She's his flower, But also his rain. She's the beauty in his day, But also his night full of pain. - "When Noah looks at you, it's like he's been living in a black and white universe and he just saw colours for the first time. These past weeks not being able to talk to you, all the colour in his life just went away and it's back to black and white and all he's been trying to do is remember what life was like before he knew what colour was."
view moreChapter One
Who Is That?≋
Noah"Would you pick one already, Noah? We've been here all day," Luke grumbled impatiently, pinching the bridge of his nose. We had been best friends our whole lives-frankly, he shouldn't have been surprised this was taking so long.
"Patient," I grumbled back, continuing to skim through the grocery store shelves stacked with cereal boxes.
"I'm going to go find chips," he said, shaking his head at me. "Since you won't pick up the pace. Knowing you, you'll be standing here until the store is closing."
He slapped my back hard before walking off.
Eventually, I decided on Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Snatching the family-sized pack, I turned to go find Luke.
"Woah-"
Stumbling backwards after walking right into another body, the box of cereal had slipped out of my hands.
"Sorry about that." I bent down to grab the two boxes that had fallen.
Standing back up, my eyes locked with hazel ones. Grey-green with a lighter brown around the pupil, light like honey. Ashen pale skin with hollowing bags under her eyes, like she hadn't known the luxury of sleep. Dark hair, long and wavy like she just stepped out of the ocean.
The hoodie she wore, hood up, shadowed on her face.
She snatched her cereal box out of my hands. "Could watch where you're going, hot-shot."
My eyebrow quirked-maybe amusedly, maybe out of surprise. "Hot-shot?"
She had already began walking away, maybe not even having heard my question.
"Why?" I called out after her. To hell with it, really.
Halting, she turned slowly. Straight expression with tired eyes, she looked as though she wanted to be anywhere but here. Or perhaps, she wanted to be nowhere at all. "Excuse me?"
"Hot-shot," I repeated, my head tilting. "What makes you call me that? Of all things. I'm sure there's plenty one could dub me."
"You have a look," she spoke dully.
"A look?"
"Like you're waiting."
"Waiting?" My eyes narrowed confusedly. "For what?"
"For me to drool-or maybe drop to my knees for you. Staring with twinkling eyes like that's everyone's appointed reaction."
Tone bored as ever with entirely no filter, no care to give. A force to be reckoned with.
My expression contorted into one of-loss, really. Eyebrows raised high, I was taken aback.
I tucked the cereal box under my arm, taking small steps towards the sullen girl. "Are you angry?"
This time, her eyebrows raised, not having expected the question. "Excuse me?"
I shrugged. "Well, are you?"
"Why would you-"
"You seem angry."
She blinked, stupefied. "Do I? I would call it uninterested but perhaps your ego refrains you from considering such a thing."
My lip curled upwards in amusement. Bitter and perhaps unusually harsh, I couldn't help but revel in this unexpected encounter. She was something I had never known before, something so different that I couldn't help my curiosity from wandering.
She didn't spare me a second longer of a glance as she turned and walked away before I could come up with a response.
"Who was that?"
Luke came up from behind me, standing beside me as we watched her disappear down the aisle.
"Just... a girl."
Turning, Luke's eyes narrowed on me. His smirk was peeving. "A girl, huh?"
Rolling my eyes, I shoved his shoulder as I walked past him to leave. "Don't be an idiot. I don't even know her name."
"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo!" Luke's loud and ever-amused voice yelled from behind me.
All I could do was shake my head.
≋
"Did you forget to bring me my textbook back, again?" Groaning, I rummaged through my bag to find the Physics textbook that I had lent Luke.
"Uh..."
"Luke."
"I'm sorry!" Holding his hands up in defense, Luke offered a sheepish smile-but I knew the boy held no remorse about it. "I may have... lost it."
Sighing, I zipped my bag back up. "The school is going to make me pay for it at the end of the year if it isn't returned. You know that, right?"
"You could buy the whole school." Luke retorted with the slight roll of his eyes.
"I had notes written in that one. Jackass." Shoving his shoulder, I pushed him out of the way to shut my locker.
"Lovers quarrel?" Jade pushed her way between the two of us, leaning back against the lockers. "Always arguing, you two are."
