NOT EDITED *

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Loud sucking noises and moaning was enough to make me gag.

Leon glanced down at me in confusion as we walked, the repulsive sound sadly increasing in volume the closer we got to my locker. I decided to mind my own business and collect my books as quickly as possible, but the sight we saw as we rounded the corner was enough to drop both my cell phone and my book.

My eyes burned as I watched Callum and Paige make out, hands either locked in each other’s hair or on the other’s butt.  Usually, I would’ve looked away with a genuine gag, but all I did was stare at my best friend as she ate her boyfriend’s face in a high school hallway.

“Paige!” I finally shrieked.

Callum and Paige jumped apart. Both were slightly dazed for a couple of minutes before each of their expressions turned into something completely opposite from the other. Callum looked irritated, but it was obvious he was trying to hide his little friend when he turned away from us and took deep breaths. Paige looked guilty, pulling her disheveled shirt back into place.

I continued to look at the couple with wide, horrified eyes. “Please get a room next time.”

“Seriously, Paige?” Leon asked, equally as terrified as I was. “That’s something I will never be able to forget. Crap, I have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

Paige rolled her eyes and sighed. “You two are over exaggerating. I’m sorry, okay? We didn’t know anyone would be walking around at this time. School’s over. What are you guys still doing here?”

“We came from studying at the library. I’m getting my books,” I replied, slowly gathering my stuff from my lockers. “What are you doing here?”

Paige looked at me like I was stupid. “What does it look like we’re doing?”

“In a school hallway? Can’t you fuck each other in your car or something?” Leon asked in exasperation.

Callum turned around in annoyance. “Palmer, our sex lives are none of your business.”

“It is when you decided to eat each other in front of us!”

“Stop being such a virgin, man up, and – “

My attention on the two bickering boys was now drawn to my cell phone as it buzzed in my back pocket. As Leon and Callum went on and on about useless things, I fished my phone out of my pocket and immediately answered it when I saw the contact number.

“Noah,” I greeted, rolling my eyes when Paige eagerly inched closer.

“Hey, Emmy, I can’t make it to our project meeting today – “

“What?” I exclaimed, gripping the phone tightly in my hand. By my sudden outburst, Leon and Callum stopped arguing. Everyone’s attention was now on me. “You promised. We’re running out of time.”

Although Noah and I were somewhat civil, I wasn’t about to go easy on him regarding our project. We weren’t even at a half way mark just yet.

Noah sighed from the other end. “I know, but I forgot I made plans with other people and I – “

“Is that Evan?” Leon asked aloud. When I didn’t answer, Leon’s face lit up as he rushed towards me. He bent closer to the microphone. I rolled my eyes when he immaturely yelled, “Emma, pass the weed!”

I shoved Leon away. “No, it’s Noah.”

Leon’s smile faltered. “Noah?”

“Is that Palmer?” Noah asked after a while. “Since when did you start smoking weed?”

I walked away from Paige, Leon, and Callum when they started interrogating me on Noah’s phone call. When it was silent, I spoke again.

“Yes, it’s Palmer,” I mocked in a manly voice. “And I don’t do weed. He thought you were Evan and he was messing around.”

Noah cleared his throat. “So, what are you doing with Palmer?”

I smirked, leaning against our junky red metal lockers. “Is someone jealous?”

“No,” Noah scoffed. “Why would I be jealous? I’m kind of offended that you actually thought I’d be jealous of Palmer of all people.”

Although he insulted one of my best friends, I laughed at his overreaction. “Geez, calm down. I’m just kidding.”

“Look, about the project, I could try to make it if you stay at my house a little later than usual.”

“You’re kidding right? Evan isn’t going to be too happy about that. We could just work on it tomorrow. I might as well tutor Leon on William Shakespeare since we’re here.”

Noah stayed silent as if he was thinking hard. “You know what? I’ll just cancel my plans today. I’m sure those people would understand.”

My eyebrows hitched upwards at his sudden decision. “Uh, okay? Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a clipped tone. “I’ll just be running a little late.”

 ▼▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼

I wasn’t usually a nosy person. I hated eavesdropping. I hated gossip and rumors. Though I was a female, I tried to refrain from those types of activities. However, I found that hard to do when it came to Noah Callaway.

