4

It is not lack of love, but lack of friendship that make unhappy marriages.

Chapter Four

N O E L

I just hit somebody with a mopping stick on the head. I could tell it was a boy because I saw the flash of defined abs before he fell down. My heart was hammering in fear and I've started to sweat like fish out of water.

Is he dead? Why won't he get up? Maybe I opened his skull. Oh my, we don't have money to pay for hospital bills.

"What the hell?" A dark haired shirtless boy says as he comes into the room, he wore plaid shorts and he was holding two packs of beer. "AL?"

His eyes travel up and land on me, by this time my teeth are chattering and I place my finger in between them before I bite off my tongue. He raised his brows in confusion expecting an explanation from me. "Christmas?"

"The music was too loud...I was...on the window... He...out of nowhere... Then he..." I couldn't even say a complete sentence.

"Come over here, I can't hear a thing you're saying," he says as he drops his beer and reduces the volume of the music.

"I...come over there?" I ask, he squats down and disappears from my line of sight; only the top of his dark hair is visible. I think he is checking the state of my victim.

"Yea, you don't expect only me to handle the body alone, right?" He says freely resurfacing.

"Handle the body? Oh no he is dead," I say a tear leaking down as I stand up trying to steady myself. The distance between the two windows isn't much, I use the mop as bridge and I dearly cross over, entering our neighbors’ house with shaky legs.

I see the boy lying on the floor completely still and probably lifeless. His striking face and features makes me recognize him as Aaron from my chemistry class, a sob threatens to break out of me as I knee beside him, clutching his bare arm that was still warm. How could I? How could I have killed his really handsome boy with a promising future? I gasp, "I'm a murderer." My first kill at the ripe age of 17, I can't believe it, I'll go to prison and my mum would be worried sick.

The dark haired boy crouched down beside me with a glum face, maybe they were brothers. I lean my head on his shoulder in sadness, as he was patting my shoulder the body moves. I instantly jerk up alert, the body moves again as if struggling to come back to life. "He moved!" I say excitedly, I've never been excited like this, in my whole life. Well, I’m not really sure about my whole life but… you get my point.

The dark haired boy jumps up the ground obviously excited too. He starts pacing around, "I've seen this in a movie before, and he need...needs....resuscitation!" He snaps his fingers together as he gets the word.

I nod and place my hand on his bare chest; I start pressing and applying pressure like I've seen the ambulance people do. Nothing happens.

"No. Mouth to mouth," he said.

"Okay, come on." I say moving away to give him the space to come do it.

"No I can't do it, Aaron's allergic to garlic, I just ate garlic it might choke him up." He explains.

I release a breath, "so...so I get to do it?" He nods. I nod too moving back in position. Noel you can do it, you got Aaron into this, you have to get him out.

With a determined face, I take in deep breaths, I hold his nostrils together then part his lips, and this might not be so hard after all, his lip look really attractive and soft. I lean down and just when I'm almost there, he turns away making sounds as if he is choking. I look at him startled and not knowing what to do.

"I...I can't," he say as the choking sound turns into laughter as he stands off the ground, soon the two guys are laughing their butts off and I just stay there confused.

"Oh man, you should have seen her face. I'm a good actor, I deserve an award." The dark haired guy said, clutching his stomach as he continues laughing.

"What's going on?" I ask confused as I stand up the ground.

"Noel Atkins, you've been officially pranked," Aaron says still laughing.

"A Prank?" I ask trying to understand, my nerves have thankfully returned to normal.

"She thought she was a murderer," the dark haired boy said as he collapsed on the bed still laughing.

I gasped as I finally understood what was going on. "You were pretending? How could you? I...I,"

"It was pretty easy I saw how scared you were, and decided this would be an epic prank and it was," the dark haired boy said wheezing in laughter.

I was so angry, they played me and here I was almost at the point of breaking down, I thought I killed someone and I was so shaken up for nothing. "Jerks," I spat out, burning in fury.

"Come on Noel lighten up, you got to admit it was funny," Aaron said.

"I thought I killed you. I was scared and freaking out."

"Well technically nobody can die from that hit and you hit me, I think it’s going to form a bruise," his hand travelled to a side in his forehead and he hissed when he touched the slightly red spot.

"I would have apologized except you don't deserve it anymore," I turned to leave then stopped to address him again, "wait, you wanted me to kiss you?"

He raised his hands up in surrender, "it was Jesse's idea, and I just played along."

I glared at Jesse who was sitting on his bed grinning at me, I turned back to Aaron, "well thank God you know that the only time my pretty lips would touch that rotten one of yours is only when you're dead or dying." I spat out.

Jesse whistled, "Burn."

"Ouch?" Aaron said touching his heart and falling to the bed like he has been shot.

I smirk in victory trying not to laugh as Jesse pats Aaron's back saying, "don't worry AL I'll kiss you when necessary."

I look out the window wanting to cross over but now that I wasn't shaking anymore, the distance seemed far and the length of the fall I might have is pretty long. I'll die immediately.

"Need help crossing over love?" Aaron asks smirking.

I glare at him, "not from you, I'll pass."

"Then from me?" Jesse asked.

"Not from any of you." I look again but I just can't cross, I wonder how I did it the first time. I decide to leave like a proper human being would-- through the door. I spare them one last glare, before stomping out, going through the door.