"It's hardly arguing," Luke smiled as he swung an arm around her shoulders. "It's just Noah whining."
"Oh, shut up."Reaching past Jade's shoulders, I flicked the side of his head.
There were seven of us.
Luke and I had been best friends our entire lives-quite literally. The one who knew me better than I knew myself. The clown of the bunch. Sunshine itself. Never anything but a smile to be seen from Luke.
Jade; the epitome of that which is beautiful. An old soul with young eyes; vintage heart, beautiful mind. Her presence itself was one that could calm souls.
Leo, on the soccer team along with the rest of us boys. Wild spirit with a secretly soft heart; the real life of the party. Not an ounce of fear in his body, Leo could be outspoken and sometimes, hated for his blunt honesty.
Charlie, the golden boy. Coming from an excessively wealthy family, you'd expect him to be the opposite of everything he is. He was the calm in the middle of a storm, the one who kept everyone else grounded.
Kai and Joy-our teen beach movie couple. The best word to describe Kai would be zen. The baby of the group, though he didn't show it-it was only known to those close enough to him.
Joy; whiskey in a tea cup, a wildfire to be reckoned with. Loud. Rainbows and unicorns type of bullshit but it was impossible to anything but love her.
That had been our group for as long as any of us could remember. A tight-knit bunch.
Ezra came along-new and not entirely part of the group for he was reserved and always keeping to himself but being Charlie's cousin placed him within the circle when he recently transferred here.
"Has anyone heard from Charlie all weekend?" Leo asked, appearing with Joy and Kai.
"He wasn't at school on Friday," Luke said, eyebrows furrowing.
"He missed practice on Friday too."
"When I asked him if he was coming, he said he was busy with his dad," Luke explained. "Not sure what that was about. I didn't talk to him again all weekend."
"He was supposed to give me a ride to school today but he texted last minute and said he couldn't," Jade said confusedly with the slight shrug of her shoulders.
"Is he even at school right now?"
"Ezra would know. Where is he-we can ask him," Jade said, pushing herself off the lockers as Luke's arm fell back to his side.
People scattered along the hallways, chatter floating throughout. Classes would be starting soon and Charlie was never one to miss school. It was safe to say, this behavior was unusual for him.
"Maybe they're-"
"Who is that?" Luke's eyes narrowed as he peered down the hallway. "I found the lads but-who is that with them?"
Down the hallway, Luke motioned towards the group of three. Ezra and Charlie heading in our direction but they weren't alone. Between the two, was a third person who nobody recognized.
The boys talked to her in hushed voices as they walked down the corridor, all eyes on them. Whispers unsubtly floated around the three, the crowd parting like the red sea as everyone speculated who the new girl with the Golden Boy is.
Charlie's smile was sheepish as the three stopped in front of us. "Hey guys," he drawled awkwardly.
My breath hitched.
It was her.
Those hazel eyes.
Cereal girl, the girl from the grocery store was the new girl walking alongside one of my best friends.
Lifting her gaze, her eyes flickered across the group of us-lingering on me for only an extra second.
"Meet my sister. Tiffany."
"Your sister?" Jade and Luke repeated simultaneously.
"Since when do you-a sister?" Leo's eyes narrowed, confusion drawing his eyebrows together. He wore the same baffled expression the rest of us did.
I've known Charlie since our elementary years and never once has he mentioned a sister. That's far too big a detail to leave out.
An opposing pairing, from what I had seen thus far. Walking around with the weight of the world on her shoulders while Charlie was the most mellow person I knew. She was evidently reserved and closed off whereas Charlie was entirely approachable. They're siblings?
Ezra leaned back against the lockers, arms crossing over his chest. He snorted a laugh, amused by everyone's combination of perplexity and shock.
"Did you say sister?" Luke asked, head tilting confusedly. "You said sister-right?"
Charlie laughed sheepishly but didn't seem surprised by the reactions. "Twin sister."
"But-we-" Jade sputtered. "We've known you for years and you've never-well-how could we not know you have a sister, Charlie?"
Tiffany sighed deeply before clearing her throat, all gazes shifting onto her. "I'm flattered to see you've been talking about me, big brother." She turned to look at Ezra, none of us being offered even a glance. "Show me where homeroom is, Razzi."
