The Girl in the Hoodie

42

"W-What?" I stutter.

"We have to go." He unlocks his jeep and pushes me inside before getting in himself and speeding out of the parking lot, his tyres screeching.

*~*

"Mum." I run over and hug her tightly as she cries into my chest.

"Noah."

I look over and see Max and Dylan motioning my to come over.

I hand my mum off to my dad and kiss Danny on the head before walking over to the boys.

"Tell me what happened." I demand.

Dylan sighs shakily. "So you know how your dad's involved in all that gang shit?"

I purse my lips and nod. "Yeah?"

"Well, we were on our way to practise and sa your dad and brother in an alley with like six other guys." Dylan's voice cracks.

"Your dad," Max continues, tears welling up in his eyes. "He had a gun. He-He—"

"He shot Anthony." Dylan finishes, fresh tears streaming down his face. "Right between the eyes."

My eyes widen and tears well up before narrowing in fury.

"Get the fuck away from them!" I shout as I walk back to the man I call my father and harshly push him away from mum and Danny.

"Noah, what the bloody hell has gotten into you?!" Mum shouts as my father bumps into some medical equipment.

I ignore her and take a step towards my father but Max and Dylan pull me back just as the doctor walks out Anthony's room.

"Anthony King?" He looks at us and we all nod. "I'm sorry. But there was nothing we could do."

Mum starts sobbing and I hug her tightly.

"No! NO! What happened?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" She screams as I push her further into my chest.

My eyes lock with my father's eyes.

No guilt. No remorse. Nothing.

I feel anger burn up in me again as I let go of mum and lunge at him, tackling him to the ground, throwing punches at his face.

"Noah! NOAH! GET OFF OF YOUR FATHER!" Mum screeches, trying to pull me off.

I stand up abruptly, leaving him beaten and bloody on the floor. "He's not my father."

"Wha—Noah—"

"HE SHOT ANTHONY!" I roar.

(Flashback over)

-Nevaeh-

"They said he was still alive when the ambulance came and we were hoping there would be some kind of miracle and he would survive, but of course not. Luck's never on our side." Noah glares down at my bed covers. I grab his hand which has formed into a fist making him calm down slightly. "Mum didn't believe us at first. But then Max and Dylan explained what happened and she called the police. He went to jail for life. After that, Max, Dylan and I started stealing, tagging random buildings, stuff like that. But it all went downhill when I got suspended for two weeks for smashing a kid's head into a locker over and over and over again."

I watch his face turn from anger to sadness and regret.

"I was just so angry. I didn't know what I was doing. I couldn't stop. I just kept smashing his head into the locker." Noah stares up at me with glassy eyes. "I didn't mean to, Carter. I swear I didn't mean to."

I push his face into my shoulder, shushing him. "It's okay. It's okay."

He sniffles before continuing. "Everyone just watched. No one did anything. They just watched until Max and Dylan ran up and pulled me off him. The police were called. I went to court and they put me in a juvenile detention centre."

"But Megan said that you only got suspended for two weeks and the kid got away with a concussion." I whisper in confusion.

"That's what everyone in school thinks." He says quietly. "Nevaeh, I hurt him. I hurt him really bad."

My eyebrows furrow. "Noah..."

"He went unconscious. They took him to the hospital. I-I put him in a coma, Carter. I put him in a coma." He explains, tears slipping down his cheeks. "Max and Dylan found out I was going to juvie and said they weren't going to let me go to juvie alone. So they smashed a police car. They shouldn't have gone to juvie for that but we were already on our last warning."

"Max and Dylan are great friends." I run my hand through his hair.

"I'm so grateful for them." He whispers before looking up at me. "You're still here."

I stare down at him in confusion. "What?"

"Usually when I tell someone that story, they look at me like I'm a monster and walk away because they're afraid of me."

My eyes soften and I cup his face in my hands. "You're not a monster. You're Noah. You've never given me a reason a reason to think you're a monster, so why should I look at you like you are one?"

He closes his eyes and leans into my palm. "I love you, Nevaeh."

"I love you, too, Noah."