All is Fair in Love and War

8. Wren

"Give peace a chance. Let the fear you have fall away. I've got my eye on you" - Lana Del Ray

4:02 am, November 20th.

Driving at 4 am is probably the best thing ever. The roads are empty. The sun isn't here to blind you. No drunk drivers. No crashes on the road. No sound. It's so tranquil.

It's amazing.

I can enjoy 3 hours of pure silence before being surrounded by the noisy atmosphere. However today, I can't seem to calm my nerves down.

I can't stop thinking about Noah and what happened yesterday.

I don't even want to think about it, but it's not leaving my mind.

When I was dropping Noah off yesterday, it was a bit later than the usual time. I kind of lost track of time while we were at the park and dropped him off about 25 minutes late.

I thought it was alright since his mother stayed at home all the time, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

-Flashback-

I gave Noah's door a few knocks, waiting for his mother to appear in front of me.

Nothing.

Did she oversleep again?

I was about to knock a second time when the door opened revealing a person I never saw before. An overweight middle aged man appears in front of me. He looked at me ever so disgustingly as his lips began curling up into a smug smirk. As soon as he saw Noah beside me though, his smirk dropped as his eyebrows furrowed.

He was nearly bald with an unshaven beard that crowded his face. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at me with disgust and leaned on the door for balance.

All the signs led me to one conclusion.

He's high. Very high.

He looks like he just taken a whole pack of pills with a beer bottle.

Shit.

This man seems like big trouble.

"Well? Just give it and leave. Or do you need something else baby?" He asked me in a harsh voice.

"Uh no I-"

"Hi dad! Bye Wren, I will see you tomorrow!" Noah interrupted me quickly as he entered the house.

" close the door." His father grumbled as he grabbed himself a beer from the carton laid beside the door.

"Yes..."

I watched as Noah gave a sigh of relief and looked at me.

"Bye Wren.."

"Wait! Won't you give me a proper goodbye? A hug perhaps?" I asked. I can't just leave Noah like this. He's like my little brother for god's sake. How could I?

"I can't! You need to leave quickly before dad gets angry!" He whispered.

"What?"

"He will get angry! I don't want you to get hurt.." Noah replied as he looked back at his father.

"... Noah, does he hit you?" I asked, looking mortified.

"..no, not me.." Noah replied as he looked at the ground.

"What's taking so goddamn long kid! Shut the fucking door!"

"Yes sir!" Noah replied quickly.