CHAPTER TWO
Noel dressed as fast as his hands would allow.
Buttons were done wrong, undone, done again. His school jacket hung halfway off his shoulder as he tugged it into place, his fingers moving quicker than his thoughts. Somewhere outside, a car horn blared—sharp, impatient, unmistakable.
Tiffany.!
He grabbed his phone, shoved it into his pocket, and bolted out of his room.
"Coming!" he shouted as he flew down the wide staircase, his footsteps echoing through the Madison house.
The scent of fresh coffee and baked bread filled the air downstairs. Morning light poured through the tall windows of the living room, turning the polished floors into mirrors.
He was almost at the door when—
"Noel."
Mrs. Riley Madison's voice stopped him cold.
He turned.
She stood near the kitchen counter, already dressed for the day, a neatly packed breakfast bag in her hand. Her eyes softened the moment they landed on him.
"You're going to forget this," she said gently.
"No time," Noel said, already stepping back toward the door.
She raised the bag slightly. "You'll regret it later."
He rushed back, grabbed the bag from her hands, and smiled briefly. "Thanks, Mum."
He turned again—
"Noel."
He paused, shoulders tense.
Mrs. Riley's POV..
She watched him carefully—too carefully. The way his movements were rushed. The way his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked.
Noel's POV
He blinked, then groaned quietly. "My bad, Mum."
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. It was quick, awkward, like he wasn't sure how long he was allowed to stay.
"I kinda forgot," he murmured.
Mrs. Riley's POV..
She hugged him back, tighter than usual.
"Yeah," she said softly, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I know. You've been forgetting a lot lately."
She pulled back just enough to look at him. Really look at him.
"You good?" she asked.
Noel's POV..
"Yeah," he started. "I—"
A loud honk cut through the moment.
Again.
And again.
Tiffany's POV..
"Sorry to cut the mother-and-son discussion," Tiffany's voice rang out from outside, "it's lovely and all—but I'm going to be late for work."
Noel gently freed himself from the hug.
"I'll see you later," he said quickly.
Mrs. Riley nodded, though her eyes followed him all the way to the door.
As Noel stepped outside, Tiffany leaned out of the driver's window and gave their mother a dramatic smile.
"Thank youuuuuu," she whispered exaggeratedly before pulling back into the car.
The city of Greyview rushed past them as Tiffany drove.
Tall buildings, clean streets, morning traffic flowing like clockwork. Evalon High stood in the distance—white stone, iron gates, perfection carved into architecture.
Inside the car, silence sat heavy.
Noel stared down at his phone, scrolling without seeing anything. His reflection flickered faintly on the screen—eyes distant, jaw tight.
Tiffany's POV..
She glanced at him once
Then again.
He didn't look up.
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
"So," she said finally, breaking the silence. "Is this what we're doing now?"
Noel flinched slightly, blinking as if pulled from underwater.
"What?" he asked. "You said something?"
She scoffed. "Unbelievable."
She shot him a look. "Yeah, I said something, you little son of a—" She cut herself off with a sharp breath. "Where's your car, Noel?"
He answered casually, eyes back on his phone. "I gave it out."
Her foot eased off the accelerator.
"You… what?"
"I gave my car out."
She laughed once, short and disbelieving. "You gave your car out?"
She turned her head fully toward him now. "Are you kidding me right now? You gave out your custom-designed Lamborghini?"
"To someone who needed it," Noel replied.
"To whom?" she demanded.
He shrugged. "Saw a guy crying. Said he didn't have a car to take his girl to prom. I think."
She stared at him. "You think?"
"Yeah, I think." He finally looked at her. "Can we just drop this? You're going to lecture me, and I don't like it."
She exhaled sharply through her nose and faced the road again, jaw clenched.
They drove in silence for a few seconds.
Then something caught her eye.
Her gaze snapped to Noel's left hand.
His wrist.
Swollen.
Bruised.
Her heart skipped.
"Oh my—"
She slowed the car immediately.
"You got robbed," she said. It wasn't a question.
Noel stiffened.
His mood shifted instantly—walls slamming back into place.
Tiffany didn't wait for an answer.
She hit the brakes and turned the wheel hard.
The car reversed direction.
"Where are you going?" Noel asked, voice tight.
Tiffany's POV
She didn't look at him.
"Home."
The word landed heavy.
Final.
And for the first time that morning—
Noel felt the past breathing down his neck again.
End of Chapter Two