I got home that day and felt a sense of peace, I was finally free from the shackles of the Darhk family to some extent and I cherished my new found solitude.
A week has passed since I left home and I spent that week following my normal routine, except for the fact that I'd been tutoring Noelle.
We'd made arrangements on that weekend after my father called asking me to come home and for the past week I'd been tutoring her.
Exams were fast approaching and I saw her making a lot of progress.
We would meet at my place everyday after school and study for about two hours before she would head home.
My apartment was closer to school and she always had a driver take her home anyway so it was convenient for both of us.
She wasn't complaining anyway. One day after we'd finished studying we had a deep conversation about our plans for after school.
It went thus.
****
We'd just finished studying that day.
I let out a huge yawn as Noelle packed her bags. I had no reason to study, I already knew what the exam questions were thanks to Render and in my first life, Noelle definitely got into her university of choice, I was sure of it.
All this was just a huge waste of time but I played along, why did I do it? I had no idea.
I got up from the reading table and spoke. "Lock the door on your way out, I'm going to take a shower." I said and was about to leave when she spoke.
"Damon?"I turned and faced her, "I was hoping we could talk." She said shyly.
"About what?" I said, frustrated. I sensed that it was going to be one of those deep heart to heart conversations, and really wanted to avoid that with her.
"Would you please just listen for once!" She shouted, her face shining bright red as she did.
I was surprised at her tone, I didn't expect her to get so flustered, so I had no choice but to comply.
"Uhm, fine" I said defeated, and I took a seat beside her.
"I also have things I'd like to ask you but you go first" I said.
"Okay then, uhm, well-," she stammered, rolling her hair as she said so. I decided to be patient with her and made her take her time.
"What are your plans for after school?" she said.
"I plan to go to university. What else?" I said.
"Okay, well, what do you intend to study?" She said,
"I plan to major in financial accounting, and you?" I replied.
"We'll I'm studying business administration." She said,
"Oh, I don't picture you as the type" I said.
"It's not what I want for myself. It's-it's what my family wants' she said.
Family, a term I was losing familiarity with. The only family I had right now was myself and I felt comfortable with it. At least I knew that I couldn't betray me.
"So you don't want something for yourself and yet you're doing it, because of your family?" I asked.
"It's not that easy Damon, I-," but I cut her off mid sentence.
"It is easy, you don't want something, you don't do it. It's your life, live it however you want." I said.
"But, but, my whole life they've been giving to me, they're the reason I'm where I am right now." She said ,tears were welling up in her eyes.
"Listen Noelle, I understand what you're saying. I know I'm in no position to talk about family, but trust me, you're better off living your own life than worrying about pleasing someone else." I said.
"What do you mean Damon?" She said as she looked at me with expectant eyes.
"I-I'd rather not-," "Tell me!" She interrupted.
I didn't have a choice. This was the first time in a long while where someone genuinely wanted to know about me, both before and after my regression.
'Fine then, I guess I'll open up' I thought.
And with that I proceeded to tell Noelle everything. I told her about my mother, how I was happy as a child, about her death, about my father neglecting me, about my step mother and brother, about how I'd been living alone for the past two years and about how much I hated my family.
When I finished I looked at Ariel and saw that she was crying profusely. I mustn't have noticed as I was staring down for the most part.
She pulled close to me and hugged me tightly, I was in shock and had my hands in the air for some seconds before I hugged her back.
"I'm guessing you understand where I'm coming from now" I said, still hugging her.
She finally pulled away and said "I'm so sorry Damon, I noticed you'd changed but I didn't think you'd be going through this much.
"It's fine, thanks for your concern" I said as I got up and gave her a paper towel which she wiped her eyes with.
"Now remember this, never do things to please others especially your family, it's your life, live it!" I said firmly.
"Mhm" she said, nodding.
"Oh my God Damon, look at the time, what am I gonna do?" She said, our talk had spanned for quite a while and thus, it was already late when we were done.
'Was it finally happening, the day a girl would finally get to share a bed with me! Will it finally happen?' I thought and burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"Why don't you pass the night here"I said smiling.
"But-," she said but I interrupted." "No buts, I can speak to your parents if that's what you're worried about," I said.
"No, they are out of town, it's just that, well I've got nothing to wear." She said,
"It's fine, you can wear something of mine" I said
"You'd do that for me?" She said with wide eyes.
"Sure, why not." And we both burst out laughing.
We spent the rest of the night just chatting about school and how much I'd changed. She told me how she always felt shy and how she wondered if I caught her staring and I confirmed it, causing her to feel embarrassed.
Eventually she fell asleep on the couch and I carried her to my room and placed her on the bed, and I spent the night sleeping on the couch.
The next day I left for gym and my morning jog and left her sleeping there not wanting to wake her up.
I'd just see her when we got back.