Naomi Black

It was six in the morning and my day was already ruined.

First, it was a Monday.

Second, I received a lovely phone call at 6:05 on the dot. I was deep in my dead sleep so I woke up and randomly pushed the accept button not noticing the consequences I was about to face.

"Hello?" My groggy voice spoke.

A throat clearing on the other end of the line made my eyes open up, "Is this Naomi?" A deep voice replied.

I looked at the number and it was a private number?

"Depends, who is asking?" I asked while I was way past the point of being awake on this point. I was on high alert.

"This is um, Ben Black, her dad. Listen if you see her let her know I'm trying to get into contact with her. I'm at a drug rehab facility, that's why the number is private. And I would love to talk with her." His voice brought back heart impaling memories.

Why was he trying to contact me at six in the morning? Was he going to apologize for not calling on Mom's death anniversary? Was he calling to make sure I knew that he was alive and well?

"This is Naomi," I stated while staring straight at the wall in a trance.

He took a deep breath, "Hey sweetie..." It was fucking laughable. 'Hey Sweetie'? Who the hell says that to their daughter after abandoning them? That's laughable.

"Yeah?" I responded. What the hell am I supposed to say when I'm completely emotionless? I've taught myself to control myself and my feelings when it comes to my parents besides my mother's death of course, but when it comes to my dad I'm numb.

As a seven-year-old girl that just wanted her daddy after she walked into her mom's death, he had the perfect opportunity to be the father of the year. But he would've rather been shooting up drugs and getting drunk trying to mask the pain of creating a mistake with a one night stand losing Karla.

"How is life? Grandma and Grandpa said you're at Penn State! That is awesome. You'll have the time of your life." I chuckled. "Yeah, Penn State," I responded, being short.

"Do you go to the football games? Or are you in any sororities or clubs?" He asked.

"I go to the football games and I'm not in any sorority or clubs," I responded, sounding as bland and as boring as possible hoping he would get the hint that I don't want to talk to him. He is about five days and five years too late.

"That team they have this year is super nice. The quarterback they have reminds me a lot of myself. The stance and everything." My eyes narrowed, "He's nothing like you." Matti Williams, although I can't stand the boy half of the time he was nothing like Ben Black.

Well, kind of he does have some mental resemblance to my father. The idea that only the world revolved around him. The idea that everyone beside him was wrong in situations. But the fact that he apologised to me the other day was a shock in itself.

I would rather my father not know about Matti and Matti not know about my father.

My dad cleared his throat, "Right, well I just called to say I'm sorry about your mom. I also called to ask if you could loan me a few hundred out of your trust fund, I need it to pay back a couple of people..." And then I just snapped.

"You know what Ben, I am not the same little girl that would've done anything and everything for her father's five minutes of attention every couple months. I don't give a shit. You didn't leave me a fucking trust fund okay? You spent it. Every last penny of it. I don't know what to do! But I don't have a penny from you, and even if you had a penny I wouldn't need it or want it. Thanks for calling." I ranted and went to hang up before he had the chance to respond.

"You have a trust fund Naomi-" He tried to speak but I cut him off. "You don't know what I have. Oh, and by the way, Mom's anniversary was five days ago." I finished and hung up.

I sighed and chucked my phone across my room. The nerve of that guy, calling for the first time in a year or a few, just to have a fake conversation to ask for money. Good ole father.

I checked my phone as it read 6:15. I had to be in art class by eight, so I decided to get ready now so that way I'm able to get coffee before I go to class. I could use a pick me up after that conversation.

I threw my bed comforter off of me and walked out of my room to head into the living area. To my surprise, as I was walking out of my room, someone was walking into the apartment.

Well, sneaking into the apartment.

I cleared my throat as Sloane jumped.

"Where have you been?" I raised my eyebrow at her as she sheepishly smiled. "Oh you know, I've been around." She responded quietly as I giggled and I sat on the couch as she followed to sit next to me.

