Chapter Four
Noah
“See you.” I smiled at Blake as she left, with an eye roll that I’m sure she didn’t mean for me to see. My parents both shared knowing smiles and I would have hit myself at the look behind it. “I’m just being friendly.”
Both mom and dad raised their brows as if they were both asking; Oh really?
This time, it was my turn to roll my eyes. “We’re just friends.”
“We didn’t say anything.” Mom smirked.
Damn those smirks.
The telephone was ringing when we went inside and Libby, being the little sweetheart she is, answered it with a ‘Hello my name is Libby’. Mom snatched the phone away from her, handing it to my father and reprimanding Libby for ‘being too friendly to strangers’.
“Hello, Hunt Residence.” My father answered in his business-like tone. His features softened and a dimpled smile began to make its way to his face. “Yes, he’s here.”
I took the phone from him as he offered it to me, “Noah speaking.”
“Guess who misses you and is coming to Stonebrook in less than twelve hours!”
A smile lit up my features. The voice was all too familiar, reminding me of normalcy. Of going to the park and playing Knights and Princess’ as children. Of my first kiss. My first girlfriend. My best friend. “Sal?”
“You know it baby!”
“Sally, hell, it’s been so long!”
I heard her grin from the other end of the line. “Too long, I know. But as I said, I’m coming home to make up for it.”
“You’re coming to Stonebrook?”
“More like being released from Boarding School! Daddy’s allowing me to move to high school!” she shouted excitedly. I pulled the phone out of my ear. “I can’t wait to see you, No! I’ve seen the pictures but I have yet to touch the package!”
I could almost picture her winking. I smirked to myself, leaning onto my wall. “Sal, are you only coming home for the fifteen minutes of fame?” I teased.
A part of me wasn’t sure whether I was simply teasing or I actually thought that. About Sally of all people.
She sighed. “You couldn’t possibly be thinking about that of me. Of all people, Noah Harrison Hunt.” she said. Her tone was tired but at the same times scolding.
Taking a deep breath, I finally formed my words. “I don’t think anything of you, Sals. Actually, I’m excited to see you. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
A breath was cut off at the other end of the line and for a moment, I wondered at my own words. Who did I want Sally to meet? Blake? Of all people?
Finally, Sally answered. “Okay…well, I’ll see you in less than twelve hours. I’ll be there in time for high school.”
I smiled. “Kay, Sals. Can’t wait to see you.”
“Bye No…I l—miss you, I missed you a lot.”
For a second I thought Sally would tell me she loved me.
“I missed you too, Sal.”
×××
In the cafeteria, Blake Deveraux sat by herself at the seat furthest away from everyone by herself. She’d piled her burgundy hair up into a ponytail and strands of it were catching light, looking redder than it was. The whole morning, I did everything to catch her attention since I woke up remembering the night before.
I was hoping she’d catch a ride from me but catch eight o’clock, her car was gone from her driveway and I ended up with a craned neck, searching for her at homeroom.
Now would be the first time I’d seen her and as hot as she usually was…today she looked a complete mess.
“She won’t disappear if you eat your food for a sec, No.” Dylan said with a smirk.
I spared a look towards him and noticed that he and Jake were finished. Jake was on the phone, most likely texting his girlfriend Marnie who went to the girls school a town over whilst Dylan was smirking at me with a similar knowing expression as my parents the night before
I rolled my eyes at Dylan. “Why don’t you just find a girl and settle down then leave me alone like this anti-social idiot?” I gestured over to Jake whose eyes finally rose from his phone.
“I’m not anti-social. I just have a life unlike you,” he points over to Dylan, “you who got caught being a pervert at the girls’ locker room, and you,” he points over to me, “who can get any girl but is caught on the little emo one.”
“Blake isn’t emo.” I muttered.
“And I wasn’t caught. I went willingly and got caught willingly.” Dylan smirked, “besides, it was worth getting caught when I got Kristy’s expression, with her holier-than-thou attitude that I finally saw her jugglers.” For a moment Dylan seemed to be lost to us.
I picked up a French fry and threw it at his face. His thoughtful expression was disturbing! “You’re sick.”
