Throughout my classes, Noah kept giving me death stares in the ones we shared.After gym, I went into the girls' shower room along with everyone else. Different thoughts ran through my mind. Considering the glares Noah had been giving me, waiting for everyone to leave before I showered would be the stupidest idea ever.I was still under the water when loud screaming filled the air.“What’s wrong?” I called out but got no response. I grabbed my towel and scurried out to see what was going on.I halted, my eyes widening as they landed on Noah.Of course. Like he didn’t have the power to clear everyone out. I should have just showered at home.“What are you doing here?”“Oh, I’m not answering your questions… answer for answer, remember?” he said, leaning against the lockers.“What?” My face twisted in confusion.“I answered your question, but you didn’t answer mine,” he continued, his voice flat.“Is that why you had to send everyone out? You could have just waited for me to be done.”“W
I turned around sharply.“What?”“Your dad… he was a lawyer?”“Was? Why are you using past tense? Has something happened to him?” Panic shot through my veins.“Relax… calm down.”“No! Do you know my dad? Is he–”“I said calm down! Why are you so worked up?”Tears began to build in my eyes, and my hands trembled.Get it together, Rosalie, what’s wrong with you?Noah’s face filled with a flicker of concern as he walked closer. He placed a hand on my shoulder, then lifted my chin with his finger, forcing my gaze to his.“Nothing is wrong with your dad, okay? I was just…”“Don’t do that… stop.”“You’re overreacting, Rosalie… I just wanted to confirm if your dad is a lawyer, okay?”“I don’t know what he’s doing now. But he didn’t have a job the last time I could remember being with him.”“How long ago was that?”“I was seven when he left.”“Oh… I… I didn’t–”“Don’t… don’t say you’re sorry or all that pity stuff.”I pulled away from him, letting his hand fall from my shoulder.“Why were you
Noah’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he continued to stare at me. I heard heavy breaths leave his nostrils as his lips were tightening into a thin line.“Don’t get violent,” I said, raising my arms up as if that would calm him down in any way.“I was not about to be violent,” he said with his voice hard.“Okay…” I said, my hands still in the air.“The plan adds nothing to whatever is happening now.”“Okay? So what was it about?”“I didn’t promise to give you a response.”“Really?” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.Noah continued to stare, not moving an inch.“It does involve me, right?”Noah still didn’t move.“Of course. You’re not even going to tell me about something that involves me…”“You know what? I am tired of every fucking thing happening here. I just wish I was never at that lake… wish my mom never married your dad… wish none of this ever happened!”I shook my head then let out a small, bitter laugh.“You know I said I don’t care anymore? I didn’t really mean it… ’cus if I di
I continued to walk, burning off all the rage still boiling inside me. Home was the last thing I had in mind. My feet just kept moving until I found myself at the edge of the woods.The lake.The lake that started this whole mess in the first place. If I hadn’t come here that night, I wouldn’t have seen Noah, and I sure would have never had this big, complicated thing with him. He would have just been a normal stepbrother to me. Maybe.I walked closer to the water, each step leaching a little bit of the anger out of me. I sat at the edge, dipping my feet into the cool water.I let out a deep sigh, then snapped my head up as the sound of voices cut through the quiet. My eyes darted around, searching for the source. It sounded like a girl.“I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you.” I heard her say. The voice drew closer, and I shot to my feet, staring in their direction.“What do you mean, baby girl?” a deeper voice answered.“Like I said earlier, don’t call me that! And you know e
I adjusted the dress I’d just changed into as I walked down the stairs. My eyes landed on my mom. She was sitting on the couch, just staring at a blank wall.“Mom?”Her eyes fell on me and a heavy sigh escaped her lips.“Rosalie… I’m sorry.”“Sorry? What for?” I took a few steps closer, then halted as she rose to her feet.“Everything… what Noah said has me thinking.”“No, Mom, Noah is a jerk and a piece of shit… he was just spouting a whole lot of rubbish.”“No, Rosalie, he’s right.”“No, he’s not. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t have gone up to check on him… you wouldn’t even have been interested.”“Rosalie, you don’t get it… I’m thinking about you.”“Me?”“Yes, you… he’s obviously going to think I’m faking it because I don’t even show that kind of care to my own daughter… how’s the care I show to someone I barely know going to be believable?”I continued to stare at her, short of words. She’s right.The memory of how she treated me when I first got my period flashed in my mind. I’
My eyes fell on my mom, who stared at Noah with open concern. Noah’s chest rose and fell heavily. His eyes widened with shock as they remained locked on the police officers.“We’ll get going, Noah… see you later,” Justin said, already backing toward the door. He shot Derek a look, and he followed suit without a word.Noah stormed upstairs to his room. The slam of his door echoed through the sudden quiet. We all watched him go.Maybe they are not here for him? Is this part of his plan?“Mrs. Riverdale, thank you for your time. We’ll come back when we have any more questions.”“Alright, thank you, officers.”As soon as Mom closed the door behind them, she turned to me. The shock on her face was sharp enough to cut. “When were you going to tell me about it?”“What are you talking about, Mom?”“What am I talking about? You know exactly what I am talking about.”“I… I wasn’t sure and I—”“You weren’t sure if you should have told your mom that someone died in your school?”What?“Umm…” My m