Don’t We Belong?
Christoffer Schistad’s foot nervously taps away against the wooden flooring outside Noora Sætre’s room. He runs his hands through his hair, not believing that he’s actually going to do this. Why does he care? He pats his navy blue, bomber jacket and black t-shirt, before checking the pockets of his jeans for his phone. It’s to help divert himself from the stress of the situation at hand.
Before he has any time to retreat or think over what he’s going to say, Noora opens this door. Noora, clearly not expecting Chris to ever show up at her home, is stunned, her eyes wide and a crisp look of confusion coating her face. She opens her mouth, cocking her head in front, trying to seem calm.
Just do it, Chris encourages himself as he twiddles with his fingers. “I need to talk to you!” he blurts out, thinking that it’s best to rip off the bandaid.
Noora sighs, her shoulders relaxing. “If this is about William, I am –”
“It’s about Eva,” Chris interrupts, standing there.
Without him having to explain himself, Noora already knows what he’s come to talk about Eva for. She offers him a soft, sympathetic smile, before stepping back and motioning for him to come into her room.
Chris takes a deep breath, nodding his head, then walking in. As he passes her, he mumbles a ‘thank you’. Chris looks around, lost, not knowing how to continue this.
However, Noora helps him about my gesturing for him to sit down on the plush rug with her. Next, knowing that this man is stressed more than ever, Noora pours tea out from her teapot into two cups. Silently, with an encouraging smile, she hands a cup to Chris, who’s sitting cross-legged in front of her, just like her.
Once again, he says a ‘thank you’ and Noora knows that this politeness has come from Eva’s doing. She probably forced it into the man.
“So?” Noora starts, wanting him to open up about what he’s thinking, instead of her just telling him.
Chris gulps, avoiding her gaze. And the images and the things he’s heard and seen come rushing back to him. Promptly, he sets the cup onto the floor before looking up at Noora.
“I can’t be what Eva wants me to be,” he confesses. “I can’t be that perfect boyfriend for her.” Noora’s expression turns to one of sympathy as she tilts her head to the side. Noora has a confiding vibe to her, allowing Chris to fluently open up to her.
“I don’t know what we are. But what I know is that we only ever make out with each other, sleep with only each other. Sometimes, on good days. she’ll make me breakfast or it’s me,” Chris hurriedly explains, clearly frightened by giving too much of his feelings away. But the bottle of feelings has been tipped and lid is lost. “I drive her to or back from school and she hangs out at my place on the weekends. I’ll accompany her for dinner and we’ll go exploring the streets of Oslo if a party isn’t what we’re looking for.”
Noora takes a sip of her tea, trying to formulate a response that will comfort him. However, he goes on.
“But I heard Vilde say that her and this boy -”
“Adam,” Noora quietly fills in, giving him that extra piece of information.
“Yeah. Evan and Adam are cute. Other people say that they’ve become close. . I guess what I really want to ask you is. . . Does Eva have feelings for him?”
And Noora’s heart breaks. Never has she ever seen Chris Schistad open up to anyone. . he may have to Eva, but this is new. And, therefore, it helps her understand that the idea of ‘Eva and Adam’ really bothers Chris. Most importantly, it tells Noora that Christoffer cares very much for Eva. And in the romantic away.
Noora speaks up, “You need to talk to her, Chris. I cannot speak on her behalf.”
Chris looks at Noora, a little infuriated by her response. However, realisation hits him and he ducks his head, then nods in understanding.
Chris gets up, thanking Noora for the help, before opening the room’s door. However, Noora stops him when the door has been opened up halfway. “Christoffer, whatever you do, make sure you do what feels right? Okay? And don’t hurt Eva in the process.”
Chris, without even looking at her, nods before leaving.
-
That night, Chris gathered his courage and invited Eva to a park they’ve visited together, frequently, for eating, before Eva leaves to go party.
Chris sits on the bench of the bench, arriving sharply at five minutes to nine, at night.
He goes over all the things he can possibly tell her, all the ways he can express himself without making her mad. He goes over all the ways he can stay calm when she brings up Adam’s name. . which he’s more than sure she will.
After all, she finally found someone to love.
“Schistad, you alright?” Eva’s bubbly voice calls, from a few metres away. Chris snaps his head in time to see her arrive at the bench and then take a seat.
