I do have something to say

The first time I heard Noah hum was on a day we had a huge argument. To be honest, I don't even remember what we argued about but I had stormed out in anger, slamming his front door hard.

I'd walked for almost an hour before stopping, finally taking time to observe my surroundings. It was dusk and I was in an alley way I did not recognize, being stared at by a group of men I also did not recognize.

"Hey there sugar," said one who was completely bald.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing here all alone?" said another and you could practically see the drool trailing down his chin.

They inched forward and I inched back.

"I'm fourteen," I said loudly.

The men exchanged glances then laughed.

"Sorry sweetheart we don't speak English when it comes to ages."

Bile rose in my throat and I glanced around. I wasn't familiar with the street and I could see nobody else around. How far had I walked?

"Yeah okay bye." I turned around and began walking away.

They caught up in seconds.

"Don't be mean, we just want to make friends." The bald one said with his hand on my shoulder, his other two friends egging him on.

"Don't touch me!" I slapped his hand away and his already ugly face turned even uglier.

"You came to our turf! You take what you get!"

"Fourteen my ass. She's at least sixteen Gabe!" said another.

My heart was beating so fast, my body shook along with it. I was scared, especially as the sky was getting darker.

"Leave her alone," a voice from behind me said.

I turned around and almost burst into tears of relief when I saw Noah.

He jogged up to me, his long, scattered hair flying every which way. It was the hair of someone who'd run their hands through it at least twenty times.

"Another friend to make," Baldie said licking his lips.

"Gabe you idiot, that's a guy," said the third of the trio.

"Really?! but he's so pretty!"

Noah began humming.

I glanced at him in surprise, an eyebrow raised. It was a tuneless hum, just a steady note and I didn't know what to think.

I took his hand, "let's go home Noah."

Baldie grinned. "Take us with you sugar then maybe you can hold something else of mine."

I turned to glare at the creep, my eyes already filling with tears but a blur of movement caught my attention instead.

Noah's fist shot out and struck Baldie right on the chin. Baldie's head jolted backwards and he stumbled, his knees buckling beneath him.

His friends froze for a moment, stunned by the speed and precision of the punch. Baldie clutched his jaw, a wheezing groan escaping his mouth as he dropped to the ground.

Noah didn't stop humming. The sound grew louder, more deliberate, and strangely unsettling in the stillness of the darkening alley.

The second man lunged toward him, but Noah sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing the guy's arm and twisting it behind his back with a strength I didn't know he had. The man yelped in pain, and Noah shoved him toward the third man, sending them both tumbling into a pile of trash bags against the alley wall.

Baldie struggled to his feet, his face contorted with rage. "You're dead, you hear me? Both of you!" he spat, but his bravado wavered as Noah took a step forward, his hum steady, unbroken.

"Try me," Noah said, his voice low and calm, his eyes dark and unreadable.

The men hesitated, muttering curses under their breath as they backed away. One of them grabbed Baldie by the arm, urging him to retreat. "Not worth it, man. Let's go."

Within moments, they were gone, their footsteps fading into the distance.

I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding, my knees threatening to give out beneath me. Noah turned to me, his humming finally ceasing as he reached for my hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft now, the sharp edge of his earlier demeanor gone.

I nodded, though my whole body was trembling. "How… how did you find me?"

"I followed you," he admitted, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I was worried when you stormed off, and I couldn't just let you wander around alone."

Tears spilled over then, a mix of relief, fear, and gratitude washing over me. "Thank you," I whispered, clutching his hand tightly.

He gave me a small, reassuring smile followed by a quick hug "Let's go home."

"Since when were you so good at fighting?" I asked.

"If you got your head out of the fridge for a minute, you'd notice I've been practicing."

I pushed him. "I can see you want me to be your next opponent."

Noah laughed loudly. "I really don't. Don't let's fight again please."

~*~

Staring now at Noah humming while holding Aiden's collar, I didn't need to be a genius to know what would happen next.

I walked forward and put myself between Noah and Aiden. I took a deep breath and spoke from my heart.

"Noah Net, if you make me be the 'this isn't you' girl then I swear to ignore you for a whole week."

Noah let go of Aiden in a flash. He ran both hands through his hair looking frazzled. At least his humming had stopped.

I sighed. "You're so dramatic. Everyone is looking can't you see?"

Without waiting for Noah to answer, I turned around and faced Aiden. "Staring at me without having anything to say is creepy. Stop it."

"I do have something to say," Aiden said.

I stared at him, my face heating up when I realized just how close we were. His gaze was even more piercing as he looked down at me. His eyes were really blue.

I found myself looking back at him and just for a moment, forgetting the entire dining hall was watching us.

"What do you have to say Aiden?"

Aiden closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, I was shocked at how vulnerable he looked.

"I'm sorry Ellie. I'm sorry for everything. I really am."