Hacker

Chapter Three

"Wait- why are you here?" I asked, as I remembered where we were. He had no business being in this house! This house belonged to John, and later, me, when he took me in and cared for me like a daughter, and even though the adoption wasn't legal, I still consider him a father. Or, considered...

Noah blushed, which surprised me, since Noah struck me as the flirty pervert type. "Well, when you tackled me back there on the streets, you dropped this." He reached into the pocket of the jean shorts he was wearing. Jean shorts and a light blue t-shirt that stuck to his abs with sweat, that's what he was wearing, complete with a pair of tennis shoes that had to be some fancy brand, but I don't really pay attention to male shoe brands. He also was wearing a clay bead necklace, and I was sure the different beads meant something, but I didn't care what.

Anyways, Noah pulled a locket out of his jean shorts. Not just any locket, either. My locket. The one that John gave me not too long before he died. I wore it everywhere. I snatched it from him.

"You could say thanks." He said. "I followed you to this house to give you that thing."

"Er- thanks." I said reluctantly, and put it around my neck.

"You know, based on your appearance, you don't strike me as the sentimental type- well, the type that would wear a locket." He said.

"Are you judging me based on my appearance?" I asked.

"Hey, maybe I am, but, trust me, babe, I like what I see." He said flirtatiously.

Ugh. There's THAT again.

"You can drop the flirty pervert act now." I said.

"It's not an act. It's who I am." Noah said. "Anyways, I looked at the picture inside the locket."

The picture. It was one of my favorites that John had taken of us together. I still remembered when it was taken. It was on my fourteenth birthday, and John being John had insisted he take a selfie with the two of us. He opened up his cell phone and got ready to take the picture, and then he cracked a joke, one that he knew made me laugh every time. He snapped the picture right when I cracked up, and so in the picture I'm laughing like an idiot and he's grinning. It reminds me of the fun times we had together. Back in the days when life was simpler, and I could still laugh like that. Like an idiot. But I would rather be a happy idiot than be what I am now.

"That's an invasion of privacy," I said.

"Relax," He said. "The guy in the picture, is that your dad?"

I nodded. He might not be my legal dad, but I love him like one.

"What's his name?" Noah asked.

"Aren't you asking a little too many questions? What happened to your flirty pervert act? Oh, I'm sorry, it's not an act. It's who you are." I retorted.

"The flirty pervert act will come on its own." Noah laughed. "Anyways, I don't know your name. Care to bless me with that knowledge?"

"Not really." I said.

"Sassy." He smirked.

"Uh huh." I nodded.

"Can I at least ask why three government officers were chasing you around the streets?" He asked.

Crap. He noticed.

"None of your beeswax, Ross." I said.

"Hey, at least you remembered one name! You're getting better." He said.

"Of course I know your name, Noah 'Flirtatious Perv' Ross," I replied.

"Yeah, you know, I think you said 'Flirtatious Perv' but I think what you meant to say was 'Flamin' Hot'." Noah winked at me.

"Oh, yeah, you're definitely flaming' hot." I said. "In fact, you're like the sun."

"See? I knew you'd come around." He said.

"Now stay approximately 92.96 million miles away from me." I told him and walked away smirking, proud of my creative rejection.

I hadn't gotten very far when Noah came up in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. "You know, the sun is inside our universe, and baby you're my universe."

"Gotta give you that one, that was creative." I said.

He grinned. "Thank you! I try."

"But it was also really annoying. Get out of my way, please." I said.

Noah moved, thankfully.

I walked down the hallway and I was about to leave the house when I heard a loud banging on the door and shouts to open up. I hadn't realized the door was locked, but I was glad it was, because those could only mean one thing: the government officials.

I cursed under my breath. "I thought I got rid of those guys!"

"Hey, watch your language, you naughty girl." Noah, who had apparently followed me, clicked his tongue sarcastically.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, mister." I said.

I ran behind a wall and hid, pulling Noah behind me as well, just as the government officers blasted down the door. Rest in peace, door. Or, rather, pieces.

"This way." I silently mouthed and pulled Noah by the wrist through the house. I knew it by heart, so it wasn't hard at all to find a safe path to the living room out of sight from the officials. I searched through the flower pot and found the key, and I used it to open a trap door that was hidden under the rug. Then I hid the key back in the flower pot, and I ushered Noah and myself through the door, closing it behind me. The door clicked locked automatically when I closed it.

The tunnel was dark, but I knew my way. I led Noah through the tunnel and to the exit, and we ended up standing in the house's backyard. I closed the trapdoor exit, and ruffled up the grass to make the lines and hatch disappear.

"The abandoned house has a trap door system?" Noah asked. "Well, not surprising, since it used to belong to you."

I raised my eyebrows suspiciously. "How did you know I used to live in that house?"

"Your locket. The picture was obviously taken in the dining room of that house." Noah said.

He was good.

"Hmm." I said, purely to acknowledge it. "Well, I let you out of the house safely, no government trouble for you today, now you can kindly leave me alone."

"What if the officials come outside and spot us- spot you? That's who they're really looking for. You're too beautiful, I'm not gonna let you die so easily." Noah said.

"Do you need it in Spanish? Amablemente me dejan en paz." I said.

Noah laughed. "C'mon, I know a place where you can go and be safe. Come with me."

I glared at him.

"Trust me." He smiled.

I continued to glare. Then I broke eye contact and sighed loudly. "Ugh, fine. But just because I don't see another option!"

He grinned. "C'mon, sweetheart, let's go."