BooksBarbecue
Back The Infinite Noise
Chapters (70)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  69. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  70. Newsletter Sign-up
  1. “Can’t Feel My Face”—The Weeknd (I don’t know if you even realize you’re doing it, but you mouth along with the words every time this song comes on.)
  2. “Hard Out Here”—Lily Allen (yeah, yeah, it’s a girly song, but Lily speaks true.)
  3. “Here”—Alessia Cara (I don’t think anyone has ever described so well what it’s like to party with our classmates. At least, I assume, I don’t know; you’re the one who actually gets invited, you tell me.)
  4. “Strawberry Swing”—Frank Ocean (I know you love Coldplay, but trust me—once you hear this, you’ll never go back to the original.)
  5. “Grade 8”—Ed Sheeran (idk, this song just reminds me of you.)
  6. “Water Under the Bridge”—Adele (all hail Adele—this is my favorite off her new album.)
  7. “You’re Not the Only One”—Jamie Cullum (words to live by.)
  8. “Super Trouper”—ABBA (I’ll always be in the crowd in spirit.)

The whole thing is just the most Adam thing that Adam has ever done. He was nice to listen to me complain about how team bus rides drive me up the wall (without a concrete explanation for why) but he didn’t need to come up with a solution for it. And he definitely didn’t need to write out the songs on the playlist and give his reasoning, but that’s just who he is. It’s well thought out and explained, sentimental but also snarky—reading it is like feeling his feelings. Like feeling his best feelings—the times when he’s laughing at me or talking about the book he’s reading or … or looking at me.

I move from the notebook paper to look at my phone, pulling up the texts we exchanged after I first listened to the mix.

So … do you like the mix?

You have the weirdest music taste I s2g

What do you mean? Most of it is songs I KNOW you like.

ABBA???? Really??? ABBA???

… okay, yeah, the ABBA was all me.

But you liked it right?

Caleb?

Yeah of course I fucking liked it. It’s abba.

Don’t tell the team.

Your secret is safe with me.

… super trouper.

Ur a dead man.

Reading over the texts, my heart does that stupid thing again where it spasms and it sort of hurts but it also makes me feel energized and nervous, like the way I feel before a big game. Are we flirting? Is that what’s happening? I think I might be. Ever since that moment at our lunch bench after our fight, there’s like a neon sign inside of me saying, “You like him!! He makes you feel the butterflies!! You want to kiss him!!”