The rest of the weekend had passed by slowly. Neither Tommy nor Noelle had spoken to Jude and it was killing her. It was Monday morning and Jude was waiting in the kitchen, anxiously waiting for her two favorite people to walk in, like they did every morning.
Noelle was the first to enter. She walked straight to the cabinet and pulled out a box of cereal, ignoring Jude. Jude sighed and looked into her coffee cup. A few minutes later Tommy strolled in and poured himself a cup of coffee and opened the paper. Jude watched him silently a few minutes. Noelle sat down across from Tommy with her bowl of cereal.
"Why are you looking at apartments?" Noelle asked. Jude looked up fearful. Tommy ignored Jude and straightened his paper.
"I'm just thinking about it." Jude set her cup down.
"What is there to think about?" She cried. "You can't be seriously thinking about moving out!" Noelle stopped eating her food; instead she just stared at it, wishing that her parents would go back to normal. Tommy stood up.
"I have to get to work." He grabbed his car keys and left in a huff. Jude placed both cups in the sink.
"Noelle you should get going, you're going to miss the bus." She said, not turning around. Noelle stood up.
"Thank you for destroying our family." Noelle ran out of the front door. Jude looked up towards the ceiling, silent tears staining her cheeks.
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Tommy frowned, tossing the paper he had been reading aside. He just couldn't concentrate on work right now. He heard a knock on his office door and looked up to see Kwest.
"Hey I see you're back." Tommy grunted, putting his legs that had previously been resting on the desk back on the ground.
"You sure don't look exactly happy after spending a whole week with your wife in the middle of nowhere." Tommy flinched at the word wife.
"I take it things didn't go to well?" Kwest asked, sitting down in front of Tommy's desk.
"You could say that." Kwest shrugged.
"You and Jude always get into your little arguments. I'm sure you'll work it out." Tommy looked away.
"I'm not so sure this time." Kwest silently wondered what that was about. They heard another knock on the door and turned to see who it was.
"Sorry to interrupt." Noelle said, adjusting her back pack on her shoulder.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" Tommy looked at her. Noelle shrugged, looking at the ground.
"I wanted to talk." Kwest got up and excused himself.
"We'll talk later, Tommy." He said, closing the door behind him. Tommy pointed at Kwest's vacated seat. Noelle set her bag on the floor and looked at Tommy.
"I know that mom has done some pretty unforgivable things, but please don't move out." Noelle pleaded. Tommy closed his eyes and sighed.
"Nothing is set in stone." He replied. Noelle looked at him, tears in her eyes.
"This is all my fault! If I hadn't been born, you and Mom would be happy right now. You guys wouldn't have this weird… strain on your relationship." She cried. Tommy shook his head.
"This is not your fault in the slightest, Noelle. Your mother made a mistake." Noelle nodded slowly.
"So why can't you forgive her? I'm sure you've made mistakes."
"You're right I have, but I didn't keep secrets from her the entire we've been together." Noelle stood up.
"No you just disappear once things get tough." Noelle grabbed her bag and ran out of the office. Tommy contemplated going after her, but decided against it. He had some serious thinking to do.
Noelle ran down the stairs, tears falling down her face. She stopped once she got to the lobby, realizing that she had no way to get to school. Exhausted, she collapsed on the couch. Everything around her was going to hell. Noelle couldn't even stomach the thought of her parents getting divorced. They just couldn't!
"Uh, do you mind if I sit here?" Noelle looked up to see Speed, her biological father. She sat up and scooted over.
"Sure whatever, it's a free world." Speed chuckled and sat down.
"You want to tell me what's wrong, kiddo?" Noelle looked at him.
"No offense, but I don't really know you that well." Speed nodded.
"Say, don't you have school?" He asked. Noelle shrugged.
"Yeah, but I don't really feel like walking." Speed jumped.
"I'll take you." Noelle gave him a weary look.
"My mom says not to get in a car with strangers." Speed laughed.
"Yeah, but we're not really strangers, are we?" Noelle smiled. He was a very hard person to hate.
"I guess." Speed lead her out towards his car.
"So where do you go to school." Noelle rolled her eyes.
"Carson Hill." Speed looked at her, getting in the driver's side.
"Get out, that's where I went!" Noelle chuckled.
"Then you know what a fun place it is!" She joked.
"Just promise me you'll stay in school no matter how boring it is." Noelle looked away. This didn't feel right. She had only just met this man. Speed sensed that she felt uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry. Let's start over. I'm Speed." Noelle grinned.
"Noelle Abigail Quincy." Speed nodded. He pulled up outside the school.
"I'd like to continue this whole getting to know you thing." Noelle nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt. She turned to face him.
"No offense or anything, but I'm not really looking for a dad. I have one, and he happens to be one of the best dads in the world." Speed nodded.
"I'm sorry I haven't been in your life." Noelle just nodded her head, getting out of the car.