How to Save Noah Brown

Chapter 3

"Class, these are your marked tests," Mrs. Rendall began, "and with a partner I would like you to compare the answers to the questions you got wrong."
The math class erupted in noise as people began turning to their friends. I swivelled in my chair to face the girl next to me.
"Want to be partners?"
Her eyes grew wide, and a dark hue rose to her cheeks. "Oh, God Noah I would love to, but...uh..Maddie!" She called out to the girl walking by. "I promised her earlier I would be her partner."
Maddie stopped, her face not hiding her obvious surprise. "Oh okay."
"Sorry, Noah."
I sighed and nodded. It was expected. People were still uncomfortable near me, never knowing what to say, and off put by the fact I made no effort in conversation.
"Looks like you're stuck with me," Duncan's hot breath blew against my ear.
I sighed even louder. He pulled his chair closer to mine, pressing the side of his leg against me.
"Okay," I opened my test paper, refusing to meet his heavy gaze. This was what I was trying to avoid. "Which questions do you want to go over?"
He leaned his elbow against the table, resting his head in his hand. "I have a question outside of math for you."
I rolled my eyes as his hand inched it's way over my exposed skin to clutch my inner thigh. "Meet me tonight? It's been so long, I miss you."
"Duncan, it's hardly even been a week."
He wasn't put off with my blunt tone. "Noah, I need you."
Taking in his pleading, desperate eyes and tight grasp, I was suddenly overwhelmed by potent feelings of disinterest. Within my stomach, there were no traces of warmth, or hell, even desire, and I couldn't help but wonder how at one point in time I found him the sexiest man alive, much less loved the boy.
Albeit, there was a time when we were in love. We had dated for six months and then it happened. And I was left a broken, wreathing mess, incapable of receiving or feeling anything but sorrow. All sentiment was beginning to slowly drain away. Months passed and his missed calls and unanswered texts were the only quiet whispers of our deflated relationship.
Until I showed up at his house, drunk, when his mom was working and fucked him on his kitchen floor.
We then developed a routine. I would go to him and he wouldn't ask me to speak about it. We no longer looked at each other with a warm fondness, but instead, he was a way to let me feel something besides the grey. We used to each other.
It was a small reminder that I was alive and could feel something.
My eyes looked down at his hand below the desk, which was slowly moving back and forth in what I assumed we meant to be a sexy manner. No excitement coursed through my veins, no burning fire was enlightened in my stomach.
Sex with him sounded, just, okay.
"Fine, if it'll get you to shut up."
He let out a breath of relief. "Great. But, I have a small issue.My parents are in tonight, so we'll have to go to yours."
"No."
"Noah come on-"
"No."
"No one is even home! I bet that-"
"No."
"Noah,-"
"Duncan, I swear to god. No means no."
"Well, we have to. My place is a no fly zone."
I straightened out the bent corner of my test paper. "You clearly over estimate how much I want to have sex with you."
The girl in front turned her head to look at me slightly.
"Shit, Noah. Fine. Just know that you have to have people over to your house sometime. Assuming you don't push everyone away by then. Which may happen, since you have just about two friends."
I stood up as the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. "Boo fucking, hoo. Have fun with your lotion and tissues tonight, jerk off."
I pushed past him and went to put my test paper on Mrs. Rendall's desk when she looked up. "Oh, Noah, could you please wait one second."
I nodded in response, cursing in my head.
She waited for the class to empty out, and then began. "You did very well on this test."
"Thank you."
She nodded. "What did you get again? Seventy nine questions correct out of eighty?"
I shrugged, knowing the fraction on the front of the test paper echoed her statement.
I liked math.
"It's a shame, however, you didn't quite make one hundred percent. Then your paper could have gone right there."
She pointed to the empty space on the wall behind her, otherwise known as the notorious 'high achievers' wall. Perfect scores were hung there during the year.
I nodded robotically, "Shame."
Her eyes narrowed and she suddenly leaned forward on her desk. "I know what you did."
I blinked.
"Every question right, which is feat, considering this is honours. Every single question, except for this," she pointed accusingly at the first question. "The easiest one. But you used the right method required for the question after."
I shifted uncomfortably, disliking her heavy gaze.
"I understand you don't want to be on the board. So for you, I won't. Just don't purposefully ruin your tests. You're too intelligent for that."
I scratched the back of my head, not sure if I should apologise or thank her. "Okay."
"Okay, it's the end of the day, get going." She shook her head as I made my way out the door and into the bustling halls.
By the time I made it to my locker, I decided I didn't care what she thought. Or what Miss. Haywood thought. I wasn't 'wasting' anything. Maybe I wasn't the person that was meant to be the 'perfect student mascot'. That just wasn't me anymore.
I shoved my books into my locker, and as I went to slam the door, movement from down the line caught my eye, making me pause.
A few spaces down, a girl's back was to me as she leant against the locker doors, staring up at the good looking boy next to her. He leaned on the one hand resting on the wall, causing his bicep to ripple and their stance to be considered intimate.
I recognised him. It was Callum Grey.
It had been three days since his presence entered my radar, and suddenly, he was cropping up everywhere.
Like magnets, my eyes managed to find him in the chaotic halls and bustling lunch lines. Brief glimpses of his back, or his blurred face as he passed were burned into the back of my eyes, a reminder of the stranger that baffled me. I wasn't the only one intrigued. His aura attracted followers, therefore he always seemed to move in a pack. His looks and highly confident persona seemed to make him a god among men, considering most high school boys were struggling through their transition to pubescents awkwardly.
It was incredible to think I had managed to go this long without noticing him.
As if sensing my gaze, his eyes flickered up to meet mine.
I felt overwhelmed by his lingering stare. No one looked at me like that. Sure, they loved to stare and whisper, but when their eyes met mine, they were suddenly much more interested with the floor.
I looked away to shut the door, checking from the corner of my eye. He was still staring.
His face was devoid of emotion as he he visibly looked me over. His eyes reached mine again, and despite their striking colour, they were impossible to read. He looked on unflinchingly until I made my way past.
When I reached the end of the hall, to step out into the sunlight, he was still watching me.
Calmly and passively. Like a predator assessing a possible prey. I felt small.
As I made my way towards my car, I knew I was much more confused, and interested, in the question of who was Callum Grey.

Authors note: To the few of you reading this, hi! I never ever expected people to actually bother with this, and these characters have been stuck in my head for a while now, so it feels strange to know that people are reading my work. In all honesty this was more of a way to organize my thoughts, but I would love any type of feedback as this is my first attempt at writing anything at all. Thank you so much, and I hope you like what I wrote!