Silent : Unveiling the Turmoil of a Teenage Heart

CHAPTER 5

SOORI

I look out the window. Rain is falling out of the sky. I see lightning randomly appear in the darkness. I hear the loud thunder. This shows even nature needs to let it all out sometimes.

"Do you want me to pick you up at eleven?" My brother, San, asks. I remember Noah said he'd take me home. "No, Noah said he'll take me home. But I'll call if anything changes." I say, not looking away from the window. "All right."

San stops the car. We arrived at the place. I try to look inside. I think I see Sam sitting at a table, staring at his phone. 6:58 PM. I wonder for how long he's been there.

"Be safe." San says. "I will. Thanks for taking me." I say, unbuckling my seatbelt. "No problem. Call if anything happens." I open the car door and place my feet on the ground. "I will. Bye!" I get out of the car and close the door. I put my hood over my head and take a short run towards the cafe.

I open the door. A little bell rings as I push the door open. "Hello!" One of the workers greets me. "Hi." I reply quietly. I see Sam turn around. He smiles as he sees me. He's sitting by the window. I take my hood of and walk towards the table he's sitting at. I sit down in the seat opposite of him.

"Hey." I say as I smile at him. "Hey, Soo." He replies. He takes a sip of coffee. He must have gotten thirsty while waiting for us. "How long have you been waiting?" I ask as I take off my jacket. "Like fifteen minutes?" He answers, putting the mug with coffee back down on the wooden table. "Really? Why were you that early?" I ask, a little guilty that I made him wait this long. "I forgot how short of a drive this was."

"You could've texted, Sam. I would've came earlier." I say, feeling a little bad. "It's okay. Fifteen minutes is not that long." He reassures me. I look out of the window. I see a black Cadillac pull up at the parking lot. "That must be Noah." Noah usually borrows his mom's car. He's saving money to buy his own, but cars are real expensive.

The car turns off and I see the door opening. A tall guy gets out. He has his hood on, but I can see a few outgrown, dark blonde pieces of hair sticking out from under his hood. Yes, definitely Noah.

He looks inside to see if we're already there. I wave, trying to make him notice us. And he does. He smiles and waves back. He gets inside, and I hear the little bell ring again.

He unzips his jacket and walks over to us. "Hey." He says as he takes off his jacket. "Hey." Sam and I say. Noah puts his jacket over the chair besides me and sits down. He goes in for a hug. I put my arm around him and hug him back. He backs away and gives Sam a handshake.

"Have you guys been here for long?" He asks. "I haven't, but Sam has." I say. "Really? You could've called, dude." Noah says as he rolls up his sleeves, revealing his left arm full of tattoos. "It's hot in here." "You think? I'm like freezing." Sam says as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"I see you couldn't wait for us." Noah says, smiling at Sam. "Stop. You're making me feel guilty." Sam says as he puts his mug back down. "Just drink it, Sam. We'll order when Lily gets here." I say as I run my hand through my hair.

And as I say that, the little bell rings again. Lily walks in, completely soaked. Her mascara is everywhere except on her lashes, her light blue jacket is now dark, and her pink hair is completely wet.

She walks over to our table with a sad look on her face. "Do you know how much time I spent on this makeup?" She says as she zips down her jacket. "Lils, it's all over your face." Sam says, giving her a worried look. "I know. Soo, can you come to the bathroom with me?" Lily asks as she hangs her jacket over the chair next to Sam. "Yes." I get up from my chair and follow Lily.

We walk to the door that says 'TOILET' on it. Lily and I walk in and close the door behind us. "I look like a soaked cat." Lily says as she looks at herself in the small mirror. I enter one of the bathroom stalls and get some toilet paper for her. I take a few pieces and wet them in the sink. I hand them to Lily, and she removes the mascara from her cheeks. "I feel naked without mascara." She says as she throws the wet toilet paper in the trashcan. "Me too."

We leave the bathroom and walk back to the table. I sit back down next to Noah. Lily takes her seat next to Sam. "So I biked all the way here." She says as she puts a piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I figured." Noah says.

One of the workers walks up to our table. "Can I get you guys anything?" She asks, giving us a smile. "Just a water." "An iced coffee, please." "Another coffee." "A pumpkin spiced latte?" "Okay, I'll go get that for you." The worker says. She turns around and walks away.

"What is it with you and pumpkin drinks?" I ask Lily. "What is it with you and iced coffee?" She says back. I don't answer her. "Exactly." Lily says. She leans back in her chair and taps her fingers on the table.

My friends make me feel very safe. Ever since my mom died, they've been there for me. I've never told them about my struggles, and I'm not going to. I love that my friends take care of me, but I don't need their help for my mental health. I chose to do these things to myself. And no one has to know.