Lean on Me Forever || rini au

17. helpless friend

tw: abuse

nini walked down the sidewalk with her hoodie engulfing her body. she'd been losing more weight and not to mention everything that noah's been doing to her has caused for her to completely shut down once again. she didn't know who she could turn to anymore.

"phone." noah demanded as he put his hand out, nini swallowing as she gave it to him, the boy looking through the notifications.

"you broke up with your boyfriend." he said, raising his eyebrows

nini kept her eyes away from noah "i-it was the only way he wouldn't-talk to me."

noah eyed her for a few seconds before nodding approvingly, switching it off and handing it to her.

"oh, and you have to be free this tuesday afternoon." he tells her.

nini nodded slowly and quietly, not wanting to ask why yet the fear and torment of not knowing already being created and formed.

noah walked closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder, making the girl flinch at his touch as she exhaled shakily and looked to the floor.

"jake wants to see you." he said with a sly smirk, nini's heart freezing and her mind going blank at the thought before he moved away from her and walked off.

nini felt her breathing become heavy and she started panting, looking around her urgently as her eyes started stinging. she'd been strong enough this week, forcing herself to not cry or do anything. forcing herself to put a front and not let the emotions get the best of her in public. but she couldn't.

she ran, a burning sensation flooding up and down her legs from the bruises and scars but she couldn't stay where she was.

arriving at an abandoned park, nini dropped down to the grass and let out short breaths before her tears started falling down her face.

memory

"p-please stop-"

"shut up."

the girl whimpered in pain as she stayed on the floor and felt her tears stream down her face, desperately wanting to scream but feeling too weak

she wanted to move, she wanted to get up, but she couldn't. she was trapped and needed someone to help. to stop the boy.

"nini?!"

the door suddenly opened as nini continued to cry and she and noah looked to the side to see another brown-haired boy at the door, angered and in disbelief at the sight of what was happening

"get off of her!" jake exclaimed as he rushed towards them

noah drunkenly stumbled off of where he was, nini continuing to shake and stay in her position weakly as she watched noah shove jake out but jake tried to stop the boy.

"you leave as if you didn't see anything. you leave her alone. or she's going to have to answer to the foster system." noah growled

nini's muffled cry came out of her as she looked at jake with pleading eyes to help her but jake looked back in defeat, noah pushing him out of the room as nini felt more tears falling down her face.

—

jake delton was nini's best friend that she made in san francisco when living with noah and his parents. he was the only friend who seemed to understand her because he was a part of the foster system up until that year when he got adopted.

nini shared a lot about herself with him; apart from the things noah had done.

but the day he found out, nini didn't have his help. because he didn't do anything. he didn't say anything. he didn't stop anything.

he ignored her after finding out, too scared of noah and the consequence to help her, when all nini needed - all she wanted - was her friend.

and after jake, she doesn't believe in people helping her out of situations like this. she's trapped.