Promise?

Chapter 7

Just like the girl promised, she was back the next night. She'd kept her word and come nightfall and just as she'd done the night before she threw a pebble at Noah's window until she was roused from sleep. As soon as Noah heard the tell-tale sound of it clacking softly against the window she jumped out of bed, all grogginess and confusion cleared away by the excitement that filled her tiny body. Scurrying over to the window with a smile tugging at her lips and heart pounding in her chest her eyes easily found the familiar shape of the girl standing off to the side in the same spot as the night before. Her pale face glowed stark white against the inky blackness around her as she looked up at Noah and even though it was far too dark for her to see her glowing blue eyes Noah knew they were staring straight at her.

She gave a quick wave of her hand before pushing away from the window and as silently as she could slipped out of her room and raced down the hall past her parent's room, down the stairs, into the kitchen, through the living room, out the front door and down the inky black alley where she launched herself straight into the girl's arms. When Noah hugged her this time even though the girl stiffened at first she instantly relaxed as soon as Noah's arms clasped around her. Her thin arms circled around her tentatively, as if still unsure as to how to do it correctly and though it felt a bit awkward and stiff Noah only felt the burst of butterflies that fluttered nervously around inside her belly.

"Come on." She smiled pulling back and reaching for the girl's hand. "Let's go inside, it's much warmer there."

She only hoped the girl couldn't see the bright flames licking at her cheeks as she pulled her behind her as they made their way to her house.

~

Once safe and warm in the confines of her room Noah watched with a tender smile that softened her features as the girl ate and drank her fill wondering all the while what it was she was thinking about and whether any of it had to do with the fading bruises around her neck. She hadn't seen those last night and wondered herself how she could've missed them, they were so big they wrapped completely around the girl's pale slender neck. Were they from that first night when they met? Had they been made sometime in the past three weeks the girl had been gone or... had they been done sometime in the past few hours that they'd been apart?

Noah couldn't be sure...

She just didn't like seeing them.

Clearing her throat Noah averted her eyes so she no longer had to look at them and instead turned her attention to the long mass of caramel colored waves trailing all the way down the girl's back. Such a nice color... could be really pretty too if she just brushed it...

"Can I brush your hair?"

The words were out of her mouth before she even had the chance to fully realize that she'd said them out loud. She blushed as the girl turned to face her, the hand holding a granola bar stopped mid-way to her lips. Her gaze was impassive, bored almost, as she looked at Noah. Those big glittering blue eyes filled her with apprehension as they stared unblinking- no way to tell what she was even thinking! She had to fight the urge to squirm under such a thick heavy gaze.

"Um... I mean... if you want... I can brush your hair... if you want..." Noah averted her gaze as she mumbled shyly.

She could hear her heart beat in her ears. Her cheeks grew hotter. It seemed that all she'd been able to do lately was embarrass herself whenever the girl was around.

"Never mind... just... forget it 'kay?"

But the girl would not forget it. Although she didn't understand the reason behind it she saw how uncomfortable Noah had become; her eyes downcast, her legs fidgeting as they dangled over the bed and her face a red so bright it was like a little tomato... like the ones she'd seen once on a supermarket ad that He'd forgotten to throw away.