Just Another Outcast

Chapter 4: Friends?

***Noah POV***

After meeting Annette, I couldn't help but think we would be friends. At least I would have someone to talk to for the summer, and when school starts. Especially considering nobody else at the party had an interest in meeting me.

Andrew, Annette's twin brother, told others i was their new neighbor but we said nothing other than hello. I wasn't making friends very easily, so I guess I needed someone like Annette to help me out with being new and everything.

We learned a lot about each other yesterday, at the party. We talked about school and our families and random things like our favorite colors and food and what we liked to do . She likes mint green, which kind of suits her. Kind and light-hearted, but shy and quiet. Her favorite food was chicken tacos, and she ate them a lot I heard. She likes to read and listen to music, and she likes photography and sitting by the ocean water.

I learned that her best friend Emily lived in my new house, and moved away. Annette missed her lots, which I can understand. She didn't say anything about any other friends, and I didn't have any friends either to talk about. I didn't have any friends anyways.

We moved a lot because of many reasons, none of them being exactly great. We've moved five times in the last seven years, due to me getting bullied, my mom losing her job, abuse, or when my mom got pregnant. My past has kind of been horrid, and I really didn't like talking about it. Good thing Annette didn't bring it up at all.

*** flashback ***

I heard the front door close with a really loud bang, and then some yelling. I couldn't hear what he said exactly, but slightly after he stopped screaming, I heard a crash. I was in the bathroom, only a hallway down from the front door, so I silently opened the door.

The next thing I knew, my mother was on the kitchen floor, holding her jaw in pain.

She had tears brimming in her eyes and my father was right above her, holding a clenched fist. His teeth were clenched, and his eyes showed anger. He punched my mother once again, right into her pregnant stomach.

"That's what you get, bitch!" His words were slurred. He was drunk. He was always drunk. An alcoholic, that's what my mother described him as. "Now you'll never get the baby girl you wanted!"

That night, around midnight, my mom woke me up, holding two packed suitcases. She told me to get in the car. She told me we were going on a vacation, without my dad. She didn't know, and still doesn't know, that I witnessed my father abusing her. I know it wasn't the first time either.

My mother handled it before, but after he killed the baby in my mom's stomach, she had enough. We left him. He was a sick man, an alcoholic. He hurt my mom and ruined my family, and that's what hurt me the most. How could someone hurt the ones they were supposed to love?

***Annette POV***

Today was honestly the best day of my life. I met Noah, and he was a nice guy. I've never really met someone as nice as him, and I've never actually had a real conversation with a guy. We talked a lot about random things, but nothing too deep. I was just pretty interested it him, maybe it was a crush?

No, no. It couldn't be. I've only had one crush before. Max Armstead, from debate team in middle school. Not exactly a great choice, now that I think of it.

Noah and I could be great friends. I think. I've never actually had a friend before, besides Emily.