Unveil The Veil

Chapter 8 - Noah

Noah's Point of View:

Grief is not as heavy as guilt, but it takes more away from you.

-Veronica Roth
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I watched as her face grew cold instantly. Her eyes glowered down at me and I averted my gaze. My thoughts were completely fumbled up. Her words repeated in my mind and confusion and wonder filled my thoughts. It meant that much to her?

I started to recall all of the girls that Dad had arrested and shook my head. They were all like that. Each and every one of them felt the same way and had the same ideas. It didn't really make sense to me. I rubbed my chin and stood slowly, her eyes following my every step. I lifted my foot and looked down when the smell of puke grew too strong. My once clean shoes were stained for life. I slowly picked it up off the ground and watched the contents follow my steps. It was disgusting.

She noticed and grimaced. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face and she leaned her head back on the table. "Sorry about that. Again."

I shrugged and took the shoes off slowly. The stench started to grow, so I grabbed a disinfectant and cleaned it up. All the while, she gazed at me with confusion but kept quiet.

When I finished, I started to tidy up the table and decided she might need another pill to help with her head. I grabbed the water bottle and held it against her lips after giving her the pill.

She gulped it down slowly and looked away once she finished. I watched her eyes narrow as she bit the inside of her lips in confusion.

Letting out a loud sigh, I leaned against the table and nodded. "Go ahead. Ask."

She looked up and gave me an uncertain look. I watched as the lights above her drowned her small face in light, a slight gleam to cover her glossy eyes. Slowly, she looked around and closed her eyes for a second before they met mines. I caught a swirl of emotion deep within her green and hazel orbs which only heightened my curiosity.

"Why are you helping me?"

My eyes seemed to freeze on hers. I knew it would come some time. I shoved my hands in my pockets and nodded my head. I expected her to ask but the answer was still floating around my mind. I didn't have an answer. I didn't have an exact reason either. My mind was like an open field of nothing. My thoughts were completely blanked out. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I looked up at her and stayed quiet.

I wanted to know the answer too. We were completely different people, with completely different views and lives. Yet, when I look at her I don't see the enemy. My mind wandered to what my father would say, what my mother would say. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed, closing my eyes for a millisecond before I dropped my hand and turned to her.

For years she was the enemy, but yet I couldn't find it myself to hurt her. I turned around and started for the door. The massive metal bars opened, and just as I was about to step out, I turned and caught her gazing at me with a confused face. Her button nose was slightly red from the effects of the medicine, and her eyes watery for a reason I couldn't really pin point. I watched and felt the corner of my lips slightly turn upward.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

***

"Noah." I sat up and placed the book on the chair besides me. Their voice rang through me, and woke me up from my sleep. Reading always did that. It was this classical book that Alex had once given me back in high school. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It was about a century old, but I still liked it. Had all the components I liked in a book. We read it countless times in school, and now I had nearly memorized all the lines. I ran a hand down my face and groaned. I must have fallen asleep while reading it. My hand wandered around the couch in search of my phone, and found it beneath my leg. I switched it on, and realized I had slept in longer than I had expected. I sighed and threw my phone back on the table and covered my eyes with the book to go back to sleep. It was five past four and I still had time to rest before I was called in.