That Kid: Noah Pryce

Chapter 16

"Boo!"

I almost stumbled as I felt a weight jumped on my back.

Looking behind my shoulder, my eyes met with Harris who was now wrapping his arm around my shoulder after jumping on my back.

"Sup," he added. I only answered with a shrug before shifting my gaze over to Noah who was still standing in front of his locker. He glanced back at me and I looked away out of impulse. I let out a huff.

"Shouldn't you get going to your class Harris?" I told him, distracting myself from thinking about Noah and about our little conversation earlier this morning. Although, I wouldn't really call it a conversation per se.

Harris tugged the strap of his backpack slightly downward, parting his lips, but end up saying nothing when he moved his head sideways. His mouth closed, his jaws stiffened, and I noticed his adam's apple jolted up and down due to a coarse gulp. His fist clutched tighter on the strap as well, I noted.

I faced the direction he was staring at, only to catch sight of Noah walking towards us.

I gazed at Harris again, moving closer to him so that our bodies were inches apart. My hands cupped his cheeks as I raised my heel to slightly match his height.

"Earth to Harris. Are you okay?" I asked, diverting his attention from whatever emotions he's having as of the moment. He faced down and as he did so, our foreheads touched.

Realising how close our faces were, I immediately pulled away from him, then gave off an awkward scoff. Apparently my cheeks were blushing and my heart was beating rather rapidly. But not as rapidly as when I'm close to Noah though.

Harris cleared his throat as well, and I swear I saw his cheeks went pinkish as he grinned widely. Both of us let out an awkward chuckle, somehow obviously averting to look at each other for a brief span of seconds.

Luckily, Noah's presence cut the awkwardness between me and Harris.

"Let's go," Noah muttered after clearing his throat. He sounded pissed.

"Okay. See ya around Ha--" before I could finish my sentence, Noah had dragged me away from my friend and through the halls. I winced as my hand slightly felt pain because of the tightness Noah's grip was. I squirmed my hand to pull away but he only held tighter.

****

[NOAH]

I still can't believe I was close to breaking down to Jenny this morning.

Fuck me for being weak. Fuck me for being fucked up.

After what happened last night... After what I did last night, I just didn't know what to do. My emotions were at its peak.

I stayed long in the bathroom last night, my back leaning against the side of the bathtub with my knees folded up to my chest and my sobbing face nuzzled unto my knees.

My mind was reshowing what happened back at the alley, causing more tears to escape as images of Grace flickered like that of a camera shutter in my head.

After I knocked Grace unconscious twice last night, the other me took over. Some parts of me was aware of what it was doing but I couldn't stop. The only thing I could do was cry as my hands obeyed what it wanted it to do.

I took out my pocket knife from my hoodie's pockets, my hungry eyes not pulling away from Grace.

I crouched down on my knees beside Grace's body, stroking her hair gently, admiring her sleeping face. I almost let out a smirk, emphasizing the word sleeping in my head.