"So tell me what happened," Shelby said across the dinner table. This is something we did every weekend.
"What happened with what?" I asked dumbfounded
"With the Run Joey Run fiasco I remember you told me about it months ago," she mentioned
"You don't want to know," I say as I run my hand through my hair thinking about that day itself
"I think I do now," she said with a grin
"Okay well it started out as Mr. Shue giving us an assignment to create lame, unpopular songs into hits. Then the glist came out…" I trail off as I remember where I stood
"What's a glist?" Shelby asked
"It's basically a list of girls from glee and how hot they are based on how sexually provocative they are during school," I respond and Shelby raises her eyes
"Where were you on this list?" she asks and I'm too embarrassed to answer
"I was last, I had a -5, so I got the idea to get a bad reputation," I said as I saw the smile my mom had on her face fade.
"Oh no, what did you do?" she asked
"Well I got the idea that people with a bad reputation were the popular people, so I called over Noah, I told him that we should work on the assignment that Mr. Shue gave us. He was hesitant and I convinced him that when we were a couple, we were a power couple, everyone stepped aside for us in the hallways and we ruled the school. I told him that the song I chose was basically like a movie and he could improve on his acting skills, but that didn't work," I said
"What did?" Shelby asked
"He asked if I wanted to make out," I said looking down at my empty plate
"Did you?" My mom's eyes were wide
"No we almost kissed but I stopped myself because I wanted to be loyal to Jesse…" I trailed off as I noticed my mom's confused looks. "Would it be better if I just showed you the film?"
"Much better," she chuckled so after we ate we went to my house since my dad's were out she was staying over. I put in the dvd and we sat there and watched.
"So what do you think?" I asked when it was over
"I thought it was great but I'm guessing the guys didn't take it so well," she said
"Not exactly, Noah wasn't too bad he just felt bad about not trusting his instincts, Finn was livid he told me that it was garbage because I wanted people to think three guys were fighting over me to be popular and be on the in crowd and Jesse, the worst of all," I said with teary eyes
"What happened with him?" Shelby asked
"He told me that it was mortifying and embarrassing to be cast along with two other guys as their girlfriends, minding that they are my real exes…" I said but was interrupted by movement by the window and I knew it was Noah.
"What was that?" Shelby asked a little nervous
"Don't worry, it's just Noah," I said trying to calm her down
"He doesn't use the front door?" She asked
"He probably doesn't want to interrupt me incase I'm cooking, taking a shower or asleep, but he doesn't usually come this early" I say as Noah expertly unlocks my window and climb in and that's when I see his face
"Oh my god, Noah what happened?" I asked and he looks like a deer caught in headlights
"Nothing, I…uh…what are you doing here so early?" he asks.
"My mom and I decided to call it quits early so we came home, and answer the question," I say firmly as he tries to look away
"I just wanted to use your first aid kit. I didn't want you to be worried so I came over in hopes that you'd still be out," he said
"What happened to your face?" I asked
"I got into a fight," he answered and looked down
"I thought you promised you wouldn't fight anymore!" I practically yelled
"It wasn't my fault!" he yelled and I flinched away. "I'm sorry babe, it's just Ms. Corcoran would you give us a minute alone please."
"Sure, I'll be outside the door," she said watching Noah carefully but closed the door behind him
"So start," I said crossing my arm and then see fear in his eyes. I walk inside my bathroom to get the first aid kit. "Sit down please." I patch him up and wipe away the blood and wait for him to start, in the mean time I look over the damage. He has a black eye, busted lip, and gash on his forehead and lord knows what else.
"It wasn't my fault I promise Rach," he cried into my neck
"Who did you fight with?" I asked and felt him tense
"My dad," he whispered barely audible for me to hear
"I thought you hadn't seen your dad since you were ten?" I asked confused
"I hadn't, apparently he moved back today and this was his present to me when I didn't want to get him a beer and instead wanted to play my guitar," he cried even more, "Rach he broke my guitar and threw it away, what am I gonna do?"
