old front stoop, taken in the early ‘90s when Noah was around ten years old and Eri just a preschooler.

The photo was taken over Noah’s shoulder. In it, he was happily sharing an ice-cream cone with her.

Eri sighed with an ache of sadness. Nostalgic longing.

Back then, Noah always there to look out for her. To share his ice cream. To let her play his favorite video games. To teach her how to practice the drums. To introduce her to new music. To help pick up the pieces whenever she needed him. To kiss all the cuts and scrapes, both outside and inside.

He had always been there. Always. Noah, after all, was single-handedly responsible for her love of Garbage, thanks to a fateful Sunrise Records visit with him when she was nine years old.

But then the move to Base Borden happened. And things changed so much.

Everything changed.

“You have nothing to prove to him, you know.”

Mackenzie’s dismissal from the previous Sunday morning on the way to meet Shinji and Evan at the library rang in Eri’s memory.

So much change in such a short time.

“I know,” Eri murmured, gaze lingering the photo of her and Noah from so long ago. Of course she didn’t have to prove anything to him. “But I want to.”

Needed to.

Beating Final Fantasy II was just a stepping stone in that direction. Beating all the Final Fantasy games was necessary. Doing so was non-negotiable, even if it meant losing sleep and being under fire from Mackenzie’s over-protective scolding.

She would do anything if it meant being able to play video games with her big brother again, just like when she was younger—before the move to Borden.

Before he stopped being proud of her.

She was sure Final Fantasy would bring them closer together again. It had to. At least, she thought so—until—

“What do you think you’re doing, huh?”

“Who’d you go fooling around with, huh?”

Tightness formed in Eri’s shoulders where Noah had grabbed and shaken her. She caressed an aching neck muscle while still studying the old photo. Around it hung other happy family memories that spoke of superficial normalcy. A candid shot of Eri taking first place for her team against St. Peter’s in Orangeville made her flash a brief smile before saddened reality sank its hooks back into her heart.

No matter how much she wanted things to go back to normal, life with Noah would never be the same.

It was a fate she and Shinji were already facing.

A fate that hurt far too much to even think about.

A fate already in place even without the addition of Monster Sealing.

“Eriya—what do you mean you have to move away…?”

A sick feeling burned her guts up. Maybe hanging out together this weekend would start to repair the frays in her now-established ‘work’ relationship with Shinji Izuma. Eri prayed so.

But … things with Noah, however…

Eri’s hand fell from her shoulder muscles.

Maybe if he knew she was a Monster Sealer—and that’s why she was sneaking out at night: to save the world from some guy named The Black King and protect a girl called The Child of Destiny…

…Whatever any of that meant…

Pain further flexed around Eri’s heart.

Maybe if Noah knew who she was—who she really was—not some little girl he didn’t trust and bossed around, but a fully-fledged Star Warrior risking her life night-after-night…

Would Noah look at Eri differently if he knew the truth…?

Would he … be proud of her?

With another sigh, Eri kicked off the pain she felt under the hallway bench alongside her converse sneakers and headed towards the kitchen for a much-needed after-school snack.

But then a woman’s laugh sounded from downstairs.

Eri froze in mid-stride at the door that led to the laundry area and Noah’s basement bedroom.

The laugh didn’t belong to their mother.

Then she heard Noah speak: “…and so I say to the guy, ‘hey buddy, you gonna pay for the drink I’m wearing, or are we gonna have to settle this outside with pool cues?’ and he just gives me this look, you know?”

“Oh, no-o-o!” The woman laughed again. “What happened?”

“Ha! It was intense. I thought Pat Swayze was gonna jump out from the shadows with a round-house kick or something, you know?”

Eri inched towards the open basement door. She leaned forward, listening to the conversation. Underfoot, a low groan exhaled from the floorboards.

“Eri, that you?” Noah called up.

She hesitated. “Ahh … Yes?”

“Can you come down here a second?”

Sharp fear gored through Eri’s heart. Caught spying, red-handed.

“C—coming…”

She started a slow descent down into the basement, dreading the worst. She couldn’t tell by the sound of his voice—but the thought of Noah coming at her, angered by the invasion of privacy, prickled her skin. And yet, docile obedience carried her down the creaking steps, anyway. Her tongue felt dry and heavy.

Eri touched down on cold concrete and headed past the laundry area. Her nervous gaze flicked for the millionth time past the homemade sign over the washer and dryer that read, Helen’s Work Space.

