Chapter Six

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NOAH

Midnight was a mud pit in more ways than one. 

First, because it was in the Mississippi Delta. Floods were expected and frequent. It made for rich soil, hundreds of acres of swamp, and a hell of a lot of mud.

Second, because once you got stuck there... it was near impossible to get out.

Like an old truck that had been parked for too long—the years of mud, earth, and rust, built up around it. Didn't matter how much gas you gave it, or how long your tires spun, you only ended up spinning yourself deeper.

Most of the people who were born there, died there. Knowing the beginning and end of their stories left folks struggling to fill in the middle. A lifetime is a long time to fill, especially once you figure out you're just waiting around to die.

As a result, Midnight had the same problem that most small towns do—everybody knew everyone else's business.

The town was flush with gossip and moonshine, courtesy of the Midnight Distillery. At least, that's what we called it. 

It was really just two guys in an old barn who spent all day and night making and drinking the stuff. They sold it by the gallon, and damn, was it potent. People would get to drinking that whiskey and the rumors would fly.

No one was immune once the rumor mill caught on. Neighbors and coworkers. Friends and relatives. Sharecroppers and their tenants. The mill workers. Poachers in the swamps. Even the gypsies had their fair share of rumors tossed around town.

On and on it went. 

Like the human centipede. One would shit it out while another gobbled it up. They'd absorb it, process it, flavor it with their own shit, and send it down the line. By the time it reached the end, it was so watered-down it could only be considered piss.

So, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise when the nickname Midnight Maggie got around and spread like wildfire. After hearing it for the first time on Lilah's front porch, I had almost forgotten about it. 

It's funny, considering that it started the series of events that would change my life.

(Age 11)

I made my way through the boys' locker room, passing a group of guys all huddled in the corner. I paid them no mind as I opened my locker and sat down to untie my shoes. I had just stripped them off when the sound of their laughter finally caught my attention. 

Of course, it was Justin Mills leading the pack.

"My dad said she fucked all the guys in Jackson and now she's working her way through Silver City," he said, with a cocky grin. A few of the guys snickered.

I didn't even bother trying to guess who they were talking about. Justin and the guys were always talking shit, especially when it came to girls—which was pretty funny given the fact that none of them had ever even kissed a girl, let alone done any of the shit they were always talking about.

Another one started in... Ricky, I think his name was. 

"My older brother said they call her Midnight Maggie because she gives blowjobs at midnight at that piece-of-shit bar."

Midnight Maggie?

The name sparked the memory of that night, and I knew they were talking about Lilah's mother. My ears shifted from trying to block them out, to listening intently.

"No way, man," one of them retorted. He looked at Ricky doubtfully.

Ricky closed his locker and propped one leg up on the bench in front of him. "Why do you think my brother started drinking there in the first place?" His grin spoke for itself.

Justin laughed. A few of the others smirked. The kid who doubted him just shook his head. Satisfied with himself, Ricky went to work untying his shoelaces.

I wanted to strangle him with them.

"Ain't that Lilah Mayberry's mom?" another one asked. 

I froze.

"Yep," Justin said. The satisfaction in his voice made my skin crawl. "I wonder if she'll learn to like cock as much as her mom. Maybe I'll have to find out."

Blood pounded up the base of my skull, vibrating in my eardrums. Hearing Justin's voice on a good day was enough to make me want to break his face, let alone the trash that was coming out of his mouth just then. Between them snickering and the chatter from the rest of the locker room, he never even heard me come up behind him. 

The guys around him all fell silent, one at a time, their gazes fixing on me. I could feel the confusion settle over Justin and soon, his words too fell away. He followed their gazes and slowly turned around. A smug smile spread over his face when he saw it was me.

"Montgomery," he greeted, like we were old friends.

We weren't.

"Justin," I paused, studied the freckles on the bridge of his nose. Like perfectly placed little targets. "You know what my brother said?"  

Hesitation flashed in his eyes, but he couldn't back down now with so many watching.  

"What's that, Montgomery?" He looked back at the others smugly before his eyes narrowed in on my face. Almost like he was daring me.

I smiled, looked him straight in the eye.

"Nothing. He was too busy fucking your sister up the ass to say shit."

His smile vanished. His eyes turned cold and twitchy while his fists lumped at his side. 

"Fuck y—," he started, but I was one step ahead of him.

"—No thanks, Justin. Whiney bitches aren't my type."

The guys standing behind him glanced nervously at each other. One even choked back a laugh. 

"What's your problem, Montgomery?" He took a step towards me.

"You." I closed the distance. "You're my fucking problem."

My body tensed, ready for whatever would happen next.

His eyes darted back and forth between my own, studying me. Then, realization dawned on his face like a lightbulb going off. His smug smile returned. 

"You know what, Montgomery... I think you're just mad because you haven't had the balls to try to fuck her yourself."

I wasn't sure if he meant Lilah or her mother, and I didn't care. The debate on whether to hit him or not ended, with him, making the decision easy. Just as I was about to swing, someone stepped in between us.

"Alright, assholes. Everybody chill the fuck out." 

I looked up into the face of my oldest brother, Reid...