"Listen Noah, you're going to stay at my place for as long as you want, I want you to know that I love you and as for the guitar, I'm so sorry," I tried to explain but he cut me off with a sweet kiss
"You're the sweetest, most kind person ever and I'm glad I'm your boyfriend," he said with sadness still lingering his voice, "But I can't stay here, I have Emily to watch after and I have to make sure both her and my mom are safe, I don't know what he'd do to them."
"If that's what you want, but know that you always have a side of the bed whenever you want," I say and he chuckles
"Well I should get going I don't want to piss him off even more. I love you and I will see you on Monday at school," he says and kisses me on my cheek
"Why not tomorrow?" I ask
"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow hopefully something good, but I doubt it, I'll call you if my plans change, okay," and with that he was out the window faster than I could say I love you. I walked to open my door and find that my mom was right outside the door where she'd promised to be.
"Where's Noah?" she asked
"He…he um…he had to go home," I said as the tears welled up in my eyes
"What's wrong sweetie?" She asked
"I'm worried about Noah," I say
"Why and how did he get all the cuts and bruises on his face," she asked
"Because his dad is back and his dad was the one who did that to his face," I said and saw anger flash over her face
"He should go to the police and report his dad," she said
"No he won't ," I say
"How do you know?" she asks
"Because Noah is afraid of his dad and what he might do to his mom and his sister, Emily," I say. "I tried telling him to go to the police when we were younger, but he was just a scared boy who made me promise that I never told anyone about what went on in his house. I wasn't even suppose to know, I found out by accident," I trailed off remember the whole experience
"Tell me what happened," she said
"We were about 9 and Puck snuck me into his room so I could check out his new guitar. He'd been saving all of the money his parents gave him for lunch. We wrote a song that afternoon and I didn't realize the time. We heard the door slam and yelling and then we heard his parents arguing so he went over to his radio and blasted his rock music. He told me to hide in his closet and don't come out until he said so. His dad came in immediately and told him to turn off the music, but Noah refused and his dad punched him in the face. He took off his belt and just started to hit Noah all over even when Noah turned to face him. He was using the metal part of the belt, s…so when Noah turned because his back became so numb, the belt buckle hit him on his head and broke his nose. I heard him cry for his dad to stop, but he just kept hitting him and hitting him until Noah wasn't moving. I was scared that Noah had died, but when I heard Noah's mom crying in the living room and his dad's car start up to drive away I rushed out of the closet and locked the door.
"Hey wake up Noah," I said quietly. "Please wake up, please! I can't lose you, you're my best friend and I love you," I bent down to kiss him on his lips and of course at that moment he woke up . He tried to move but he was in so much pain and I didn't know how to take it away
"Rachel," he groaned
"I'm here," I said as I held his head in my lap
"Rachel, you have to promise you won't tell," He said
"I promise," I said
"And I love you too," he said as he leaned forward to kiss me
It was our secret for a while until his dad finally decided to leave. In high school, Noah started to change and we broke up freshman year. He got involved with selling drugs and I told him that he didn't need to do that. After he was arrested he learned his lesson and went to try out for football. He began to work out more and become more buff and then became the campus' bad ass the one who shows no feelings, but I know the real Noah, the gentle, sweet and love brother and son and boyfriend.
"But Noah's older can't he go to the police?" Shelby asks
"You don't understand, Noah's dad is the police, he's one of them, that's why Noah started to work out," I said and Shelby seemed confused still. "Noah knows he can't go to the police so he decides fight or die, but his dad is a lot stronger and tonight you got to see a glimpse of the boy that I saw lying on the mattress almost lifeless. He's willing to go back to that hell hole just to protect his mother and sister," I say and a few moments of silence is interrupted by my phone ringing
"Hello?" I say
"Rachel, I need your help," Noah said through the phone with tears on his face and I knew from that moment on we were in this together for better or worse without the marriage certificate to prove our love and desperation to help and protect one another.