"You’re forgetting your mop, mop girl."

I stomp back in ignoring how ridiculous I might look; I grabbed my mop and left again. I went downstairs and left through the door. I walk over to my house barefooted. My face was already red from all the anger flowing through my veins.

I barge into my house startling my mum; she looked surprised to see me. "Um, is everything okay, Noel?"

"Everything is just Dandy," I replied. After dropping the mop off, I go back into my room. I don't see the boys but I hear their voices. I shut my window loudly and drew the curtain close muttering cusses to myself.

I slump down on my bed, facing the white ceiling. I can't believe they pulled a prank on me like that, playing with life and death. Then they proceed to laugh at me afterwards. I also can't believe that I actually had a decent enjoyable chit chat with Aaron at chemistry class when he is actually a first class jerk.

First impression matters but second impression matters too. Aaron and Jesse is officially my least favorite people on earth. Because of them my lovely afternoon is ruined. What do I do when I'm angry? I sleep. And that's exactly what I did; I rolled myself into the comfy bed and slept off hoping to sleep off the anger.

*

"Baby I'm going out today. I called some places yesterday and I was told to come today." My mum said, as she ran around fixing things in the kitchen.

"Do you think you'll get a job today?" I asked her, pouring milk from a carton into a glass.

"I don't know honey, I have no idea how this job hunting stuff goes.” She fisted her hair. “Up or down?" She asked.

I sit on the counter gulping down my glass of milk and getting a milk mustache, "Down."

"I shouldn't wear makeup right? So they'll see how desperate I am for the job?"

"No, you should wear makeup, it show them that you're the most pretty and suitable for any job." She nods taking my advice.

"I'm going to get lots of money to be able to take care of you my sweetheart," mum says smiling.

"I have no doubt about that," I finish my glass of milk, licking off the top of my lip. I hop off the counter and a loud burp escapes.

"Manners Noel," my mum scolds.

"Sorry," I wash my glass, setting it back in the right place. Then I grab my bag slinging it over my shoulder. "Bye mum," I kiss her, "break a leg."

"Yea bye," she says applying makeup, "uh Noel?"

"Yea?" I ask turning back to her.

"Can you bake?" She asked out of the blue.

"Um no mum, I can barely boil water," I say wondering why she asked when she knows the answer. Yea, I'm just like my mum, we can't cook.

She nods, "I guess I'll have to buy outside."

"Buy what for what?" I ask not bothering about the fact that I'll be late for school.

"Cookies or cake for the Donovan’s, our neighbors’"

"Our neighbors’?" I point in the direction of the only neighbor I knew about.

"Yep I met the mum yesterday, Naomi, she seemed pretty nice and she welcomed me with the Brownies in the freezer, I think it would be great if we do something just like that too."

Oh, those brownies that I devoured last night. But our neighbors are also those jerk boys, no way. I'm not giving them any cookies or cake. "No mum, the introduction you did is enough; you don't have to give something in return."

She frowns and I use this as a way to escape, "bye mom," I shut the door and started walking to school. Today I wore worn out jean shorts with a tucked in t-shirts, a cream colored jacket over it with a black beanie and my black converse. Inside it all I wore a bikini set because I was going to go for a swim during my free period today.

I was already running late so I didn't play my game, I just concentrated on getting to school. I reached school a minute before my first period. The last thing I need now is a detention for late coming or any other punishment for that matter.

I dashed into the school, sprinting forward to my English class, I don't stop at all. Thankfully the hallway is almost empty and I don't need anything from my locker. I reach my class panting like a Buffalo. I'm already late because the class in a session.

My Jenkins shakes her head at me amused and motions me to come in. I manage to pull my panting, sweaty self in and I go to my seat. Nadine smiles at me and I smile back. I rest my head on my desk, trying to calm me down. My head is spinning and feels lightweight. I shouldn't have ran. I'm not healthy enough for this. Couch potato is my middle name. Noel couch potato Atkins.

I hear the whole class laugh and snicker around. I wonder what Ms Jenkins said; when I look up she's also smiling. "Yes, we get it Noel, next time don't run. Start coming early." She says amusement flashing through her eyes.

My hand fly to mouth, Oh no, I said that our loud. Nadine laughs, "Yes you did." I shut my mouth, deciding to stop talking or thinking all together.

A squeezed ball shaped paper hit me and fall to the ground. I pick it up; it isn't from Nadine because the paper came from my right side. Nadine's at my left. I open it up.

Did you run all the way from the Atlantic just to get to school?

I turn to see who is asking and my eye met the blue ones of Aaron, he was smirking at me, his elbow resting in his desk. He looked so attractive, like he is really good looking; his dark brown hair looks as if a comb ran through it. The boy was oozing out confidence. He wiggled his brows at me, snapping me back to reality. I glare at him, turn away and stuck the paper under my foot choosing to ignore him.

Another paper hit me and I snap my neck in his direction with an icy glare, he doesn't look disturbed by my glare. I reluctantly pick up the new paper and open it up.

Hey, I'm talking to you Noel Couch potato Atkins.

I groan loudly, today is going to be a long day and somehow I'm partly at fault, I and this big mouth of mine.

"What did you say?" Nadine asked leaning closer as if I talked.

Oh you got to be kidding me, again?

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