Chapter Four

The rest of the morning is completely shot for Noel, not even caring that she has Mr. Hamilton for English first thing, her worst subject. She doesn't have any trouble understanding the subject, it's wrapping her head around the eccentric teaching style of Mr. Hamilton.

You would think he was Shakespeare's distant relative or something.

But she needs all academic courses for English, Math, and Social Studies to even qualify for California College of Arts, her last 2 years of high school counting the most towards her application because her father has drilled into her head that those years are the ones colleges care the most about.

Having Mr. Hamilton for her final year of English is going to be a challenge when she was hoping to drift through this last year, floating on the good grades she has already achieved and not worry about having them drop far enough to affect her acceptance to CCA.

She is confident she can do that with every other course she has this year, but not English.

Why does it have to be my first class of the day, too?

Having to be this alert first thing in the morning, with her evenings and nights now haunted by the demon set on destroying her life living with her, this isn't going to be the easygoing year she hoped for.

Why did Harken Lewis have to come into her life? What could she have done in a past life to deserve someone like him? It's only been 24-hours and he has already seemed to make it perfectly clear that he doesn't like her, and is hell bent on annoying her until the day he leaves.

But why? No matter how much she racks her brain she can't think of ever meeting him, or anyone like him, recently or in the past. Priscilla pointed out that he used to go here, Noel wanted to ask her how she knew that, but she was too irritated and flustered by Harken, she felt the need to just flee.

Glancing at the clock by the door she sees there is only a few minutes left of class, having daydreamt through the whole thing after lecturing herself on paying attention.

Damn, Harken.

He still manages to mess with her even when he isn't here, having tortured her so bad already her mind is experiencing PTSD and won't stop thinking about what he plans to do to her next, and how much more miserable her life is going to be until he finally leaves.

Her next class is Math with Mr. Bertram, one of her more preferred teachers when compared to teachers like Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Jones. He is a kind and enthusiastic teacher, not overbearing though and still knows when to discipline his students, keeping a fair and open mind at the same time.

To say the least, the perfect class for her to cruise through until lunch, where she will have a spare period afterwards. One of the benefits of being amongst the top students of her class almost every year, when it came to getting her class schedules for her last two years, she was given the option of choosing her classes, with English and Math being requirements, the last two credits she needs to graduate.

Anything else after that is her choice, and since she needs a strong grade for Social Studies as well, she chose that for her last class, and was given the option of a spare period or choosing another class. Since she assumed she would choose art anyway, she picked the spare period, so she has the option to hangout with the art class during their period, always being welcomed by the teacher Ms. LeClaire, or leave grounds with Priscilla when she plays hooky and wander about.

Best of all – she doesn't expect to see Harken in any of these classes. She assumes since he just needs to grab the last remaining credits he has, he'll pick those classes and the bare minimum level, so he can do the bare minimum work to get them. There's no chance he would be in any academic courses like she is, so she can at least have her classes as momentary pace and quiet from him.

Switching out her books in her locker, her eyes instinctively wander to the right of her down the row of lockers, coming to rest on the frame of the sandy blonde hair of Nolan James. Since Noel and Nolan are so close in spelling, their lockers aren't far from each other, and their lockers haven't changed spots since junior high.

For years, Noel has been trying to work up the courage to walk up to him and just even talk to him like normal classmates, but every time she feels herself getting the nerve, another girl approaches him before she can, blatantly flirting with him and making the entire atmosphere awkward. After awhile, she just reserved herself to watching him from a distance as other girls gathered the courage to full out hit on him.

Noel doesn't even have the courage to talk to him, there's no chance of them ever getting as far as flirting with each other, let alone dating. But Priscilla doesn't believe she has ruined her chance yet, and keeps pushing Noel towards him, like this weekend.

Do I really want to go to Karl's party? Nolan might be there, but it's not like I'll be the center of his attention.

Not unless she dresses like the kind of girls who seem to hang around him and catch his interest. A part of her also thinks about if she would want to ever dress herself like that, regardless of who the person is. Her mother has always said that if Noel wants a boy to like her, then she just needs to be herself. If he doesn't like her that way, then why would she try and make him? He wouldn't like her for her, just the version of what she made herself become so that he would.