"So, I assume the 'I've been around' means you were at the captain's house because you got pepperoni on your neck!" She blushed, "Are they that bad?" I nodded.

"I like him, Naomi," She started as I cut her off. "I know you like Caden. I think everyone but Finn can tell. But you need to tell her. Your secret is safe with me, but just know that you need to tell her before she finds out herself." She hugged me.

"Why are you up so early?" She questioned me. "My dad called me." I looked down at my bare legs as I could tell her jaw was dropped open. "Okay. I'm not going to pressure you to tell me, but I'm here." I laughed.

"He called and made up a fake conversation so at the end he could ask me if I could lend him money from my imaginary trust fund," I confessed as Sloane just looked at me in pity.

I hate that look.

I've always been looked at like that.

Gross.

"Naomi, I'm so-" I cut her off before she could apologize because that was the last thing I wanted from anyone. "Sloane, I'm fine. Don't apologize, thank you for caring. Now go shower and get to bed. You smell like Caden and sex." She giggled and hugged me before standing up and walking in the direction of her room.

She looked back at me and said, "I mean it Black. Not everyone is going to betray you. You can talk to us." I smiled at her.

I wish trust could come as easy to me as it does to everyone else but sadly mine has been so demolished, I hate new people. New people mean a new opportunity to hurt my feelings. Or a new opportunity to be vulnerable. I don't want to depend on people but at this point, in the world, you have to have someone you can trust. I think I can trust the girls. But I just haven't found that one secure person yet. I mean, besides my grandparents.

It's just a mess.

I walk back into my room to hurry and get ready so that way I can wait in the ridiculous line for a coffee. Throwing on a cute Penn State crew, leggings, and vans, I hit the ground running. Pennsylvania was becoming more chilly as the leaves finally started to turn their beautiful autumn colors.

I threw open the campus's Starbucks door, hopped in line, and inhaled the beautiful smell of a nice dark roast.

It was going to be a better day than what it started and I was sure of it.

That was until a very rude person whistled at me behind me in line. I turned around to bitch out the person who would dare do so, but to my shock, it was Matti Williams.

He smiled at me innocently.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh my gosh! Did thee Matti Williams just whistle at me? I am so honored! Oh my god this is the best day of my life" I mimicked one of the sorority girls as he laughed, nodding at me.

"Good Morning Black." His deep voice spoke. I made eye contact with him and replied, "Morning football superstar. Ready to get our Picasso on?" He laughed.

"I hope you're talking about yourself Black," I giggled. The barista behind the cash register was finally open so I stepped up to give my order.

"Hi, can I please have a Venti Iced Coffee with one pump vanilla, one pump mocha, and sweet cream cold foam?" She smiled, "No problem! Your total is $4.23" I nodded and grabbed my card from my wallet.

"Can we also get a Venti Iced Pineapple Match?" Matti's voice spoke behind me. I glared at him. I looked back at the cashier as she was bright red in the face.

Yeah sis, I know, he has that effect on people.

Sadly.

"Your total is $10.23" I nodded and went to hand her my card as the large body behind me covered my hand with his card and she took his card from him as I glared at him the entire time. "What have I said about you and that money! I could've covered that." I argued.

"You can get it, next time princess." I looked up at his freakishly tall body as he smirked down.

"You know, she was gonna take my card but she couldn't handle the fact that she was touching thee Matti Williams card." I giggled as she handed back his card and we walked to the drink receiving end.

"Today we are just turning in the partner color projects right?" I nodded. "Yeah, we turn it in, receive our next assignment, and then we can leave." The barista walks over to us with our drinks and I thank him.

"So that means you're coming with me after class back to my place for a study date?" He suggested as I watched him nearly snap his straw in half with his massive muscular hands while I put my metal straw in my drink.

I took the straw out of his hands and threw it out, grabbing a spare of my metal ones shoving it in his iced matcha. "Number one, it's a study session, not a study date. Number two, I will only come over if you promise to not use a plastic straw again." He looked down at me with a sparkle in his eyes.

