The next day, I'm on my way to school. Lucas has a few days off to recover from surgery. I walk with Isla who then splits off from me to go to her friends. James and Owen are waiting for me at the front door.
Owen: "morning mate, what a game yesterday!"
Noah: "I know"
James: "proud of you mate, did seriously well"
Noah: "thanks lads, come on better get to assembly."
We all sit down waiting for the assembly to start. We are all chatting shite, a few of the lads are next to me and behind me. Amelia to the other side.
Our head teacher starts talking.
Head teacher: "good morning everyone, hope everyone had a lovely weekend. One of you had a better weekend than the others. Noah Williamson, where are you?"
I put my hand up reluctantly.
Head teacher: "stand up for me Noah"
I stand up and look around at the sea of students around me.
Head teacher: "we are all so proud of you for yesterday Noah, scoring the winning goal at the emirates. It's such a great achievement and we are all so happy for you."
A round of applause erupts and I sit back down. I hate attention, I always have. My life is never going to be the same now.
School goes really slowly, normally Lucas can cheer me up but he's not here. Everyone is patting me on the back and congratulating me as I walk through the corridors between lessons. Lunchtime I have people I hate trying to get me to let them come to games. Amelia can see that im not happy. I get to the end of lunchtime and I've had enough. I call mama.
Leah: "hey buddy, how are you?"
Noah: "can I come home now?"
Leah: "what? Why?"
Noah: "everyone's treating me differently and I fucking hate it"
Leah: "language Noah, but no you can't. You need to stay in school."
Noah: "how did you cope with it?"
Leah: "everyone will go back to their old ways soon. They will get bored, you just have to push through it okay?"
Noah: "yeah, okay, thanks mama."
Leah: "keep your chin up, I love you son"
Noah: "love you too, see you when I'm home"
The call ends and I head to my next class.
I don't really focus, everyone was so preoccupied rewatching my goal. I'm about to kick off. Amelia isn't in this class to help me calm down. James and Owen are trying to keep me distracted but it's not working. I'm going to flip.
Another person I don't like plays the video again.
I stand up and flip my table.
Noah: "will you all just fucking stop?!"
Everyone looks at me.
Teacher: "Noah!"
Noah: "NO I don't want this! I'm fucking sick of being treated differently! Just fuck off the lot of you!"
I storm out. Leaving everything behind. I walk out of the school. My head of year trying to stop me but I keep walking. I walk out of the school gates in a random direction. No destination, just walking.
Leah's POV:
Leah: "babe, Noah's struggling"
Y/n: "why?"
Leah: "everyone's treating him differently, he doesn't like attention does he"
Y/n: "he's going to flip. I know it"
Lucas walks on his crutches into the room.
Lucas: "he has flipped, Owen's just called me telling me he stormed out of school. He's left his phone in his bag."
Leah: "I'll call the school."
I call the school. They tell me what happened but can't tell me where he went.
Leah: "so you're telling me my son is missing? We need a meeting about all of this. He's just a kid!"
Y/n: "I'm going to find him"
Leah: "I'll stay here babe incase he comes back."
Y/n: "okay"
Y/n leaves and tries to find out where he's gone.
Y/ns POV:
I'm driving around trying to find Noah. I know he's probably gone to the training ground. That's where he normally goes. I head straight there.
I walk into reception. They tell me that he's not here.
Y/n: "fuck"
Receptionist: "if he turns up we will call you."
Y/n: "thank you"
I run back to my car and head back out to find him.
Leah's POV:
Y/n is still out. It's been 5 hours. Still nothing on where he is. I picked Isla up from school. I got all of Noah's stuff from the head teachers office. I don't even say anything to him.
I go back home and ring y/n.
Y/n: "where is he babe, where is he."
Leah: "we need to call the police babe. We have to."
Y/n: "you call them, I'll keep looking."
Leah: "okay"
I call the police and tell them what happened, they send some officers to the house to get a photo of him and what he is wearing. They send more officers to look for him. It's getting dark. Lucas and Isla are worried. I've told my mum and dad who are out looking for him too. My old teammates too. Everyone is looking for him.
It gets to 10 pm. He's been gone for 8 hours. Isla's crying, Lucas is staring out the window. Y/n comes home.
Leah: "anything?"
She shakes her head and starts crying.
Leah: "he's going to be okay."
Someone knocks on the door.
I open it.
Amelia: "is he back yet?"
Leah: "no darling he's not, come inside. You can stay here until he's home"
Amelia: "thank you. I didn't find out until school finished. I don't know where he would have gone."
Leah: "he's got no phone or money on him."
Amelia: "I know where he's gone."
Leah: "where?"
Amelia: "the park. It's a 2 hour walk from school. He asked me to be his girlfriend there. He's there."
Leah: "babe stay here with the kids, Amelia come with me."
Y/n: "okay you ring me the second you find him, I'll call the police and tell them to go there first."
Leah: "okay babe."
Amelia and I get in my car and go straight to the park. The police have beaten us to it. I can't see him.
Leah: "NOAH!"
Amelia: "BABE!"
Amelia walks to the exact spot, there's a little hut in a bit of a wooded area, I follow her there.
Amelia: "babe?"
Noah: "Amelia?"
He walks out of the hut and she hugs him tightly. Thank god.
Amelia: "what are you doing?! Everyone's worried sick!"
Noah: "I'm sorry I'm sorry I just needed to be normal for a while. I just couldn't do it."
He starts crying.
Leah: "Noah? Darling. Are you okay?"
Noah: "I just want to be normal."
Amelia lets go and I hug him tightly. My baby boy is so hurt and I can't help him.
We get Noah in the car and call y/n. He's silent the whole way home.
She calls the police and tells them we have found him. I drive Noah and Amelia back to ours.
Everyone is waiting at the door for him.