We all watched. Tiffany and Ezra turned and headed down the hallway as Ezra showed her the way.
Dumbfounded, to say the least.
Slowly turning, Leo turned towards Charlie. "Explain."
"We'll talk at lunch," Charlie glanced down at his watch. "I'll see you guys in class." Offering a faint smile, Charlie had already turned to leave.
The rest of us-we stood there gaping, trying to connect the dots and make sense of the news that had just been shared.
Chapter Forty-SevenLucky You?≋NoahI took both her hands in mine, my gaze not leaving hers for a second. "I'm in-love with you, Tiffany Vos.""You're what?" Tiffany's eyes widened and face contorted into a look of absolute disbelief.I smiled softly, "I'm in-love with you.""You are?" She muttered quietly, eyebrows furrowing together in confusion and shock. "Are you... sure?"A chuckle escaped my lips as I nodded my head firmly, "Yes, sunshine, I am positive. No doubt in my mind."Tiffany nodded slowly, her eyebrows still furrowed. She seemed to be in thought. "I'm not someone you would want to love, Noah."My smile slowly left my face. I hated that she thought so little of herself. "Yes, you are," I told her confidently. I raised one of my hands to cup her cheek, softly caressing her cheek with my thumb. "You are an amazing person whether you see it or not. You see everything you've been through as bad luck but I see it as struggles that you made it through and became stronger fro
Chapter Forty-SixIt's Their Dying, Not Yours≋Noah"I killed him.""Who?""The guy I was in love with." Tiffany gulped and looked away from me. I stayed silent, letting her talk.She clenched her jaw as she looked back to the water. She took a moment to collect herself before continuing to tell me what happened."When I started high school I was ready for a fresh start - to go back to the happy girl who played soccer and loved spending time with her family." She fiddled with her fingers as she spoke, clearly uneasy as she opened up the memories she had shoved away."It had been two years since my parents divorce, since Charlie and my dad moved away. Those two years were miserable." She chuckled dryly."My mom is a workaholic who spends all of her time at work, worrying about work and nothing else. It's her life, literally," she told me. "It's all she's ever cared about. She was the mother who forget her child's birthdays and wouldn't notice if I had been sleeping at my friend's hous
Chapter Forty-FiveI've Messed Up≋NoahI had to use my phone's flashlight to guide me through the forest since it was late and dark out.When I got to the opening and walked out to where the dock was, right away I noticed Tiffany. She was sitting with her legs crossed in her lap, staring out at the water.I exhaled a deep breath to keep my posture and calm before slowly walking up the dock and going to the end where Tiffany sat.The only light was from the moon along with a lamppost that was on the far left away from the dock so there wasn't much light out but enough to see the bare minimum you'd need to see."Everyone's looking for you, you know?" I said when I was standing a few feet behind her.I saw Tiffany's body tense when she heard and recognized my voice. Her body then relaxed and she stayed silent, ignoring me.My hands were starting to feel sweaty and clammy from the nervousness I felt. I took a seat beside her on the dock when she chose to not say anything to me.When I s
Chapter Forty-FourKnow You're Still Here≋Noah"She's not at school," Ezra said to Charlie, his voice low.I was grabbing my books for my first period class out of my locker with Luke and Jade leaning against the lockers beside mine when Ezra and Charlie walked down the hall, coming over to us."If she was planning on coming here she would've been here by now," Charlie responded to Ezra, a small frown on his lips."What's going on, babe?" Jade asked softly as Charlie came over and gave her a hug.Charlie shook his head softly, "Nothing," he gave Jade a reassuring smile but none of us were fooled."Are you sure?" Luke asked, narrowing his eyes. "Where's princess? Is that who you guys are talking about?"Charlie sighed while Ezra typed away on his phone, not paying attention to the rest of us."Yes," Charlie said firmly, his face straight and without much emotion. "She stayed home. Wasn't feeling good.""What happened?" Luke asked as his eyebrows pulled together, worry flooding throug