After leaving my friends at school with no explanation about me and Noah’s conversation they surely didn’t need to know about, I headed towards his house. That’s when I saw him, in front of a warehouse, talking to two intimidating and obviously older guys with large tattoos and worn out clothes.

I parked my car behind a tree so I wasn’t in view. I got out of the car and crouched behind stacked up tires, trying to stay quiet as I watched the scene unfold in front of me.

Noah looked like he was in trouble. I couldn’t just drive off like I hadn’t seen anything. That was half the reason I was being completely nosy. Admittedly, the other half of me was curious as to why Noah was around people like them.

A lot of scenarios played in my head and many more questions popped up. Was Noah a secret drug dealer? What if he did drugs? Was he in a gang? What was going on here?

I felt uneasy as I hid behind the tires, knowing full well that if I were caught, it’d be the end of my life. But I stayed still, quiet as a mouse and refused to back down now.

The two men didn’t look so happy. Their arms were crossed over their burly chest as they stared at Noah with disappointment and resentment. One man, the shorter one with the worn out baseball cap, even had his hands balled up in fists beside him.

“I know I promised I’d pay you guys today,” Noah said in a strong voice, motioning his hands as he tried to reason with the two. “I just need two more weeks.”

“That’s what you said two weeks ago, boy,” the taller man with missing teeth spat in his face. “We gave you what you wanted and now you have to pay it.”

“Two more weeks. Here, I’ll pay half now,” Noah replied with a quaver in his voice as he fished out his wallet with shaky hands.

“We want full, right Tom?” the shorter one demanded, smacking his comrade in the chest. “It’s either all or nothing.”

Tom nodded his head. “That’s right, boy. You know how hard it was to steal the security tape from the police station?”

“I understand – “

“No, I don’t think you do! How is Kevin here supposed to pay for his mama’s medical bill if our clients don’t pay?” Tom asked angrily. “Look, boy, you will pay for it now.”

“I don’t have the money!” Noah cried with a shrug of his shoulders. “There was nothing on the security tape either!”

My eyes widened in fright and my heart beat erratically when Kevin grabbed Noah by the shirt. “Why don’t you ask that rich little daddy of yours?”

Noah shook his head as he tried to stay calm. “I’m asking for two more weeks. That’s all.”

Kevin’s face filled with fury, his hand tightened around Noah’s shirt. “My mama don’t have no two more weeks! We made a deal. You need to pay your end of the bargain!”

“Hey, man, calm down!” Noah yelled back in his face as he tried to free himself from Kevin.

I flinched when Kevin threw Noah on the ground. Tom’s bitter laugh was enough to make me sick to my stomach. I gasped quietly when Tom suddenly kicked Noah in his side hard. A sickening groan came from Noah as he clutched his side in agony.

Kevin bent down so his face was in front of Noah’s. “Don’t you ever answer back to me! Haven’t your parents taught you to treat elders with respect?”

“You got yourself into trouble, kid,” Tom whistled and purposely stepped on Noah’s fingers hard. He shook his head and laughed again when Noah winced. “When you work with people like us, keep your word or things could go messy.”

I felt numb and frozen when Kevin kicked Noah again. C’mon, Emma, move!

“Why wasn’t our money ready today, huh, kid?” Kevin asked menacingly.

Noah didn’t answer. He stayed on the ground, his face scrunched up in pain. His clothes, a v-neck and dark washed jeans, were dirty with brown dirt. I’ve never seen Noah so vulnerable and scared in the time I’ve known him.

Kevin laughed pungently. “Oh, so now you aren’t going to answer us? You’re asking for it, kid. Tom, take care of him.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Tom agreed happily.

My body shook uncontrollably and my heart seemed to stop when Tom picked up a crow bar from the ground near a work table. He neared Noah ominously with the same sinister smile on his face – it was almost as If he were enjoying himself right now. Noah tried to back away, but Kevin held him in spot. The thought of Nick’s death was what triggered a switch in me. Tom swung his arm back like he was about to hit a baseball.

“No!” I shrieked, stumbling from my hiding spot but kept my distance.

Tom froze in spot, lowering his arms back to his sides. Kevin’s smile faltered. Noah looked at me with wide eyes, his mouth hung open in horror. 

I hadn’t realized I was crying until now. My face was wet with tears as I sobbed. Cautiously inching closer, I placed my hands in front of me.