“She’s always whining about not having a boyfriend,” he shrugs, “it’s because of her attitude, I’m telling you because there sure as hell isn’t anything wrong with her air bags.” He smirked.
“Well it’s nice to see that some things haven’t changed.” A sweet voice commented with amusement.
Our heads turned and standing there in a faded mini skirt, white-oxford-tee and a gorgeous one-kilo-watt smile in all her freaking glory was Sally-freaking-Dames.
Jake was first to process Sally’s arrival and instantly stood up with a large, friendly grin on his face, hugging her tight and spinning her on the spot. Dylan followed but looked her over appreciatively first. They all shared welcoming words with each other until finally, Sally pushed the two away and stared at me.
Here was the girl I’d first loved. The girl who supported me thorough my dreams, who helped me fill up my confidence. She stayed up with me at night to practice my lines for auditions I had to go to. This was the girl I’d lost my virginity to—the girl who was my first heartbreak.
“Sals.” I breathed out.
“You look good, No. You look real good.” She grinned.
My features softened and I picked her up, spinning her on the spot as Dylan and Jake did with a large smile on my face.
At the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw a flash of red, disappearing from my view.
Blake
I left like the pathetic little girl I was.
I couldn’t handle watching Noah with that girl. Not because she was freaking beautiful; the perfect girl-next-door with endless legs, large boobs and stunning blue eyes. She was perfect, strutting her way over to Noah’s table with a smile on her face. Noah’s friends greeted her excitedly and when the time came for her to greet Noah…well, it was like they were in a Chick-Flick and the special effects added a slow-motion type of thing, a sweet love song played in my mind as I watched them with each other.
It wasn’t that I was jealous.
Well, maybe a little. But not because of her and Noah but because of the relationship they all seemed to have with each other. I sat alone, by myself, as I always did. Sometimes, I’d silently wish that someone would—who wasn’t an obvious Stoner—pluck up the balls to talk to me. To try and be friends with me.
But I couldn’t because they all saw me like a stupid little nobody. A girl who had no future. A girl with a disastrous past.
They judged me already, without fully taking the time to know me and that hurt like a bitch.
I found myself walking in the empty halls of Apollo High School when I hit something hard and fell on my ass. I grunted a profanity before a hand was offered to me.
Then I wondered: who would actually offer me a hand. Noah? I got excited for a second, taking the person’s hand without looking at their face. When I was up, I finally looked.
It wasn’t Noah but I sure as hell wasn’t disappointed.
I blinked. “Who are you?”
The boy offered me a smile that would send any girl’s panties on the ground. He looked about twenty with large green eyes, brown hair and a killer tan. He was hot. More than hot.
Stunning.
His smile sent me at a loss for words so I decided to try again. Maybe he was new. Maybe he was testing me or playing a dare at me. Maybe that was why he’d bump into me—a girl who’s rumors had said I’d killed someone-.
“Do you know who I am?”
“I actually don’t.” He said in a thick, Italian accent. His smile turned into a smirk and I realized that my facial expression must have humored him, showing him how hot I thought he was. “But I’d like to.”
I would have rolled my eyes but he still held my hand. Even as I tried to slip it away from his he’d tightened his grasp on it.
“Not a good idea, I think.”
“But you’re too gorgeous to pass, bella.”
This time, I did roll my eyes. “Well, bello, I’m not interested in getting to know anyone. So if you’d let my hand go.” I said, looking down to where he still held my hand.
The moron tightened his hold on my hand and I resisted the urge to smack him.
“Honestly, bella. I don’t often meet girls like you.”
“Go to the cafeteria. I’m sure you’ll find one,” like the girl Noah was hugging, “to keep you company.”
He chuckled and it almost sounded mocking. Damn me if he could get any hotter.
“Silas.”
“Is the name of the creepy guy in Da Vinci Code.”
“Funny, bella. Silas Andretti. That is my name. And yours?”
I found myself starting into his green eyes, they seemed to be taking me in, exploring my every secret. Gulping, I decided that maybe it was okay to give him my name. After all…sooner or later he’d run away.
