A Boy Called Noah

Chapter Eight

Noah James

"Noah." Poke. "Noah, wake up." Poke. Noah quietly groans but makes no other indication of waking up. Poke. "Noah. Noah, you're going to get in trouble if you don't wake up now." Nothing. The teacher glances up from her desk. Her eyes narrow in on the young girl poking at the well-known quarterback. She leans a bit further and notices the boy's head resting on his arms and his chest gently rising and falling in a slow rhythm. She tenses, no one is permitted to sleep in her classroom. It is one of her most strict rules. Readying herself for the oncoming confrontation she quietly eases out of her seat and straightens out the wrinkles in her long skirt.

The girl throws a nervous look at the approaching teacher and pokes Noah again. This time he stirs and slightly glares at the girl, "What!" She throws another glance over her shoulder and frantically whispers for him to fake a headache. Confused for a moment Noah glances over the girl's shoulder but doesn't rise up. Noticing Mrs Hughes' approaching form he subtly nods to the girl and turns his head back to hide his face in his arms.

"Mr James, I have one strict rule in this class, yet you are disregarding it completely. You know that you may not sleep in my classroom, even if you do not have my work or someone else's to do." Noah groans in fake agony and turns his head slightly to peak at Mrs Hughes, "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I wasn't asleep, I have a very big headache and since I didn't have work to do assumed that I could rest my head for a bit." Mrs Hughes falters a bit after this and her stern look drops immediately, "Are you feeling better now?" Noah shakes his head but doesn't say anything else. Mrs Hughes sighs in concern for her attractive student, "Do you want to go to the nurse's office?" Noah nods his head and slowly rises in an attempt to look weak. He's successful. He glances to his unknown savior and makes an attempt at stumbling a bit. Mrs Hughes gasps and the girl quickly reacts by gently steadying him. "Miss Greene, you will escort him to the nurse's office and remain with him until he is better." The girl nods her head in acknowledgment and 'helps' Noah out of the classroom and down the hall.

Round another corner she lets him go and starts walking in the opposite direction of both the nurse's office and their class. "Where are you going?" Noah launches after her and walks beside her as they walk up a long set of stairs that he didn't even know existed. "Seriously though, where are we going?" She rolls her eyes and points up, "The roof, dumbass." "Don't call me dumbass. You don't know me, heck I don't know you either. I've never even seen you before." "Done rambling yet?" Noah frowns but doesn't comment further and silently follows the mystery girl to the roof.

Upon exiting the door Noah wishes that he had rather brought a jacket instead of his varsity jacket. The wind nips at his skin through the thin material and a shiver runs down his spine. "So...Violet, why'd you bring me up here?" Mystery girl chuckles and opens a new pack of cigarettes he had failed to notice before, "I didn't bring you here. You followed me." She lights the cigarette and deeply inhales. She sighs in contentment as she blows the remaining smoke out through her nose. Noah looks at the strange girl curiously. "What?!" Ignoring her hostility he looks her up and down. Deciding to go straight to the point her asks the question burned into his conscious, "Why did you help me?" She snorts and flips her purple hair over her shoulder, "Please. I don't help anyone but myself." Noah raises an eyebrow and retorts, "Well it sure did seem like you were helping me stay out of trouble." "I wasn't helping you. I was just ruining Hughes' fun. I hate that woman!" Noah smirks and drawls, "Riiigght. Whatever you say, doll face." "Enough with the stupid nicknames!" "Aww but I just started having fun, doll face." Mystery girl takes a threatening step towards Noah, "Call me that one more time and I'll break your nose." Noah laughs and lifts his hands in surrender, "Relax, I'm just messing around. Besides I don't know your name so what else am I going to call you?" The girl relaxes a fraction and unclenches her fists, "Lekia." "Sorry what?" The girl scowls at Elliot, "My name's Lekia." "Huh. Cool name for a cool girl I guess. I'm No-" "I know who you are. Everyone does. Star quarterback of the school. Heck even people who don't go to school anymore know who you are. My guess, the whole fucking town knows Golden Boy Noah James." Noah deeply sighs through his knows, "If only you knew." "What's that supposed to mean?" Lekia watches him curiously, waiting for him to answer the question he clearly hoped she didn't hear. "Nothing. Fuck it's cold out here, why would you want to come here when we could go anywhere else?" "We?" "Yes, we. You don't seriously think you can get rid of me that easily." Lekia rolls her eyes and puts out her current cigarette, "I sure was hoping so." Noah lightly scoffs, "What's that supposed to mean?" Lekia rolls her eyes again and gets up from where she was sitting on the wall, "It means, pretty boy, that not everybody likes you and wants to be around you." Noah's jaw drops as she passes by him and walks back into the stairway. He quickly snaps out of whatever it was that he was in and runs after her.

"Look, I know you think that I'm just some, and I quote 'Pretty Boy', but I'm actually an okay guy. You don't actually know me so you can't really judge me." "I don't have to know you. I already know your type. And just to clarify, I don't like you. Don't take it personal, I don't like anyone." With that Lekia walks further down the hall as the bell rings and the hall fill with students that quickly swallow her up. Noah sighs under his breath and mutters to himself, "I'll make you like me. That I can promise you, Lekia Greene..."