Behind The Mask

Part 2: The Unexpected Encounter (Noah's perspective)

Noah Turner had always been the quiet one. The one who disappeared into the background. The one who preferred to be invisible rather than deal with the chaos of high school life. And it wasn't like he minded, really. In fact, it was kind of a relief to slip through the cracks, to not have to worry about being in the spotlight. He had his books, his games, his small circle of friends who shared his interests, and that was more than enough.

Still, it wasn't easy being the outsider. Sometimes, Noah couldn't help but feel the weight of it-the whispers when people thought he wasn't paying attention, the way his peers made subtle, dismissive comments about him behind his back. It didn't bother him as much anymore, but in the beginning, it had stung. It always felt like there was something wrong with him, something that made him different in a way he couldn't fix.

That was why he never really paid attention to the jocks. To people like Jace Hamilton, the star of the hockey team. Jace was everything Noah wasn't. Loud, confident, always surrounded by friends. He was the guy everyone seemed to look up to, the guy who was always in the center of the action. To Noah, it was like Jace existed on a completely different plane of reality. They had never really interacted, aside from a few passing glances in the halls. And that was fine. Noah didn't need to be friends with someone like Jace.

But when Jace called out to him across the cafeteria that Friday, everything changed.

Noah had been so absorbed in his homework that he barely noticed at first. It wasn't until he heard his name-his full name, loud and clear-that he looked up, startled. He found Jace standing at the edge of the lunchroom, his hockey bag slung over one shoulder. He was surrounded by his usual group of friends, all of them watching Noah like he was the subject of some kind of cruel experiment.

"Turner," Jace had called, and Noah's stomach dropped. His palms suddenly felt clammy. What did Jace want with him?

Noah tried to push the rising panic down, but it was no use. His heart raced, his mind swirling with possibilities, none of them good. He could already feel the eyes of the cafeteria on him, the whispers beginning to creep in like they always did when someone like Jace turned their attention to him.

"Uh... yeah?" Noah had said, his voice coming out nervous and unsure. He pushed his glasses up his nose, trying to act like this was no big deal, but the truth was, he had no idea what was going on.

Jace stood there for a moment, silent. Noah tried not to notice how everyone was looking at him, how their gazes seemed to weigh him down. The air felt thick, like it was charged with something Noah couldn't quite identify. His fingers fumbled around his books, not sure what to do with them now that the entire room seemed to be waiting for him to respond to whatever Jace was about to say.

And then Jace spoke again.

"You wanna go out with me sometime?"

The words hit Noah like a punch to the gut. For a second, he couldn't process them. Was this some kind of joke? No, it couldn't be. Jace was serious. Noah could see it in his eyes, the way he stood there, waiting for a response.

Noah's brain went into overdrive. His pulse was hammering in his ears, his face burning with embarrassment. He could feel his cheeks flush crimson, could feel his entire body tingle with panic. Was Jace messing with him? Was this some cruel prank? He had to be.

But then why did it feel so real? Why did it hurt so much?

"I-I don't..." Noah stammered, his voice shaking. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't even find the words. He hadn't been prepared for this. Who would have been?

He had tried to laugh it off, hoping Jace would realize how awkward and wrong it all was and walk away. But when he saw Jace's face, when he saw the faint smile on his lips, Noah realized with a sickening twist that this wasn't a joke. It wasn't some cruel trick. Jace was serious.

It felt like everything around him was closing in-the noise of the cafeteria, the people staring, the sudden weight of Jace's gaze. His stomach churned, his breath shallow and uneven. He just wanted to disappear, to sink into the floor and never come back. Why had Jace picked him? Why had he been the one to target?

But before Noah could do anything else, his hands had moved on their own, gathering his books, shoving them into his backpack with shaking fingers. He stood up abruptly, not looking at Jace, not looking at anyone. He didn't want to be there. He couldn't be there. The way the laughter from Jace's friends echoed in his ears, the way their eyes seemed to follow him-he couldn't handle it.

He was already walking away before he had fully processed what had just happened. All he could think about was getting out of there. He needed to get away from the eyes, from the whispers. The cafeteria door loomed ahead like a lifeline, and he practically sprinted for it.

As he reached the door, he heard Jace's voice calling after him, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around. He couldn't look at him. He couldn't face the reality that he had been the butt of a joke he hadn't even seen coming.

It wasn't until he was outside the cafeteria, leaning against the wall in the hallway, that Noah's breath finally steadied. His hands were still trembling, and his chest felt tight, like it couldn't hold all the emotions swirling inside him. He had no idea why it hurt so much. Maybe it was because, for a split second, he had let himself believe that Jace-someone so out of his league, someone so popular-could possibly be interested in him. But now he knew better. It had all been a joke.

Noah took a shaky breath, wiping at his eyes. He wasn't going to cry. He wouldn't let himself cry. But the sting of embarrassment, the feeling of being humiliated-it was too much.