Six Secrets - Noa Olivar

14

Jules couldn't help but feel guilty as she looked over to see the girl on her right, shaking, her hands, shaking, her lip slightly quivering and her leg bouncing. Everyone was tuned in as Noa tried to talk, but struggled. "So then what happened?" Tabby asked. "He went full Micheal Myers on me. Chasing me around the roof of my apartment." "Shit." Imogen sighs as she sits down across from Noa, Noa was slightly panting. Jules reached over to touch her shoulder, but she pulled away, silently, freaking out. "Do you want to go talk outside?" Jules whispered in the girl's ear. Noa nodded and quickly excused herself from the table as she quickly made her way out of the cafeteria. Jules looked around at everyone before her eyes pulled to Mouse and she moved closer to her. "Is it okay...?" "Don't worry, go. She needs help." "I promise we will tell them later. I'll text you okay?" "Okay. Bye." Mouse waved. Jules got up as she quickly made her way out to the hall to see Noa leaning against the wall, as she got closer she heard small whimpers coming from her lips. "Noa." Noa turned around quickly, and flinched, Jules knew that whatever happened really scared her and she didn't tell them everything in the cafe. "Noa, Noa it's me." Jules grabbed her hands and rubbed them slowly with her thumbs as Noa watched carefully, studying the actions the girl did. "Take a breath Noa, you're okay." "I don't know if I am Jules. I'm so fucking tired and I don't know if I can go back to my apartment." "Noa, let's go to the bathroom. I want you to tell me everything that happened, no bullshitting okay?" "okay." Noa's tone of voice had gone quieter as they spoke so Jules interlocked their hands and pulled Noa to the far girls bathroom.

They walked in to see three girl's smoking, but Jules wasn't putting up with that shit. "Get out!" she yelled. "What the fuck?" one spoke up. "Did I stutter? Get the fuck out before I make you." Her tone of voice went dark causing the girl's eyes to go wide as they immediately walked past the pair out. Jules wrapped an arm around noa as she walked her over to the bench and sat her down. Noa's eyes laid on the floor as she felt her best friend slowly rub her back with her hand. Her eyes started to burn as she felt tears creeping up but refused to let them fall from her eyes. "I was just ordering a pizza for me and my mom. She told me she was going to be home soon and I wanted to make sure there was food here when she was, I figured she was going to be hungry. As I was waiting I got another text from A. It said;"You can't protect mommy forever." I was scared, I didn't know what it meant but I knew it wasn't anything good. When the pizza guy called and told me it was there I went downstairs to get it and I saw the window on our door had been destroyed, glass everywhere and my pizza was on the ground, also destroyed. I was angry but I just went upstairs, I thought I would just make something for me and my mom. That's when I came around the corner and I saw him, standing at my door. He turned and when I saw him, I just screamed, as loud as I could and began running away. No one would open their doors, the elevator wasn't working. I..I thought I was going to die. I made my way to another exit but he grabbed me and threw me to the floor. He hit me and threw me around while I tried to escape his grasp and eventually I managed to kick him and get outside on the roof. I sprinted across and I ended up jumping onto the other side of our apartment and he told me he was going to hurt everyone if I didn't rat my mom out for stealing drugs. I called the pharmacy as I broke down crying and suddenly he was gone. I was left in a fucking mess and I couldn't get up for over over a half an hour. I just laid there sobbing my eyes out, scared to death that something was going to happen to me or you or anyone. I felt paralyzed. I still feel paralyzed." "Oh Noa." Jules said. She pulled the girl into her arms as she laid there and Noa sunk into her skin, finally letting the tears run down her cheeks. Noa was scared of Jules letting go, she didn't want her to leave. She wrapped her arms tighter around her, almost to the point where Jules felt like she was suffocating and she whispered in Noa's ear to "Relax. You're okay. I got you." Noa rested her eyes on Jules and eventually her grasp loosened. Jules pulled Noa up to keep her on her chest and she rubbed the back of her head, making sure she was calm. "Why don't we take the rest of the day off? Will go back to my house and you can have a nap in my bed while I do our homework and watch some tv. You can stay the night and stay for as long as you need to until you feel safe to go home again." Noa lifted her head off of Jules and stared at her for a second, before she bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. Jules helped Noa up as she kept her arms around the shakened girl and took her to her car. Noa stayed silent the whole way home and once they got to Jules's place, Jules lead her to her bedroom and got Noa a change of clothes, sweatpants and a crew neck. Once the girls were changed they got under Jules's covers. Noa turned on her side as Jules began to write her history assignment. She looked over to see still awake, her face was exhausted but she couldn't sleep. "Noa what's wrong?" "I...I don't know. I don't know why I feel like this. I feel cold but so sweaty, my stomach feels sore and my head and eyes hurt." "Noa you're exhausted and scared." "Scared?" "Noa. Everyone experiences fear." "Not me. I've only ever been scared of one thing." "What's that?" "I don't want to say." "No secrets Noa." Jules said, sitting up against the back of her bed. "I was worried...about losing you." "Noa....your not gonna lose me." "You've been through so much. I've been so worried for you." Jules could hear Noa sniffle and Jules felt a lump in her throat. She had no idea that Noa had been so worried for her. "Noa." She whispered. Noa turned over and Jules grabbed her arms and pulled her up onto her lap. Noa laid her head just above Jules crotch which to random people watching would make them look like lesbians but to Jules and noa, is just a typical thing. "Go to sleep Noa." "Don't let go of me." She whispered. "I won't. I'm here. He can't hurt you." Jules replied with a kiss on her forehead, causing Noa to let out a little giggle which caused Jules to giggle as well. Jules opened her laptop as she began to write her history paper. Imogen had already begun hers so Jules knew she had to get cracking. She had finished the first paragraph when she heard a small snore and looked down. Noa had finally fallen asleep as she snuggled up onto her legs, her snores confirmed it. Noa always argues saying she doesn't snore but Jules has legitimate proof. Hearing her passed out made Jules feel tired herself. She had just finished her second paragraphs but she couldn't bring herself to start the third, she was too tired. She threw her computer onto the pillows at the end of her bed before she turned Noa the other way. As she went to turn and sleep she suddenly heard a whisper. "Jules? Where did you go?" Jules sighed as she turned back to the way Noa was sleeping and she put her hand over the girl putting them into a spooning position, Noa being the little one. She heard Noa exhale as she started breathing normally and in that moment, she couldn't imagine being Noa last night, being chased by a maniac and almost dying. She had bruises all over her. Her clothes covered them but it doesn't mean they aren't there. Jules snuggled her head by Noa's as her eyes began to feel very heavy and so she just resorted to closing them as she felt her breathing settle and eventually they both were asleep.