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this chapter is kind of edgey, oops. ill probably regret posting this later.
also, peep the edit i made.
warning: mature themes. really really sucky coping mechanisms that i dont want to spoil. generally just an angsty chapter.
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NOAHS POV
nothing ever felt 'right' anymore.
every waking moment he had spent reading, the almost taunting and mocking ticking of the manual clock looming behind each and every word scrawled onto the pages. night shifts at the gas station had hardly any action at all, the most exciting things most nights probably a mouse skittering across the floor.
that was probably why the place got no god damn service. not like noah had cared, anyway. hed take minimum wage and sleepless nights over sitting on his bed alone with his thoughts any day.
a dull chime had snapped him put of his senses, tearing his vision away from his old ap physics textbook, and squinting his eyes through the blurs to make out the shape of his coworker.
oh, yeah. 2 am. next shift.
noah didnt even bother to speak as he waved the other teenager off to the door, the worker seeming to catch on quick enough and slipping out of the building once more. this time without him having to attempt to make conversation, thankfully.
it was frequent that noah had taken over other people's shifts. well, not frequent. just about every chance hed get. more work means more money. working at late nights means no real work. no real work means more time to read. more time to read means less time away from his thoughts. it was a win win.
he reached over to grab his water bottle, mouth running dry for the millionth time this night, before he had ultimately given up and pulled his hand away. like a moth to a flame, his fingers led themselves to grasp around the bright and saturated container of a five hour energy.
the bottle called to him like he were a sailor out at sea, the caffeine induced drink a gorgeous siren wailing his name. as the plastic had connected with his skin, he could already feel the echo of his soon to be electrified heart pounding within his chest.
the gift from the heavens was held lightly into the air, the plastic peeling slowly undone beneath the intense glare of the ceiling lights.
he had prepared to down the substance however he imagined geoff to down a can of booze, before the door chime had suddenly pierced loud and intercepted his actions. pouring the caffeine down his throat as quick as he could, noah tossed the emptied bottle on the floor beside him.
if any of his coworkers had found out he had been smuggling their products, hed lose this job in a mere instant. and that would not be good.
"i said i could handle your fucking shift!" he snapped angrily, whipping his head up with a glare, though his expression had faltered when he had locked eyes with eva.
right. noah had asked her to drop by the gas station so they could have a chat.
she, shockingly, had seemed a bit worried towards his outburst. her hands had lifted themselves up carefully as she made her way to the counter that noah was sitting atop, plopping herself down a fair space away from him.
eva didnt make eyecontact, instead carefully observing noah's work station. her eyes had scrutinized each and every book which lay lazily on the ground. noah didnt even bother to stop her from picking up one and flipping through the pages.
