Noah and Izzy sat in the ladders room in unusual silence.

  They had gone to Eva’s earlier that day, where Izzy had met the brutes parents for the first time. The trio had worked on their group project**  before the two non residents were kicked out for “Not carrying their weight”, and being “Useless”, whatever that means.

   On their way back to their respective houses, the topic of hair styles had cropped up, prompting Noah to mention the fact that he braids his older sister, Stella’s, hair all the time. Which caught his companion’s attention, leading her to INSIST that Noah had  to braid Her hair, ASAP!!!! 

  And now, here they are, sitting in the red head’s room, abnormally quiet, on an unkempt bed. 

  Noah was carefully combing out the knots in his friends curly hair, when curiosity got the best of him. 

  “Alright, I’ll bite,” he began, “ what’s your deal?”

      Izzy jumped slightly from the sudden monotonous sound, before giving a half hearted laugh, “What? I don’t know what your talking about!”. She glanced back at him, Giving her best smile, which was nowhere near on par with her normal maniacal grin. 

  Noah waited for her to add something ‘Stupid and/or Unnecessary’, like “That is unless you’re talking cards! I’m crazy good at cards, like CRAZY” or “ Unless you know about that deal I made last week behind a Gas Station, haha, but yeah I’d have to totally kill you then... Haha yeah, you’d be so dead.”... But she didn’t say anything an Izzy normally would.

  “Izzy.” Noah finished his last few strokes with his brush, “I don’t care, but if something’s wrong you should talk about it.” 

  She continued her silence as Noah separated the strands of fibrous fire that spiraled from her skull. Noah sat debating whether or not he truly did care. He probably didn’t. Yeah, he didn’t…. No way, he doesn’t care about anything ever…. So what if she’s sad, and not her self, and clearly bothered, and one of his good friends who would definitely care if it were him, he doesn’t in the slightest...

  ‘Crap.’

  He sighed, as he begun criss-crossing the now un-tangled curls. He spoke with hopes of lightening the mood, “C’mon, E-scope. You can tell me what’s wrong. It’s not like I’ll ever expel the necessary energy to tell anyone.” 

  Izzy grinned softly at hearing her freshman nickname. She sighed, defeated “It’s just…. It’s stupid is all!”

  Noah stayed quiet, hoping she’ll continue on her own.

      “It’s just… Eva’s Parents Are So... Nice!?” She exclaimed, throwing her arms in front of her in confusion, “I mean, like, they came to check on her when she came home, and asked her how she was, and said hi to us, and offered us snacks, and, and,” The ginger searched frantically in her cluttered mind for what next to say, before settling on , “They… They really love her…”

  Noah had stopped braiding at some point, just holding the orange locks limply in his palms. He took in what she had said, and tried to find the words that a nice person would say in this situation. ‘What would Owen say?’ he thought, before going with, “Well, of course they Love her; they’re her parent’s.”  Satisfied with his response, he continued his work.

  “Ha, yeah obviously… That was silly to say, huh?” Izzy forced out another un-Izzy Laugh, causing Noah to once again end his braiding.

    “... Iz-” 

      She cut him off, speaking in a tone that seemed foreign coming from her, “It’s fine, Noah, really. Just finish up, ok?” 

  He didn’t make any moves to do so.

      Izzy sighed as she drew her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top, “I just… It’s only… I guess….” she stopped, ashamed of what she was going to say next, “I guess I’m Jealous…”

  Noah hummed to let her know he was still listening.

      “Like… My parents never do stuff like that…” She started, “I mean, Mom tries sometimes, but it’s so forced, like she’s only doin’ it ‘cause she knows she has too!”  She adjusted herself so now she was sitting criss-crossed, “But when Eva’s Moms do it, it’s so genuine! Like they’re not even trying, Ya know??”

  “Right.” 

      “But at least Mom Tries! My dad wants Nothing to do with me, and it’s not like he’s one of those dads that left, and isn’t around, so whatever, who cares, He Lives Here! And he doesn’t treat my brother that way! Just me!” Izzy spoke faster, her voice was a bitter mix of sadness and rage, “Like what did I do?? My Best?? Exist??? Like What’s His Damage???  What Did I-” She paused for the first time in this speech, her voice becoming soft, “... What did I do wrong?”

  Noah stared at the back of his normally bubbly friend’s head, pondering what he just heard, and what to do about it. 

  This time he said what Noah would say.

      He resumed his braiding, “Want me to kill him?”

   Izzy jerked in surprise, “What?”

      “Your dad. He sounds like he sucks, so if you need someone to Kill him-”

  Izzy laughed her first real laugh of the night, “Yeah, no, if anyone kills my dad it’s gonna be me. Yeah, Definitely me” she giggled, “Don’t get me wrong though, if I need help for some reason, you’re the first guy I’ll call,” she giggled again, “Yeah, totally, mhm”

  ‘There she is’ Noah smiled to himself, “I better be.” 

        He finished the last few twists, and tied the bottom of the hair, “Wallah,” He spoke in his normal monotone, “I’m Done” He said as he laid down on the bed.

  Izzy, now back to her old self, Leaped off the bed, grabbing her hair to transfer the braid to her shoulder for a good look, “Oh my Gosh, Thank You!”

  “It’ll be Twenty bucks.” 

      She ignored him as she twirled excitedly, “We have to check in the mirror, Like right NOW” 

  Noah glanced at her from where he reclined comfortably the bed, “I’m Busy.”

       And with that Izzy was carrying him off to the Bathroom mirror.

  Once there, Izzy beamed at her reflection, “AAAAAAAH, I’m So Pretty!!!!”

      Noah Leaned on the door frame crossing his arms, “You’re Welcome.”

  She looked over to him, “Oh right, yeah, the Braids nice, too.”

      Her hair stylist rolled his eyes. 

  The now happy teen grabbed her friend, before rushing through the hall, “C’mon, let’s go show my brother! Like we have too! He’ll be sooo Jealous, haha”.

  Noah tried to maintain his signature look of disinterest, but he couldn’t help but grin at his obnoxious friend returning to her normal self.