"And number three quit looking at me like that." I grabbed my drink off the counter and walked away from him before he could reply.

Walking out onto the sidewalk I sensed a presence right next to me.

Shocker, it was Matti.

"Um. What are you doing?" I asked him as he shrugged. "We're walking to this class together Black. You got a problem with it?" He asked and I responded with "Actually I-" and before I could reply he cut me off.

"Wait. Too bad I don't care. We're friends now right? Friends can walk to class with each other. Quit making it weird." I laughed.

How was I not supposed to make this weird? I was probably going to trip on my two fucking feet from looking at this man's back muscles. I hated the fact that I was attracted to him, he was a walking sex god.

He was a repulisvie sex god, but he was finer than wine.

"Can you slow down? Your legs are about twice the size of mine which means I have to take crater size leaps to make one of the steps you make." He laughs as I complain.

He grabbed the building door as we walked down the hallway to the art room.

We walked in and placed our bags on the desk as I grabbed both of the projects I did for us ready to turn them in before he stopped me. He reached into his bag and pulled out one.

He did the project?

"You did the project?" I questioned him and he nodded without looking at me. I tried to lean over to see the color he picked for me but he shielded it. Walking away towards the project dropbox I followed him and placed my project in there as well. Grabbing the white instruction papers from the desk we then grabbed our bags and walked out of the class.

"Why did you do the project?" I asked him while he ignored me. I ran and got in front of me, "Helloooo? Why did you do the project when we agreed I would do it?" I asked again. He looked down at me and patted my head, moved around me, and continued to walk ahead.

But not before looking back at me as if to say 'are you coming or what?'.

Okay, so I guess he won't tell me why. I wish he would've told me he was at least doing it that way. I didn't have to slave over doing two projects on top of biology, anatomy, and my labs.

He led me to the parking lot for the school that was next to Starbucks where we arrived at his lovely jeep. I walked to the passenger side door and yanked it open before it was slammed shut by Matti's hand.

I glared at him, "What the hell was that for Matti?" He shooed me back a few steps as he opened it for me. I thanked him, rolled my eyes, and climbed into the high rise jeep while a blush occupied my cheeks.

He's being way too nice for being Matti Williams.

The drive to the captain's house was short besides stopping often for students crossing rushing to get to class. When we pulled up to the house, he looked at me in the face. "Don't open the door." I put my hands up in defense while he got out of the jeep and opened up my door for me as I struggled to hop down.

I grabbed my bookbag and followed him up to the front door. When we walked in I noticed how freakishly clean it was and how noisy it was also. He nodded for me to follow him into the living room while we set our bags on the dining room table.

"Matti baby! Your home?" the voice of Blake rang through the kitchen into the living room. "Yes, Blakey!" I giggled as the door swung open, it was Reese wearing only boxers.

"Oh shut up! My morning just got better! Naomi!" Reese yelled while he gave me a huge hug lifting me and spinning me around. I screamed as the dizziness was hitting me.

"Okay, Reese enough! Before she feels like she has CTE from a lineman." Reese set me down and held me still as my eyeballs calmed down.

Blake then walked through the kitchen door and waved at me as I waved back. "Williams, you're starting early this morning!" He joked as Matti glared at him. "We have a project we have to do, so if you'll excuse us we will be in my room." He spoke as he grabbed our bags and my hand dragging me back down the hallway towards the stairs.

"Wait! You're taking her to your ROOM?" Reese yelled in disbelief. "Can you guys shut the hell up!" Griffin yelled down from the top of the stairs. Griff and I made eye contact, "Hey Black." I smiled at him while reaching the top step and walking towards Matti's door.

Matti kicked open his door and walked over to his desk, setting down our bags. "Do all of the guys live upstairs?" I asked while he looked back at me and nodded. "Can I ask what all the rooms are downstairs then?" He chuckled.

"You know how I said you're the only girl besides my mom that's been in my bedroom?" He asked and I nodded. "Well, that goes for most of the guys. So downstairs is where we take girls." I looked at him in disgust.

