I had succeeded in delivering Vanessa's packet back to her but she seemed too excited about something else to care for a silly packet her words not mine and over the past few weeks Noah and I became pretty close even all the bullying I experienced suddenly seemed to come to a halt.
FEW WEEKS LATER...
I could've sworn that after that day I kept seeing Noah everywhere, even now as I stood outside my favourite cafe. He stood there by the counter attending to a group of fawning teenage girls with the most constipated smile I'd ever seen on anyone, I just couldn't understand what was the big deal about having a pretty face. Is it just me? or does standing outside and staring at someone this long make you a creep? It does so I should probably get inside, Oh goodness just opening the door and walking towards the counter has left me out of breath am I this unfit? Note to self I should probably start doing exercises to build up my endurance. "I thought you were just gonna keep standing out there and staring." Noah said while giving me his signature smirk which showed of his dimples, oh my how pretty, this level of prettiness is supposed to be a crime. "Uhm I'm not pretty I'm a handsome hot shot okay?" Noah said while flicking my head and I almost had a heart attack. Shit I said that out loud didn't I? Since when did I make it a habit to say stuff out loud? Curse you doctor Laura this is all your fault. "Well you seemed pretty busy sooo. Uhm do you work here?" I asked while tapping my chin. "Nope I just came over to help my uncle most of his workers have gotten better of jobs so the workload on the others are much I just breeze in to help him sometimes especially on weekends." He said and I nodded. "So what do you care for Vanessa?" He asked with a light smile. "Two large cups of iced latte please." I answered and he raised a perfect eyebrow. "Who's the second one for, me?" He asked with a smile showing his cute canines too bad I wasn't falling for that I do not play with my morning coffee nope never happening and so the moment my drinks where delivered atop the counter I snatched them and rushed off to take a seat without even looking back, forgetting to pay bills in the process and waltzing out the shop when I was through like nothing happened. I realized only later that I hadn't payed when I saw the whooping 5 dollar bill in my purse. Oh wow, he didn't even bother stopping me when I left, he probably didn't notice since he had a bunch of other customers waiting but would he be angry when he realized? Probably he might even think I'm one of those dine and dash people. Oh how evil of me...
Noah's P.O.V
I watched her as she took a sip from the cup, her tense expression slowly relaxing and replaced with a look of peacefulness and exhaustion. I felt a slight twang in my heart but shook my head, I needed to get myself together what was suddenly coming over me? "Uhm yes what did you need?" I asked while trying my best to flash a friendly smile at the middle aged lady who ogled at me, if I had a patience bar over my head it would probably be border line close to zero and ticking into the minus side. I couldn't believe I'd have to endure this test of patience till late in the evening, how cruel at least I could still watch the fluctuating emotions on Vanessa's face, something which was pretty entertaining and new as her eyes had always looked lifeless until recently. Looking over to the spot where Vanessa was supposedly seated I realized it was empty, and looking out through the glass doors I spotted her about to cross to the other side of the street while being in no rush. Well I guess she forgot to pay didn't she?...
LATER THAT EVENING...
