Love & Carnage✗Noah Foster [2]

Chapter Thirty-Two//W.W.A.D?

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"Creepy monologue alert."

--Brooke Maddox

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She's awake. I told myself in glee. I had nothing to worry about because she was awake. The doctors... and my mom made me leave. But as I left, I caught something in the corner of my eye. Was that...? Ms. Lang? I walked into the hospital room, checking behind myself to see if anyone saw me. Sure enough, it was Ms. Lang. She looked pretty normal. Like a normal school day.

Her eyes were closed and she looked as if she was just sleeping. But I knew the truth, as Audrey had told me. Right before I was taken, and forced to... murder--that doesn't matter, but right before that, Ms. Lang was literally thrown down a flight of stairs. The emergency stairs at school. "Ms. Lang?" I whispered, nearing her. "Ms. Lang, can you hear me... or are you... like, in a coma?" I muttered. "Excuse me? She's not having visitors at the moment." I turned and saw the same nurse from my sister's room. "O--oh, I'm sorry. I... just--she's my teacher, and--"

"Yeah, I know. Your friends were here making her jump out of her skin." The nurse chuckled, but shook her head in dismay, walking past me to check on Lang's monitors. "Maybe come back another day." She smiled sweetly. I nodded, turning around and leaving, but not before I caught a glimpse of the peaceful Ms. Lang.

"Did you totally freak on Zoë?" Rosie asked me. I was driving home, and I had the phone connected to the car. "No, actually. Audrey did!" I laughed. "Oh, where you headed now?" Rosie asked. "Thought I'd go home, ya know, wallow in my own self-pity--"My phone buzzed. INCOMING CALL.

It was probably Noah or Audrey. I rolled my eyes. "Ari?" Rosie asked. "Yeah, uh, I gotta go. I call you back later and update you on my self-pity thingy." I giggled. "You do that. Peace out." Rosie laughed, and then hung up. I frowned and answered Noah's call. "If this is Audrey, where the hell are you?! And if this is Noah, I don't know why you're calling me, because if you didn't already realize, I--"

"Thank you." Zoë's voice interrupted me. "Wh--Hello?" I scoffed. "For...?" I heard Noah's voice now. It sounded like he was talking to me, but it sounded far away... like he wasn't."For having my back." Zoë spoke again. Had Noah butt-dialed me? I took my eyes off the road to look at my phone. UNKNOWN. Oh, fuck. Someone was recording them. That had to be it.

I should've hung up, but that's not something I--Arielle--would do. "I, um.... I really appreciate it." Zoë whispered to Noah. "I, uh... yeah. I mean, Arielle can be a bit much sometimes." Noah told her. My mouth dropped. What a douche bag. "And, I just really believed you were telling the truth." Noah added. "I was."

There was a pause.

Then there was heavy breathing. Zoë giggled. I heard the sound of kissing and I nearly threw up right then. It took a lot for me to focus on driving. I heard a bunch of shuffling and moaning, and my eyes widened. Oh, no, no. I hung up right then. I didn't need to hear to know what was going down in that room. Tears filled my eyes and I pulled over to the side street. I parked the car, and breathed in and out. I gripped the steering wheel. Stop crying, Arielle. I told myself. But that also wasn't something I--Arielle--could do. WWAD.

What would Arielle do? Oh, I know. She'd pull over and start crying.

I burst out crying, feeling hopeless. I tried to compose myself but I just couldn't. A woman and her kid walked past my car, looking into my car, concerned, but kept on walking, minding her own business. I was thankful for that, because if someone asked me if I was "okay" I don't know what I would do. How could Noah do that...? Why would Noah do that? Why would he do that to me? I hated Zoë.

I was going to kill her, I was going to kill him. I'm going to kill both of them. I gripped the steering wheel even tighter, my knuckles turning white. My phone rang again, making my jump. I wiped my tears and answered. "Hello?" I cried. "Poor, wittle Arielle." That stupid distorted voice spoke. I could scream.

"What? Calling to kick me when I'm down?" I whimpered. "Oh, no. The exact opposite. I just wanted to know: Do you think balloons would be in bad taste?" He chuckled.

"Wh--what?" I whispered. "But then again, no balloons would be..."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" I screamed. But then he hung up on me. I screamed out loud, hitting the steering wheel. My phone chimed again. A text.

UNKNOWN:

Just in case you forgot the venue to your own party.

I frowned as I grabbed my phone and saw it. The invitation.

YOU'RE INVITED TO FACE THE MASK PARTY!

(Take back the fear)

Blessed Sisters Children's Home

542 Hollyhock Dr.

My heart pounded. My own party? What the fuck is happening?

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I dialed Emma's number quickly as I paced back and fourth across my bedroom carpet. "Hi, you've reached Emma, leave me a message." I groaned, and dialed Audrey. "Arielle, what's up?" Audrey answered cooly on the second ring. "Where are you?! I'm totally freaking the fuck out right now, and I--I need you! I can't get ahold of Emma, and--and, Audrey, the killer--"

"Arielle, chill. What happened. Slow down." Audreys soothed. I stopped pacing and nodded to myself. "Audrey...something really, really bad is about to happen. I don't know if it already has. I don't know if Emma's okay, I don't know if Brooke's okay. Or Kieran!" I yelled. "Arielle." Audrey said again. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath. "The killer... he's done something. And--and he's trying to pin it on me, or something. I'm going to fucking kill--"

"ARIELLE! Did you get the invitation?" Audrey yelled. "YES, that's what I'm trying to tell you!" I screamed. "I'm around the corner. Come on." She told me before hanging up on me. I looked around my room. I wasn't even dressed. I rushed to my dresser and pulled out a random pair of shorts and a T-shirt. I pulled my hair into a tight pony-tail after I finished changing. I rushed down to the foyer, and pulled on my shoes, rushing out of the house. Audrey was parked outside, tapping on the steering wheel impatiently. I ran to the car and got in. "When did you get it?" Audrey asked. "This afternoon!" I told her. "I got it before you called." Audrey told me. "He threatened Noah. He's going to kill Noah at this party." My breathing sped up as I heard her words. "He--Audrey, we have to get there, like, now!" I told her. "That's what I'm saying!"

"Well?! Hit the gas, Jensen!" I nudged her shoulder.

A/N, sorry it's short, but I'm currently writing, buds.