The door to her brother’s bedroom stood wide open at the end of the hall.

She hesitated again, caressing a tight shoulder.

“Eri,” her brother called out. “What’s the hold up?”

“C—coming…” Eri slunk towards her brother’s bedroom—muscles stiff, breath tight with shards of fear caught in her lungs.

She hedged careful steps into the threshold.

Noah’s walls were covered corner-to-corner with posters. Some, of heavy metal and rock bands which featured shots of his favorite drummers. Others included movies and old Nintendo promotional pin-ups. A well-used drum set stood nestled in one corner of the room. It was surrounded by noise-cancelling foam that didn’t actually do much to stifle the sound.

These were the things Eri generally noticed first whenever she found herself in Noah’s bedroom. Today, her fearful gaze had fallen upon a freckled young woman in half-moon glasses sitting on his pullout couch. She wore a slim-fitted pastel pantsuit that had a strange glowy effect on the tight blonde curls that spilled past her shoulders.

“Hi!” She smiled at Eri like they were old friends.

“H—hi.” The sight of her made Eri’s guts stir nervously amidst a wave of cramps.

“Eri, I want you to meet Heather McKnight,” said Noah from his gaming chair—a beat up old La-Z-Boy recliner in the opposite corner of the room with his television and PlayStation, both hooked up to an audio equalizer. The menu screen for Final Fantasy VIII glowed off the TV set, the sound muted. Eri wilted at the sight. Noah continued, “She’s a friend—from school.”

“Nice to meet you, Eri.” Heather’s smile broadened. “Noah’s told me so much about you. Oh, I love your contacts! They really bring out your hair!”

Eri blushed, averting her candied-apple gaze from the curious stare of her brother’s guest. “Um … I’m not wearing…”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“They’re a birth defect,” Noah interjected.

Heather threw him a wide-eyed glance. “A birth defect?”

“No—wah!” whined Eri.

“Well they are.” He dismissed her with a shrug. “Gingersnap’s not wearing contacts. Those are her eyes, for real—if you can believe it.”

“Are they, really? I’ve never seen anyone with red eyes before.” Heather leaned forward to have a better look. “They’re so vibrant, beautiful. I’m a little jealous.”

The compliment startled Eri. She offered Heather a shy smile.

“They’re something, alright,” Noah agreed, sounding almost bored. “We thought it might be a pre-birth infection or something, but her doctor says there’s nothing wrong with them. Perfect twenty/twenty, everything. Nobody can figure it out.”

“Huh. Well, they’re a pretty awesome birth defect, if you ask me.” Heather froze, then let an embarrassed chuckle pass. “I’m sorry—that was rude.”

Eri shook her head, blushing. “I—I don’t mind.”

“Heh … So, Noah tells me you’re going into high school next year! You excited?”

“For the track field, sure,” Noah spoke for Eri again. “It only takes a minute-eighteen to run. Timed it myself in grade ten.”

Eri tried not to roll her eyes.

Heather perked again. “Oh, Eri, so you’re a runner?”

“Don’t get her started,” Noah warned. “Eri’s a junkie. She’d run circles around the world if there was a road long enough. Some of those photos upstairs are from events she’s won. Mom’s got all the kid’s trophies in a hutch up in her craft room.”

Eri felt the heat radiate off the Walk for a Cure permission slip Ms. Youse had provided to anyone interested in participating, still crumpled in her bag upstairs. She nodded confirmation, her rosy cheeks deepening their shade.

“That’s so cool.” Heather grinned. She leaned forward again, this time with chin balanced on a row of knuckles as she studied Eri. Admiration radiated behind her half-moon lenses. “Track’s great. I used to run, too. Did all kinds of sports, loved flag football. I kind of miss it, actually.”

It was then that Eri realized she was still standing within the threshold between Noah’s bedroom and the basement hallway. She took a tender step towards her brother’s guest. “Um … what do you do now?”

Heather beamed, proud. “I’m a teacher’s aide.”

“And she supplies on the side,” Noah added. “Granted, Heather’s gotta do at least a year before the board puts her somewhere permanent.”

“Almost there,” Heather said. “I’m hoping to get into the secondary system. That’s where I want to be. Need to be.”

Eri nodded, smiling brighter than before. “That’d be cool.”

Noah cleared his throat, twisting in his recliner a mite. “Mom and Dad won’t be back ‘til late—bible study again. It’s your turn to cook dinner tonight, Gingersnap.”

