The Ghost Of You

1 Year Ago

"Dylan, just one doughnut. C'mon, we're both hungry and so are you! Doughnut, doughnut, doughnut, doughn..."

"Katja, shut up. One doughnut, then I'm going home."

Katja squealed and linked her arm through Dylan's. She pushed her best friend into the warmth of their favourite diner, and steered her to a window seat.

"Me and Chloe will go get the doughnuts, you stay here, okay?" Well, where else was she going to go? Fly out of the window? Highly impractical, Dylan thought, leaning her elbows on the table.

"Um.. can I get you anything?" A voice as smooth as silk asked her and she looked up, and caught herself in the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Just like the ocean, she thought, then shook her head and pointed towards the counter.

"My friends... they're, um... they're getting..." Dylan trailed off and the boy's lips curved into a smile. She felt herself blush furiously. This seemed to make him smile more and Dylan began to get angry.

"What?" she snapped, glaring at the boy. He simply smiled once more, then turned away. Dylan sighed. She was always rude to people, people she didn't even know. Besides, he was only trying to be nice. And she had made a fool of herself. But it was something about that smile; it really got to her. She shivered involuntarily and gazed out of the window.

"Was Rivers just talking to you?" Katja gushed as she hurried over to the table, spilling half of her coffee.

"Who?" Dylan asked, taking a sip of her own.

"Noah Rivers!" she exclaimed, leaning forward.

"What, the guy with blue eyes?"

Katja rolled her eyes. "Dylan! He's not just "the guy with blue eyes!" Don't you think he's gorgeous?"

"Not really," she replied, pulling apart her doughnut. Chloe and Katja both exchanged shocked glances.

"Not really? Dylan! I cannot believe you just said that? I mean, look at him! The way he smiles, his body, his butt!"

They both giggled. She shook her head.

"Your both so immature! I mean, sure he has nice eyes, but that's about it."

"Nice eyes? Is that all you think about? His nice eyes? Christ Dyl, are you fucking kidding me? Every girl in Lakeness is after him!"

"I'm not every girl," Dylan replied, slowly.

"Don't I know it. Your seriously not normal. Oooh, ooh! He's coming over! Act natural!" Dylan raised her eyebrows at them both as they both tried "to act natural." Chloe flicked her blonde hair from her face and wound it round one finger. Katja looked out of the window, like she wasn't interested that the boy was coming over.

"Can I get you gals anything?" he asked. That voice, Dylan thought. That damn voice.

Katja turned her head towards him, smiling slightly.

"Hey Noah."

His screwed up his face. "Please don't call me Noah. Anything but Noah."

"Well, what can we call you?" Chloe asked, her voice syrupy.

"Just like I said. Anything but Noah."

Chloe and Katja giggled. Dylan glared at him. He was just so full of himself.

"How about... Danny?" Katja suggested.

"Or Tommy," Chloe added.

They looked at Dylan.

"What?" she asked.

"What would you call him?" Katja urged.

"I'd call him Noah, because that's what his name is. Anything else would be stupid. If you don't call yourself by your real name, then it's not really you, is it? I mean, just because you don't like your name, doesn't mean people have to call you anything different. Your name is part of who you are."

The two girls looked at her agonised. Dylan gazed back out of the window.

"Excuse her," she heard Chloe say. "She's a bit of a geek. But, she is our friend, so we kind of... put up with her."

Dylan looked round and glared at Chloe.

"For God's sake, Chloe, get over yourself. He's not going to go out with you, okay? And if he does, then God help him. He probably flirts with every girl he sees."

Noah was staring at her, a look of hurt on his face.

"I'm not like that, okay? I'm sorry if I came across like that, but I'm not... I'm..." He trailed off, then turned away and walked towards the kitchen.

"Fuck, he's really upset now! Dylan, why did you say that?" Katja asked her, glancing towards the kitchen.

"Because it's true. He probably puts on that face everytime a girl says something like that to him. And he expects someone stupid like you to go check on him afterwards. Your so stupid Kat."

And with that, she stood up and headed towards the door. Just as she was leaving, she caught a glimpse of Noah. He caught her eye and grinned. Angrily, she slammed the door shut and headed for home.