The three musketeers watched on in silence as Ray mercilessly thrashed his fists in the guy's face, turning his cheeks swollen. This being the third time he's beat someone up.
Was his name Carlo?
With a shrug, Noah walked towards a table and Priyanka, along with Elijah, followed, still keeping their eyes on the duo. Grunts left the boy's mouth and he tried to block the punches, but they were coming at such speed that even Noah couldn't focus on Ray's fist.
An ear-splitting scream shook through the dinner hall, causing everyone to jump and snap their head towards the scene once more. His arm was bent in an awkward angle.
Too awkward.
Did Ray just break his motherfucking arm?!
Noah watched on with wide eyes. His sandwich was held between his hand, his small carton of orange juice in the other hand.
Eyes followed Ray's movement as he casually walked out the lunch hall as if he didn't just break a person's arm and leave them bleeding. Two boys, which were the beaten guys friends, ran up to him and helped him up, taking him out the dinner hall and presumably to the school infirmary.
"Where the fuck are all the teachers when this happens?!" Elijah exclaimed, throwing his hands up in disbelief.
"Honestly...I have no clue," Noah replied and slowly took a bite of his sandwich, still staring at the doorway that the boys left through.
"The teachers don't give a fuck about what happens in this forsaken place, they just care about the money," Priyanka dead-panned. With a straight face she added, "probably fucking each other to be honest"
Noah choked on his bite of sandwich, turning him into a fit of coughs. Grinning, Elijah patted Noah on his back and laughed.
"It's facts bro, you gotta get used to the facts."
[ . . . ]
{ Noah's P.O.V }
The lunch hall was full of the buzzing of noise and chatter, some discussing the fight scene, others discussing things in general and not caring about what happened between the guy and Ray. We stayed in our corner, munching away at our lunch and talking about mixed things.
"So..." I hesitated in my speech, not sure if I should say it. But they're my friends, like family to me so... I guess I could? It's not like he'd mind- Pri and Eli were like his older siblings too. "My brother had another nightmare."
Immediately, Pri and Eli stopped talking among themselves and looked at me.
"When?" Elijah asked and frowned. James was like a little brother to Elijah. We used to go to the park and play football and because James begged me to take him, I did. So James knew Elijah and yeah, he liked him a lot.
Whenever I'm told to pick my two siblings up. Pri and Eli come with me so yes, James and May also know Priyanka quite well. Because Pri is that girl who anyone could get along with, they took a liking into her as an older sister- Not like Eli, though.
Elijah has been with them since their nappy days.
"Today at like four in the morning." I recalled the way James was thrashing in his bed, causing my heart to pang once more, "I woke up to him screaming so I just stayed with him till he calmed down."
The corners of Priyanka's lips turned upwards slightly, "you're a good older brother...this is why I either wanted a younger sibling or older sibling. Younger so I can take care of them and older so they can take care of me"
"My older sister does not take care of me," Elijah jokingly pouted and crossed his arms.
"You think a twenty-one-year-old is going to hug and cuddle with a nineteen-year-old when they're crying?" I questioned, grinning.
Elijah slowly unfolded his arms and scratched the back of his head, "Okay maybe when I was little she did..."
Pri pursed her lips and stared at Elijah, "Be grateful that you have a sibling that comforts you..." and with that she went back to shoving a bit of fries into her mouth. Elijah and I looked at each other and at her. We both knew that she never had the comfort she deserved as a kid: Her mum was always working and she never has siblings or a dad.
We carried on eating in a comfortable silence, staring out the wide glass window that gave a view of the outside.
"Let's go to the roof after we eat," Pri suggested.
"Fine by me."
"Same."
[ . . . ]
{ No One's P.O.V }
The three friends were on the roof that was on top of the school. Although it was off limits, they always came here when they needed to clear their mind or needed fresh air. In this case it was both.
Noah peered up at the sky and smiled.
If you're listening Sasha... just know that I'm thankful for all the things you have done for me in the past.
Noah sighed, hanging his head low.
And please come back to keep your promise.
[ Flashback ]
"NOAH ANDERSON! GET BACK HERE!"
A girl around the age of ten was chasing an eight-year-old Noah around the house with a wooden spoon.
Her deep red hair flew around her shoulders as she leapt towards the panic-stricken boy who ducked at the swing of the spoon.
"I- I'm sorry Sasha! MUM!" The young boy ran downstairs and hid behind his mother who was cooking dinner for everyone. The eldest of the two kept trying to reach the boy, attempting to whack him with the spoon on any part of his body.
Whilst the two kept circling around Noah's mother, Noah's mother sighed and closed her eyes.
"COME- oof-" She grabbed the two by their collar, keeping them at arm length distances so that Sasha could not murder the frightened Noah.
"Someone explain, why is Sasha trying to kill you with my wooden cooking spoon?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at Noah.
"S-so I was in her room minding my own business when-" Noah cut off by the screaming of Sasha.
"HOW CAN YOU BE MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS WHEN YOU WERE IN MY ROOM?!"
"I was looking for my clothes!" Noah defended, frightened.
"AND THAT LEAD YOU TO RIPPING MY SHIRT HOW?!"
"Well technically I cut it with scissors-"
"WHAT?!"
Noah quickly shook his head, "I-It's for a school project! I promise!"