“Seriously?” Eri’s shoulders sagged. “I’m really tired. Still got … um, not feeling well.”

“You look fine to me,” Noah said, barely glancing her way. “Come on, you’re cooking tonight. I’ve got company over.”

Heather studied him with a thin expression, but said nothing on the matter.

~

Chop-chop-chop-chop. Chop. Chop. Scrape. Scrape. Ssssssssssszzz…

Eri gazed over the freshly-diced celery now sizzling alongside mushrooms and sweet peppers that topped marinated chicken strips left over from a meal on the weekend. She closed her eyes and let the sweet richness of the cooked vegetables intermingle in her nostrils. The smell of her handiwork was a delicious reward amidst a respite for the menstrual boulders that churned her insides to ash.

“…Stupid Noah.”

With a sigh, Eri stirred the veggies around her father’s prized wok and turned down the stovetop heat. She grabbed a small pot from the warming drawer, where all the other cookware was kept, and started to fill it with water from the kitchen sink, distracted by thoughts of the Minute Rice she’d forgotten to prepare beforehand.

A sudden spike of pain punched through her abdomen.

Eri lurched forward, hissing as she clutched the edge of the counter. She stayed there, still and silent, hoping for the cramps—and sudden wave of nausea they brought on—to quickly pass.

But another followed right after. And worse.

“Ah—ahh—oww…”

She let go of the pot of water. It clattered to the countertop. Her grip dug into the granite as the rushing faucet acted as white noise to the intensity of Eri’s unwanted segue into womanhood. She cringed against tears that pattered her knuckles.

“Why…?”

Another wave of nausea overcame her. She tried to push away from the sink with thoughts of the nearby powder room in mind—but the boulders in her guts were too much to bear movement on. She dropped into a slow and deliberate crouch against the cupboard doors, holding herself tight.

“Go away. Please—go away…”

There was a creak in the floorboards behind her.

“Eri? Are you—oh, my God!”

Someone’s arms were around her then, the faint smell of lavender perfume in her nostrils. Blonde curls tickled her face, and when she looked up, Heather was there.

“Noah!!—” she started to yell out.

“No, don’t,” Eri whispered, cutting her off. She sobbed quietly through a smaller wave of cramps. “Please, don’t.”

Heather blinked confusion down at her. But then her expression softened into compassionate understanding. She nodded.

“Here, sweetie. It’s okay. Come on, come sit down with me.” Heather led her over to the Serumas’ kitchen table, a dinky round thing that stuck out between the hall entrance and the archway into the dining room. She ushered Eri into a seat, went to grab her a glass of water, and pulled up a chair. “Gonna be okay?”

“I … Yeah…” Eri gazed into her lap, face hot with shame. “Um…”

“It’s okay,” Heather assured her. A moment of silence passed as she sat there with Eri, caressing her hands. “Is, um—is this your first one?”

Eri gave a weak nod and let her chin dip against her chest. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “Mmhm.”

“Really scary stuff, the first time,” Heather said. She smiled. “But I bet your mom is taking real good care of you, huh?”

Eri exhaled a scornful breath. Her drooped gaze wandered across the kitchen floor and settled on a small handbag Heather had dropped when she’d rushed in to the rescue. She shrugged.

Heather leaned out of her seat, grabbing for her handbag off the linoleum. Eri watched her briefly root around inside it. Their eyes met. A knowing sympathy gleamed behind Heather’s glasses. With it, another smile of reassurance. She pushed a bottle of Midol into Eri’s hands. “Here. These help me a lot. Boy howdy, they help.”

Eri tapped out a couple pills into her palm and downed them with a few large gulps of water. She wiped her mouth, then eyes, on the back of her sleeve. “Um … Thank you.”

“Hey.” Heather caressed her arm. Eri felt herself start to flinch, but then met the safety of Heather’s gaze. “Us track stars gotta look out for each other, right?”

This made Eri giggle. She wiped away more tears, nodding.

“Keep the rest, okay? I got plenty at home.” Heather’s fingers dropped to Eri’s knuckles. “I know we’re like total strangers, but I can tell you’re a really sweet girl. What you’re going through is really scary and confusing at first. Especially when you’re not prepared for it. But having your period is also a natural thing. A beautiful thing. Please know that.”

Eri disagreed. “Doesn’t feel beautiful.”

