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Back The Infinite Noise Save as PDF
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

“Sweetie.” My mom laughs, putting the plate down and walking toward me. She grips my shoulders, turning me to face her. “We’re just trying to say that we’re happy for you. Friend or whatever else, Caleb seems great. And we’re really happy that you have someone.”

“Whatever,” I groan, wanting to squirm away, but my mother has a vise grip.

“Happy birthday, my love.” She smiles, loosening her hold on me to touch my hairline softly.

“Thanks, Mom,” I say. My dad turns off the sink and joins the love fest, and the more I try to get away from them, the more they hold on until we’re in a truly horrifying group hug situation. When I finally get free, I give them both icy stares.

“I am so going to over to Caleb’s next weekend,” I threaten. “He’s never coming here again.”

36

CALEB

Something is wrong.

I’m sitting in math, trying as hard as I can to block out Tyler’s self-loathing and Moses’s self-pitying and focus on the board, but suddenly there’s a siren in my head. Something is wrong and it’s wrong with Adam.

“Ms. Ramirez?” I put up my hand. “Can I have the bathroom pass?”

Ramirez doesn’t even pause in her explanation of tangents, simply waving her hand in a “sure, go ahead” gesture. I run up to grab the clipboard and rush out the door.

I know it’s Adam. I could recognize his anger and fear anywhere. Even though our connection is strong, and even stronger now that I’m actively thinking about him every second of every day, there are still parts of the school day when I don’t feel him. Math is one of those times—Adam has a free period when I have math, so sometimes he wanders far and sometimes he’s just in his little library nook working and his emotions are quiet enough that I lose the connection. But the spike of adrenaline I just felt is definitely his.

Without me actively making the decision, my feet are carrying me through the hallways in the direction of the feeling. The anger grows stronger and stronger—a powerful, deep blue wave—and I round a corner to find its source. Adam. Squaring off with Bryce. Again.

What an idiot.

“God, Bryce, what’s your damage?” Adam groans and I can hear the eye roll even if I’m too far away to see it. He’s full to the brim with false confidence—there’s too much jittery fear for the confidence to be anything but false—and I stifle the impulse to run to him, grab him by the legs, and throw him over my shoulder.

“I’ll damage you.” Bryce takes a step toward Adam in a way that I do not like at all. There’s sharp-edged sludge cutting up my insides so bad I can barely move.