Y/n: "Noah."
She hugs him tightly.
Lucas: "you fucking idiot"
Noah: "I know I know"
Leah: "I'll talk to the school tomorrow. I'll talk to Arsenal tomorrow. Everything will be okay Noah, now get to bed. Amelia is staying the night so off you go."
Noah: "I'm sorry."
Leah: "you're safe and that's all that matters to us."
I kiss his cheek before he goes upstairs with Amelia.
Noah's POV:
I go upstairs and lay on my bed. My arm is underneath my head. I have so many emotions but I don't know what to do with them.
Amelia: "talk to me"
Amelia sits on the end of the bed.
Noah: "I just want to be normal."
Amelia: "be Noah. Be the Noah I know. Don't let people change you into something you aren't."
Noah: "I just want to play football, why can't people get that?"
Amelia: "I get that."
Noah: "I know you and the boys do. But everyone else is making me out to be a celebrity. I just want to be Noah."
Amelia: "you can just be Noah. Be my Noah."
She puts her hand on my cheek.
Amelia: "just be you."
Noah: "thank you. Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
Amelia: "I love you more."
She kisses me gently before climbing into bed.
She cuddles into me and we fall asleep pretty quickly.
The next day I have training. Mama lets me off school whilst she talks to the teachers about how to handle all of this.
I head to training early. My coach is already there.
Coach: "Noah, Arteta wants to see you."
Noah: "alright, thanks"
I head to mikels office and knock on the door.
Mikel: "come in"
I walk in.
Noah: "you wanted to see me?"
Mikel: "yes, how are you?"
Noah: "I'm okay"
Mikel: "hows school?"
Noah: "erm it's alright?"
Mikel: "I heard about yesterday Noah. So I have a proposal for you."
Noah: "okay?"
Mikel: "you train with the first team, full time. And you do your school work along side of it. With the academy school. No going back there."
Noah: "but my friends, my girlfriend."
Mikel: "we can work something out but if your mums agree, with how much everything will change for you, in my mind this is the best option."
Noah: "I'll talk to them later"
Mikel: "okay, you aren't training with the academy today. You're in the gym with the first team, already told your coach so you can head straight there."
Noah: "okay, thanks boss"
I leave the room and head to the gym. The lads are already there.
Declan: "let's see what you've got kid."
I start working on the training programme. It's hard. My body is mashed already and I'm not even half way done. I push myself to finish it all which I do.
Martin: "tired kid?"
Noah: "mhm"
My hands are on my knees.
Martin: "don't worry, we are done for the day now"
Noah: "thank god."
Martin: "get used to it, we all have your back though."
Noah: "thanks"
Martin: "need a ride home?"
Noah: "you sure?"
Martin: "yeah come on"
Martin drives me home, I thank him and head inside.
Leah: "you're back early."
Noah: "trained with the first team."
Leah: "you did?"
Noah: "yeah"
I head to the fridge and grab a bottle of water.
Leah: "hard work?"
Noah: "yeah I'm knackered, but I need to talk to you and mum."
Leah: "BABE!"
Mum comes downstairs.
Y/n: "what's up?"
Noah: "need to talk to you both."
Y/n: "okay, shoot"
Mums sit down and listen.
Noah: "first of all, I want to apologise for what I put you through yesterday, my mind was just all over the place."
Y/n: "it's okay, you're home, next time take your phone and call us to let us know you're okay"
Noah: "promise, second thing. Arteta wants me to train with the first team full time."
Leah: "what about school?"
Noah: "he said I can enroll in the academy school and finish this year, with them."
Mama looks at mum.
Y/n: "can we think about it? That's a big step so quickly."
Noah: "yeah, I can't start training with the full team properly until you decide. Also what did my teachers say today?"
Leah: "said there's not much they can do about it all, which I think is bullshit"
Y/n: "Leah!"
Leah: "it is bullshit. But we will think about it all okay?"
Noah: "okay thanks, I'm going to bed."
Y/n: "night darling."
I head upstairs and hear them talking about it.
Leah's POV:
Y/n: "whys it such a bad idea?"
Leah: "he's only just turned 16. One of us would have to drive him and pick him up everyday. He'd be so tired all the time. And he will still have to complete his exams. I don't think it's fair on him."
Y/n: "babe you saw what happened yesterday when everyone kept mentioning Sunday. You think it's wise that we keep him in school when he's never going to be normal again?"
Leah: "I don't know, I think it's all a bit sudden"
Y/n: "think about it, I don't think it's such a bad idea."
Leah: "okay"
Y/n: "going to go check on Lucas"
Leah: "okay babe"
Y/ns POV:
I head upstairs and go to Lucas' room. He's awake on his Xbox.
Y/n: "okay to come in?"
Lucas: "yeah"
He takes his headphones off.
Lucas: "what's up?"
Y/n: "just wanted to check in, I know we've been focused on Noah the past day and a bit so just wanted to see how your knee is doing. In any pain?"
Lucas: "a little, but my meds are working."
Y/n: "good"
Lucas: "can I ask you something?"
Y/n: "always."
Lucas: "when you had your ankle injury, did you ever just want to quit?"
Y/n: "every day. But mama helped me through it, she stuck with me. Like we will all stick with you."
Lucas: "and when mama did her ACL?"
Y/n: "she cried on my shoulder every night after you both were asleep. She didn't want to keep going."
Lucas: "what helped her?"
Y/n: "you two. She didn't want to let you both down, I had to retire with mine, she didn't."
Lucas: "okay, thanks mum"
Y/n: "if you ever feel like this, we are here. I'm always here, mama is a little more busy than I am but she's always on the other end of the phone."
Lucas: "thanks mum"
Y/n: "we all love you. Get some sleep, you're back at school tomorrow"
Lucas: "night"