He shrugged, "What? You asked, I answered."

I walked over to his bed and laid on it stomach down.

It smelled like him.

"So does being in a guy's room go against your code?" He asked and I raised an eyebrow. "Code?" What code was he talking about?

"You know, your virgin code..." He spoke and I hummed. Looking down at my phone I answered, "It is 9:55 in the morning. It is way too early to talk about my virgin code Mr. Williams." I giggled.

"It's never too early to talk about that." He said as I shook my head. "You know what is good to talk about! Why did you do the project when you specifically told me you weren't doing the projects and I would be stuck doing them!" I spoke exasperatedly to him.

He sighed and scooted me over so he could lay on the bed like me too.

He turned his head and looked at me, "I'm not telling you." I rolled my eyes.

"Tell me," I demanded.

"No." He argued.

"Tell me please." I plead.

"No Black, drop it." He shoved his face into the bed.

"Please just tell me. I worked hard on both of them when I could've been studying for a different class. So you wasted my time. I just wish you would've given me a heads up." I turned my head and faced the windows away from him.

"I felt bad for what I did." He mumbled into the comforter and my head snapped back. "What?" He turned and looked at me.

"Don't look at me like that." He said.

"Look at you like what? " I laughed.

"Like I just won you a teddy bear." He spoke as we both laughed and looked up at the ceiling.

"What's your family like?" He asked me as I sucked in a breath.

Jesus, that's not the question I wanted to answer today. Do I even answer it? Will he make fun of me?

"Um, my dad isn't in the picture and hasn't been for my entire life." His head snapped towards me. "And my mom wasn't that great of a mom but she was the only person I had." I spoke while still looking at the ceiling.

"I assume you guys must be close then if she was all you had." He spoke and I cleared my throat, "She died when I was 11..." He sucked in a breath and turned towards me with his head propped up on his arm.

"I'm sorry Naomi," He said as I shrugged. "I then moved into my grandparents and the rest is history." I finished my story.

"What side of Pennsylvania did you grow up in?" He asked. "Western PA. Where we get every type of weather imaginable and there are potholes the size of craters all year long." He laughed.

I turned to look towards him, mimicking his position. "Why are you being so nice to me today?" I asked.

"We're friends, remember?" He spoke as I giggled. "Yes we became friends on Saturday, it is now Monday. This is the fastest moving friendship ever." He nodded.

"We could go to any pace you want, baby. Fast-moving, slow-moving, medium moving, extra slow-moving..." He looked me in the eyes as I slapped his arm.

"Hey! Easy! These arms are insured for thousands." I rolled my eyes at him, "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life." He laughed at me.

And for the rest of the afternoon, we spent time laughing with each other and giggling like kids in elementary school. Happiness and carelessness radiated throughout our bodies and through conversation before he had to leave for practice with the boys.

He offered me a ride back to my apartment but I insisted on walking. The leaves were far too pretty to look at while walking so I wanted to take advantage of having the most beautiful view while walking back to the apartment.

A lot of thoughts pondered in my head. Such as, am I feeling normal? I feel like I'm on cloud nine. He was just a boy. Not to mention a boy that I despised a little more than a few days ago.

And now I feel like I'm going crazy.

But the voice in the back of my head was reminding me that he wasn't that good of a guy. I mean, he was shitty. But sometimes the best guys are the worst. But sometimes the worst guys are the ones that ruin you, for example; my father.

But I guess that is what happens when you aren't used to good things happening to you. You want better so badly for yourself that you're willing to settle for less to believe that you have better.

I now see why every girl falls to his feet. He was truly an impeccable human being. He even opened the car door for me. Not a lot of boys do that now.

And now he had me puzzling everything.

What turned out to be a real shit to the start of a day ending with a daydream almost ending. And it was because of him.

Throwing open my apartment door I see all of the girls in the kitchen and I drop all of my shit and they look at me. I started uncontrollably smiling and crying. But I was so happy.

I mean I looked psycho.

"Is