english - c.hood 01 | au

twenty five

n o e l l e

i didn't know what to think.

i felt like i was overreacting, running out of class and all.

but i had to, it was better than sitting there, that whole two hours, with him, and her.

so i left and i went for a drive back to my neighbourhood, but i didn't go home.

i wouldn't be going there for a long time.

no, i went somewhere a little more, odd to most people.

i just needed to get away before i went to the spot later with the gang.

somewhere i knew i'd be alone.

so i parked my car, grabbed the flowers that i had bought before coming here, and walked across the field to where they were.

my family.

"hey james, hey dad."

c a l u m

"she should've been here by now." nora sighed, bowing her head into her arms. "luke, why isn't she back?"

"how the hell am i supposed to know why she's still there?" luke snaps. "she turned off her phone, what else am i supposed to do?"

"tell your mom to take tilly for a walk and see if she's there, how's that for a bright idea?" michael mentions.

"you're a fucking genius!" nora jumped.

"but tilly went out already, she won't be out for another few hours." luke frowned.

"how did you—"

"you memorise things fast if needed be, believe me." luke reassures me.

"what if i went and drove around to go find her?" i offered.

"she won't show up if someone doesn't find her." nora shook her head. "give me your number so we can add you to one of the group chats."

"there's more than one?" i question.

"the one with noelle, without noelle, the one of just the boys." ashton lists. "i could go on."

"here." i say to nora, handing her a slip of paper.

"perfect." she smiles. "happy hunting."

and as soon as i got into my car, my phones buzzed about five times.

another one ☕️

nora: welcome professor 🤪

luke: yes welcome, but good luck surviving

ashton: don't scare him away too early!!

michael: you guys are fucked

ashton: heY DONT SWEAR 😤

calum: where am i driving exactly?

luke: where we lived before uni, ya know, around the place you stopped by when that "thing" happened...

nora: yOU WERE AT THE HOUSE!?

ashton: solid dude.

michael: ashton shut up, let the boy speak

calum: boy? i'm older than all of you?

nora: in this group chat, you're a freshman and we're the teachers 🤪

luke: and i oop—

michael: am i the only one that's actually concerned about noelle or—

nora: alright everyone focus!!

luke: calum, drive around the neighbourhood, but don't go inside the house

calum: got it.

luke: but there's one place you might have to go where you're going to have to be very careful..

calum: and that is?

luke: her dad and brother's grave..

nora: oh shit

oh shit indeed...