"At that point, why bother? It's too much of a hassle for a lovely girl like you, my dear. Just be yourself, and the man you like who also likes you, will find you."

She remembers the conversation with her mother when she was probably no more than 7 -years-old, remembering like it was yesterday. She also remembers what she asked her mother after that.

"What if we're too far apart, and he can't find me?"

"I was far away across the country in a different place, and your father was here, but he managed to find me, didn't he?"

It wasn't long after that year, her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer and it didn't take long to claim her life, allowing her a mere 6-months of life before she passed. Noel was 10 at the time, old enough to understand but still too young to cope or even know how too.

It was around then that her father started working late hours, coming home at the very least but not until late in the night when Noel was already in bed, having to quickly learn to reach the snacks on her own, and eventually learn how to operate the microwave and stove for frozen meals.

It wasn't a great childhood growing up, but it could've been worse.

The warning bell rings above her, urging the remaining stragglers in the hall to rush to class. That's when she notices Nolan talking to Karl against Karl's locker on the other side of the hall. As they turn to walk towards class, Nolan looks up and meets Noel's eyes, her throat instantly closing up, the air vanishing from her lungs.

He gives her a small wave with an adorable, crooked smile that melts her insides. She does her best to give what she hopes is a sweet smile and not so awkward wave back but fears she has failed when his smile quickly falls, and he looks slightly annoyed.

An arm suddenly comes to rest on top of her head, and the all too annoying voice of Harken rings in her ears.

"Why are you smiling at that Lulu Lemon prick?" he asks, his tone sounding annoyed for once, rather than him being the annoying one.

She opens her mouth to retort, but Nolan and Karl walk within ear shot.

Harken lifts two fingers and salutes them slightly. "Greetings, gentlemen."

"You're some kind of weird, Lewis," Karl mutters, his lip twitching as if he is about to sneer at Harken.

What the hell did Harken do on his first day already? Bad enough to piss Karl Mason off too, who is usually an easy going guy when he isn't trying to score with someone or drunk off his ass.

"Do you guys know each other?" Nolan asks, looking at Noel.

Noel opens her mouth, but Harken quickly claps a hand over it and answers for her instead.

"We're neighbors now, my guardian knows her dad, the usual," he says. Noel is semi shocked at his response, expecting him to embarrass her and admit that he is a delinquent living in her home. She doesn't want to imagine how that will make her look in Nolan's eyes, he probably won't bother to have anything to do with her knowing someone like Harken Lewis is living next door to my bedroom.

No guy would want to try and go out with her if they know he is looming back home. She would most likely be questioned about their relationship and what really goes on when they're alone at home, two almost grown adults with no relation to each other and of the opposite gender, living together. She would question the same if it was the situation Nolan was in, having another girl their age living with him and being as attractive as Harken.

She hates saying that, but she can't deny his looks, that would be like denying a cow is a cow. She just doesn't find him attractive to her in the slightest, and his dirt personality doesn't make it any better. They would have no idea the torment she goes through at home with him, and how anything but sexual tension is running through them. If anything, she might explode like a ticking time bomb soon if this continues.

Nolan is still giving her a hesitant and confused look, but nods and seems to buy it.

"Well, I was telling Noel and Priscilla earlier that Karl is having a party later, if you wanted to join them, it's this weekend. I texted Priscilla the address," he says, saying the last part to Noel, the kind smile from before back on his face.

Karl looks upset behind Nolan but for some reason doesn't seem to object to Harken attending his party, despite being so hostile towards him a second ago. Maybe he's just not in the best of moods, and Harken pushed the wrong button, he'll get over it slowly. Noel has never hung around Karl enough to know exactly the type of person she is, and the only stories she has heard about him are at the parties Priscilla goes to, and she hopes he is a much different person sober.

Seeing him at school, he seems to be.

"Party? Sounds like my kind of fun," Harken cheers, slapping Noel on the back playfully. "Better get to class now, Little Red."

This confuses both Nolan and Karl, but Harken begins to drag Noel off, ending the conversation before she even had the chance to get a word in.

"Can you not call me that? Especially not at school, it's such a weird name."

Harken shrugs, not letting go of her arm. "I like it, so I'm going to call you it. What are you going to do about it?"

She shrugs his hand off hers and stops walking.