"Okay, both of you calm down!" Noah's mum looked at both of them, "So Sasha, you're angry because Noah ripped your shirt?"
"Well apparently he cut it!!" She shouted and chucked the wooden spoon at Noah's head, which made him yelp out an 'OW!' clutching his head.
Chuckling, Noah's mum smiled down at the two, "It's just a shirt Sasha, I can buy you a new one."
Sasha stopped trying to get out of her hold and stared up at her dumbfounded. "J-Just a shirt?"
"T-That- HE CUT MY SHIRT THAT HAD BTS IMPRINTED ON IT!!!"
Noah cried in his mother's hold, "I-I needed faces! It-It's for a project!"
"WHAT PROJECT?!" Sasha screamed, kicking out.
"A- A school one..."
"You're going to die Noah..." a small voice spoke and everyone looked towards the five-year-old James holding a cup of juice and a one-year-old May's hand. "Sasha loves BTS," he finished and took a cheeky sip of his juice.
She started to struggle in her grip again and glared daggers at Noah, making him gulp and nervously laugh.
"It-It was an a-accident- I promise-!"
"HOW THE HELL DO YOU GET SCISSORS IN YOUR HANDS AND ACCIDENTALLY CUT SOMETHING?!" She screamed back and took off her shoe, also throwing that at Noah.
These two are going to be the end of me...
Noah's mother thought and looked at Sasha, "You have another one don't you?"
"Yes but that one's only of the Maknae Line-"
"The what?" Noah questioned looking at Sasha.
Sasha growled at Noah, "When I get my hands on you Noah... You're going to die..."
Noah smiled nervously but panicked when his mother let them both go and she leapt towards him.
With a scream he dodged her and made to run away but fell when another shoe hit the back of his head.
[ End Of Flashback ]
Noah smiled up at the sky and laughed slightly. Sasha was like the older sister he never had- He knew her since the age of three.
Although she was a family friend, she visited everyday and practically lived in their house, reason why she had her own room; She sometimes slept over for a straight two days when her mum got drunk. Yes her mum was an alcoholic.
Oh and her dad also left her, but he divorced her mum.
They fought like real siblings, made up like real siblings, comforted each other like real siblings. Did everything like real siblings.
But one day, she just disappeared. Even her mother disappeared without a trace. Noah's mother said she probably moved houses, but Noah believed that she wouldn't do that without a goodbye.
[ Small flashback ]
Leave me alone... Stop... stop... STOP!
The man was still grinning down at him, inching more closer.
He looked like him.
"Noah, huh? That's what she named you?"
Leave me alone! I don't know who you are!!
"Oh you will soon enough...don't worry..."
The voice contorted into a demonic, glitching voice.
"Noah..."
Stop.
"Noah."
I said stop!
"Noah!"
STOP!!
"NOAH?! NOAH WAKE UP!!" Noah jolted awake, his heart beating wildly with his eyes wide open, rapidly moving them around his room until they landed on Sasha who was standing by his bed with a worried look.
"You were screaming... and-" Sasha's voice broke, " And you're crying..."
Noah's rapid heart rate didn't cease as he started up into the comforting eyes of Sasha.
Freckles adorned her worried face- her cheeks, chin, nose and forehead.
Eyes that matched her red hair stared anxiously at Noah through thick eyelashes.
"I-I'm fine" He replied to the statement with a choked up voice, "You can go back to sleep," Noah shuddered, "S-Sorry for waking you."
Her worried expression stayed as she pushed on, "Are you sure...?"
Noah paused before giving a determined nod, "Yes."
With a nod, she walked towards the door but just as she was about to leave, Noah quickly spoke.
"W-Wait... can you lay down with me for a bit?" Noah asked hesitantly. Sasha replied with a smile and got into bed with him, securing him in her arms.
He felt more safe and easily drifted into a deep slumber, with the steady sound of Sasha's heart beat.
[ End Of Flashback ]
I could really use your advise right now Sasha...
"N-Noah?! What- Why are you crying?!" Noah heard Priyanka ask in shock and that's when he realised that small streaks of the salty water was running down his face.
"Bro you good?" Elijah questioned and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Wiping away his tears, Noah's smile trembled and he sniffed.
"I-I'm good... just thinking about stuff..." Elijah and Priyanka looked at each other before they both put an arm around his shoulders.
Whilst looking down onto the school premises, something caught his eye... rather someone.
And it seemed the other two friends noticed aswell.
"... You guys seeing what I'm seeing..?" Elijah cautiously asked and the other two replied with a 'mhm' and 'yep'.
There, walking towards the gates was a boy in uniform.
More like a plain shirt with two buttons undone and black trousers.
Once at the gates, a man in a full black suit came out the black car, straightening his tie. The school boy stopped about a meter away from the man. They seemed to be talking to each other, but they didn't seem to like each other, as the school boy kept running his hand through his hair and tapping his foot.
The suited up man extended a hand, in a motion to handshake, however the boy just stared at the hand and slowly looked back up at the man. He said something that made the man's face twist in annoyance before the boy firmly shook the hand and immediately turned back towards the school.
"Wait...that's...that's Ray!" Pri exclaimed in shock. Noah's eyes widened when he saw the familiar face.
It was indeed Ray Carter.