Fake Relationship

Ch.5

LUCAS'S POV

I knocked on the door. Her brother answered, "who are you?"
"I'm Lucas. Is Noah here? I have to talk to her?" I asked. I needed to see her desperately. She has been avoiding me since Monday.
He gave me a look. " hurt her, and I hurt you!" he stopped me before letting me inside. " she's upstairs," he squinted.
I hurried up the stairs,, but stopped when a sound caught my attention. It was acoustic. I heard singing. very glorious. I stepped into her room where Derek pointed. Her friend Allen was there. I didn't really want to talk to her personally while he was there. Luckily, he didn't want to be there while I was either. " I better go," he grumbled at Noah. "Friday was supposed to be our day!" he sassed. He shoved passed me and stomped out.
"I didn't know you played guitar?" I was surprised.
"There's a lot you don't know about me!" she responded. She was right. I had absolutely no idea who Noah Thompson was. I sat next to her on her bed and and brushed her hair out of her face. I looked at her sincerely, "I want to find out."
She took a breath. She thought for a second. "Follow me," she dragged me down the stairs and into the basement.
There, was a grand piano, studio desk, and other instruments. Woah! She ran her fingers up against the piano, slowly reaching the bench. I stood behind her, rubbing my hands against her shoulders. She took a deep breathe. She looked back giving me and shy, nervous smile. She began playing (MONDAY BY LUDOVICO EINAUDI). I took a step back. All these emotions flew inside me. It was beautiful. She was a prodigy. I couldn't believe what I was hearing... and seeing. I almost shed a tear because when I looked at her, I saw something. It was immense pain and emotion. As she played, she cried out ever key. She didn't focus much on playing the right note. She played from her heart. She didn't even need to look at the piano. She just closed her eyes and dreamed. Noah Thompson was beautiful.

The song died down; it was about five minutes long. She opened her eyes. In fright, she looked in my eyes. I smiled at her. "That was amazing!" I said genuinely.
She smiled widely, "Ludovico is one of my favorites!"
I felt so much joy "I hade no idea."
She stood up, " I record and create music too!" she said excitedly.
She was showing me a preview of songs. All of them were so sad. Yet, so beautiful.
" and... there's something else," she had me stay put. She walked away a little. All I saw was her back side. She stood hesitantly. She lifted her shirt and took it off. I saw her entire back. It was all bruised up. I saw shades of a rainbow, but it wasn't as pretty. I stood, appalled, and my hand over my mouth. It was astonishing to see how bad it was. I walked up behind her. I reached my hand to touch her back. My hand fidgeted in curiousness. I shied my hand away. I reached again, softly touching her bare skin. She gasped not knowing I was behind her so close. She turned her head. She looked timid.
"what happened?" I fascinated. She turned 360 degrees. She was slouched over and had her arms lowly folded over the other. I saw her breast, stomach, and hips, also bruised.
"my step father beats me," she said apprehensively. I looked down at her bruises. I held her waist. I turned her waist to one particular bruise that was bigger than the rest. "Noah?" I said fearfully.
"He pushed me down the stairs...but he's a drunk so," she said shrinking.
" It's still not okay!" I worried. She reached for her shirt and put it back on, "yah, well? nothing I can do about it. Besides, I have so much here... sort off. My best friend Allen?... My brother Derek?...My... Soul?" she touched her cello.
"Thats why I burn myself. When He locks the basement and I can't play my instruments, there's nothing else to release my depression," she sorrowed.

" All this time... You must have been traumatized..." I pitied. "Is there really nothing else that could make you smile?" I wondered.
"I don't exactly have to many friends and loved ones. No one likes me," she reminded. That wasn't true. Noah always pushed people away. "Noah, you don't wan't people to like you. You feel like you deserve to be alone, so you push everyone out!" I argued. She was about to go off on me. I have a habit of doing the wrong thing, apparently. But she gave up on it. She knew I was right, "I don't want to be depressed! I just am!," she cried. I held her in my arms as she sobbed.

She was so wretched and I felt awful for her. I also felt something else. I couldn't explain because I never felt it before. I had this overwhelming emptiness in my heart and it was in need of love.