N O A H
"Insanity is everyone expecting you not to fall apart when you find out everything you believed in was a lie." Yeah man.
"I walk in the office and it's the same fucking girl that got me into this mess the first place." Keeping my voice low, I searched for Uncle Sam's presence, but luckily he's in his room.
"She asks about lawyers and then." I started digging into my pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. "Hands me a ten thousand dollar check to pay my lawyer."
"What?" Ocean reached over and grabbed the check, stretching his narrow fingers around it and pulled checking if it's legit. "Did you forgive her after this, shit, I would."
We both laughed until Uncle Sam returned, reaching us to a prompt silence. "Wav- Ocean are you staying the night?"
"Yes Uncle Sam." Ocean picked up on the 'uncle' part at the same time I did. Sam and Ocean, may not be related, but they're closer than one might think.
"While I make dinner, you will do your homework. Both of you." Our Uncle said, trying to sound demanding but he just ended up sounding uncanny.
But doing as told, we headed to my bedroom and sat down on the bed, ignoring the pop of life outside the window.
"How's it going with creepy step daddy?" I threw a few books on the covers and pulled out the math textbook. Flipping through a few pages, I realised I actually finished it in class. Surprisingly, math is the only subject I've had consist success in.
"As creepy as you can imagine." Tonight both Ocean and I decided it would be safer for him to stay over, since we don't know what could happen. "Have I told how on Friday they kicked a ball at me?"
I raised my eyebrows, "No?"
Ocean informed me about the ball incident, but a name stuck with me. "Slater, he helped you? That's a first, usually he's a pussy about everything."
"He's actually not that bad." My best friend wrote a few words in his book and looked culpably back at me. "Okay, he is an asshole, but for a second he was different."
I looked at him sceptically, "I'll believe it when I see it and I'm not planning on seeing it."
There was a long pause as I scratched the dry skin on my knuckles. The wound from Chief's party was only now healing, "a woman gave me a lift, and on the speaker played a voicemail of her ex girlfriend screaming about goodbye sex."
"That woman sounds like a bitch, imagine fucking someone and then leaving them."I grew annoyed and curtly locked eyes with him At least she didn't kidnap you."
"And do what? She's too rich."
I shrugged, "Eat you? Rich people are weird like that."
"You are you don't wanna see how Slater looks?"
I pulled my lips together and rolled my eyes, "I don't wanna see his bigoted bitch ass. Want to spare my eyes."
*
"Ocean." I whispered urgently as I shoved his shoulder from left to right. "Wake up, something's going on outside."
"What?" A groggily voice came the half unconscious body. "I'm trying to sleep Noah."
My patience burned out, I ripped him by the arm, and began to drag him to the thin bedroom door. Without words, I instructed Ocean to listen. Just like my companion, I was half asleep, so, my hearing wasn't the best. It didn't come from outside. The rustling came from the kitchen.
We pressed our heads against the door and both heard a bearish screech, "You stay away from that boy! I'm warning you, if you lay a finger in him. I'll go to the police."
"And say what? Are they really going to believe YOU over me. I could twist this entire thing and put it on you."
"Just stay away from him, people care, I don't care if it's true or not, just stay away."
The door shut loudly and footsteps echoed until we couldn't hear it anymore. By now, both Ocean and I were on high alert. My heart was knocking in my chest, my palms sweaty and by the looks of it Wave shared the same sensation.
We found our way back into bed, afraid to speak, but eventually he did. "Uncle Sam and...creepy step dad know each other? Noah what the fuck-"
"Shhh." Wrapping my hand around his mouth, I pointed to the wall. "It's thin." Ocean nodded and I released. "They go way back, that's what I heard, met at a gay bar..."
I brought my knees to chest and spoke softly, "I think stepdaddy has a history with kids and uncle Sam knew..."
*
I woke up to the taste of disgust in my mouth, throat and heart. This whole situation was nauseating.
The sun was still blanketed in soft clouds when I jumped into the shower. After that I woke up Ocean and forced him to get ready for school even though it's an hour before he should be up.
