Love & Carnage✗Noah Foster [2]

Chapter Thirty// Assigning Blame.

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"You root for them, you love them, so when they are brutally murdered, it hurts."

--Noah Foster

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Mocha, coconut, extra shot. I thought to myself as I saw him in the hallway. I don't know why I was thinking about how he takes his drink at the Grindhouse. I stopped in the hall, gripping my books. He was at his locker. He didn't see me. That's when I saw Emma, Audrey, and Kieran. Oh, thank God. My friends. But then I saw Emma's face as we made eye contact. She was angry. I sucked in my teeth and went to turn around, when she yelled. "Arielle! Don't you dare run away from me!" Oh, shit. What'd I do now? I turned back around to them with a smile on my face. "Oh, hey! There he is." Brooke said, pointing to Noah who just walked into the whole situation. "Heyyyy, Emma!" I walked towards them. "What the hell is wrong with you two?" Kieran spat at us. "How long have you known, Noah?" Emma shook her head. Brooke crossed her arms and looked at us both in disgust. "And you? Arielle? You're supposed to be my friend!" Emma got closer to me. "I'm sorry, what exactly are we talking about?" I frowned. "Oh, don't play dumb with me, Arielle. You know. About Audrey and Piper." Emma nearly shouted. "Oh." I whispered. I looked down at the ground. "We've only known a few days. And we are so sorry." Noah promised. "No, you are not sorry. You promised Audrey that you wouldn't tell me." Emma spat. "I thought she should be the one to tell you!" Noah defended. "I know everything now because I heard everything that you recorded, Noah!"

"You heard that? How did you--?" I started. "Someone sent me an email." Emma cut me off. I looked at Noah in suspicion. "Can I see that email, please?" Noah looked to Emma. Emma pulled out her phone and unlocked it, handing it to Noah. I walked beside him, to see Emma's phone. Noah scrolled through the email.

Hello Emma, I came across something that I think you need to hear. Attached you'll find something that your friend Audrey has been hiding from you.

I'm hoping you know what to do with it.

Sincerely,

Your Secret Friend.

"Secret Friend?" I scoffed. "Yeah, it's obviously fake." Emma said. "But imminently traceable." Noah commented, sending it to his email. "Look, Audrey has just been destroyed--"

"Audrey's been destroyed? Noah, our friends were being killed and she didn't say anything to anyone, including you two! Her best friends?" Emma yelled. That's when I felt it. Noah's hand in mine. I looked down to our hands in surprise. "Emma..." I looked back up to see Audrey coming up behind Kieran and Brooke. "No." Kieran turned and told her. Emma pushed past me and Noah. "No, look, I just wanna--"

"Let her be." Brooke scoffed. Audrey rolled her eyes and pushed past Kieran and Brooke. "Emma, I didn't know it was Piper!" She chased her. I looked at Noah and he pulled me after them. "Oh, my God! Yes, you did! You just didn't want anyone to blame you!" Emma screamed at her, cornering her. People started to gather now. To watch Emma and Audrey fight. "That is not true!" Audrey yelled. "It is! It is true! And guess what? Everyone should blame you. I blame you!" Students gasped, and began to murmur as Emma slammed Audrey into the lockers. I put my hand to my mouth. "Come on. Let's get out of here." Kieran grabbed Emma and pulled her away from the scene. Audrey, along with everyone else, watched her leave... in fear. Noah and I rushed towards our friend. "Audrey--"

"Did you send it to her?" Audrey asked me. "What?" I blanched. "It was either you or Noah."

"Can we not do this here?" Noah hissed at us both. "I didn't send anything to anyone--"