Noah Merrill (13 F) has an ok life, with a good friend group and a non-abusive mother who pays the bills. She loves her mom, but tries to avoid her when she can. Ace, her older brother (18 M), constantly threatens their mother for things, varying fr...
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Noah's POV
I scarfed down the food they brought me. Coke wasn't the ideal beverage, but it was definitely refreshing.
"Thanks, Chris. I'll pay you back every penny, promise," I said with my mouth full of burger.
"No problem. And no, it's fine. All that matters is that you're ok and not dead."
"Yeah, but if y'all had shown up even a second later, I'd be in the hospital right now. So, thanks for saving me."
It was awkward for a second in the silence.
"What time is it?" I asked before taking another bite of my burger.
Teddy looked at his empty wrist then back up at me with the stupidest look on his face. I couldn't help but laugh. Once I did, Teddy smiled at me.
Chris pulled his watch from his back pocket and stared at it for a couple seconds.
"Ten past three," he responded. I looked up and said, "Jesus, either I slept in late or was on my trip far longer than I thought." Teddy almost lit up upon hearing my reference to his joke.
Five minutes went by and I was done eating. Gordie arrived first, then Vern.
At this point, I was laying down, my head resting on Teddy's lap, as he stroked my hair. It relaxed me when people played with my hair. I also didn't care what the others thought about me and Teddy being so close. Chris told Gordie and Vern what happened to me.
I began to worry that Tara didn't know we came to the tree house every afternoon after school or that she didn't know the way from school or at all.
"Did anyone see Tara after school? I don't know if she remembers the way to the tree house..."
Gordie finished stuffing a chocolate bar in his mouth before saying, "I talked to her in Lit. She said she had to do her homework at home first, then she can come. She also said she knows the way."
I furrowed my eyebrows, but not in confusion, in impressment.
"Ok," I said softly.
We all sat in silence for a while. No one said anything about what had happened to me, but everyone was thinking about it.
"Wanna play Thirty-One?" Chris said. I looked around at the boys and they all slowly nodded. Teddy looked down at me and I said, "go ahead. I'll be fine," with a smile.
Teddy moved from under my head and sat at his spot. I watched from my corner as the boys got mad at each other, insulted each other, and laughed at each other.
After about five or six rounds of Thirty-One, I saw Tara walking to the tree house thtough the window to my left.
I waved at her and she waved back with a smile spread across her face.
