Sentimental

Yelling 'Mary Poppins' for a distraction, might not be the best idea to distract someone. Especially someone with control over anything metal. Julie only wanted to run back home and cry at the corner at this point.

"Can you let me go…please."

Few metal poles surrounded her like a makeshift prison. Julie could only sit down and stare at the senior who was standing in front of her. Julie ruffled her hair which looked like a bird's nest already she can't help but mess it up even more.

"You know I'm going to have to go home at some point right?" She glared at Noah, "It's almost 5!?"

"Do I look like I care?" Noah chided

"No?!

"Then shut up." [she's so loud]

Julie groaned as she covered her face with her palms. It was almost dinner, she's hungry, but she's trapped here on the school rooftop with a guy who wouldn't just let her out. For god's sake, her aunt was home, making fried rice, just let her go home!

"God damn it, man, I might not be able to eat fried rice because of you!" Julie grumbled as she points at Noah. The senior had only stared at her unamused. If only there weren't any poles surrounding her she would've punched the hell out of him.

The sun was slowly setting as the sky was turning dark. Julie decided to stay silent for once and inspect the senior. Noah had the same poker face he had. Julie can't deny that he did look attractive, as purple eyes are not so normal. But his thoughts that Julie was reading, made her skeptical about how he looks.

[Are they still after me? This is all father's fault, that old man- God why am I still here. This girl is nothing but useless. I'm tired with all the responsibilities- why can't I just live normally]

The negative thoughts grew more and louder, Julie couldn't stand it. It was getting louder, the ringing came back again. She could feel her hand trembling inside her hoodie pockets. She needs to stop it somehow, but Julie can't help but sympathize with the senior.

Having to take the responsibility of the family, being the eldest, having to accept this awakened life. For the very least Julie didn't have to lead a big family. She's getting uncomfortable with how much she's reading Noah's thoughts. Especially when there are no answers about the claw man or the Reeds. This was just a teenage boy being depressed.

"Hey, who was the guy earlier?" Julie chimed, Noah turned to look at her but ignored her. Julie rolled her eyes, she's bored, tired not to mention hungry. But there was something she was curious about.

"Was the giant dude really called Christian Gray?" Julie snorted at the name. When the adrenaline had disappeared and she was sane again, she recalled the giant dude being called Christian, and if her suspicions of him being a Gray was true then giant dude's name would definitely be Christian Gray.

[how did she know he was a Gray?]

Julie hid a grin, at this point, she wasn't mad because of him trying to kill her. But someone named their child 'Christian Gray'? Not to be rude to all the Christian Greys out there, but damn. Being named over a twilight fanfiction character? The giant dude's life can't be any worst.

Suddenly, she felt a vibration through her pocket, she peeked over her pocket and saw her phone. Julie glanced at Noah who still kept her gaze on her, decided that picking it up would make Noah see her as more of a threat. She pockets it out and leaves it on the floor, as it constantly vibrates and pings.

"Are you going to pick that up?" Noah drawled as he stares at the vibrating phone. Is this guy serious? Even if she did pick it up, would he even let her answer it?

"Nah, it's probably just my uncle or Celine, and even if I tried to answer it, I'm sure crying for help wouldn't help much, would it?" Julie sassed at him, having enough of being trapped inside a metal pole cage. If only she could just walk over it. Unfortunately, she got short genes.

Noah had only chuckled at her misery, but she could see he was staring at her with something in those pretty eyes of his. It was curiosity, what in the world is he curious about?!

"Hey!" Julie called out making Noah flinch for a second "You look curios." Noah's eyes widened, as he looked surprised that she got it right. "You look like a kid not knowing what a frog is."

Noah had only rolled his eyes and turn his back towards her. Is this senior sulking? She laughs at the sulking thoughts coming from Noah.

"Ask away man, there's nothing I can hide," Julie admitted, with a slight lie of course. The only thing she's hiding is her abilities. Not to mention until today, she didn't even know she can do telepathy.

"You said uncle, not your mom or dad?" Noah still had his back turn towards her, she didn't know what sort of expression he had, but if it means she's getting away sooner then maybe small talk was the answer.

"Hey, everybody got some parent issues!?" Julie huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, cause I live with my aunt and uncle. My parents? They're not here."

"Oh" [What the hell Noah, you just asked her dead parents]

"No, they're not dead. They just don't live here. Just ten thousand miles away." Julie answered, "No I did not read your mind."

Noah had only nodded at her. Again silence overcame. Not wanting to be in an awkward situation Julie began talking. "You know, I only came here because I manage to get the scholarship, I was just on vacation here. So I thought, hey I think I'm smart enough to get into the school near my uncle's place- then again my parents didn't care, they let me do what I want, probably too busy fighting to care. Transferred here last year of middle school, then ya know high school. Which kinda sucks with how much homework they give us-"

"You're loud." Noah bluntly said, which Julie had gasp offended. He did not just say that. But she probably did sound loud at the moment. Don't blame her for being nervous. But she continued babbling about. From her perspective, it looked like Noah grew interested in her rambling. Which was a good sign, or probably he doesn't have enough friends to talk to.

"You know, you're- " the rest of the sentence was mumbled from Noah, but Julie can hear what Noah had said in his thoughts. [she sounds like my grandma.]

Noah Reed, the eldest son of the so-called prestigious Reed family, her senior, one of the powerful awakened out there. Just said Julie sounded like his grandma… she doesn't know whether to be insulted or to accept that as a compliment.

