Leave Me [h.s] (On hold)

Chapter 19

Chapter nineteen- Only half

-Noelles POV-

When I woke up this morning my room was filled with brisk air since I had stupidly left my window open overnight. Well I guess it wasn't as stupid the night before when my room was hotter than hell. The final bits of snow had melted off of the ground about a week and a half ago and we were in that odd time between winter and spring where the weather was extremely bipolar. Yesterday it had been hot enough to open up the windows, but today it was back to being cold. I pulled on my black hoodie over a paint stained white t-shirt before making my way downstairs and out into the loft.

I flicked on the dim lights in the loft and turned on the tiny space heater in an attempt to bring the room to a bearable temperature. I sat down on my couch for a moment, staring at the unfinished flower that I had begun painting on one of the black walls last night. I nearly fell back asleep just sitting there on the couch, but I was startled back to reality when Zack shook my shoulder.

"What are you doing awake so early?" He inquired, sliding down onto the couch next to me.

"I could ask you that too." I smirked, turning my head to face him.

"I always wake up this early what are you talking about." He chuckled.

"Oh yeah I forgot, you're like the worst teenager ever, you don't like waking up at noon like the rest of us."

"No that's not it. I would love to sleep until noon. But I need to stay on a good sleep schedule for when I go to college in a few weeks." He said lazily.

"Weeks?" I said, startled by how soon he would be leaving.

"Yeah weeks. My 18th birthday is next week and I don't want to spend any more time here than I need to. That's why I'm going to attend the last semester of this year and then really get into it this fall. I've explained this all to you before." He said, mock aggravation strewn through his last sentence.

"Yeah I know. It's just come so fast." I sighed, stuffing my cold hands into the big pocket on my hoodie.

"Sounds like you're going to miss me." He smirked.

"Not a chance. I'm just jealous. You're getting out of here and starting a life, but I'm still stuck here for another year." I groaned.

"A year is not very long actually. Just think about that Jett kid. Wes and Marion have to put up with him for like 6 more years."

"You mean they have to put up with him? I think you forgot how much of a pain in the ass he is."

"Noelle he's no worse than you were." He smiled at me playfully.

"Were? You mean I'm not that much of a pain in the ass anymore?"

"No you've improved considerably. Now you're only mildly painful. You started being way more bearable after that friend of yours showed up for a little while." He said, folding his arms over his chest.

"You know his name." I told him. I had mostly stopped thinking about Harry, I mean, he'd been gone for about 4 months now. I had started feeling more normal about him being out of my life again, and for the most part that was a good thing, but I did miss him occasionally.

"Oh yeah. Harry." He said, snapping his fingers sarcastically as if he had actually forgotten.

"You're an ass." I laughed. Noticing that the room had finally warmed up slightly, I stood up from my place on the couch and went over to my desk, which was strewn with tubes of paint.

I scanned the colors and, after some decision, picked up a light blue color and squeezed some out onto my little plastic pallet. I picked up a bigger paintbrush and began adding the color to the white outline of a flower that I had begun last night.