All Chapters of Keeper of my Heart: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"You're joking, right?" Noel scoffs. "I mean most father's bring home like a puppy or stray cat at most for their kids, not some...uh, some-""Delinquent? I think that's the word you're looking for," Harken chides.Noel glares at him."I understand your hesitation about welcoming someone like him to live with us, but I assure you Harken will be on his best behavior while he is here. Right, Harken?" He adds the last part with a tone of warning.Harken lifts his hand to salute him, a cocky grin on his face."Yes, sir, Mr. Ashford."Noel rolls her eyes and shakes her head, unable to wrap her head around the fact that she is going to be living with this immature man-child. She can already tell they won't be getting along, so she won't bother trying to, planning to steer clear of him until he is inevitably kicked out or leaves of his own accord, unable to cope under the house rules of her dad.If there is someone like Harken Lewis living in her home, she doubts her dad will be leaving her

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

"Where are you going?" Noel asks him, watching as he locks his bike and puts his helmet away. He shoves his hands into his jean pockets and shrugs, making it clear he isn't going to answer her."Well, thanks for the ride, I can find my own way home after this." She waves to him and turns to walk down the sidewalk. She half expects him to ask how she plans to get home, but he doesn't say anything. When she turns back around a few feet away, he is already gone, the street vacant of him.Looks like he was just giving her a ride out of convenience.Then, why did he wait for me at school?Not wanting to be bothered too much about thoughts of why Harken is Harken, she pops in her headphones and switches on her music to make her short journey to the art store. La Gallerie is a local art store that sells everything an artist would need, no matter their level of creativity or desired form of art, despite it being a small and local business."Good evening, Noel, what brings you here?" Mrs. Marc

After the argument between Harken and Noel that night, it seemed he listened and obeyed to what she said about staying away from her. It has been a few weeks now and neither of them have said a word to each other, never having the need to unless they want to. Harken hasn't offered to give her a ride to or from school since the last time, leaving before she gets up in the morning and gone before she gets to the parking lot after class.She avoided returning to Mr. Baldwin's class and ended up backing out from taking pictures for the homecoming dance, not bothering to go, and staying home to emerge herself in her painting like she did every other year. He was devastated, but there was nothing else he could do. Noel skipped the party at Karl's place, though Harken himself didn't attend either and locked himself in his room for the night instead, she didn't have it in her to go, regardless of if it meant giving up an opportunity to get closer to Nolan. Math is the only class they have tog

Priscilla is the first person Noel texts when she gets home, the excitement and nerves finally hitting her by the time she makes it home after the party. Thankfully Harken doesn't seem to return home for the night, no doubt spending it with Amy at her place."You owe me a lot for passing your number off to Nolan, just sucks he took so long finally asking you out. Why did you leave the party so early last night?" Priscilla asks the next morning, lounging across her bed as Noel rummages through her closet for something decent to wear."It's just a movie, don't get too ahead of yourself." Noel says this but she too is silently getting ahead of herself, and she knows it, taking so long just to pick an outfit being her first clue.They're attention is brought to her slightly open door as they hear someone stumbling around downstairs. Noel and Priscilla share a strange look before wandering over to the door in time too see Harken staggering up the stairs."Was he out the entire night?" Pris