"Where are you going? I have to get to class A5 for Academic Mathematics, you're probably not going to the same class, and now you're going to make me late," she says, turning to walk back.

"Uh, Little Red?" he calls out.

She whips around to give him hell again about the nickname, but sees he is pointing towards a classroom door just a few feet away. Looking above the door, it reads A5.

"I thought you didn't know your way around here?" she scoffs.

He rolls his eyes, seeing right through her attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"Maybe I took someone's advice and got to know where my classes are this morning, can you believe that?" he mocks.

Her mouth drops open, groaning inwardly as she is once again plagued with him just when she thought she finally had a break from him.

"Please don't tell me you're in this class?"

He shrugs. "Okay, I'm not in this class...but I am." He smirks triumphantly at her and opens the door. "After you, m'lady."

She shakes her head, mostly to hide her burning cheeks as his gesture attracts attention from the few students in the front desk row. Glancing a spot at the back, with two people sitting around it, she hurries to claim it before Harken has the chance to drag her to two empty seats.

This leaves him with all the girls up front, which she assumes he would love, especially with how majority of them are admiring him blatantly, not hiding their starry eyes and fluttering eyelashes. She wants to laugh and gag at the same time looking at them.

Instead of claiming the perfect seat right between all of them, he wanders right past the front rows and to the back, looming over the shy gamer kid of her class, Eddie.

All Harken has to do is clear his throat, and Eddie is scrambling to gather his things and rush to a seat in the front, putting his head down and not daring to look back. Harken smiles and plops down in the seat next to her, tossing a leg up on the desk.

"Seriously? Did you have to be that mean to him, he's a nice kid but he's really shy, you could've just asked him if you could have the seat and I'm sure he would've said yes."

He looks at her curiously. "You seem to know and care for a lot of the guys around here, don't you?"

What the hell does that mean?

"What does it matter to you?" she asks.

Harken just shrugs and looks to the front of the class as Mr. Bertram walks in. "Nothing, I just figured if you know so many guys, why are you still a virgin," he mutters, loud enough for her to hear and possibly someone else.

Her face flares up, anger boiling in her stomach giving her the sudden urge to pick up her textbook and slam it into his face.

How the hell can he say something like that in such a public place, at school no less? Is he really dead set on ruining both her life at home and now school? Exposing her to everyone after she has tried so hard to just stay on the sidelines and make it through these grueling years, so she can get out of here and start actually living, really?

She can feel his gaze on her but tries her best to ignore him and focus on the lesson up front, feeling tears start to well in her eyes from how angry and irritated she feels, having no way to release it, boiling inside of her.

Harken can see he has once again toed the line, and quite possibly gone over it this time. He doesn't know what compelled him to say that the sudden flare of annoyance hitting him out of nowhere and his mouth moving on its own. By the time the words are out, there is no way of snatching them back.

He wants to apologize to her, even though he is confused as to why she seems friendly with all these guys, though he can clearly tell she has never even dated anyone before, but it's clear she is ignoring him.

It's not like she isn't good looking, he won't go as far as to say she is someone he would jump into bed with, everything about her just screams gullible innocence, he wouldn't touch a girl like that with a ten foot pole.

Harken knows what to expect of a girl when you take their first time, or their first anything in Noel's experience. They expect things that are way beyond what most of the guys they're going after can give, Harken being no exception. He's nowhere close to looking for someone to settle down with, he has too much baggage he needs to deal with before he can even consider settling down by himself.

The last thing he wants is another piece of baggage in the form of a needy and annoying girl.

At the same time, Noel doesn't strike him as the kind of girl who would be that needy or dependant on a guy, she's with. After hearing how her father tends to leave her alone a lot at home and seeing how she has pretty much taken over the house, barely a sign that another person, let alone a parent, even lives there, it tells him she has had to depend on herself for quite some time.

He can relate to that, it's one of the reasons he won't let himself get tied down to anyone and end up depending on them. He has had to depend on himself from a young age to, with his mother going crazy and unable to even take care of herself, and his father cooped up in a jail cell no less, somewhere Harken doesn't care to look for.

But other than a father who can't seem to stop grieving over the loss of his wife and neglects his almost grown child, how bad of a life can Noel live? Enough for her friend to warn him not to make her anymore miserable.

