Midnight Love || ✔️

11:38 pm

i | | one

ELLA ALI had only one rule when she went out: be home by midnight.

But it was currently 11:45 pm and she was at a party that she did not want to be at, with her friend—who was supposed to drive her—nowhere to be seen.

"Come on," she muttered, dialing Jessica's phone number again, hoping that this time she would pick up. She shut off her phone in frustration when she heard the familiar words of Jessica's voicemail. She huffed and walked around, asking anyone that looked remotely sober if they'd seen Jessica. Ella made it all the way around the first floor with no luck.

The night was warm, with a faint breeze blowing. It was dark, but the flashing lights from inside the house and the street lamps chased the darkness away. The stars faintly twinkled in the cloudless summer sky, brilliant goddesses looking over the mortals of this world. The moon sat magnificently in the sky, full and luminous, hiding secrets behind its brightness.

"Where the fuck are you, Jessica?" she huffed again, kicking over an inflatable flamingo. Ella wanted to scream and punch something. She didn't want to come to this party, but Jessica insisted. Ella only agreed because she was promised that they'd leave in an hour. Three hours ago.

She was going to kill Jessica when she saw her.

"Whatever did the flamingo do to you?" a voice called from behind the girl. Ella spun around with a gasp, forgetting in the midst of her rage that she was still, unfortunately, at a party with other people.

The boy that spoke stood near the front door, his hands in his faded jeans pockets. He wore a fitted black shirt and a dark knit cap, even though it was near twenty-three degrees out. His skin was dark, but she couldn't really see any of his facial features from her distant position. She shuffled on her feet, her converse clad feet digging into the green grass. Ella narrowed her eyes, and said, "What do you want?"

The boy moved closer. He looked like he was her age, and he must be since this was a high school party.

He shrugged, and said, "Nothing, really. Just concerned about the flamingo."

"Well," she blew out a breath, already losing interest in the conversation, and dialed Jessica's number once again. "Please pick up. Please pick up."

Jessica didn't pick up. It's now 11:50 pm. She had ten minutes to get home, or she would be grounded for a month. Ella felt her anger spike again.

"You waiting on someone?" The boy asked.

"None of your business," she snapped. She saw him real back a bit, and sighed. "Sorry. My friend was supposed to drive me home and I have a curfew. If I don't get home by midnight I'll—" she paused. She didn't know this guy, and there was no need to tell him all this stuff. "Anyways."

"So, you need a drive home?" She hesitated, but nodded. He shrugged and took keys out of his pockets. "Okay, let's go."

Ella stared at this boy in disbelief. 'Okay let's go'? Does he honestly think that she was going to get in a car with him, a total stranger? "Uh, I don't think so."

He looked at her with what appeared to be genuine confusion. "Why not?"

She let out a disbelieving laugh. "Why not? Because I don't know you! You could be a serial killer for all I know," Ella realized that her words are a little harsh and flinched. "Not that you are, but you know, you might." This is why she didn't talk to people. Everything she said sounded wrong. But the boy didn't take offence to her words and instead smiled. He smiled!

"I get it. But it's seven minutes until midnight, and your friend bailed on you. I reckon you'll get in big trouble if you don't make it and you don't want that, do you?" With narrowed eyes, Ella shook her head. "So you either face your parents' wrath or take a chance on me. And really, do I look like I could be a serial killer?" He stroke a pose, and it was so childish and unexpected that Ella didn't get a chance to stifle her laugh. It burst from her, and the boy's smile widened at the sound of it.

"It's always the cute ones that are the monsters." Seriously, Ella? Why are you like this?

"So you think I'm cute?"

She rolled her eyes, "Are you going to take me home or just fish for compliments?" The boy chuckled and motioned for her to follow him. She apprehensively did. While she doubted that he would kill her, she still did not like getting in a car with a strange boy she met at a party.

But her need to get home by midnight was so great it was tossing all caution out the window. Angry Arab parents were not the kind of parents you wanted to deal with.

Ella followed the boy down the street and towards his car. She couldn't believe that she was doing this—getting in the car with a stranger to go home—but alas, she was. Ella found herself sitting tensely in the passenger seat, her hand clutching the handle of the door, the other ready to dial 911. The boy smiled when he saw her, and said nothing. She appreciated that a bit, she didn't think she would be able to carry a conversation with him.

After asking her for her address, he started to drive. It was 11:52 pm and while she did not trust him to get her home safely, she asked him to go faster. If only her parents knew what she was risking to not break the rules.

The car rolled to a stop in front of her house. "11:58," he said. "Right on time," he smiled and Ella relaxed a bit. She was still alive.

"Thank you," she said, already unbuckling her seat belt and opening the door.

"Wait," he called, rolling down her window to talk to her. Ella walked backwards, not wanting to waste a single moment. "What's your name?"

"None of your business," she called.

"Oh, come on. I drove you home and I don't even get a name?"

She frowned. "I said thank you."

He smiled. "So there's no chance I'll get your name?"

She shook her head, but then shrugged. "Maybe."

His smiled widened into a grin. Ella smiled and turned around, jogging up towards the front door. The boy was still waiting, and she heard him call, "I'm Noah Hugo!" just before she let herself in.

It was 11:59 pm.

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New story! How do you like it so far?

It's been awhile, but I needed some time off to get creative again and find the inspiration to write. I've edited this story and completed another, so hopefully I'll be back for awhile!

Thank you for sticking with me!