Chapter 18: Chapter 18

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All of everything I understand, I only do because I love you.

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//Chapter Nineteen\\

Noel's POV.

Hi love, hope you had a goodnight sleep. I woke up early and didn't want to wake you up since you look so cute while sleeping. See you in school and don't be late.

PS: I ate the pie in the fridge. Hehe.

I smiled reading the note that was left on my bedside. I woke up alone on the bed a bit disappointed but this makes up for it. Wait what? "He ate the last pie?!!!"

"Good morning Mum," I say entering the kitchen where coffee was brewing.

"Noel, I got a job!" My mum screamed threatening the safety of my ear drums.

"Really?" I asked putting my finger into my ear and shaking off the little scream effect.

She nodded really hard I was scared her head would roll off. "Yesterday I got a job, I came home to celebrate with you last night but you weren't at home."

I gasped surprised, "I'm sorry mum I went out. We can celebrate this night. We should celebrate! I can't believe you got the job at last!"

"I can't believe it either. I fucking got the job!" She yelled excitedly, then her hand flew to her mouth, "oops, language."

We laughed together, then I hugged her, "Congratulations Gracey Atkins."

"Thanks baby, when I get my first pay we'll go on a shopping spree, change the furnitures, curtains. I need a new bed spread. You do too right? I can finally paint over my car, it has an ugly little scratch and Yes, we'll change the faded colour of the door and maybe just maybe we'll get you a new car! Oh I can already see it and I need a TV in my room too and that massage chair we were talking about in Cali, that one Mary Clark had in her study room. Oh! The study room..."

My eyes widen as I watched my mum ramble about this and that She was going to do with a pay that was a month away. How much does she think its going to be? "Mum!" I called her snapping her out of her rambling moment. She turned to look at me. "You can't do that. You can't go back to splurging."

Her face fell immediately. I reached out and held her face, "Mum we're taking it easy now, step by step. I mean we haven't even seen your pay yet."

She nodded, "thanks baby, I'm just...ok whatever step by step even though that's just lame. But we are going on that shopping spree."

I laughed, "ok mum." I went to the fridge to get my milk carton out.

"Baby who ate the last pie in the fridge?" Mum asked stirring her usual morning tea. That tea costs bucks, but although mum's letting go of our old rich life and habit, she just can't get over that tea. I think it helps with weight, diet stuff, blah blah blah.

"Um...Aaron." I said licking the top of my lip to get rid of milk mustache.

"Aaron was here?" She asked turning to me surprised.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you're surprised, didn't you see him this morning." I asked searching around for my calculator, its not in my bag. Shock.

"Oo he slept here," Mum said wiggling her brows at me.

"Don't. Don't start mum." Aaron must have left very early if my mother didn't see him. I wouldn't have brought him staying here up If I knew She didn't know about it. My mum isn't like other other mum, she's gets excited about me meeting a boy, she starts naming her grandchildren immediately. She wasn't like this before, before she was only excited about me meeting rich boys and by rich I mean really rich.

"What?" She asks with mock innocence, "I like Aaron, really well. He's a good boy, funny, good manners, he can cook," she points out, "and you should know he is really rich."

"What?" I asked finally finding my calculator in the up cabinet. "Oh my gosh mum, is that why you liked him all along?"

"No, no really, No. He didn't exactly introduce himself to me as a billionaire's son now did he? I found that out later on, after I've already liked him. Now I just...love him." She said.

"Mum you're unbelievable," I said putting on my converse.

"Noel he's an Altamira, treat him right." She said then turned back to me catching herself. "No I don't mean 'treat him right' like sex right, you can't do that Noel."

"Mum!"

"I mean treat him right, don't be rude, respect his family too, behave well. Its good to have rich friends like that in the society nowadays."

I rolled my eyes, "yes mum." I kissed her cheek. "Bye mum."

"Party tonight? Don't stand me up!" My mum yelled as I shut the door behind me.

God, my mum's crazy. As soon as I shut the door behind me, I forgot all her crazy talk about Aaron and him being an Altamira. Old habits die hard eh?. Before every party, social gathering, event, club meeting, everything was an opportunity for my mum to introduce me to the rich peoples son. She'd make me dress up and fuss over good mannerism. It was torture, dad kept her at bay. After he died and we lost our money and all, grief stopped everything but now that our lives were starting to some kind of hold. Habits are coming right back.

.

.

I left a note.

The little crumbled up paper hit me and I smiled picking up the paper. I cut out a little piece of paper and scribbled down before throwing it to him.

I know.

Less than a five second another paper hit me.

Did I make you smile?.

Ofcourse duh.

Nope, you would have if you didn't eat the last pie. I wanted that.

Did I mention you left drool on me?.

My jaw almost touched the desk, how could he. I don't drool. I didn't drool. Did I?

No I did not. Shut up.

As I threw the paper at him, I turned to glare at him. He smirked winking at me.

I didn't say anything. Yet.

I squeezed the paper in my clenched fist. He wouldn't dare. I was about to reply him when the bell rang signifying the end of Ms Jenkins's class.

"Hi Love," Aaron whispered leaning down to my ear. I gasped softly moving away from him, he affected me. He affected me in ways I can't explain.

"I didn't drool." I stated ignoring his oh so loving greeting.

"How do you know? I have evidence all over my shirt." He said clearly enjoying this.

"You're supposed to be nice, what happened to our mall proposal."

"Come on, I'm being nice." I'm about to reply him but Ms Jenkins interrupted me.

