Poisonous : s.m

⋆18⋆ Parkston's Soccer Field

Diana Hughes,

October 11th.

Song of the chapter- streems, the symposium. (bit of a contrast to the tone of this chapter but i love this song???)

I woke up in Shawn's car at 8:30 am, stuck in the daze and the stale tears of the previous night. I wasn't sure what to say, so for a while we sat in awkwardness- I wasn't even sure he was awake until he sat up and whispered: "Are you okay now?" His voice was quiet. I felt like I owed him an explanation considering the fact I ruined our date.

"I'm sorry about last night." I said and he shook his head.

"It's okay, you don't owe me any explanation."

"I just saw someone. His, uh"-I gulped-"his name is Christopher. He's an ex of mine." I gulped nervously as Shawn nodded, I almost spilled him the whole truth but I didn't, I couldn't. "I have a lot of built up trauma and stuff from seeing him so, uh, yeah it was just that, sorry for the drama." I chuckled nervously and Shawn furrowed his eyebrows-- He knows I'm lying! I thought.

"Okay, do you want me to drop you home?" He asked me, rubbing his eyes.

"Uh, no, no thank you. I have some errands to run so I'm just gonna get an uber, thank you though." I looked him in his hazel eyes and placed my hands on his neck, thumbs on his cheeks as I went in to give him a quick kiss but he grabbed my elbows, not letting me go. His hands trailed to the back of my head as he wouldn't let me go. "Shawn." I giggled against his lips. "I really have to go."

"Stay." He groaned. "Just stay with me for the day."

"I can't, I can't, I want to but I can't. I have things to do."

I said goodbye and watched Shawn drive away before pulling out my phone and dialling Noah. After 3 rings he lazily picked up.

"Hello?" He answered and I heard talking in the background.

"Where are you?"

"We're all hanging at Parkston's soccer field, why?"

"I'm coming now, we need to talk." I cut off the phone and called an uber, nausea flooding my stomach. I felt sick at the thought of Christopher being back in town and Noah not telling me.

I got in the uber and thought. Suddenly it made sense, Noah getting beaten up, the spontaneious road trip, Grayson's smoking. It all made sense, they all knew, Everybody knew and didn't tell me.
After 15 minutes the uber arrived and I paid her and left, walking briskly toward the feild. I spotted all the boys sat in a circle in the centre of the field and walked quickly towards them, their heads all turning to me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I tried to act calm but wasn't sure I came across that way. They all simultaneously sighed.

"It was from a caring place, I swear." Noah mumbled, pulling out chunks of grass in his fists. His hair was swept back from his face and a beanie covered it.

"Noah." I dropped down beside him. "You could've said. You didn't have to lie to me I would've understood." He looked sad, maybe he felt guilty. I rubbed his shoulder gently.

"I tried to stick up for you, that's how I got beat up, he started saying how you're a lying slut and that he'd be back. I was so scared he'd get you. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." I didn't forgive him, not yet.

"So you all knew?" I asked and everyone nodded. "And that's what the road trips about." Nods.

"How'd you find out?" Toby asked me, his hands on his knees.

"I saw him."

"Dee... we're sorry we didn't tell you." Grayson apologised but Noah suddenly fell quiet, his hands in his hair as his eyes shifted around. "Noah?" Grayson asked but he was submerged in his thoughts.

"Wait... when did you see him?" Noah asked me, his eyes looking scared, which scared me. Ethan, Grayson and Toby all looked at us too, I knew we all looked a mixture of scared and confused.

"Last night, when I was out with Shawn, why?" I asked.

"Shit!" Grayson suddenly contributed.

"What? Am I missing something?" I asked, looking between the two.

"You said November 17th!" Grayson shouted, pointing at Noah.

"I know, I know, i thought it was until then but now I'm not sure." Noah said.

"Dude, can someone fill me in, please?" Ethan asked.
"Me too." I added.

"Christopher and Andrew are back, the day I came in with the bruises was the day after they came. He came in, talking shit about you and I got mad. My mom was out with her friends at some fancy meal so Andrew barges in the house, Christopher behind him like some stupid fucking puppy and he slams the door so hard the chandelier shakes. And so I didn't exactly want to say 'hi, you dickhead who ruined my bestfriend, hows the past six months trying to get your fancy, expensive, stupid fucking lawyers to lie for you been?' so i just sit quiet. Poor Lola gets up,"- he refers to his house cleaner- " sees Andrew and shits herself. He's evil-- pure fucking evil-- and everyone knows it! Everyone knows it!" Noah begins to work himself up his fist slamming into his thigh as he groans.

Noah's family weren't exactly poor, his father had come into a lot of money by investing in the right companies before dying from lung cancer (excessive cigarettes) when Noah was seven, leaving his narcissistic mother their fortune and huge house 5 blocks from my own. Quickly getting over his father's death, Noah's mother married Andrew (Who N thinks she was cheating on his father with at the time) a mere five months after his death, then moving in his son Christopher who, seven years later, ruined my life. Grayson rubbed his arm. "Calm down, N, it's okay." Noah gave him a small sigh and I couldn't help but feel guilty, I knew the pain Andrew caused Noah and I knew it had gotten worse since the incident six months "But anyway, he slams the door, shakes the chandelier, scares Lola shitless so I very calmly asked him to not be so violent. He then strolls up to me, cigar in mouth and spits 'So you think you're something after you stood up for your little bitch, huh?' and I lost it, I told him how much I hated him, I told him everything and he just stands there, puffing the cigar. And so I look to Christopher who is sneering at me and next thing I know I'm on the floor with Lola pressing a damp cloth to my forehead. I don't remember what happened I just remember that and Mrs. Adams sending me to Philips office. And then of course you saved me, Diana." Noah smiled and I smiled too.

"Ah, it's what I do best." I toldhim, rubbing his arm sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, bud." Ethan tells him.

"So what's the plan now?" I asked.

"I'm pretty sure he leaves for London next week for a month. I got scared because I thought he'd already left-- i hadn't seen them since that night." Noah told us all, still ripping out fistfuls of grass in his hands.

"So your roadtrip is still on?" Toby asked, scratching his ear, probably guilty that he can't go.

"Yeah. Speaking of, I still can't believe you can't go." And slowly, Grayson, Ethan and Toby create their own conversation and Noah and I feel as though we're in our own little imaginary field, away from our problems.

I picked the daisies from the grass and dig my fingernails into the stems, creating small chains.

"Don't forget that I love you." Noah whispered into my ear as I pick up a lone daisy. I examined it before placing it behind his ear in front of his scruffy ginger hair.

"Pretty," I commented on the daisy to distract myself from the impending doom that gradually loomed over us. Soon our imaginary field would be flooded, and flowers don't grow in monsoons.