Heather squeezed their hands together. “Sweetie, I need you to know this isn’t a bad thing, okay? Having your first period is a big deal! If anything, it’s a time to celebrate! You’re a woman now, Eri! And that’s awesome.”

“…Awesome?”

“Yeah. Really awesome. Your body’s going start to change, and boys are gonna start noticing you—maybe you’ll start noticing them too. You’ll be a few steps closer to being a grownup and, I mean, what girl doesn’t want that, right?” Heather flashed her a tender smirk. “But you’re not going through this alone, okay? I’m here for you, okay?”

“But … I don’t even know you,” Eri murmured.

“So? You’ll get to know me,” said Heather. “And me, you. And that’s really exciting for me. I was so looking forward to meeting you today, and you know what?”

“…What?”

“Not disappointed in the least.”

Eri’s face started to tingle. Her heart swelled against her ribcage.

“I’ll be around for awhile, looks like,” Heather said. “Listen, someone’s gotta whip your brother into shape, right? But, I mean it—any time you wanna talk, I’m here. Okay? I mean that.”

Eri nodded, sniffling. “O—okay.”

“Do you want a hug?”

Eri nodded again, faster.

Heather drew her into a loving embrace. Eri let herself melt into it as blossoming warmth flowed. She nuzzled against Heather’s ear and felt all her pain and sadness start to drift away.

“Heather?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re gonna make a really good teacher.”

Heather’s embrace tightened around her.

Moments later, heavy thumps sounded up the basement stairs. “Hey, Gingersnap! Is dinner ready, yet?”

Tendrils of fear ripped at Eri’s muscles again. She started to pull away from Heather. But Heather’s clutch remained enveloped around her.

“What’s going on?” Noah poked his head into the kitchen and peered at the girls with a dour expression. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah!” Heather broke from Eri to regard him, smiling. “Everything’s great.”

Noah studied them, uncertain—then moseyed the rest of the way into the kitchen to check on Eri’s stir-fry. He clicked off the stovetop element that kept the veggies all simmering.

“The rice isn’t ready yet,” he noticed.

As the words left his mouth, annoyance flared through Eri. An invisible muscle in her forehead unexpectedly flexed.

Glass shattered out in the foyer.

Noah jumped at the sound. He wandered into the hallway to investigate, returning with an annoyed sigh to retrieve the broom and dustpan from beside the fridge.

“Something fall?” Heather asked.

“Yeah.” He re-entered the kitchen after sweeping up the mess and nudged the contents of the dustpan in the girls’ direction. “One of the pictures, that’s all. No biggie. Weak nail or something.”

He carefully tugged the photograph out of its obliterated frame and tossed it onto the table between Eri and Heather so he could dispose of the glass and splintered wood.

The sight of the picture startled Eri.

It was the snapshot of Noah sharing his ice-cream cone with her on their old porch.

“Hey, Gingersnap—you get that Mackenzie Thompson broad to cast a spell on me or something?”

“Huh?” Eri blinked away from the photo to find Noah scrutinizing her behind narrowed eyes.

“Yeah. The other night I trip and hit my head in your room after I had to have words with you, and now a picture of the both of us gets wrecked when I ask about dinner?” He tapped the edge of the dustpan against the garbage can beneath the sink and straightened. “Just saying, it’s weird. You got a hit out on me, squirt?”

“Mackenzie’s not a witch!” snapped Eri. “Don’t talk about my best friend that way!”

“Yeah, well, she might as well be a witch. Mom doesn’t like her and neither do I, so…”

“You don’t even know her!”

Heather giggled. “Watch it, Noah. Maybe Eri’s the witch, getting revenge on her big, bad, bro, huh? Ever think of that?”

“I’m not a witch!” Eri shot her a horrified look. “I didn’t do anything!”

Noah kicked the cupboard door closed and scoffed, passing with the broom and dustpan in tow. “Could’a fooled me, Broom-Hilda. Explains why your eyes are red.”

Eri’s horror shifted from Heather and wheeled onto her brother in a blast of sudden anger: “Noah, shut up!”

“Hey—be nice. Don’t tell me to shut up.” He put everything away, then leered a bored look at his sister past the edge of the fridge. “Anyway—wouldn’t surprise me if you did end up a witch. Like I said, it explains your eyes, at least.”

Eri glared at him.

“I’m serious.” Noah frowned at her, then added, “It would explain a lot.”