Chapter 19

Chapter Sixteen
Sketchy Note
Wednesday at lunch, Luke caught up to me.
"Hey, princess!" I turned away from my locker where I was putting my things away to see Luke smiling brightly. He hugged me. "Where have you been? I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever."
I grinned, "I see you everyday, Luke."
"Hey so," he watched me put my things away and close my locker. I looked at him with my eyebrows raised. "What do you say we go to that ice cream parlour from the other day? Just the two of us."
"Not the rest of the group?" I was surprised. He usually was good at getting everyone to join in on plans.
Luke shrugged as the two of us started walking down the hall, "Well we haven't been talking much so I thought we could catch up, you know? We can tell the others to come if you want, though."
I shook my head and smiled at him, "No, I'm fine with us two."
Another lunch with Noah was avoided. Honestly, Luke and I had a really good time.
He bought me ice cream and we talked crap about math and he told me about how Madison wouldn't leave him alone last year and started calling him "Lukey" and acting like they were best friends. Luke and I had a really good time and then continued talking all of math class. I could tell Noah wanted to turn around a few times but he didn't which was... well, it was good for me because I felt bad for what I was doing to him without any explanation.
I mean, what was I supposed to say to him? 'Hey, I'm avoiding you but not completely so we can distance which will make no sense to you but trust me, it's a good thing in the long run so I don't hurt you somewhere down the road.'
Yeah, that wasn't going to work.
Then on Thursday, things remained the way they had been all week.
At lunch, all of the boys had soccer practice so they weren't around. I spent lunch with Joy and Jade.
I knew they wanted to ask me about Noah but they didn't because I made it obvious I did not want to discuss him so they didn't bring him up which I was thankful for.
Noah wasn't in math class.
I wanted to ask Luke but didn't because I figured if I asked Luke, Noah would somehow find out that I asked and then he would know I care and this avoiding thing would be difficult.
Yes, I am dragging this out and being pathetic but we've been over that.
I knew what I was doing and I am sure that this is what needs to be done for... more for his benefit than my own. I didn't want to hurt him. This would help prevent that.
The end of the day is when things... well, things got messy and not with Noah and I.
I opened my locker at the end of the day before leaving to retrieve my things when a note fell out. I opened the folded piece of paper,
Sunshine,
Please meet in the math room after class.
- N
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the sketchy note and re-read it multiple times.
It was way too sketchy and although Noah did call me sunshine and the writing looked like his, I wasn't going to be one of those girls who was gullible to fall for a note that fell out of my locker.
I took my phone out of my back pocket to text Noah because this was really odd. I knew that meant having to talk to him but it was better to check in with him in case he really did need me to meet him in the math room. If he did and I ignored the note, it would be a very bitchy move. If he didn't leave the note then I was saving myself from... whatever this asshole who was messing with me was trying to do.
I opened my phone to text him when I saw that I already had a notification from him on my phone. I must've not seen it because I was in class and not on my phone.
Ace: Hey, I didn't know if you would get the note or not but meet me in the math room after class
I narrowed my eyes at my phone and thought about what he wanted. I debated if I should go meet him or not. I didn't want to talk to him but my read receipts were on so he would think I'm a bitch if I don't show now.
I sigh as I make my way through the school, to our math room.
I stop in front of the door, debating again before giving in.
I open the door and...
Let me tell you, if you debate that many times it's probably a sign. I don't know how the hell I managed to get myself in this situation.
I opened the door to the math room and instantly got drenched in a liquid that smelt like chemicals and... wet dogs. I was pretty sure it was dirty mop water.
I didn't even get a chance to react because when I tried to step away, my eyes closed from the dirty water, I slipped and fell on my ass.
I didn't slip because of the water, I slipped because there was something else on the ground right in front of the door when you open it.
When I finally opened my eyes as laughter from the hallway filled my ears, I saw dirty water all around me as my clothing got completely 100% soaked.
I looked to the ground to see what I had slipped on and was currently also sitting on and it was red paint. Red fucking paint.
And, it gets worse.
Today was the day I was wearing my white jeans.
My white fucking jeans and red paint.
Very slowly, I stood up and turned around. Of course the red stain was an imitation of period blood but was clearly not because you could tell it was paint or some other thicker substance.
When I turned around to face everyone in the hallway, my eyes instantly locked with none other than Madison who leaned against the locker with her arms crossed over her chest, a wide smirk on her face.