"Noel may I see you?" She asked looking between me and Aaron.

I nodded. Aaron mouthed "outside." Before he walked out. I glared at him. "Dumb face."

"Good morning Noel," Ms Jenkins says tipping her glass down to the tip of her nose. She looked funny.

"Morning ma," I couldn't help but wonder why she called me. I think I'm in trouble but for what?. The only crime I've committed, I haven't committed it alone, Aaron should be here.

She brought out a script and placed it in front of me, I saw a big 'D' written on it with blue maker. I peered closer, my name was written on it. "Oh my Gosh a D!" I said surprised. I passed, I think. It's not an 'F' so there's cause to celebrate.

"Yes, you're failing." She said her glassy brown eyes looking at me pointedly.

Oh, I guess its not a good thing then. But still, let's not forget it's not an F.

"Why Noel? Is there any reason why you're failing? Family problems? Peer pressure? Environment? What's wrong?" Ms Jenkins asks concerned.

I looked at her, "Nothing, Nothings wrong."

"You have to tell me Noel, so I can be of help to you. Its my job."

"Well, nothings wrong. I'm absolutely fine." I said. What was I to tell her?. Ms my father died two years ago and I'm not still over it. I don't care about studying because I think its a waste of my time and energy?.

"Normally I'll think its new friends, the company you hang out with. But... But Aaron is a good student, my best actually. Is he distracting you? I see some of the note sharing you guys engage in. Noel boys can be very deceiving but this isn't the time to listen or be deceived by boys and boy problem. Its time to focus on your studies, be hardworking, make your parents proud so their sufferings won't be in vain and also secure a good future for yourself. Your tomorrow Noel." She says placing her hand over mine.

I withdrew my hand, "I'm fine ma'am. Aaron has nothing to do with my failing grades."

She sighed, "If you say so. Just get your act together, if you need a tutor I have many to offer, including your friend Aaron, he could be of help to you. If you fail again, a tutor would be forcefully assigned to you. You're dismissed."

"Thanks," I grabbed my paper and hurried out. The words 'make your parents proud so their sufferings won't be in vain' kept repeating itself in my head. I'm a bad daughter, I'm a horrible person, I'm letting my dad down by failing, he wouldn't want this. He wouldn't be proud of me. But....then he should have stayed, he should have stayed to watch him make him proud. He should've stayed to guide me. He should've....

"Hey, are you ok?" Aaron asked as he began walking beside me, snapping me back to the present, to reality.

"I'm fine." I said avoiding to look at him as I wiped at my face, cleaning off any glimpse of tears.

"Why did she want to see you?" Aaron asked again being a busybody.

I shrugged, "just school stuff and all."

"Noel what's wrong?" He asked again placing a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

I was this close to losing my nerves on him. I closed my eyes letting out a breath to calm myself. I turned to look at him-- which happened to be a big mistake because the moment my eye met his, I just had to urge to break down into his embrace and say the whole thing on my mind but I didn't-- with a big smile on my face, I lied "I'm fine Aaron really".

He cocked his head to a side studying me. He scoffed squeezing his face, " you expect me to believe that? "

"Yes, yes I do because it's the truth stop over scrutinizing me." In one swift and really fast move, he snatched the script out of my hand. "Give me that Aaron stop it."

His eyes swept round the script real quick and he turned to me. "You're failing."

I snatched the paper out of his hand, "good one captain obvious." I stormed away from him really fast. I was mad, angry, I saw red everywhere but the confusing thing was I couldn't figure out why. There were many reasons running around my head, Aaron being number one.

"Noel wait up," he called walking after me.

"Leave me alone!"

"Noel why are you failing?" He asked catching up to me real quick. How did he do that? Is he flash or something?

"I don't know ok, just go and mind your own business." I wish he'd listen. I really wish he'd let me be.

"Is it because of me?"

I stopped in my tracks, I was already outside the school. I turned to him. "Now why would you think that?"

"I don't know. You running away from me is one thing. I'm I affecting you in anyway? The notes in class, I'm distracting you ain't I?" He said running a hand through his hair.

"No, this has nothing to do with you. I'm failing all my subjects. This," I raised up the script, "this is the best of them. You can't be the reason since I'm failing all right? You're not in all my class."

"Why? What's wrong?" He asked concerned moving closer to me.

"Nothing, I'm just not interested, period. Education does not excite me." I said.

He held my hand, "let me help you."

"You can't, the problem is me and my messed up life." I wasn't angry anymore, the anger was gone.

"Many people have more messed up life than you and they manage to cope, you can too." He said tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.

"And you'll help me?" I asked. He laced our fingers together and was leading us back to school.

He nodded, "I'll guide you, I'll stay I'll be your compass, I'll catch you when you fall. I'll be your guardian angel."

I smiled, "I like the sound of that."

He turned to look at me, "I do too."

"I'm sorry for calling you a busybody."

"No problem love."

I went back to school and survived the rest of the day. Jesse and Aaron sat with us during lunch and somehow the group was starting to get along with them. Except for Raymond who seemed to hate them both. Luke hardly spoke as usual and Peyton, Peyton kept shuttering and Jesse wasn't helping the matter at all.

The next day during Ms Jenkins class, I was trying to pay attention and it was a very difficult task. The usual paper hit me and this time it was a little different.

Can you believe Macbeth actually killed king Duncan?

I smiled, tearing off my own paper.

(Gasp) You don't say.

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