Page 34 of Pages of Amber
Amber laughed and obliged her friend. They settled in as the movie began to play. The boys stayed quiet at the start, munching on the pizza but fifteen minutes in, Emmett had leaned forward and Noah couldn’t pull his eyes off the screen. The room in silence as they fixated on the movie,
Amber leaned back on the couch, her eyes cantering over everyone, her arm resting against Evelyn’s.
She thought she had felt free when she’d been dancing alone at the studio, but amongst them, she was so much more at ease. The comfortable silence replicated the one in her mind and heart. She allowed herself to revel in the simplicity of the moment.
It was the first time she’d felt free in a long time.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE LIBRARY DOORS WERE slightly ajar, sending a cool draft from the air conditioning that tickled her legs.
Even days after the interesting weekend that featured her visit to Noah’s home, she still considered it a kind of out of body experience. She and Evelyn had brainstormed all week on new ways to engage Noah with the students. Evelyn had offered to come over but with her mom packing up to leave for a trip, she hadn’t wanted to spring any surprises or new friends.
Amber stepped into the library and shut the door soundlessly behind her. A huge oak wood desk bearing the school crest greeted her, its seat unoccupied. On the wall beside it was a mounted TV, the screen displaying their interview with the Press club.
It had been on constant replay the whole week.
The staff loved it. The students ate it up. The amount of reception it had gotten was crazy. Noah had been approached by so many students who said they loved the interview or wanted to talk to him about some of the points he’d made. A few of the junior girls had started a Noah Rhodes fan girl club. Noah had been looking over his shoulder the past few days, attempting to dodge their squeals when they saw him.
She’d tried to be the middleman when she saw his struggle at being the focus of attention. She backed him up at important cues in conversation, helped him write down a few student reports and steered him away from the adoring fan girls. Those were his least favorite and the temptation to leave him to their mercy just once was a daily battle.
“The Press club wants to apply for addition of new equipment. We’ve been doing well enough to expand. What do you think?” Kael asked.
“I think it’s an incredible idea. You give your time, effort and skill into keeping us informed about local events, the school curriculum and important matters around us. We rely on the Press club and you always deliver. It’s amazing that what I see here isn’t just a club, but a family.”
It was safe to say there had been a few misty eyes in the room. Kael had taken a pause, his eyes wide and smile even wider. He looked behind the camera for a moment.
“Thank you, Noah. On behalf of myself and the entire club, we’re happy our efforts aren’t in vain.” He segued into another topic. “We’ve all heard about the recently damaged History section of the library. A lot of us need those textbooks daily. How are we going to fix this issue?”
Noah nodded, his hair swishing with the movement as though responding to the frown now on his face. His hand flexed on the table like he was resisting the urge to run it through his hair. “The damage was caused by a rust in one of the water pipes no one was aware of,” he started. “It’s upsetting but the school staff have been on top of the situation.”
He paused for a moment. “It would also be helpful if we could get current recommendations of history titles from students. The books can be included in the order and will be shelved for everyone when they arrive. History is an important part of the…”
“That boy’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
Amber jerked her eyes from the screen, suddenly aware she wasn’t alone. Mrs. Filch, the school librarian stared at the screen, her silver streaked hair framing an aging face and her eyes hidden behind the gold rimmed spectacles she had on. It was common knowledge that Noah spent a lot of time in the library, but over the past few weeks, Amber has seen it for herself. Whenever they met up after school for lessons or to browse literature texts, he hung back to stock new books, organize the shelves or replace the books students left on the tables. No wonder Mrs. Filch adored him when she liked to scowl at everyone else.
The older woman scrutinized her from head to toe. “You’re the one who got him in front of the screen, aren’t you?”
“Y-yes. It might have taken some convincing.”
“Good,” Mrs. Filch groused. “He needs to do more than sit in this room for hours.”
“He is the school’s top student. Doesn’t that show the hours of studying are paying off?”
The librarian scoffed. “He’s young. He has years of studying ahead of him. A bit of fresh air and scenery won’t kill the boy.”
She turned back to the screen and Amber did too. She was in the frame now, answering Kael’s question. Digital Amber leaned forward, her hand on Noah’s shoulder as she redirected the question to him. She looked his way but he was already staring at her. Noah kept his gaze steady on her as he answered. Real Amber recalled the fluttery feeling that went through her then.
Which was ridiculous.
He had simply been answering her question. It was only polite that he faced her while doing that. So why couldn’t she calm the butterflies in her stomach? She tightened her hands against her binder, unwilling to head deeper into that line of questioning. “Bye, Mrs. Filch.”
Amber took the stairs to the second floor of the library, her feet leading her to the table she and Noah had used as a meeting point since the first day. Whispers caught her attention as she drew closer to the table. Evelyn was there, leaning over Noah’s shoulder as he scribbled in a notebook. He’d once again discarded his uniform jacket over the seat, his sleeves rolled to his elbows. The bell signaling the end of the day hadn’t rung more than twenty minutes ago. It was like he was allergic to his uniform.
Emmett spotted her first. He was in the seat opposite Noah and Evelyn, his chair pushed on its hind legs as he munched on a chocolate bar. A little smudge had gotten on his cheek. “Our missing link is here,” he announced around a mouthful.
“Hi guys,” she greeted.
