Mitch and Noah

Noah~Lulu

Noah felt disappointed, yet somewhat relieved at the same time. Mitch had been the only person he'd ever really been tempted with since...

He pushed the thought away.

"And WHO was that?"

Grace once again had Noah jumping in surprise. He turned with an exaggerated look of anger on his face, taking in her towel wrapped hair and cute, green, summer dress sweater combo that ALMOST didn't look like an old lady had dressed her.

"Goddammit Grace! You are not only a ninja, but the fastest showerer in the world. Is showerer a word? If not, it should be."

"I think so...Oh, hun, you're just too far in dreamland. My ninja skills really aren't that impressive. ASH on the other hand..."

"Can't argue that one. Speaking of Ash, I was just talking with him the other day, and we've decided we all need a night out together. Maybe even invite Gregory out with us too! What do you think?"

"What the heck are we gonna do? Ash is no fun now that he's got a whole family and more to come, though I'm super excited for him. You hear about how he's getting Mitch's help to adopt another?"

Noah cringed slightly at the name.

"Well, whether you think so or not, you're also a part of that family, and Ash is insistent that I help drag you out of your constant responsibilities for a night of fun."

"Uuuugh. If I must."

"Oh, you must. You won't regret It."

Grace looked suspiciously at Noah as he grinned and shrugged.

"Okay. What are you all up to? I hate surprises, and my birthday is months away."

"Woooow. Too cool to hang out with us all now, huh?"

Noah dramatically put a hand up in a stop signal towards Grace as she laughed.

"Officially offended, thanks. You're coming whether you want to or not."

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I resist?"

"You can't. Make sure you have this coming Friday night off. We're gonna rock the house!"

"That's such an old person saying! Ha!"

"HA! Fuck you very much then. Jeez."

Noah crossed his arms and acted offended, pushing away the creeping smile attempting to give him away. Grace went back into the bathroom, leaving the door open as she took off her hair towel and began brushing it into its normal no-nonsense bun.

"Let's go get some greasy breakfast."

"Just offering to drive me to breakfast isn't going to magically fix everything you know."

"I'm paying."

"O.k. That might. Let's go!"

They both finished getting ready and headed out the door to Graces car.

"Shotgun!"

"Wow, you really are a child. Who are you even competing with?"

"My imaginary friend! Duh!"

"Oh, God."

Grace smacked her forehead as they clambered in, with her quickly turning on and up her favorite Celtic singer, to which Noah stuck out his tongue, as if disgusted.

Her response being to turn it up just a little more as they headed the 8 minutes to their favorite breakfast restaurant.

It didn't take them long at all to be seated and fed, and before he knew it, Noah's stomach was yelling for reprieve as he stared down his last bit of pancake stack with regret.

Ugh..I, once again, ate too-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw someone familiar-looking staring from outside a window on the opposite side of the restaurant, making him drop his fork as his heart raced in trauma response.

She looked like...

A shiver ran through his body as he physically ducked; the mental image of the much older woman who had made 4 years of his life a living hell hijacking his senses.

Looking harder at the person he realized, with only slight relief, that it was not her.

He shook his head to forget, but the memories rushed through, hitting him again like a freight train to the stomach.

Lulu Wyona as she was called by most. A beloved child actress that came from money. Loved by all who thought they knew her, except for Noah.

Noah knew how she REALLY was, and what she was capable of.

Lulu had been Noah's guardian turned eventual girlfriend, whom he'd barely escaped from with his life. She had done things, and forced him to do things, he wished more than anything he could take back.

It had taken a lot of planning and intervention from a friend in order to escape.

Finding Grace states away through their mutual friend had been the only reason he'd been able to escape; able to start getting a little more comfortable in his own life.

A part of him had just started to hope that he could stay forever, make roots for once somewhere, have a real home.

But another part of him knew that if she showed up, everything was over. He would run forever if he had to, to escape her and her narcissistic power and obsession over him.

"NOAH! Helloooo!? You O.k? You're white as a ghost!"

Grace's finger snaps and warm hand over his trembling one had him snapping out of it.

Glancing again at the window, he saw the person was gone, and he did all he could to calm his pounding heart from breaking through his chest.

"I thought I saw...her."

Grace spun her head around quickly to inspect the area that Noah had been looking towards.

"Oh, hell no. That bitch better not try me today."

"I...It's not her."

"Oh, good. I don't like to have to bring out the taser before noon."

Grace's attempts at lightening the mood went flat as Noah held back tears.

"Hey, Noah..you really don't look good. Let's go home, O.k.?"

Noah felt nauseous as his stomach knotted more with every second his mind went deeper into the past.

"Hey! Stay with me!"

Grace grabbed a hundred-dollar bill from her purse and dropped it on the table looking at the waitress with a wink as she grabbed Noah's arm and pulled him up.

"Let's go."