My jaw and fists were clenched so hard I didn't think my blood was reaching my hands. It was the end of the day and everyone was leaving classes so everyone was gathered in the hallway, looking at the scene in front of them.
"Princess?" I glanced over to see Luke, Charlie, Ezra, Noah, and Leo frozen in spot. They were walking down the hall when they came to the scene, saw it was me and froze, unable to process what they missed.
Behind them came Joy and Kai who were holding hands along with Jade. Could things get any worse?
"What the fuck?" Ezra exhaled, never more lost.
My eyes snapped back to Madison as she stunted over and came closer to me, "Oh hey, Tiffany. Little accident or something?"
"Oh," I chuckled a breathy laugh and grinned a grin that wasn't really a grin but was more of a devilish look. "You are so fucking dead." The words left my mouth in a low and quiet voice as I glared so hard at Madison. I was ready to rage.
Madison tilted her head and looked at me innocently, "What do you mean? I have no idea what happened here but I have an extra.. pair of pants, if you'd like them. I can give you a tampon if you'd like, too."
Everyone standing around us were snickering and laughing. Oh man, I wanted to twist her insides out.
My chest was heaving up and down as I angrily looked at her with the most anger I have felt in a long, long, long time. I wasn't even embarrassed... I mean, yes I was embarrassed because half the school just witnessed what just happened but I was so mad i couldn't think about being humiliated.
Before I became aware of my own actions, I had shoved Madison so hard that she had fallen on the ground. "You fucking psycho bitch!" I snapped, about to pounce on her and yank her hair right out of her stupid fucking balloon head but instead of feeling her face connect with my fist, I was being yanked back.
I tried to pull myself away from the strong grip but it was no use. I looked over my shoulder to see Ezra holding me back but didn't have a chance to yell at him because my attention was brought back to what was happening in front of me.
Noah's back was in front of me. He held out a hand and helped Madison up, a bright smile on her face.
"Oh, thank you Noah baby. Did you see that cra-"
Noah ripped his hand away from Madison. "Madison, I swear to God if you even try to glance at Tiffany from all the way down the hall, I will make sure your life is the worse hell you can ever imagine."
I had never, ever heard Noah sound this angry and cold and... scary. His voice was calm and he wasn't yelling, it was firm but so cold and intimidating that even I was scared to the point where I felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
"Fuck off. I am dead serious when I say fuck off and leave Tiffany the hell alone because next time nobody is going to stop her from bashing your skull inwards and after that, there is eight more of us whose torment you'll have to deal with. Now, fuck off." Noah's voice was firm and didn't leave any room for objection or tears or... just anything.
Madison didn't wait a second before he stormed off.
Noah turned to the audience gathered in the hall, "what the fuck are you all looking at?! Get wherever the fuck you need to be that isn't here!" Everyone in the hallway scattered away in a hurry leaving nobody in the hallway but the group.
Where the fuck were the teachers?
I felt like steam was coming out of my noes and ears. That's how angry I was right now.
All my friends were gathered around me, Ezra with his hands on my shoulders. They were talking, all at the same time. I could see their mouths moving as they talked over each other but I was so... just lost somewhere in my mind that I couldn't even hear what they were saying.
I just stood there. Drenched and sticky and gross and overall humiliated.
My hair, soaked, dripped water on to the ground that had a puddle of dirty water and red paint formed on the ground.
"I'll take her." Someone said. I stared at the ground.
"Are you sure?"
"I can take her."
"No, it's fine. I have extra clothes in my gym locker. I'll take her and the driver her home."
"Tiffany... are you okay?"
"Do you want me to stay?"
"Tiffany?"
Someone shook my shoulder abruptly causing me to zone back in, "What? Yeah, I'm okay." The words were dull and held no emotion so weren't believable at all.
All my friends looked at me sheepishly, giving me guilty and sorry looks.
"Let's go," I didn't realize who had taken my hand in theres until we were already halfway down the hall. I looked at my hand that was held by another hand. My eyes travelled from the hands, up the arm until they landed on Noah's face. He was looking straight ahead as he guided me through the school.
I was about to stop walking and tell him I'll handle this on my own but I couldn't. I silently kept walking and followed him through the school, uncomfortable as my wet clothes stuck to my body and water dripped down the school hallway.