𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟏𝟏𝟔

"𝚁𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠"
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴' 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

NOAH WAKES UP and feels her head pounding. She remembers her tears from the night before as she rubs her puffy eyes. She steps out of bed and pets Sergio before disappearing into the bathroom to shower.

When she comes out, she gets dressed in her room and brushes through her wet hair. She sighs as she looks at her school uniform in the mirror. She wishes she could wear regular clothes to school.

"C'mon, Noah!" Emily shouts from downstairs. "We're gonna be late!"

The teen peers over at the clock on her nightstand and realizes that she has been in the shower for too long. She throws her shoes on and stuffs her bookbag with her homework off her desk. She rushes down the staircase, almost tripping on her untied laces on the way down.

"Hurry!" Emily says as she opens the front door, leading them outside and to the car. Noah sulks in her seat as she realizes she did not even have the chance to eat or grab a coffee.

"Did you sleep last night?" Emily asks.

"Not really," Noah admits. "I was studying."

"Do you have a test today?"

"Tomorrow," Noah says. It was true, she does, but she was not studying, she was reliving the memories of her past.

"You'll do great, honey," Emily chimes as she blindly strokes Noah's hair with her attention still on the road.

"Can we listen to the hip-hop channel?" Noah asks as she turns the knob on the radio without an answer.

"How did I birth a rap-lover?" Emily questions as she hears the lyrics to the newest Jay-Z song.

"Please don't say rap-lover," Noah pleads with a small smile. "Or talk about birthing me," She adds with a giggle.

"I was trying to make you laugh," The mother says as she pulls into the carpool lane.

"No, you were being old," Noah chuckles. "But we can say it was to make me laugh."

"Anyways," Emily says. "Please try to have a good day. I know you're tired, but it'll be over before you know it, okay?"

"Okay," Noah replies with a broader smile. Emily strokes her cheek and places a short kiss on the teen's nose.

"I love you," Emily coos.

"Love you too," Noah says before opening the car door and swinging her bag around her shoulder. "Bye, Em!"

"Bye, bub!"

Noah turns around and rushes toward the school building, hoping to make it to class on time. Emily just shakes her head with a grin as she watches her daughter.

Noah goes to her first two classes, waiting for the school day to go by as quickly as Emily said it would. The bell finally rings for study hall and Noah rushes through the halls to get to the library, where she studies with one of her friends from class for the test tomorrow. The bell rings for lunch and Noah rushes again to get to her favorite part of the day.

The teens laugh, catch up, and complain about all their homework and tests. Noah finally felt her stress settle as she found herself surrounded by her friends. The people who have never judged where she came from and brought her into their inner circle.

As they all disperse from lunch, Noah waves them all goodbye and kisses Jess. They rush to their classes, but something stops Noah.

"Ms. Prentiss," A voice calls, making the teen's feet screech to a halt. "Do you have a minute?"