Excerpt: Nothing Left To Give

Tyler took the seat next to Noah and noticed that they were the only two in the compartment who sat anywhere near someone else. As soon as Tyler had sat down, Noah had pressed up against him, a move that was more or less a subconscious one that he had picked up as soon as he learned that he could, indeed, trust Tyler. Tyler liked the silent need that his best friend showed off. He poked his little friend, who still didn't look old enough to be in the grade that he was. "What are you listening to, Kiwi-face?"

The nickname had been picked up about two years ago when in lunch one day, Emily, that pretty little girl who never stopped complaining about Tyler being friends with a snot nosed brat like Noah, got fed up and chucked a kiwi at Noah's head. The fruit bounced off, knocking Noah down backwards off the lunch bench and throwing Tyler into an insane fit of giggles. Tyler had calmed down enough to reach out a hand and help Noah up, at the same time saying, "You okay, Kiwi Face?" It had stuck. It also lead to Tyler being kicked in the shin for laughing and being called a snot. That name had also stuck and now they were just terms of endearment used towards, or maybe even possibly against, each other.

"Tchaikovski." Noah had the strangest taste in music. While Tyler would listen to any of that new and popular pop rock that was in style, Noah would be conducting a small orchestra inside of his mind. Their taste in music was just another way of showing just how different thery were from each other and yet how tolerant they could be. Tyler wouldn't admit it out loud, as he constantly teased Noah for it, but he secretly liked the music his friend almost constantly had playing in the background of his room. It was just something that he had grown accustomed to over the years and wouldn't change for the world, not that he would be picking up a Bethoven CD anytime soon.

"You are such a little dork, Kiwi-face."

"Snot."

"Still a dork."

"Is this seat taken?" A pretty little thing, probably just about the same size as Noah, walked up to the two boys and pointed to the bench across from them, which faced them. She was very obviously from a Irish descent. Ginger red hair and big green eyes that just gave the girl a very inquisitive look about her. It was an adorable little look that drew both Noah and Tyler right in.

"Go right ahead, doll." Tyler winked at the girl, thinking he was being suave. She just laughed and took the seat. She was definetly cute and obviously from a money oriented family. Even the way she lowered herself into the seat suggested as such. But, it could already be seen, that just like Noah, the money in her family didn't go straight to her head. If it had, she would have went to any of the other seats in the compartment and, like the rest of the people there, would have been shooting the two best of friends the most dirty looks for talking above what they would have considered a decent voice range. The others on the train were obviously when everyone in grade school had thought Noah was. Wouldn't they all be surprised to see just how wrong they all were?

"You guys are funny. I could hear you before I entered the compartment and just knew that you would be the most fun that I would get on the train ride." She smiled a brilliantly white smile at them. Definetly a cute girl.

"W-W-Well.." Noah tried to pitch in on the conversation happening around him, but his anxiety got the best of him.

Thankfully, Tyler was so attuned to Noah that he knew exactly when to speak up and interrupt his friend to stop him from completely embarassing himself. "Well, you are more then welcome to join in and have fun with us." Another wink was thrown. Tyler had always been an amazing flirt. Girls just kinda... went for him. It didn't hurt that he was still extremely good looking and getting more so with age and as he progressively got taller. Noah always thought that he was a good little thing to keep by Tyler's side. He was sure of the fact that he helped Tyler to look better. And he was always willing to help his best friend, especially in that department. Noah was vicariously living through Tyler and his dating experiences, which was perfectly okay with him as he had no interest in dating at the moment.

Noah's response was to just sit back and nod in agreance with Tyler. He made the perfect little sidekick.

"Thanks." She sent a strange look towards Noah who didn't seem to be able to talk for himself. He seemed to have been doing fine before she came into the compartment though. She really didn't want to assume that it was her that was making him clam up the way he was, though it was a flattering idea, to be sure. A definite confidence booster, true or not. She shook her head and smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names besides Kiwi Face and Snot, which I hope to whatever higher deity there is, that those aren't your real names. I would have to say that your parents had a sick sense of humor." She directed this towards Noah, who she actually wanted to get talking just to make sure that he actually could and that it hadn't been her imagination before.

"I-I'm Noah. A-And th-that's Tyler." It was easier to speak when he didn't have to look at her and realize that she was actually there. Talking to all people outside of his family and Tyler was much easier when he wasn't looking directly at them, even if he still couldn't make the stuttering go away completely. He still talked faster and was able to be understood at the same time. That was a bit of progress considering how he was just a few years ago in fifth grade.

"Awesome names. Not overly unique, but not your everyday name either. I approve. Your parents get an A plus." She smiled that dazzling smile that Noah couldn't help but look up for. "I'm Angelique, but you can call me Angie."

"Nice. And were not brothers, just friends." Tyler piped in.

And to make things worse, Noah came in with, "You have a pretty smile. You must take very good care of your teeth and go to your dentist appointments every six months religiously." Hey, at least he didn't stutter while saying it. That was certainly a plus.