Chapter 2 - CHAPTER TWO

"God!" Noah howled, not speaking to anybody, but to himself. "It's high time I found a job!"

"Perhaps New York wasn't meant for you…" Mr. Cooper retorted, as he appeared suddenly from the dining room.

"Oh, you are here, sir…" Noah whimpered, almost bowing.

"Keep it right there!" Mr. Cooper reverted, his mind clearly rejecting Noah's greeting, and angry, because of the words he heard him say. "Are you reporting me to God, or what? Whatever! Just make sure you secure a job, and shamelessly make your own money, at least for once…"

"Money?!" Noah interrupted him, almost rudely. He was getting frustrated and at that particular time, Lily came in.

"Dad, what's wrong again?" She asked, winking at his father who condemned Noah, whom she so much loved.

"Nothing much, my dear." Mr. Cooper replied to her, as he rolled his eyes disgustedly at Noah. "Just go inside. It's none of your business for now!"

"Lily, please I will…" Noah tried to pass an unspoken message into Lily's mind. Even though she seemed not to understand him, she humbled herself and walked away, leaving a friendly wink at Noah, as she left. "Dad, I am out to the Mall."

"See you later." Mr. Cooper bid her daughter bye, and turning to Noah, he sighed and bent his head. "Do you mean you will tell her my secrets or what?"

"I can't do that, Mr. Cooper!" Noah humbly assured him. "I will never go against my master!"

What Noah said actually calmed Mr. Cooper down, and made him a bit happy, as he puffed off and sat down. "Go with her, but you people must come home early, please." He instructed Noah, and smiled at him.

"I'm grateful, Mr. Cooper!" Noah appreciated the man, returning the smile, his mind still greatly disturbed.

In a few minutes, Mr. Cooper called him back. "Noah, please come!" Noah was already holding Lily's hand, and they had had a quite long conversation, before they suddenly heard Mr. Cooper's voice. Noah was shocked to hear his name, thinking he would be driven back inside.

"Dad needs your attention!" Lily beckoned him humbly. "I'll be waiting for you here."

"Alright, darling!" Noah replied, hurrying inside, only to find Mr. Cooper's face with anger boldly written on it. "I am still around, sir. I heard my name."

"Hold on today." Mr. Cooper instructed him, calming himself down. "I promise, you will follow her next time. Let me go with her, and you stay at home."

"O…" Noah whimpered, very sadly not knowing what to say. "Oo… kay!"

"We'll come back later." Mr. Cooper concluded, as he quickly hung a cap on his head, and walked out.

"Honey!" Lily added, from outside as she viewed Noah through the window. "See you later then. I will text you."

"Alright!" Noah returned, happy to hear the name Lily called him. He braced up and entered the room, after closing the main door. "I wonder why Mr. Cooper will keep a CCTV camera in this house, when there is no thief here. What does he even mean?"

Noah smiled, and took a bottle of chilled milk in the refrigerator, and walked into his room. He scratched his hair and picked up a pen and a jotter. Writing his to-do list would help him, he thought.

He dropped the bottle of milk on his table and started to write out the jobs he saw online. "My phone needs an upgrade by now, gosh!" He exclaimed, reacting to a slightly slow movement of the network of his phone. "Or, does Mr. Cooper need to recharge the Wi-Fi at home…?" He asked himself, laughing as the network was restored again.

Within a few minutes, Noah got bored — the jobs he saw on the site where he surfed were all debasing to him. He yawned and spread out his arms lazily, claiming he was stressed. "But, what have I even done that makes you look dull and tired like this?" He questioned.

Noah picked up his phone, neglected the straw he brought from the refrigerator along with the chilled milk, and held the bottle to his mouth. He dialled Eric's number.

"Hello, man!" He greeted him..

"What's up, buddy?" Eric returned, his voice sounding active, other than before when he felt so sleepy.

"Oh, you are on Hangout?" Noah asked his friend, thinking he must have been getting refreshed in a bar, or a swimming pool.

"Yeah, bro..!" Eric responded loudly and proudly as usual, the sound of his voice unstable, as if he chewed something. "I am at the pool right now. I've got some fun, and popcorn here…"

"Oh, can I come over?" Noah requested.

"No shame, bro?" Eric replied, questioning Noah. He threatened to hang up. "Is there anything reasonable you have in mind to tell me, before I cut the call?!"

Thinking Eric was inebriated and ignoring his response, Noah asked him again. "I can actually come over, may I?"

"Bro, stop this!" Eric shouted at Noah. "I am with my visitors here, don't try to come at all. Don't you remember I often have visitors by this time?"

"Oh, sorry for that." Noah pleaded, deciding to discuss the work issue with him. "So, I found jobs, I mean jobs…"

"You got a job?!" Eric exclaimed, his feet sounding through the call, revealing that he just stood up, surprised to hear what Noah said. "What kind of a job is it, Noah?"

"Many of them…" Noah replied lightly. "I haven't applied for any of them though…"

"Shut it, bro!" Eric rebuffed his response. "I thought you got yourself a job already… Why did you make me even stand? I was amazed…"

"Don't bother." Noah assured Eric, feeling encouraged to apply for a job, on seeing how his friend reacted to his response. "So, I wish one of them drops on my hands, where I will gain silver and gold…"

"Make sure you learn how to cut and share gold whenever it comes!" Eric reverted, laughing almost uncontrollably. Noah took it for mockery immediately, and hung up the call.