Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
-
If it weren't for the terrible situation she was going to have to talk him out of, she would've thought that being this high up in the tower would've been enjoyable, maybe even a little romantic. That is if it wasn't for Marcus Lopez Arguello, who was debating on jumping off of the obviously high ledge.
The boy had yet to notice Noah, who was slowly creeping towards him, trying to stay as quiet as possible so he didn't hear her, and jumped before she could reach him.
He must have been seriously debating this; she had followed him for well over an hour- watching his camp underneath the bridge being torn apart, the cops searching for him and completely tearing apart the only things he wasn't carrying with him.
From a few feet, across the street, she watched him snuggle onto the bus bench, trying to get warm and comfortable, but it was hard to do both on a metal bench in early November.
And for 20 minutes she stood across the tower on the opposite ledge, watching Marcus' downcasted eyes that were solefully looking at the ground below his feet, sadness creeping into her chest as his carmel orbs glazed over in thought.
At Kings Dominion, sadness was seen as weakness, and for her own survival she shoved the emotion deep into the back of her mind, never wanting to release any sign of said weakness, or else she'd be crying over her own grave.
But Marcus... Marcus was overcoming the feeling of sadness in his own chaotic way- but just ending it all, and that just wasn't sitting well with Noah.
"You'll regret it." She finally spoke up, standing a few feet away from him, her voice holding a firm tone to it. Marcus snapped his gaze over to her with shock and irritation, his eyes locked onto hers. "Jesus christ! What the hell?"
A small smile traveled onto her face as she took a couple steps forward, "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt this," she put her hands up into quotes, "-private moment."
He said nothing, but the anger imitated off of him enough for the girl to physically see his jaw clenching tightly, "How'd you even find me?"
She shrugged, "Not hard to track down someone wearing that busy jacket." Pointing her unpainted nail to his red, yellow, and blue jacket with a grey hood, "Anyone with a sense of style could track that down anywhere."
Although it wasn't the cutest jacket, she loved it, the simplicity of it was the perfect combination of her sense of clothing appeal. Marcus shook his head while looking away from her, "Doesn't matter."
Noah made sure to walk onto the same platform as him, her arms still crossed over her jean jacket with a huff, "No, it doesn't. But what does matter is what Master Lin wants... and he wants you, Marcus."
Unknown to the girl beside him Marcus flushed, his name falling from her lips sent shivers across his skin. But once agains he turned away from the girl, partially to contemplate his suicide, and partially so the girl wouldn't see the rosy glow of his cheeks.
"You've got something special inside of you. And he truly believes that you've got what it takes to enroll at Kings Dominion. You just have to give it a chance..." She paused to look over the edge for a moment before her eyes snapped back to the white side of his, "Not to be a bitch... but what have you got to lose?"
He stayed silent for a moment, turning the front of his body away from her, peering over the edge, his toes just barely balancing over. "Nothing."
Agony filled her chest as she watched him lift his foot up, holding it over the area where the concrete stopped and the long fall began. And just as he was about to let his foot wander down, Noah snatched her hand out to grip his wrist, "Stop!"
Her strength forced the teen back away from the edge a couple feet, "Please Marcus, stop for a second..." she peered up at him through her abnormally long lashes with a sigh, "Marcus, you don't have to do this... death isn't the only way out."
The anxious boy held the wrist she had gripped, "I don't have anyone," he muttered, "I-I just need a way out of this hell hole!" He screamed, taking a step towards the edge with his voice straying, his eyes filling with unshed tears, trying not to cry in front of the attractive girl.
"And this is your only option? Stepping off the ledge of a 300 foot tower?" She questioned with disbelief in her voice, "Marcus, I was just like you..." she trembled her bottom lip as he turned towards her, "I was all alone, no mom, no dad that actually cared for me..."
When he fully faced her she sucked in a breath, "And Master Lin saved me from that awful voice in my head telling me that my only way out, was running away and out a glass window..."
She took in a deep breath,"He gave me food, a place to sleep... he gave me a home."
Marcus, standing directly in front of her blinked back tears, with Noah reaching for both of his hands at his side, gripping them tightly to keep him grounded, "I promise you Marcus, your not alone, and you won't be... ever again."
She looked up at him and he leaned down slight, the girl thinking that he was going to kiss her-
But his head fell against her collarbone softly, a hot tear falling into the crevice of her breasts. She lifted her left hand while keeping the other locked into Marcus' grip, softly trailing her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck, soothing him soundlessly.
They stayed in that position, for what seemed like hours. No other tears fell, just the single one. His arms curled around her middle, squeezing her so tight, tight enough that she wouldn't be able to get out of the hold if she wanted to.
She felt a strong urge to take care of him, to make sure that he would be taken into Kings Dominion, and she would try her damndest to make sure he lived through it.
"Okay." He muttered in an affirmative tone, leaning away from her chest as he peered down at her, as she gave him a soft nod, grinning through her pity for him, "Okay."