"What's going on?" He asked pulling up his socks while sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I can't stay in this apartment, I feel physically sick Ocean." My voice cracked a little.
"Calm down, let Sam explain himself. Don't just jump to conclusions." Ocean said and pulled me into a steady hug.
I broke the hug, finished tying my shoes and placed the last book into my backpack. "I'll talk to him when we're alone, but for now let's just go."
Before we left, I wrote letter so that he won't be suspicious.
It was bitterly cold outside when Ocean tapped me on the back, "Where are we going?"
"To Azra's."
*
I knocked a couple of times, before the Raven haired woman opened the door, she blinked a few times as if it wasn't real, as if we weren't there.
She wore pink cupcake pyjama pants with a matching shirt, her hair was all over the place, like she'd been shocked.
"Hey, I hope you don't mind." I walked passed her with Ocean following soon after. "I couldn't stand being at home."
"Is everything okay?" Azra dragged her fingers through her hair, in order to get the hair to set, but it only made it worse.
"Yeah." I said not wanting to share more. The uniformed boy stood awkwardly next to me, with his hands clutching the straps.
"How's school Ocean?" His former Math teacher asked using her professional teacher voice.
"Really good...Miss." The tension could've been cut with a spoon.
"Great...I should get ready." She slipped into her bedroom and then Ocean got a hold of me.
"Noah." His pale face turned red. "That was so awkward, what am I doing here?"
I crossed my arms and shrugged, "it's better than fucking paedophile ring back home."
*
"Sorry for not letting you know before hand, it just kind of happened." I explained to Azra who was wrapped in a towel, choosing what to wear from her closet.
She pulled out a dress and laid it on the bed, "I understand, it was definitely a surprise to see Ocean. He knows right?"
Speaking of Ocean, someone called him, so I took the opportunity to sneak inside.
"I couldn't just leave him, you know, with his weird step dad." I walked up from behind and wrapped my arms around her waist. "Azra, I'm sorry, I know I promised to keep us a secret and I will. But I-"
"It's fine." Her tone changed as she slithered out of my grip. "Now will you get out of my room Miss King, I need to get dressed."
I sighed, reaching for her hand, but she retracted and instead opened the door. "Don't be like that."
-
"Azra will drop you off." I told my friend and handed him a cup shaped into a frog. "I promise I'll deal with everything, okay?"
He took the cup and warmed up his palms, "I'm helping."
"I said I'll deal with it Ocean." This time my voice was louder. "I'm not going to allow anyone to hurt you, even Sam."
"Ready to go?" My girlfriend's features were compacted. Refusing to budge.
"You look beautiful." I smiled as I slung my bag over my shoulder.
She rolled her eyes, grabbing the keys and walked away.
*
The three of us stopped in front of the massive school, Ferraris parked, uniforms everywhere. Looks exhausting.
"Bye Wave, I'll see you at home."
"Thank you for the lift Miss."
Then I caught I glimpse of a brunette, but Azra quickly drove away, leaving me with just a hair colour in sight.
"Azra, about yesterday." There was no point in avoiding it. "I couldn't miss it."
We took a turn and stopped at a stoplight, "You promised you'd be there, and I believed you. But I'm to blame for this, I should've known better."
I exhaled loudly, "No, I fucked up. And I'm sorry for leaving you like that."
She kept her eyes on the road, steering wheel secured in the iron grip, "I want to know where you were Noah."
"I can't tell you."
"Noah."
"I can't."
"Get out." She gritted and stopped the car in the middle of nowhere.
"What? You're throwing a fit over some bullshit." I said, slowly getting angry. "I apologized, admitted my fault, what more can I do?"
"You can start by getting the fuck out of my car, I'm done."
I watched her drive off to the same destination I'm heading.
Great Noah, you just fucked up another good thing you had. And I started walking. Walking not to school, but to a place no one knew me.
No one knows the failure that is: Noah King.
End of Chapter
"Noah deserved it."
-rat