“So…” She arched an eyebrow.
“This is totally hypothetical, okay?” Noah said, bringing his knees to his chest.
“Okay.” Trine looked at him expectantly.
“So, this kid at school…” He bit the inside of his cheek. He’d been practicing this speech in his room, but now the words were all jumbled in his head and wouldn’t come out. “There’s a kid at school that says he… h-he touched a girl down there and also did other things... you know?” His entire face heated, but he tried to keep his composure. He had questions that needed answers. “The thing is—”
“Wait, what?” Trine screeched, blinking fast several times as if she’d just returned to Earth after being abducted by aliens and her brain was functioning with delay. “Have you had sex? Oh my god, we haven’t even hadthe talk!” She facepalmed herself. “Tell me you used a condom, please.”
“Mom!” Noah scolded, embarrassed like never before.
“What? Safety’s always first.”
“Forget I said anything.”
Noah was about to get up, but Trine stopped him, grabbing his arm and pulling him down again. “Hey, come on. Tell me what’sgoing on. Okay, you didn’t have sex, but do you want to? Is that it?”
He rolled his eyes, exasperated. “I’m too young for that.”
“I was your age when—never mind. Yes, you’re too young.”
Noah narrowed his eyes at his mother. One didn’t have to be Einstein to know the age at which she got pregnant with him. Two plus two made fouror, in this case, thirty-two minus thirteen made nineteen. So, he knew what she was going to say, but she dodged it, and he let her. It wasn’t like he wanted to discuss her sexcapades.
“If you haven’t done anything and you’re not at that point yet, what is this all about then?” she continued.
Mom had always treated everything related to the human body and its needs like the most natural thing in the world, but it was mortifying talking to her about it. Still, he had no one else with real experience to ask.
“I’m... Is it weird that I don’t like girls?”
“I’ve already told you it’s okay to like boys. Or both. It’s not something we can choose.”
Noah swallowed the lump in his throat, unsure why that statement shook his insides. “What about... neither?”
“That’s okay, too. But, hmm... Sorry, honey, I’m not sure I’m following. What is it you really wanna know?”
“I think there’s something wrong with me. Maybe? I don’t know. Everyone is already talking about kissing and dating, and I just... I feel like I’m left behind because I don’t care about any of that. I just wanna go to the beach and talk crap with the guys like we always do.” Noah looked down at his fidgeting hands.
“Hey,” Trine called, touching his cheek tenderly. “There’snothingwrong with you, you hear me?” Their gazes locked when he raised his head. “We all have our own timelines for that. And even if you never experience it the same as your friends, you’re still okay. Physical and emotional attraction, and the need toexpress ourselves through it, just like everything else in life; it’s different for everyone.”
“So, you think I’ll find someone in the future?”
“If that’s what your heart wants, I’m sure you will. I mean, look at this face.” Trine squeezed his cheeks between her palms. “You’re ridiculously pretty, smart, fun, and caring. Anyone would be lucky to have you in their life.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re my mom.”
“That may be part of it, but you’re still the cutest,” she said, letting him go. “Anyway,the talk...”
“Oh, come on, Mom! No,” Noah protested.
“You’re the one who opened that door, not gonna let my chance escape. So, get comfy and listen.”
And boy, did she give himthe talk.
The next three months passed without much fanfare, except for Kaj. His dad finally married, so he legally had a stepmom and stepbrother now, which meant they all lived together at the Larsens’. Jesper spent most of the year in the on-campus housing, coming over some weekends when he didn’t want to do his laundry and during breaks, but Kaj still felt overwhelmed with so many people at home. Which was more than understandable since it’d been just the two of them for years.
On top of that, today was his fourteenth birthday. This time, however, they didn’t stay in their backyard alone with the promise of the best pancakes in the world the next morning. They went to their secret spot at the beach with girls.Girls.
The atmosphere was perfect, with the sun setting and the bonfire crackling on the sand. Soft rock music was playing in the background, accompanied by the sound of waves grazing theshore. The bittersweet taste of toasted marshmallows and beer blended on their tongues—their parents had allowed them to try it, buying one Tuborg per kid. And, although they were coming to pick them up later, for the first time, there was no adult supervision. Yet Noah wasn’t happy. But since it was his best friend’s day, he kept his mouth shut, focusing on the strings of his guitar while the rest of them blatantly flirted with each other. It was annoying with this redhead trying to hit on him, but it was even more so with Anna getting all touchy with Kaj.
