Golden Boy (EDITING)

Chapter 6

Astrid's POV

Three days later with so much pain medication in me, I was back into school. People saw the state of my face and didn't ask any questions where I was.

At lunch time, I walked into the canteen and sat alone. Max was at football practice and Penelope was sat with the cheerleaders, all girls who were as boring as watching paint dry.

Noah dumped his bag on my table and sat down.

"What happened to you face?" he asked taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"It's my business as soon as Max looks exactly the same and I get a terrifying call from an eight year old terrified for his sister's life." Noah said, raising his eyebrow.

I sighed.

"Duke came home." I said, staring at pasta. Suddenly I couldn't eat it.

"Your Uncle?" He asked.

I nodded.

"And he did that to you?" Noah looked horrified.

"He got angry because we had no pasta, he hit Orlando, he hit me, Max got angry and threw a punch at Duke, which caused us both to get beaten up. I knew something was going to happen so I told Connor to go and hide under my bed with headphones and he must have heard the shouting."

I didn't tell him why I got hit, I didn't want him to feel bad.

I pushed my pasta away from me.

"Where's your lunch?" I asked.

"Food costs money, something I don't have." Noah said.

"Here." I pushed my pasta towards him.

"Thanks." I smiled in amusement, he didn't even argue.

"Well, Maisie cried all night and I ended up just screaming the same volume as her, and she actually stopped crying and laughed. I nearly had a heart attack." Noah laughed.

I smiled.

"Seriously though, you need to get out of that place." Noah said.

"I know, that's why I work every single shift I can. I've nearly got enough. I'm so close. Then after graduation, I'm moving the hell away, with Connor and Max if he helps contribute."

"Max won't be happy." Noah said.

"I don't care."

"We got paired together to do a project, come after school to my house." Noah asked.

"Okay." I replied.

So after school I got in Noah's car and we drove to his house.

Cassidy was away at university and his Mum was on holiday with a boyfriend. Maisie was fast asleep. So we were alone.

"Want a drink?" Noah asked.

"Lemonade, please." He threw me a can and we sat on his living room floor.

"So what's the project about?" I asked.

"He said it was to do with your future he said. How to handle money in a family etc." He said.

"Oh, okay." I frowned.

"So basically he handed out cards which said our job and how much money we made a year. I got teacher and he said because you weren't there your unemployed. He then gave us another card saying how big our family was and how expensive they are."

He carried on explaining but I wasn't talking anything in. I was admiring his face. His eyes were an amazing yellow brown colour and I loved it. His hair was curly and blonde and he was lightly tanned. He was gorgeous. Maisie is going to be as well.

"Are you even listening?" Noah laughed.

"Nope." I replied. I took a sip of my lemonade and walked back into the kitchen.

"Got any food?" I asked.

"I think there's some spaghetti in there somewhere." Noah replied.

I grabbed the spaghetti and shoved it in a pan. I had cooked so many meals for Connor, I knew what I was doing.

"Please don't burn my house down, Astrid." He said, smiling in the doorway.

"As if," I replied.

The oven turned on and the pasta began to cook.

Maisie began to cry in her bedroom.

"I'll be right back." Noah said and ran to fetch Maisie.

Noah's phone was on the counter.

Niomi

Was calling.
I frowned.

I was friends with Niomi. She was my best friend as well for a while. When my parents died, she helped me through a lot. She was crazy about Noah when they first started dating and she was horrified when she found out she was pregnant. She moved to a boarding school which I found out from Orlando. She said she didn't have a phone so she never called, so how come she was calling Noah?

I answered in fury and put it on speaker.

"Noah?"

That voice.

I haven't heard it in so long. It made me tear up. The voice of my best friend who left me in the dust because she refused to keep a baby.

"Niomi, I thought you couldn't call?" I replied, wiping a tear.

The line was silent.

"Astrid?" She said, quietly.

"Yeah, it's me." I replied.

"How are you doing?" She asked.

"Umm great considering I just found out my best friend has been lying to me this whole time." I replied.

"I made it easier. And anyway what are you doing hanging out with Noah? He's mine!" She snapped.

"He is not yours! He's not a belonging. You hurt him so badly by leaving him with Maisie. How could you ever do that?" I said in disgust.

"I was not raising some bratty child and giving up my life. I love him. And I you were a good friend you would stay away."

"Well it looks like I'm an awful friend. I've fallen in love with Maisie. We have a connection." I said.

"No you don't. Don't kid yourself. You just want Noah."

"I want both of them." I said without thinking.

"Anyway, that's what I was calling about. Look is Noah there?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm here." Noah sprung up behind me holding Maisie who looked happy to see me, I took her off of Noah and Noah took the phone.

"What do you want, Niomi, you've caused enough damage as it is." Noah said angrily.

Maisie was snuggled into me. She looked up at me with Noah's yellow brown eyes and grinned. I hugged her tight and smiled.

"I'm getting my daughter back, I want her back."