Vanessa's P.O.V
It was back again the depression, the trauma it all came crashing down on me once more like intense tidal waves from a tsunami, flashes and images I never wanted to remember appeared swallowing me whole and drowning me in a flood of self depreciation and pity. Pain, fear the feeling of wanting to die overwhelmed me and I moved entirely on instinct I screamed, I scattered, I tore, I squeezed the stress ball but to no avail the pain was heart wrenching. Should I just end it all now? maybe I should go back to cutting myself? I feel almost numb right now, should I run away? I could probably try that again, I didn't know how I didn't even know when or why all I knew was that I just had to keep running. Maybe I should stand in front of a fast moving train? No one would be able to stop me then, cars would be able to divert or hold breaks but a train couldn't at least not fast enough. Should I jump off a bridge? I did know how to swim though that probably wouldn't work, I'd get pulled out before I even manage to drown myself... "It's okay Vanessa everything is alright just let it all out okay? I don't even know where to start from or what to say to you but I'm here okay so it's okay." Was that Noah? How did he get here? wasn't I back home in my room? "It's okay Vanessa don't think too much okay? happy thoughts only got it?" I heard his voice again and I felt a warm body against me hugging me tightly, soon a peaceful feeling began to overwhelm me lulling me and calling out my name from the depth of it's darkness. I was slowly being pulled into it until I was suddenly jerked awake, I looked up in annoyance to see Noah's scared and confused face. "Vanessa don't do this okay? please." Mustering the strength I asked him with a cracked hoarse voice. "Do what?" "You... you where going still and so was your breathing too." He said shakily I could also feel his body shaking from the hug I was already feeling better as if the intense pain I experienced was just a dream. "Please okay, I don't know what's happened to you but just know that I'm here, you got that?" He asked and I giggled making him state at me with a raised eyebrow. " What?" He asked and I broke out into a full blown laughter. "That sounds cheesy." I replied and a small smile appeared on his face. "Whatever." He muttered but I coul hear his heart beating faster and he was still shaking, I noticed his face was pale and he kept grinding his teeth. "Noah? Is everything fine?" I asked but he shook even harder, leaving his embrace and getting off his lap, I stared at is face his eyes were glazed over and I knew that look. He also struggled too, he seemed to be stuck on a memory, seating beside him I brought him closer and hugged him. Today felt weird, just a minute ago he was consoling me and now the tables had turned. "I once had a twin, she died two years ago..." Noah started his voice breaking. "Her name was Nora, my dad was a piece of shit who loved money more than his family. He groomed my older brother Nathan to take over his business and I wasn't surprised after all Nathan was the same as my father, a wolf in sheep clothing. Nathan was far ahead of his peers both in academics and intellect but it was nothing new or peculiar to the Wallace family for generations they had a set rule it was either you were successful or you're just an outsider and my father was a bit of both so despite his children's achievement my father never once batted an eye or spared us a glance to him we were extra investments just like Nathan. Where we schooled during our first year of high school back in city V we were the youngest in our class and because of that my sister was bullied but I couldn't do anything about it I neither had the guts nor the power. Back there we were like peasants compared to other children and my father had warned us against causing trouble, he wasn't expecting anything from us our only job there was to build him connections. One day I couldn't take it anymore and I retaliated I fought on my sister's behalf I made them drink up a disgusting mixture which they planned to give her but I never should have done that, fought back I mean. perhaps I should simply have drank the mixture on her behalf then the trap which they had set up for another female student wouldn't have been passed on to my sister. We both were kidnapped and she was raped over and over again in the next room, I could hear her screams even now I can still hear them ringing in my ears. But I was powerless to stop it. When we were finally released two days later my sister was different quiet refusing to talk or eat or do anything at all like she had lost the will to live. She wouldn't let anyone get close to her constantly scratching at herself and trying kill herself. Most of the time she'd have wild seizures, my mother was so heartbroken but there was nothing we could do, Nora was broken and so was I. After a year she got better and finally began going to school but then someone brought it up all over again and made her watch the video of herself getting raped the video had been circulated around the school, my sister went home early that day and I had a bad feeling about it. I rushed home to meet an ambulance and a stretcher being rolled towards the vehicle, my sister was gone. I wanted Justice and I was in rage but do you know what my father said? He said it was all her fault that it happened to her... You probably know the rest of the story since it was all over the news four teenagers found brutally assaulted to death, a crime committed by Harry Wallace. in truth it was my brother and I's doing, I just didn't expect my brother to kill them but the old Man was framed for it and that was good enough ending for me. I didn't go back to school for nearly three years, enough time for my peers to catch up to my class but I wasn't bothered by that I was struggling over those few years with the pain, there were times I felt like dying but I had to struggle for my mom and my brother who's currently on the run, I need power enough power to protect my family I'm not telling you this because I want to bring you down I just want you to know you're not the only one who's been through tough times it's just how you choose to handle it that matters I chose to get revenge but the satisfaction was only temporary so I plan to destroy the rest of their family maybe only then would I get proper satisfaction who knows? As long as it's a reason for me to keep living and fighting for maybe someday when I fulfill that dream , I'll hopefully find another reason to live..."