“Blake Deveraux.”
His smile widened, almost as if he was thinking: The cat’s in the bag, the bag’s in the river. “It’s lovely to meet you, Blake. I can’t wait to get to know you more.”
“Not likely.” I muttered.
“Oh, you will. Trust on this. If anything will happen, it’s that you’ll know me more than you wish.”
×××
Silas wasn’t as bad as I originally expected him to be.
He was in my fourth period art class and he’d done everything to make me laugh. Even if it was just making idiotic faces at me to make sure I’d joke around. It isn’t easy to make friends with a girl who basically does all she can to ignore you but Silas was trying. It was refreshing.
Silas didn’t care about other people’s opinion. It was almost like he was a female version of me. As much as I knew Silas
Through the time I hung out with Silas it was easy to forget about who I was and even if people still avoided me like the black-freaking-death, I was okay with it.
Because somehow, at the end of the day, I made a friend. And that was all I was happy with.
Noah
“You said you wanted me to meet someone. So far all I’ve met today was my three childhood best friends, a couple of fake bitches and people clinging to your every word as if it were God speaking.” Sally peered at me through her lashes, a wondering look in her eyes. “So who was it you wanted me to meet, No?”
I didn’t know what to say to her but this was Sally—the girl who I gave everything to. We told each other everything, kept in touch, even after the messy break-up that we had. We remained friends. I wasn’t about to lie to her now.
“Her name’s Blake.”
At this she sat up, her hair messy from sleeping in my bed. She was still tired from travelling from the country so I’d let her sleep while I did my European History assignment. Now she was obviously alert enough to say things about the girl I set my sights to.
No doubt the girls at the school sent more rumors flying around.
“The delinquent?” she said, shocked. “No way. The emo girl flying around like she owns the place? That’s the girl you have a crush on?”
I rolled my eyes, “please, don’t be so shocked.” I said sarcastically. “What’s so bad about her?”
“Um, let me think, she just came back from Juvie for attempted murder?” she asked, just as sarcastically.
“She didn’t kill anyone, Sal. And nobody says ‘crush’ anymore. We’re not in middle school, we’re seniors. Cut her some slack.” I scolded.
“Don’t take that tone with me, Hunt.” She said, annoyed. “I can cut her some slack when I get to know her. There are so many girls at Apollo and you choose the one with a criminal record.”
“My dad knows her. He likes her too.” I piped up.
This time, her eyes widened. “Please, Noah. Please don’t tell me your dad knows her because she’s his patient!”
“They had a few sessions,” I shrugged, uncaring. “So what?”
“So what?” she gasped, “she could ruin your career!”
“We’re not dating.” Yet.
“This isn’t a game, Noah. This is your life. Everything you worked hard for.” I wondered why she seemed so worked up, her eyes were large, annoyed and pissed as hell. If I learned anything from dating Sally Dames it was the tone of voice she used when and on what situation.
“Why are you using the reprimanding-girlfriend voice at me?” I asked, confused.
At my words she seemed to sober up. “I’m not.”
We sat in silence for a moment. The only sound in my room was the beeping of my laptop that signaled a notification. I let the silence drag on, knowing Sally would voice her thoughts out to me eventually—as she always did.
“I still love you, No.” she whispered, so quietly that I wouldn’t have thought she said it, until she added: “I haven’t forgotten about us. You were my childhood sweetheart. I used to dream about us getting married.”
I almost smiled if it weren’t for the sincerity of her words. “Sal—,”
“Not just yet, Hunt.” She warned, “I’m not finished. Look, I’ve supported you through everything. You know that. I’ll support you through any of the crazy shit you want. But…not this.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s not good for you. I’ve heard about her, Noah. Not just from school. The girls, they were talking about her today and I wondered where I heard her name. Noah…she’s no good for you and I hope you listen to me on that. Her past isn’t pretty and your future wouldn’t be either. Not if you pursue her.”
Sally stood up, standing by my door with a contemplating look in her eyes. I knew that look. She quickly rushed over to me, pressing her lips softly to mine before rushing out of my room.
The one thing I could think of was: I need to talk to Blake.