A Known Stranger

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

                Exhausted wasn’t the beginning as to what I felt. My entire body ached, mainly due to the countless sleepless nights and long runs down the shore at midnight. My head pounded, throbbing due to the endless thoughts running through and the multiple hangovers I had numbed by downing yet another bottle of Vodka, and my mother’s cheap wine.

                Even though I had dragged myself out of bed and gone to school, I was physically there but never mentally. All that I could seem to think about was Noah. Noah and his stupid reaction as to when I told him that I knew. Of course, I was talking about the baggie of weed he had hidden in his room not the reason why he moved to California all the way from New York. Yet, when I said that I knew, he freaked. His cold stare haunted me, the bruises he left, the ones on my upper arms, left me with reminders that, Noah truly was hiding something.

                He had too. Why else would he react like that?

                Slamming my locker door shut, I cringed, remembering that for the first time in days, I was sober. For a moment, I mentally slapped myself for being so careless, but yet again, my mind was consumed with thoughts of Noah. Ever since he showed up in town, slowly, my life was beginning to change. My friendship with Zoe and Kimberly was slowly falling apart, I was questioning my relationship with a guy that was perfect in every sense, my emotions were becoming harder to downplay and to top it off- I was slowly becoming an alcoholic.

                Screw Noah. Screw him and the troubles he’s costing.

                Walking down the crowded hallway, my Vans squeaked down the tile as I kept my head down and pushed past bodies that were blocking my way. It was the end of the day, school was over and the entire day Zoe had ignored me, Kimberly was too caught up in the attention she was receiving from everybody and Ryder, Ryder was being his usual self, nice and attending to someone in need- which today, was Kimberly.

                Exiting the school, I slid my sunglasses over my eyes and went down the stairs two at a time, zeroing in on my car parked in the school parking lot I couldn’t get to it any faster. Laughter, bickering and chatter surrounded me, all too loud for me to process.

                I really hate hangovers.

                Sliding into my car, I turned on the ignition and clicked in my seatbelt. School was out and all I wanted to do was go home, change and fall asleep but I guess fate had other plans for me because the moment I got onto the main road and stopped at a red light, Noah pulled up next to me on my left.

                Sinking into my seat, I tilted my head to the side so my hair would cover my face. Even though my windows were tilted darkly, I knew that he knew it was me in here. And by the lingering stare he gave, my suspensions were proved correct. Glancing up at the light, I sighed heavily and hoped for the light to turn green already. Stealing another glance at Noah, I found him staring at me still, eyes trained on me.

                We hadn’t spoken since that night. The night he freaked out and left. In fact, I hadn’t spoken to anyone in the last few days and it wasn’t because I was ignoring everybody texts and calls, it was because no one bothered. Everybody was too busy trying to comfort Kimberly because she was hurt.

                A honk cleared all thoughts and I snapped my head up to see the light was now green. Pressing down on the gas pedal, I quickly accelerated, inhaling deeply as I passed Noah, but he switched lanes so he was driving behind me and followed me all the way home. Once I was parked in my driveway, I slammed my door shut and ran up my front porch steps and opened the front door, needing to get away from him. All I needed was a shower and my bed.