“Please don’t hurt him,” I begged, shaking my head. My hands shook uncontrollably as I fumbled for the wallet in my pocket. “I’ll pay it for him. J-just let him g-go!”

When Tom came closer to snatch the three hundred dollars from my hands, I couldn’t help the loud sob that escaped my lips. There was no doubt that I was so scared – so frightened that I could be dead anytime soon.

“You’re short a hundred,” Tom sneered with the same sinister smile.

I took another hundred dollar bill from my wallet – all of my salary now gone – and handed it to Tom with trembling hands. “H-here. Just please let us go.”

“Hm, is this your girlfriend, kid?” Tom asked Noah, nodding his head towards me. When Noah didn’t reply, Tom chuckled. “Come here, Kev. Check out kid’s girlfriend!”

My breathing became uncontrollable when Kevin and Tom circled around me. It literally felt like their eyes were burning holes into my flesh. Like a scared dog, I trembled under their stare and kept my eyes trained on the ground. I was going hysterical, my lungs closing in on me.

“Pretty little thing you got here, boy,” Kev commented.

His grimy finger traced my jaw line. I flinched away from it, eyeing his finger like it was the devil’s own fingers. I suddenly felt dirty, raw, and violated as Kevin and Tom’s eyes wandered over my body.

“Wonder how she looks without her clothes,” Tom said suggestively. “What do you say, Kev? No one has – “

“Don’t touch her!” Noah yelled with pure rage, pushing himself in front of me and the two men. His hands were balled up into fists beside him. I clutched onto the back of his shirt as I tried to control my breathing. Noah backed up, protectively keeping himself in front of me, but even I could feel him shaking. “Don’t you fucking dare touch her!”

I shut my eyes, but I could imagine Kevin and Tom with their sinister smirks. “I suggest you step away, boy, and let us have what we want. You know what happened the last time you refused to give us what we wanted.”

“No! Fuck no! You could take all my money, but there is no fucking way you could have her!” Noah continued to yell. Noah moved from in front of me and my eyes snapped open.

However, I should’ve kept it shut. In blind rage, Noah took another crowbar from the ground and swung it at Kevin’s leg. He fell to the ground and clutched it in pain. I shut my eyes closed again and sobbed pathetically when I heard screaming, grunts, and loud cracks. Even when the noise finally stopped, I still kept my eyes shut as my panic attacks assaulted my inner self.

“Emma,” Noah said suddenly. I flinched involuntarily when his hands landed on my shoulder. He shook me. “Emma, come on! We need to leave! They’ll get up soon. C’mon, Emma! Open your eyes. It’s okay. I got you.”

At the sound of one of the men’s groans, my eyes snapped shut. I clutched Noah’s hand in mine tightly and without looking back, I ran away from the scene as fast as I could. I was still freaking out even when we piled into my car and drove speedily in the other direction.

I was still having my panic attack. My wheezing and loud sobs filled the silence of the car. It only worsened when Noah winced, wiped the blood off his nose, and changed into a shirt that was in his school bag. It was another reminder that what we’d been through was real.

Noah punched the dashboard. “God, Emma! What were you thinking? Why were you even there?”

Was he really asking me that question? How insensitive could this jerk be? My hands tightened around my steering wheel in anger. All I wanted to do was punch him in the face or hit him repeatedly. I pulled over to the side of the road, knowing full well I would’ve gotten into an accident if I didn’t control my breathing and my anger.

“Are you seriously asking me that question? What were you thinking? You insensitive bastard!” I yelled at him in between breaths.

Noah’s blue eyes seemed to darken in equal rage. “You should’ve left me, Emma! Was your stereotypical blonde taking over again? Gosh, what you pulled back there was stupid!”

I punched Noah’s chest repeatedly and screamed. “You’re stupid, Noah Callaway! What is wrong with you? All I ever freaking try to do is help you, help you, help you! Can’t you see that? Are you just that selfish or dense? God, you never even say ‘thanks, Emma’ or ‘I’m sorry, Emma’. All you freaking do is yell at me about how stupid I am! Why didn’t you let them rape me, huh? Obviously you don’t care about me or my feelings. I’m just some stupid joke to –“

“I do fucking care!” Noah bellowed.

But before I could even respond, he grabbed my face in between his hands and crashed his lips down on mine.