Love

The next day, Noah decided to skip school again. It was Friday, and he wasn't in the mood to face anyone, especially Maiya or Henry. Since tomorrow was Saturday, he figured an extra day off wouldn't hurt.

As expected, no one in the house questioned him about staying home. His mom was busy cleaning the house, his dad had already left for work, and Henry was off to school. Michael, however, decided to skip school as well, purely because Noah was skipping.

Their mom wasn't thrilled at first. "Absolutely not," she said, scrubbing the living room floor.

"Come on, Mom, just for today! Please?" Michael whined, practically begging.

"No, Michael. You're already falling behind as it is," she replied firmly.

"Mom, I swear I'll catch up on everything over the weekend," Michael pleaded.

Their mom sighed, shaking her head. "Fine, but if you don't clean your room or help me with chores today, you're grounded for the rest of the weekend. Understood?"

"Understood!" Michael said with a wide grin, running upstairs before she could change her mind.

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Noah was in his room later that day, sitting at his desk and staring at his sketchpad. He had been trying to draw something—anything—but every time he put his pencil to paper, his mind wandered back to Maiya and her harsh words: *You're a lost cause.*

Frustrated, he threw the pencil onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. That's when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, followed by a knock on his door.

"Can I come in?" Michael's voice called out.

"The door's unlocked," Noah replied without looking up.

"Nope, not falling for that again," Michael said. "Last time I opened the door, you tackled me."

"That's because I thought you were Henry," Noah muttered.

Michael snorted. "Yeah, well, I'm not taking any chances. Open it yourself."

With a groan, Noah got up and opened the door. Michael pushed past him and flopped onto the bed like he owned the place.

"What do you want?" Noah asked, already annoyed.

"I need your help," Michael said, grinning.

"Let me guess—you're failing math again, and you need me to do your homework."

Michael shook his head. "Nope. This isn't about math. This is about something way more important."

"Like what?"

"Love," Michael said dramatically.

Noah blinked, trying to process what he just heard. "Come again?"

Michael sat up straight, his grin widening. "I'm in love."

"With who? Some girl in your class?"

Michael shook his head. "Nah. She's 17."

"What the fu—"

"Let me explain!" Michael interrupted, holding up his hand. "So yesterday, I saw this girl coming out of that girls-only high school near ours. She was perfect, Noah. Like, drop-dead gorgeous. And—get this—she gave me a lollipop!"

Noah raised an eyebrow. "So you fell in love because she gave you candy?"

"It wasn't just the candy," Michael said, looking offended. "It was the way she smiled when she handed it to me. She said, 'Here you go, kiddo.' It was like… destiny."

"Destiny?" Noah repeated, unimpressed.

Michael nodded eagerly. "I haven't stopped thinking about her since. I even dreamed about us getting married."

Noah groaned, rubbing his temples. "Jesus Christ, Michael. Please tell me you're joking."

Michael ignored him. "So here's the plan: You're going to find her, ask for her number, and then give it to me. I'll pretend to be you when I text her. Simple, right?"

Noah stared at him, utterly baffled. "That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard."

"It's genius!" Michael said, throwing his hands in the air. "Think about it—she's more likely to give her number to someone closer to her age, like you. And once I've got it, I'll take it from there."

Noah sighed. "And what happens if she figures out you're not me?"

"She won't," Michael said confidently. "I'm a master of disguise."

Before Noah could respond, Michael added, "But there's one major flaw in the plan."

"What is it?"

Michael smirked. "Do you seriously think she'd give you her number?"

Noah froze, his face turning red. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, no offense," Michael said with a straight face, "but look at yourself. You're not exactly boyfriend material."

"That's it. Get out," Noah snapped, pointing to the door.

"Relax, I'm just kidding!" Michael said, throwing a pillow at him. "You're totally handsome and charming or whatever."

"Do you want my help or not?" Noah asked, glaring at him.

"You're my only hope, so yeah," Michael said with a shrug.

Noah sighed. "Fine. But if this goes sideways, it's on you."

Michael grinned triumphantly. "Deal!"

From downstairs, their mom called out, "What's all that noise up there? Michael, are you bothering Noah again?"

"No, Mom!" Michael yelled back. Then he turned to Noah and whispered, "You're the best, bro. I owe you big time."

Noah rolled his eyes, already regretting his decision.

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