11: Quilts: Katie and Noah

Let it be said that the only number Noah willingly received from the cast of "Total Drama" was Katie. Yes, even Izzy's he took with mild disinterest. But Katie, well, she was different. He didn't even know why he cared he got her number, he just did.

The only problem was she lived halfway across the country, making it impossible to actually get together with her. They texted daily though, and if his parents bothered to notice, they would see he was actually happy for the first time in, like, forever. At least, that's what it felt like.

But eventually, texting wasn't enough. Neither was Skype. Katie agreed that this long-distance friendship just wasn't cutting it. He wanted to watch her play basketball, dance, sing in her high school's choir, or just be involved in her life. She talked about going for coffee with him, and while she never said a date, he wanted it to be.

So, during Spring break, Noah did the first bold thing he ever had in his life. He packed a bag, told his parents he was taking a trip, then left on a plane for Nevada. He arrived at her door that night, and when she opened it, he didn't think he'd ever seen someone smile as wide as she did or hug him as tightly.

That week was the best he could remember in a long time. They went for coffee, to the movies, to her nana's for Sunday dinner, everywhere she could think. Noah even got to see her dance in a recital on the last day of his trip. Although they never labelled the outings as dates, they didn't need to. Even her mom called them dates, and the single mother was usually busy trying to keep a roof over their heads to notice something subtle.

On the last day as they waited for his plane, Katie placed her hand over Noah's and gave it a squeeze. "We'll do this again." It wasn't a question. She had every intention of this not being the last of them. He liked her confidence. It made up for his sarcasm.

When his flight was called, he stood up to leave, but before she let him, she tilted her head and kissed him. It was his first kiss, since Noah didn't count Coney Scrimshaw from third grade. It felt like everything around him stopped moving and suddenly he was spinning in circles in a daze. When it ended, he didn't want to go on that plane. He wanted to get back in her ma's car, go back and help her make dinner then watch some movies. His life at home was dull, boring, without colour. Everything here was bright and he liked it, he really did. He liked her.

But Noah got on the plane and went home with the knowledge that he'd see her again. Over the summer, she came to his house this time. His parents were disinterested in getting to know Katie which shouldn't have angered him as much as it did, seeing as that was how his parents were. Didn't they want to know everything about Katie? Weren't they proud of their son for finding someone like her, someone good and nice and sweet? No, of course not, why should they be?

Summer went by much too fast though. Soon it was their senior year and they were separated which was slowly killing him inside. That was why he secretly bought a plane ticket for Nevada for Christmas. His parents knew, but they already planned to go on a cruise so they were alright with it. That and Noah was eighteen. He could make his own choices.

So once school was out, he got on the plane and surprised Katie with a bracelet as a Christmas gift. When she opened the door, she literally leapt at him, latching her arms and legs around him. The guy wasn't exactly muscular, but he could hold her up, and man he had been waiting for months for that.

Noah left his cool demeanor at the door and molded back into her family with ease. She celebrated Christmas Eve with her nana, and as expected, Noah was invited. The house was tiny, so wading through Katie's aunts, uncles, and cousins were straining, but he managed. They all asked him what he was going to do with his life, and the only sure thing he could answer with was, "something with Katie in it." That sold him to his aunts and female cousins. The men were more protective. Noah heard all about their hunting expeditions, the weapons they kept clean and ready at all times, the list went on. He wasn't really terrified; after all, he lasted through "Total Drama". He could handle threats from well-meaning family members.

Dinner was fantastic. He repeatedly said so and asked Katie to teach him some things over the break. What, so he liked to cook, big deal! After a while, he ran out of things to read at home so he took up cook books.

Anyhow, while he was squished between a third cousin and Katie, Noah felt something warm in his chest. Like something was . . . growing inside him. 'I am not the Grinch.' Well, not anymore he wasn't.

As tradition, Christmas gifts were opened that night. To his surprise, Noah had gifts. Katie he expected, but not her mother or nana. They gave him a mystery book and a hat. Katie's though, Katie's was special. He knew she sewed, but he never expected her to quilt a blanket for him. It was soft, like a blanket you'd find in a baby's cradle, and had big blocks of red and blue, his favourite colours. He had to restrain himself from kissing her full on the lips in front of the crowd.

Eventually, after Christmas carols were sung horribly off key, people began to head home. Katie usually was the last to leave because her mother liked to go pray for her dead father and husband with her mother in the back room. This left Noah the perfect opportunity to make use of the quilt. He spread out on the couch with Katie at his side and spread the quilt over them. As they lay there, he sighed contently.

"This is the best Christmas ever," he mumbled.

Katie giggled. "I agree. You better come back next year. Nana will be disappointed if you don't."

Noah smirked. "Yeah, not like you'd miss me or anything."

"Heaven's no," she played along. Snow fell outside, the fire roared, and Noah, well, he was happy. And that was saying a lot.