†𝖜𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖉 ∞ ongoing

chapter 15 ∞ game plan

Nova

monday

The weekend went by quickly.

A little too quickly, it was almost unsettling.

The party, the frenzy, the aftermath.

Everything kept repeating through my head like a movie. Over and over on repeat.

Syrena and Ayra were soon informed of my situation that day during lunch. I also told them and Willow about the strange interaction I had with Noah. How it seemed like he was trying to tell me something other than warnings towards Jackson.

"Nova, I'm warning you. Stay away from him. I had no clue he would pull off a stunt like that." Ayra says, worried and concerned that she wasn't there to help me during the party. Apparently, she and Alex were downstairs in the basement. That's where the music was blaring the loudest so I don't blame her for not hearing anything.

"Maybe he has like a knife kink so he just grabbed the first thing that he saw that was arousing—" Syrena says, in a joking manner trying to break the awkward environment I had unintentionally created. She was blacked out at the party apparently when the thing occurred. Ayra took her home and Willow had already texted them saying we would be leaving.

"Seriously? A kink? The motherfucker pointed the knife in front of me and you're telling me he has a kink? When I could have been shredded to pieces?" Willow is bewildered, almost as if she was traumatized by the happening.

"She's right. It was scary. Not hot or sexually stimulating in any way shape or form." I add, "Noah even said that it wasn't the first time something like that has happened."

"What?! There's was a second victim?!" Ayra nearly yells.

The rest of their conversation is blurred in my head. Just muffled. I'm too busy trying to spot Jackson at his usual table. But he isn't anywhere. Not anywhere near the table, near the area, or near the cafeteria. Out of the hundreds of faces crowded around, he was nowhere to be found.

It made no sense to me why he acted that way. He suddenly acts like he cares when I know he internally doesn't. He suddenly acts like he's jealous when I know he was dozens of other girls chasing after him. And now he suddenly disappears. As if nothing happened.

I saw Noah this morning but didn't have the chance to return his hoodie because the bell had already rung for class. I don't think he saw me then though.

Why did he grab the knife? Who was it directed towards? Me or Noah? And why was he so blatantly rude to Noah even after their close friendship? And since when does Noah care so much? Most importantly, why was Jack so damn angry? And at whom?

"V, that's the bell."

Shaking myself away from the deeper spectrum of my brain, I nod and grab my backpack before leaving the table with the rest of my friends. Ayra and Syrena had gone their separate ways on the opposite side of the school.

"Did you hear what A and Syr said?" Willow asks me, tapping my arm with her apple.

I shake my head, "Sorry."

"They all agree with the fact that you should stay the fuck away." She says, half playfully, half sincerely.

"It's not a good idea for you to stick around someone who could potentially be physically abusive. I mean don't tell me you've already gotten attached—"

"He isn't here today," I reply, staring straight ahead trying to seem unbothered about the situation.

Willow gives me a big thumbs up and her facial expressions grow wider, "That's terrific. Absolutely fucking amazing news. Just give Noah his hoodie and call it done then. No more party incident matter." She gives me a shove into my side and I give her a forced smile.