...and glared at him.

He stared back unwavering, his eyes, demanding that I let it go. He placed a firm hand on my shoulder, ready to step in front of me. 

My eyes demanded that he get the fuck out of my way. 

We stayed deadlocked like this for several seconds. Seeing that I wasn't going to back off, he turned to Justin. "Hey Mills, do me a favor?"

Justin glanced between the two of us, the wheels in his head turning, trying to assess which of us was the bigger threat. Almost begrudgingly, his eyes locked with Reid's.

Reid smiled. "Tell your sister I had a great time." 

Justin's jaw went rigid and I thought I saw a vein protruding from his neck, but he didn't make a move. 

Seeing that Justin wasn't gonna do anything, Reid tightened his grip on my shoulder, letting me know it was time to go. I yanked out of his grasp, and stormed back to my locker, fuming that he had to stick his nose in my business.

A moment later, I heard him come up behind me.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked, snapping around, my heart still hammering out of control.

"What? Save your ass from getting suspended?"

I glared.

"Because Ma would kill you and then me for letting it happen, that's why." 

I ignored him, thrusting my clothes into my locker and slamming it shut.

"Plus, Justin's no slouch. He fights dirty—"

"—I can take care of myself, Reid. I don't need you sticking up for me," I snapped.

His head drew back, insulted. "You're my brother, Noah. If someone fucks with you then they're fucking with me. I'd do the same thing for Wyatt."

"Yeah? Then, why don't you?" 

He narrowed his eyes. "Wyatt's older than you. He's been in more fights. And, he knows enough not to start one in the boys' locker room where a teacher could walk through the door any second."

I took a deep breath, studying my brother. 

Deep down, I knew he was right. But, I was still angry and didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He had a big enough head already.

I changed the subject. "Why are you even in here? This isn't your gym class."

He glanced over his shoulder to where Justin and the guys were still standing. A smirk formed at the corners of his mouth, lighting a devilish spark in his eyes. "I skipped fourth to hook up with Justin's sister in the auditorium."

We stared at each other for a few seconds until I couldn't hold back anymore. I burst into laughter at the same time he did, drawing the attention of a few guys standing around us. 

Reid had talked about hanging out with Justin's sister, but I didn't know they had actually hooked up. I only said it to get a rise out of Justin. 

I guess my jab held more weight than I realized.

Our laughter died down and I leaned against my locker, still wishing I would've hit him for good measure.

I sighed.

Reid's expression turned thoughtful as he eyed me. "Don't worry about it, Noah. You got plenty of time to win loads of fights," he said, shoving me in the arm the way big brothers do.

Reluctantly, I nodded.

"I gotta go before Mrs. Lowell realizes I'm gone." He nodded. "See you at home." 

I watched him cross the locker room, smiling cheerfully at Justin on his way out. I shook my head in sheer appreciation of his nerve and then finished changing. Just as I was about to join the rest of the guys streaming into the gym, I noticed Justin's eyes on me.

Leaning against his locker, his arms folded over his chest, he watched me like someone might watch an unknowing animal, grazing in their crosshairs. His eyes shot angry daggers and behind them was a promise.

The promise of revenge.

After that incident, the school was buzzing with rumors. Some were about Lilah's mom. Others were about me and Lilah.

One of the more popular versions was that Lilah's mom was selling herself for a generous price at the bar where she worked. Another one was that me and Lilah were a couple.

I assumed Justin or one of his Neanderthals was behind it. People were quick to believe it, given that Lilah and I were always together, and because Maggie always seemed to have a different guy over every night. At that age, that sort of thing was a big deal—the stuff of front-page gossip.

Whatever nasty things people were saying, Lilah kept them mostly to herself. She liked to pretend she didn't care—that nothing bothered her—but deep down, I knew better.

That's when things started to change. 

At school, she avoided me like the plague. Before, she would stop and talk between classes, or at least acknowledge me with a nod and a smile. Now, she pretended I didn't exist. If we passed in the hall, she refused to look at me, keeping her eyes fixed ahead, quickening her pace until she was gone. 

I didn't blame her for it. I knew she was only trying to make things easier on herself.

Outside of school, things were almost the same, except there were places we no longer went together. The swimming hole—which had been our spot since we met—was no longer an option. Too many kids from town were always lurking around.

The school bus became the worst because it was unavoidable. Lilah and I had always shared a seat together, even after they did away with assigning them, which made it all too easy for the other kids to poke fun. After my third fight, I was suspended from school for three days and forbidden to ride the bus for two weeks. 

Seeing as how Ma would have to drive me, she had no choice but to tell my Pops.

Normally, it was hard to get him to show any interest when we got in trouble at school. But, the price of gas had tripled after the war, and my Pops would be damned if he didn't let me know what an ungrateful little shit I was. Angry that I was costing him so much of his hard earned money, his punishments with the belt increased in frequency and brutality. 

It was after a particularly bad encounter with him that I found myself sitting in our old shed with Wyatt, as he attempted to fix his bike.

Between the relentless bullshit at school, and the attention from Pops at home, I was nearing the end of my limit, both mentally and physically. I couldn't understand why this was happening, or what I had done to cause any of it. 

