Rainbow Stripes

eight

Emma had started hating to go to school ever since she met Noah. Hollie would say that it was her own fault that she was trying to run away from him, and it sort of was (scratch that, it's all her fault), but why, why, why had he shown up to the precinct why'll she was there! The little piece of absolute and utter shit was ruining her mood, and more importantly, her life!

Emma was literally marching towards her class. The hallway was parting like the Red Sea did for Moses. When Emma first started to notice that, she frowned, only to realize that it was the dark vibes she was giving that was causing people to back away from her.

Emma smirked in her head and entered the class without even glancing back.

She dumped her bad loudly on her desk, causing Holland to jump in her seat and spill the gummy bears she was eating. The sight of gummy bears made her sick to her stomach. Her thoughts rolled back to the look on Noah's face as they fought, as he left -

She shook her head and sat down in her seat. Hollie was gaping at her.

"Close your mouth. Flies will go in."

She promptly shut her mouth. "Who pissed in your cereal today?"

"Shut up, Hollie." Emma grumbled, putting her forehead on the desk, trying to block out all the noise. Her entire day was going so bad. She dread meeting Noah, her talk with her father was still reverberating in her head, and not to mention all the god damn noise in the classroom. She was this close to bludgeoning the entire school to death.

But thankfully for her, class started. She angrily took down notes, ripping sheets of papers multiple times in the process. She could feel Holland's curious eyes on her, but fortunately, she didn't hear a peep out of her.

Class finally ended and stomped to the cafeteria, seating herself on the table with Joey and Sara, who were already sitting there.

"Well, hello to you too. It's been a great day, thanks for asking." Joey said.

"Shut up Jo, I'm not in the mood to talk."

Joey's playful mood dissipated as he realized she was joking. "Alright. Do you want me to get you something to eat?"

"No I have lunch." She snapped, and then quickly added. "Thanks though."

Joey nodded, and Emma took her lunch out of her bag and started to eat. Soon after, Hollie seated herself on the table as well.

"Still angry?" She asked. Joey answered that question for her. Hollie sighed, "Lover's spat?"

Emma clenched her jaw. "Maybe its not about Noah. Maybe, just maybe, my dad might have told me something about my mom, and I'm still reeling from the after-shocks of the revelations."

There was pin-drop silence at the table. Emma shuffled, getting up and fixing her bag.

"Emma, wait!" Hollie called out, but Emma didn't pay her any attention. She zigzagged her way out of the cafeteria and made a beeline for the library. She plopped herself onto one of the more obscure benches towards the end of the library hall, and put her head in her hands.

She knew deep down in her head it was the fight with Noah that was upsetting her, not her mother. Guilt was pouring into every orifice of her body and now she felt like ripping her hair out of her head and smashing her fists into the wall like Hulk. The last thing she wanted to do was confront him.

But when she looked at her timetable she realized that that plan was a flop, because she had an after-school Arts class today, a class she shared with Noah.

Fuck, fuck, fuckidy fuck.

She ran her fingers through her hair miserably. She was doomed. Then she told herself to shut up and stop moaning and to read a book. But she couldn't focus on anything, not even Harry Potter. She ended up doing her homework instead.

And then she went to class, where she gave a very guilty Holland the silent treatment, and left for Arts class as soon as the bell rang, even though she was in no hurry to get there. But choosing between Hollie, who would incessantly demand to know her entire conversation with her dad, or sitting in a class with a boy she didn't want to; in that split second she preferred the latter.

And so there she was, seated in one of the crowded end seats where there was no other seat. Noah came in after she did, and she promptly ducked her head as soon as she saw his plaid shirt and jeans clad body.

Her heart thumped for the first fifteen minutes of the class, only to quieten when she started working. After an hour, the class was dismissed, but she stayed in for an extra fifteen to finish her work and clean up. By the time she packed her stuff and was ready to leave, no one was in the school. She leisurely walked to her car, enjoying the echoes of her footsteps in the hallway.

When she reached her car, she took out the car keys from her pocket. But she was holding too many things in her occupied arm, and the key skidded out of her hand and onto the pavement.

She stared at the splayed keys with contempt. "Seriously?" She muttered. She stepped forward, bracing herself for the bend down, but her saving grace swooped in and picked up the keys for her.

When her saving grace stood up and presented her the keys, her face went as white as chalk.

Because her saving grace was Noah.

How fucking predictable. Go fuck yourself, fate.

She grabbed the keys without a word and turned to unlock her car.

"Emma, I-"

"I have nothing to say to you." She cut him off sharply as she put her stuff in back seat.

"But I do." Emma stopped placing her stuff, sighed, and turned around. She tried not to look guilty or mean, which was hard because those were her two defaults.

"It's because of my dad."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

Noah shifted his feet. "When I was a kid, my dad would get me candies all the time. And then one time, when I was eight, he told me he was going out to get me some candies. And he never came back."

Emma stared wild eyed at him. This was NOT supposed to happen.

"Uh, so yeah, that's why I hate candy."

"It reminds of you of a broken promise," Emma added unexpectedly. Noah's eyes widened a fraction, but in the end he nodded, smiling crookedly at her.

"Psychoanalyzing me?"

Emma smiled slyly, giving up on trying to hate him. "You know me."

He chuckled. "Well, not as well as I'd hope to."

Emma tilted her head questioningly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He scratched the back of his head in thought, but that ended quickly. He stepped forward, until there was only a feet and half's distance between them. Emma sucked in her breath.

"I mean, that I want to have dinner with you this Friday. Krevelsky's Diner, seven o'clock. What do you say?"

Emma stared at his eyes, the mischief dancing in his irises, but she knew he was serious. And so she smirked and said, "Don't be late."

Noah licked his lips, nodded, and then left. She watched his retreating back, until he got into
his car and left. And Emma stood there, trying to understand what the fuck had just happened.

*

Thanks for still sticking around lovies. This chap is dedicated to @OREO-CHOCOLATE, who's just amazing and keeps voting and commenting on this. Thank you xx