Without You (gxg)

Part 14- High School

TW: This part does depict physical abuse from a parent.

Noelle spent her suspension days at my house. My mom agreed to let her hangout in my room- and she did so. The time in school between Thanksgiving and then winter break flew by. Thankfully, without any other mishaps or homophobia. And I was...out. The school knew about Noelle and I. We weren't packing on the PDA, but we also didn't try to keep it a secret.
On the morning of last day of school before winter break, my mom asked me what Noelle was doing for Christmas.
"Pretty sure she is just spending it with her brothers. Why?"
"You can invite her to spend it with us if you want." my mom suggested.
"I will. Thanks." I grinned at my mom- grateful for the suggestion.
Noelle seemed really glad that I invited her over for Christmas. She told me she knew that her mom wouldn't do anything but buy some presents for her brothers. She said she felt badly leaving them, but as long as her brothers got new gaming systems, they would be fine.
She didn't say it, but I knew she was nervous her mom was going to have a bad reaction to her not spending Christmas at home. I hoped that she would just be able to leave her house in peace and drive over to mine.
My whole family was going to be at my house. Everyone started arriving, and I looked at my phone, looking to see if Noelle had sent a text that she was on her way. I had no messages.
"Is Noelle in on her way?" Jade asked me. We were sitting on the living room couch together.
"She should be. I'll call her if she doesn't come soon." I said, feeling slightly concerned.
10 minutes later I still hadn't heard from Noelle. I stepped into the kitchen and called her. No answer.
"Is Noelle on her way?" my mom asked me as I walked back into the living room.
"I don't know. She's not answering me." I said, filled with worry.
"Give it a few minutes, try her again." Juan said, "It's okay."
I sat there on the couch, looking down at my phone every other second. This wasn't like Noelle.
"I'm going there." I said, getting up, "I need to make sure she's okay. With how her mom is, you never know."
"Well you're not going alone then. I'll take you." Brianna stood up and grabbed her coat, "Let's go."
Brianna drove us, and tried to calm me down the whole car ride. I was thinking the worst- in two aspects- that something awful happened or Noelle all of a sudden decided she hated me.
As we pulled up, I felt slight relief to see Noelle's car parked in the driveway. And I felt dread when I saw her moms car.
"I'm going wait right here. If you need me, signal." Brianna said.
I took a deep breath and walked toward the door- which I could see was open to the screen door. And that's when I heard yelling. I could hear Noelle's voice and her moms voice, screaming at each other.
"Go fuck yourself!" I heard Noelle yell, and then a few moments later I heard her scream, "Get your fucking hands off me!"
I couldn't help myself. I ran toward the house in the cold winter air, swung the door open, and turned to the living room to my left to see Noelle pinned against the wall by her mom, her moms hands pressing into her chest.
"Harley!" Noelle said, catching my eye. If I was pinned up against a wall, I would be terrified. Not sure what to do. But Noelle had rage in her eyes. Like it was something she was angry about, furious about, but used to.
Noelle's mom let her go for a moment and turned to me, her eyes blazing as well. I had never been more disgusted with someone who even dared to call themselves a parent in my entire life.
"And what the hell do you think you're doing here, you little bitch?" she said to me, her words seething.
"Don't fucking call her that, ever." Noelle gritted her teeth.
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do?" she stepped up to Noelle. This woman may have had Noelle, but she was no mother. Not even close.
"Back up, or I will call the cops on you." I heard Brianna's voice behind us. I wondered how long she had been standing there.
Noelle's mom whipped her head around. "Who the fuck are you? Get out of my house."
"None of your concern. But I would back away if I were you." Brianna said calmly- but with a serious tone.
Noelle was looking at me, gratefully, tears in her eyes.
"Whatever. Just get out of my house. All of you." Noelle's mother said, exasperated. She then stomped away.
"Can we get out of here?" Noelle looked at me, tears brimming her lower lids.
"Let's go." Brianna said, and Noelle and I followed her out.
I sat with Noelle in the backseat of the car. She leaned her head on me the whole time. None of us said anything. But I could feel Noelle's tears on my shoulder.
We pulled back up to my house and Brianna sighed and then turned around to look at us. "Do you feel okay to come in, Noelle? You don't have to stay downstairs with us. You can just go upstairs and rest. We all understand if you're not in the mood."
"W-would you mind?" Noelle asked.
"Of course not." Brianna said, "Just head right up when you go in. You won't even have to see anyone."
I squeezed Noelle's hand as we got out of the car. My heart was breaking for her. I hated that my girlfriend had to go through this, and that I couldn't do even more to help her. I hated her mother. I fucking hated her.
"Is Noelle okay?" Maureen, Brianna's mom, asked me as I walked into the living room where everyone was.
"Aunt Harley!" my niece, Annie, came up and hugged my legs.
"Hi, baby." I leaned down and did my best to smile at her. Then I looked up at my family, "Noelle isn't really okay. Would you all mind if I went up to my room with her?"
"Not at all. You go be with her." my mom said.
My door was closed to my room when I got upstairs. I knocked on it gently. "Can I come in?"
"Sure." Noelle'a voice came through on the other side.
I walked in my room to see her sitting on my bed. She had on a pair of dark wash jeans and a green crewneck sweater. Her hair was up in a ponytail. She looked like she had been sitting there still- thinking, with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
I sat down next to her. "Are you alright?" I asked her.
"As alright as I can be." she chuckled softly and shook her head.
"Was that the first time your mom has pinned you up like that?"
"Far from it. But that was the first time since we moved. I prefer it how she usually is- ignoring me."
"What set her off?"
"That I wasn't going to be spending Christmas at my house. Even though we weren't doing a damn thing."
"I'm sorry...I hope my inviting you here didn't make things harder for you."
Noelle took my hands and looked me in my eyes, "Never think that. Even for a second. I was so glad you invited me. It's her fault she's a fucking monster."
"Why is she? Do you even know why?"
"Pretty sure she was abused when she was younger. Not an excuse. It's just a continued cycle. I don't even know her parents, my grandparents. I always wonder what my dad saw in her- why he married her." Noelle said.
"People are good at hiding how they truly are."
"Not too much longer though until I can move out and never see her again. No matter where I'm going to college. That's what has held me together. The fact that I know this won't last forever." Noelle said.
No matter where I go to college. Please don't let it be far.
"She's not going to be a part of your future." I said to
Noelle. She was still holding my hands.
"Yeah. But I know you will be." she gave me a small smile.
"And you'll be a part of mine." I said.
And those words- I meant it. I knew Noelle and I were young- on the verge of adulthood- but I knew what I had with her was special. And I wanted it to carry on into adulthood.