Chapter Forty-ThreeI Feel Like a Honey Bee≋The weekend after Noah disappeared for a while, he didn't come to school the following two days.When he did come back, things were just as they had been the past few weeks.Noah would be fine, laughing and talking to the others while him and I acted like we didn't even see the other person standing a foot away from us."You could just talk to him. Confront him, tell him to get over himself," Ezra muttered dully, shrugging.It was Friday now. I couldn't stand to be stuck in the cafeteria having to see Noah because it made my stomach twist and chest feel like there were bricks lying on top of it.Ezra came through in the hallway with me. The two of us sat on the ground with our legs stretched in front of us and backs leaned against lockers.I refrained from rolling my eyes, "Raz, he's made it more than clear I'm not welcome in his life.""Then maybe you should get over yourself and let yourself be with the guy," Ezra chuckled, shaking his h
Chapter Forty-TwoLot of Hurt Going on≋Luke and I got to Noah's house after the others since we had left later.When we got there, my dad, Noah's parents and brothers along with the rest of the friend group where all sitting around in the family room.Noah's mom looked drained out and exhausted as she sat on the couch and rubbed her hands in anticipation."What's going on?" Luke said as soon as we had walked into the room.Cade shrugged as he stood up and shoved his hands in his jogger's pockets, "Nothing, really. Noah's upstairs in his room but won't talk to anyone - at all.""How are you doing, Mrs.Coates?" I asked softly as I walked over to where she was sitting and stood beside my dad. He wrapped an arm around me and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.She gave me a small and sad smile, "I'm okay, dear. I'm just glad Noah's safe."I smiled lightly and nodded, "So am I.""Princess," Luke said softly as he came over and placed a hand on my shoulder.I stepped away from my dad a
Chapter Forty-OneCosmic Force≋Three weeks had gone by and it was radio silence between Noah and I.As much as it agitated me that this is what it was like now, I wasn't going to do anything about it because Noah had made no effort to talk to me either and I was no the type of person who was going to change for some guy and go confess my deeply shoved down feelings for him so we could end up happily ever after.All the points have been established.This was for the best.I may miss him and want to hang out with him, I may also hate seeing him everyday, I may hate the questions arose from everyone in the group, I may hate that he laughs at Amy's stupid jokes and stories but I was a much stronger person than this and am frankly, very good at keeping a guard up - even if that meant coming off as a stone-cold, heartless person with no feelings and emotions.Three weeks and I was starting to get used to Noah and I being on these weird and unfriendly terms.It's easier sitting behind him
Chapter FortyQuite Fine≋Noah and I hadn't been talking at all and Luke caught on."Okay, seriously, what is going on with you two?" Luke stood in front of me with his arms crossed, blocking my path and not allowing me to take a step away from my locker."Luke-""No," he cut me off firmly. "Noah won't say anything and you've been avoiding me too. What happened with you guys?"I kept a blank face on as I pushed past Luke and started walking down the hall, "Nothing happened."Luke easily fell into step beside me and started walking with me. He scoffed, "That a lie and a half! I figure you'd at least try to be a little convincing, princess."Speaking through my gritted teeth with annoyance, "Go ask Noah. I don't know or care."After the argument Noah and I had, it was clear on both sides that neither of us were in any mood to talk it out or talk at all, really.Luke sighed in defeat, "He won't speak about it.""What makes you think I will?" I chuckle dryly as I continued walking to my
Chapter Thirty-NineGood Morning to You Too≋I blinked a few times to adjust my sight to the sunlight that was beaming through my room in the morning. My eyes still slightly droopy, I looked over to spot Noah.He was lying on his side with his head resting on his arm that was bent so his elbow was sticking outwards. He was looking me, eyes also droopy and a soft and lax smile on his face as he looked at me.I groaned as I turned so I was also lying on my side and facing Noah, "Watching me sleep, Ace? Not creepy or uncomfortable at all."A soft chuckle left his lips, his eyes lit with amusement, "I was taking in how peaceful it is when you're asleep - no annoyance or glum responses from you."I rolled my eyes, a small grin on my lips as I looked at him, "I can't see or hear you when I'm asleep, of course I wouldn't be annoyed."Noah grinned, not offended but rather more amused by my comment, "I don't think I annoy you. I think you like having me around but you won't admit it."I narro
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