Few minutes have passed as it was turning six, and Julie concluded Noah needed friends. Not her mother instincts peeking, definitely not. But the senior had looked lonely, especially all his negative thoughts (Julie will ignore his arrogant side). Julie felt the same familiarity from back when she had first met Celine.

"Hey senior, give me your number," Julie demanded picking up her phone and slowly pushing it out of the metal pole prison. Her phone slid safely towards Noah, as Noah picked it up, though his face he was hesitant.

"huh?!" Noah gapped at the phone, which had the phone app ready. Julie just stared at him, constantly asking him to fill in his number. "what the hell, no!?"

"Then let me out!?"

"no!"

"stop acting like a baby, senior!" *𝘤'𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘵, 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴??*

Julie smirked at the wince Noah showed, she had used her telepathy to pester him. It's either letting her out or him giving her his number. Not that she liked him or anything. Hell, if Celine found out she was acting like a lovesick girl, Julie wouldn't hear the end of it.

"C'mon dude- like-" Julie had cut herself off, if she wanted Noah to have her trust she needed something to offer. But what can she offer? Her powers are just mind-reading, other than knowing secrets and test answers she can't do anything else.

"eavesdropping," Julie muttered, thinking seriously. Eyebrows furrowed and her right arm rubbing her chin like an old grandpa would with his beard. She can know secrets, and she can spy on anyone 24/7, as painful as it sounds, it was a great way to make use of her power.

"I can be a double spy! Phil said to spy on you, but you know I don't trust that man. He's all weird and lanky." Julie offered, as Noah had perked up at the suggestion.

"What about your friends, doesn't mean you're betraying them?"

Julie had faltered for a second. Celine and the others would probably understand, and it doesn't matter anyway. Celine has been hanging out with Ethan these days, and Amelia had only talked to her when they met up. What she does with this mission, doesn't involve them.

"It doesn't matter, what I know now is your lonely magnet dude," Julie exclaimed pointing at Noah. Noah looked at her like she was some kind of alien, especially when she had called him 'magnet dude'

It's not her fault for making up weird nicknames.

"Fine, I'll give you my number, if you stop with the telepathy thing," Noah grumbled as he shoved her phone back to her. Ignoring her yell of despair when the phone had landed on the floor instead of her hands.

"What the hell dude?! That's my baby!!" She yelled cradling her phone on her fingers, it had a single crack on the screen. Her precious phone- she just got it last month!? "HEY! FIX MY BABY!?"

"what the hell, I'm letting you go and giving you my phone number, what more do you want?" Noah mumbled as he levitated the metal pole prison that was surrounding her. But Julie had completely ignored him still crying internally over the crack on her phone.

" I swear to god- boys- urgh!" She groaned as she stood up, patting her clothes as it was ruffled, she walks up towards her bag, and snatch it from the floor. Still grumbling along the way, she could feel Noah's stare at her. Right when she was about to leave the rooftop, she turned her back and points at him. "You, just you wait! I'm making you miserable for what you have done to my phone! Lucky for you, you didn't break my coffee bottle in my bag as well!"

"Just leave, " Noah had exasperatedly, probably tired with all the stuff she's saying. "I don't care about your phone, just be here. After school tomorrow."

Julie had only huffed at the senior as she ran down the stairs. Half of her was mad at her cracked phone, half of her was legitimately terrified of what she had done. She slaps her mouth several times, scolding it for rambling stupid stuff at the senior. Did she really just scolded the senior, kept on bothering him with telepathy, and asked for his number?!

Yes, she just did.

This sums up that Julie was a dead woman tomorrow. Julie had continued running as she finally makes it out of school. She could still see the senior was still up on the rooftop. Even by the distance, she knew that she had locked eyes with him for a second. But she turned her back and walked away, continued on the way home.

Julie went back recalling the moments on the rooftop. She remembered the weird boy fight, the metal pole prison, and the negative thoughts coming from said senior. Julie doesn't know how to feel about it. She got his number at least, one step on gaining his trust (she hopes). But if his dad was behind everything, and she was trying to be friends with him, does this count as a betrayal?

Shaking her head furiously, she had kicked pebbles on the road. No, this was her job. Phil had said it himself, to investigate the purple-eyed boy, and find out about his family involvement with the claw man incident.

Though she can't help but feel sadden at the thought, the senior had a lot of negative thoughts, that she would just want to just give him milk and cookies all day. Julie felt she was being indecisive, which was one of her bad habits, after drinking coffee.

Julie had her mind blank for the whole walk, as she steps on her front door. The once sentimental Julie had turned into a hungry monster the moment she opened the door, she was met by the delicious fragrance of her aunt's fried rice. But what she saw inside, made her blood boil even more.

There in the living room, was the three beings of her death, eating and talking happily with her aunt and uncle. As to the fried rice? There was just a small portion left out on the table. Julie couldn't help but cry in despair, as she banged the door several times, gaining her friends' attention.

"Oh hey Julie, you're finally back!" [Julie, I didn't know your aunt's fried rice was this good!] Celine had greeted her with a bright smile, as her two companions also waved.

Julie gritted her teeth and yelled her lungs out.

"GIVE ME BACK MY FRIED RICE YOU LITTLE PIECE OF-"

There soon was crashing, and several arguments. With Julie being a feral child, as she was wrestling her friends. This wasn't the evening Julie had anticipated. Ever.