The Coffee Shop -Nochelle

Chapter 55: Fear.

Richelle's pov

For the duration of the car ride home, there is a comfortable silence. We don't need to talk about anything that just happened any further, I am simply just enjoying his company. For the majority of the journey I start to think about all sorts of things, such as... What will I do when we get in? will I be bored for the rest of the day? What will Fran think when she sees that we are home quite early? what will I tell her? can I tell her the whole truth? what will she make for dinner? what dance style should I choose for my solo routine? will school always be such hell? and so on..... All of a sudden, Noah places his hand gently on top of my thigh, I notice that we are parked in the driveway as I am broken away from my thoughts. I give Noah a reassuring smile and stumble clumsily out of his car.

As we walk up the driveway to the front door, hand in hand, my stomach drops. Something just does not feel right. Not. At. All. I cant really explain it, its just a gut feeling that something terribly wrong is about to happen, but what could? Hasn't every bad thing already happened to me? I mean jeez, give me a break from all the chaos. Noah must've noticed the change in my expression as he stops in front of my tracks and places his hands on my shoulders, staring at my confused face. "Richelle what is it?" he asks with his melodic voice, but even the sweet sound of his voice doesn't ease the nerves this time, "I cant put my finger on it exactly but...." I mutter. He pauses and stares at me, wanting me to finish. "What?" he asks, almost laughing with confusion, I guess I do sound severely odd right now. "I just have an extremely bad feeling...." I say, finally looking up at him. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my head and cheeks. I let out a small chuckle at his goofiness, easing my mind a little. "I'm sure everything is okay, and if it isn't we will end up alright, we have so far" he laughs, picking me up and twirling me around, causing an outburst of giggles on my part.

As he opens the door, the feeling returns but this time its more nervousness that wariness. We take our jackets and shoes off and put our bags underneath the small table in the hallway. Noah gives me one last kiss on the cheek before heading in the living room. I love it so much when he does that. I wonder what I should say to Fran... I should probably tell her the truth, she doesn't deserve to be lied to after all that she has done for me and Noah, even if it is a tiny white one. Bracing myself for the pitiful looks, Noah and I enter the living room where Fran spends her time on her days off work.

Walking in, an unholy surprise is just sat on the sofa, waiting especially for me. My mouth gapes open as I see Fran sat next to.... my god damn mother. "Mum? who is this?" Noah asks confused but politely. "ummmm Noah, I'm so sorry, I didn't know when I let her in..." Fran said standing up abruptly and rambling on. " I AM HER MOTHER!" bellows the woman I fear most. How on gods Earth did she find me? Why is she even here!? Noah shoots me a surprised look, instantly in protective mode. "mother?" I say quietly, afraid that if I talk too loud she'll hurt me once again, my life shouldn't be like this, I shouldn't be in constant fear of my own mother. "SO THIS IS WHERE YOU'VE BEEN HIDING FOR MONTHS!" she yells in my face, I gulp loudly looking up at her with wide and petrified eyes. "wait.... WHY ARE YOU NOT IN SCHOOL!?" she shouts. I freeze up, my mind goes blank and I forget my own name, I just know that I have to get out of here. "I uhhh...uh" I start to say before I feel my eyes begin to well up (for like the 30th time today ugh). "WELL!?" she bellows again, expecting and demanding an answer.

Gone. Just like that. I am running out of the door and into the streets, with no clue on where my destination might be. I just know that I can not ever see her again, she will seriously make me go insane. It takes me a few minutes of running endlessly to realise that I don't even have shoes on and that my socks were now torn and muddy. I hear nothing but the dull hum in my mind that is fear.

I run past a forest and see a clearing, I have no clue as to where I am but I sit down on a large rock and watch the water glisten in the early afternoon sun, while aiming to control my breathing.