"Mr. Lewis, nice to see you back with us," a low voice speaks next to him, a shadow suddenly covering him. He looks up to see the kind smile of Mr. Bertram, he didn't expect him to recognize or remember who he is.

"You remember me?" Harken asks, trying to keep his voice low.

Mr. Bertram chuckles. "You were a top student of mine; how could I forget?"

Noel is sitting within ear shot of their conversation, perking up in surprise when she hears that fact.

Harken actually used to be a top mathematics student? In Mr. Bertram's academic class, no less.

"Let's keep that on the down low," Harken mutters.

"Yes, yes, of course. I just hope to see the same knowledge applied once again this year, and you may graduate with honors in my class. That goes a long way when it comes to applying for colleges," Mr. Bertram starts his lecture, but Harken quickly waves off the conversation.

Putting his hands up in defense, Mr. Bertram just chuckles lightly again and turns back to address the class on the next section of the textbook. The class passed quickly, with them going over the first chapter of their math textbook and answering questions at the end of every section. As expected of Mr. Bertram not to overload people during their first week, he was the only professor who didn't sign them any homework after the first day either.

Class comes to an end and Noel all but dives towards the front door the second the bell rings, rushing to her locker before Harken has the chance to catch up with her. She texted Priscilla halfway through class to meet her in the back of the school by the football field and they'll have lunch on the bleachers.

Harken surprised her today by being a genius in math apparently, but she doubts he is the athletic type and will go anywhere near the football or soccer fields, making the bleachers a safe place hopefully.

"Do I have story for you," Priscilla says the moment Noel is within earshot of her, patting the spot on the bench next to her urgently.

"It's only the second day back, what happened?"

"Harken and Karl are what happened. I have first period Social Studies with them, hurray for me. You know how Karl has been hooking up with Amy Stone?"

Noel doesn't keep up with the gossip and gets all her latest hook-up updates from Priscilla, but she nods her head as if she knows everything she is talking about, hoping she will just get to the point. This will probably explain why Karl seemed so hostile towards Harken earlier.

"Guess Amy decided to kick him to the curb recently, and it looks like she has made Harken her new target. The two of them were flirting up a storm in class, it was sickening to watch, but pretty funny to see Karl get all riled up and accuse Harken of taking his sloppy seconds."

Noel cracks a smile at this, wishing she could have witnessed that argument. Everyone knows full well that Karl is not the first boy Amy has hooked up with at Bisbee High, and Harken isn't her second or third serving at this point.

She isn't surprised that Amy is the kind of girl Harken is attracted too. She is attractive, pretty open about her active sexuality and easily entertained, she will laugh at anything and everything with the most obnoxious laugh you've ever heard, but guys fall for it every time.

"Turns out Harken is quite the genius when it comes to math, I have him in my second period academic class with Mr. Bertram, he recognized Harken. Which reminds me, I meant to ask earlier; how did you know Harken used to go here?" Noel asks.

Priscilla gives her a dumbfounded look. "Seriously? How do you not remember him? I mean it took me awhile when I first saw him, it has been a few years."

"Wait, what? What do you mean remember him? I'm positive I've never met Harken before, I would've remembered a guy like that, I thought pretty hard about it."

Priscilla rolls her eyes and takes out her phone, going into her F******k app and into photos. "You're so lucky I took pictures of these candid photos when my mother was making me gut my room last year," she mutters and pulls up an album of photos she took with her phone, of disposable film pictures.

One of them in particular is of Noel, her arm slung around a kid just a few inches taller than her, her other hand giving the peace sign and a large grin on her face.

"Do you remember this?" Priscilla asks.

Noel shakes her head.

"That's you and me, when we went on that nature retreat field trip back in grade 9, it was our end of the year trip. We went camping and stayed in these God awful cabins that still haunt my nightmares, then they made us crawl into those spider infested canoes and do a bunch of other exhausting activities?"

The more she talks about it, the more Noel recalls a few snippets of memories from that trip, but she doesn't see how that proves she knew Harken.

"What does that have to do with Harken?" she asks.

Priscilla zooms in on the photo to a kid in the back, passing behind them while also sticking the middle finger up to photobomb them.

The kid looks like a miniature version of Harken.