If Tomorrow Doesn't Come

Chapter Four: More Lies Before The Truth

Haley's P.O.V

When Noah came to apologize I really could have sworn he had hurt himself badly on the ladder but when I looked at his arm nothing was there. I let it go since he said he was fine and i made him set up the banners around the gym and I began hanging up the rest of the signs I had already had. As i was climbing down the ladder I noticed something red on a bent out of shape part on the metal and when I got down and looked at it, it was blood. I looked at it weirdly and then over at Noah who was helping Brittany fill the cannons with confetti and I frowned. Before I could figure out what to do or say Brittany called me out of my suspensions and I smiled faintly and went over to her.

"What's up?" I asked her pulling my straight hair into a high bun so that I  wouldn't sweat it out.

"Okay everything is done so you two head out for that uh coffee date" she said winking and elbowing me in the side and I laughed looking at Noah.

"It's not a date Britt we're just going down to the diner as friends to get coffee" I told her and Noah smiled. His short black hair was a little messy and his brown eyes kind of drew me in whenever I looked at him and his voice was dreamy. He was almost to perfect if you'd ask me.

"Yeah it's not a date just a girl getting to know the new the guy better and helping him out" Noah added in and I giggled.

"You've lived here before haven't you? So I don't think I'll need to help you out that much" I told him as I went to grab my jacket and he followed in toe.

"Yeah but a lot has changed since I last lived here " He replied and I pulled my black trench coat on and headed out the gym.

"Well that makes sense can I ask why you left here in the first place?" I asked him putting my hands in my pocket as soon as we hit the cold air.

"Um i don't know I just had to get away from here, Beckon Hills is the type of town that just holds you down with locks and chains and the only way out is to fight" He said and I looked at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked as we walked across the street to the diner.

"It's hard to explain but Beckon Hills had it's dark times and it just wasn't a place I wanted to be anymore" He said opening the door for me when we reached the diner.

"Oh that part i understand" I said smiling and taking off my coat and sitting in the nearest booth.

"What age did you leave here?" I asked him placing my folded hands on the table.

"Um at 16?" he said and it sounded more like a question then an answer.

"You don't sound to confident in that answer" I replied with a giggle and he chuckled nervously.

"No I'm sure I was 16, do you uh, do you want anything besides coffee?" Noah asked quickly changing the subject and I looked at him curiously but still smiling.

"Um no thank you I'll just get coffee" I told him and her got up to go order for us both. When he came back and sat down I noticed that his that his arm where I thought he had gotten hurt had a little red scar and I tired to make sense of it.

"So I-" I started but i was interrupted by the waiter bringing our coffees to the table and she smiled at Noah and put out coffees down on the table.

"Don't i know you young man?" The waiter asked and Noah smiled and shook his head.

"Um nope" he said taking a sip of his coffee and the lady laughed a little and put her hand on her hip.

"Yes I do I'd never forget a handsome face like that, November 3rd 1842 you, your brother, and your sister came in here and your brother was causing all sorts of trouble" she said looking at him weirdly.

"But I don't understand how your're hear now" She said and Noah chuckled nervously again.

"No um you must have me confused with someone else, like maybe my grandfather or something" He told her and she smiled.

"Yeah maybe that's it" The lady said smiling and walking away confused.

"Wow, well that was weird" I told him and he nodded.

"Yeah I uh, I gotta go but i'll see you in school tomorrow i hope you get the rest of that project done in time" he said drink his whole coffee in one gulp and then putting money down on the table.

"Wait where are you going?" I asked him and he quickly left. i couldn't understand why he was so secretive but I didn't like it and if he was going to continue to be secretive then I was gonna find out what exactly he was hiding. When I finished my coffee I had began to put my coat on when the waiter came back to the table to give me the check and before she walk away I stopped her.

"Hey um i'm sorry to bother you i know you have other customers but can i ask you something?" I asked the lady and she smiled and nodded.

"Sure anything sweet pea" she and i blushed.

"The guy that i was just with... Are you sure that's who you saw before?" I asked her and she thought about it for a moment and put her index finger up.

"Hold on one sec" she said going behind the counter of the from island and pulling out what looked like a piece of paper off the thumbtack bored and came back over to me.

"Yup i'm sure see look" she said handing me the paper that was actually a photo. I stared at it for a while trying to figure out how I could possibly be looking at what I was looking at and they lady smiled.

"I knew he had looked so familiar, Noah Windsor isn't it? and his brother Milo and his sister Kendall Windsor? they use to live up in the old Windsor manner" She said and i looked at the picture and it read all three names and the year 1842. I sucked in a lot of breath as I turned the picture over and looked at the three people posing, arms across one anthers shoulders and Noah was in the middle.

"Uh can I keep this?" I asked getting up and yanked on my coat and i didnt even wait for her to respond I just ran out of the diner and back into the school parking lot. When i got to my car I started it up and got out of there as fast as possible. As I drove down the road I pressed the button on my car navigator to call my dad and luckily for me he answered.

Hey sweetie what's up? and make it fast daddy's working

Hey dad i just needed to know if I could use your work lap top for homework mine is down and you know how it gets, turns on and off whenever it pleases

Yeah sure honey just don't lose any files like you did last time and I'm going to be a little late tonight so don't wait up alright?

Okay dad thanks! bye!

I hung up the phone before he could say bye back and as soon as I got home I ran inside and retrieved my dads laptop. My dad was a lawyer and by that I mean the towns biggest lawyer and he handled almost every case of every crime that ever happened in this town when he got the job. When the computer came to life I pulled up one of my dads only cases that i remembered him talking about. It had something to do with something that happened years before him but the case got passed down to him because no one could ever solve it and he was determined to. Turns out he couldn't solve it either. The police reports stated that there where two bodies drained of blood and the only witnesses where two brothers and up until now I could careless about the case because I was never into this kind of thing. But now I might just be on to something. i looked over the police reports again and they all said that it was some kind of plague going around where the people would die and there bodies would dry out.

Of course now in this age and looking over it myself that makes no sense and I wounder why a whole town would believe that either but when i saw the names of the witnesses my mouth went dry.

Noah Windsor and Milo Windsor I whispered to myself and my breath got caught in my throat.

I don't understand how this is even possible.