He smiles weakly at her, before diverting his attention to passing her a sandwich and a beer. Eva thanks him, grinning, before turning to face him, and propping her elbow onto the back rest of the park bench. She’s wearing a dark blue flannel and white t-shirt, which has been tucked into her pair of high-waisted jeans, which have been tightened by a black belt.
Chris catches the way she shudders, so he begins to shuffle asking, “Why didn’t you wear a coat?”
Eva shrugs, “I’m going to a party and then I’ll be warm. I’d forget to take my coat back home.”
Chris shakes his head, before draping his dark blue, winter coat over her. “Better?” he asks, softly.
Eva’s fingers pull his coat closer, but then she’s lost in his eyes. He’s staring at her with such gentleness that it captivates her. There’s a softness to his features that Eva has noticed a few times before, but until now, she never realised what it was. They’re close to each other.
And Chris looks like he wants to kiss her right then and there.
But Chris snaps out of his trance and shakes his head, to compose himself.
“I - uh –” Just ask her already, Chris! Being subtle, he shudders, asking, “Who - Who’re you going with?”
Eva’s mouth breaks into a teasing grin as she looks at him. She cocks her head to the side, playfully asking, “You concerned I won’t be safe?” Chris chuckles at that. He wants to reply ‘yes’ but for his ego he also wants to say ‘no’. Eva takes care of that problem for him, when she adds, “Noora isn’t coming and Vilde, Sana and Chris are going to come late but I have to leave early so Adam’s taking me.”
Chris opens his mouth to say something but then doesn’t. He sighs, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He buries his head in his hands, as he takes a deep breath.
Eva chews her bite slowly, as she inspects him. “You alright?”
Right as she finishes her question, Chris sits up right, quickly questioning, “You and Adam?”
Eva puckers her lower lip, asking, “Me and Adam?”
The tone of her voice tells Chris that she doesn’t understand what he’s asking. He’s already done damage, might as well go through with this. “You guys a thing, now?”
Eva’s eyes widen in disbelief as it sinks in. Then she chuckles humourlessly, getting up and throwing her sandwich onto the bench. “So this is why you called me out here? Hm? Because you don’t want me to do anything with Adam?” Her arms are crossed over her chest, giving evidence of her unhappiness.
Chris gets up as well, his anger building up. “Well, have you?”
“Fuck you, Schistad!” Eva replies, confidently, not missing a beat.
“You have!” Chris fights back, weakly. All he is is scared. Fuck, he thinks to himself, understanding what that means: he doesn’t want to lose Eva Mohn.
“I don’t know if you know this Chris, but we’re not a couple. Nor are you my father. So, you don’t get to go around and disapprove the boys I hang out with, alright? I don’t give a flying fuck if it hurts your ego!” Eva says. Her heart stings at her words.
Chris looks at her, a sudden confidence covering his face. Shit, Eva thinks, oh, shit, he’s about to argue real good.
“Not a couple?” Chris chuckles, just like Eva had moments ago. He takes a small step closer to her. “Okay, what about you sleeping at my house? What about us going out for lunch and dinner together? What about you not running away the next morning?”
“Stop,” Eva says through gritted teeth, as she momentarily closes her eyes.
Chris shakes his head, just as she opens her eyes, sensing he’s taken another step towards her. Now, he’s standing chest to chest. His hand, sneakily, grabs hold of hers. “What do you call staying up late to talk to each other, until one of us falls asleep? What about hanging out and kissing?”
“Don’t do this, Chris,” Eva pleads, her voice cracking.
“What do you call holding hands and going for strolls?” Chris desperately asks. Sighing, he finalises how this is going to work out. “Tell me you like him and not me and I’ll go away.”
“Chris,” Eva objects, getting impossibly close to him, her hand now wrapping around his tightly. She takes a shaky breath, before tilting her head to look at him. “I love you,” she confesses, then brings her free hand to cup his cheek. Chris’s eyes widen at her words as his heart skips a few beats. His stomach erupts and the jitters consume him. Eva giggles. “I love you so God damn much, Christoffer.”
Chris’s mouth hesitantly breaks into a grin. Then they laugh and he crashes his lips against hers. They laugh into their kiss, happy that they finally figured this out. Whatever they were.
But now . . now, they’re dating. They’re in love.