I plopped down on an old crate, wincing at the pain from my latest lashing. "I don't get it, Wyatt."

His eyes flicked over to mine briefly before settling back on his bike. "That's cause you're an idiot."

I wasn't in the mood for jokes. I dead-eyed him from across the shed. "I'm fucking serious."

A moment later, he sighed. "What don't you get, Noah?"

I kicked nervously at the dusty floor, causing a plume to rise around me. "Why's Pop always giving me a harder time than he gives you and Reid?"

He rifled around in the rusty toolbox beside him.

"Well... you know, you're the youngest. He's just trying to toughen you up is all." He pulled out a wrench.

I wasn't buying it.

I shook my head. "It's more than that. I can tell."

His hands went to work, tightening a loose bolt. "Look at it this way, Noah... you're always doing things you know are gonna piss him off. You take off whenever it's time for your chores. You get in his way all the time." He paused. "You used to do that thing with the colors."

I glanced away nervously at the mention of my deepest secret, but he didn't seem to understand the impact of his words. He talked like it was just some childhood quirk of mine, not realizing it was so much more.

"And your..." his voice trailed off. 

I froze. "I'm what?"

He looked up from what he was doing to study me, then shook his head dismissively. "Nothing."

My eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

He dropped the wrench back into the toolbox. Clunk. Then, looked me straight in the eye.

"Your only friend is Lilah."

Confusion settled over me. "So?"

"So, she's a girl."

My head drew back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His eyes darted around the shed, while his mind searched for a way to explain. "Boys your age should be... I don't know... riding bikes. Getting dirty. Hell, even getting in fights with other boys. But, you just hang out with Lilah."

I cocked my head. "But... we do all of those things."

"Yeah... well, Pops don't know that. For all he knows, you're running off to have tea parties and play dress up."

"Well, we ain't," I snapped, offended at what he was suggesting.

Seeing this, Wyatt just shrugged. 

We sat in silence while my brain digested what he just said. The longer I thought about it, the angrier I got.

What the hell did Pop know? He barely even spoke to me unless it was time for chores or if I was being punished. He didn't know shit about me.

I stood up. "Why should I give a rat's ass what Pop thinks? He's just a miserable old drunk."

Again, he shrugged. "You asked me why he gives you a hard time, and I'm telling you." He went on tinkering with his bike chain, looking completely uninterested in continuing the conversation.

But, I was too amped up to let it go—too curious to see what else I had failed to realize.

It took me a moment to work up the courage to ask, "What do you think... about me and Lilah?"

His hands never stopped what they were doing, but his eyebrows drew together in careful consideration. "I think... it couldn't hurt for you to make some friends that are guys. You're getting older, Noah. There're things that... well, ya see...," his voice trailed off.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Go on."

He sighed in frustration. "Other guys are gonna expect you to act a certain way now that you're getting older."

"Like how?" 

"Like chasing after girls. Not playing with them after school."

I shook my head. "So, you're saying... I should start chasing after Lilah?" 

"No! I'm saying..," Flustered, he dropped his hands into his lap. "You know what? I don't know what I'm saying. Don't listen to me. Just don't be surprised when people keep giving you two shit for spending so much time together." 

Seeing that he was gonna be no more help, I laid off with the questions. The two of us sat in silence while I struggled to see what the big deal was. 

Lots of people are friends who are boys and girls. So why is it suddenly such a big deal for me and Lilah? 

I knew a lot of it had to do with the fact that gossip was a way of life here, as much as the swamps, and the fields, and the rivers. And, that Lilah and her mother were the current flavor of the month. 

So why did a part of me feel like Wyatt was right? 

I was eleven years old, about to be twelve in a few months. I wasn't an idiot. I knew I would soon change just like Reid had, and just like Wyatt was doing now. That I would start to look different, act different, even talk different.

But, would I really change so much that me and Lilah couldn't be friends without people assuming it was something more?

I never thought about our friendship outside of the here and now. As time went on, would everything change?

I thought about what Wyatt said. About how it wouldn't hurt to make some friends that were guys. I wasn't opposed to it, it's just that I never really needed to before. It wasn't a bad idea.

And, if it couldn't hurt, then it could only help. It might even get my father off my back a little. 

Maybe distancing myself from Lilah would help squash the rumors and give us both the chance to be normal again.

Having made up my mind, I started to feel better about the whole thing. At least this way, I could feel like I was doing something besides being helpless.

After much begging, Wyatt agreed to let me tag along after school with him and his friends. We played football. We smoked cigarettes. We talked about girls. OK... I mostly listened while they talked about girls. 

This became my new daily routine.

The only time I saw Lilah was our brief meetings in the hall where she continued to act like I didn't exist. 

When I finally got my bus privileges back, I was surprised to find Lilah had given my seat to another one of our classmates, a girl named Sam that she sometimes talked to. 

The few times I blew off Wyatt and his friends to go to her house to try to talk to her, she wouldn't answer the door.

At a loss for what I had done, I continued with my new routine, hoping that she would eventually talk to me. 

Wyatt and I grew closer. In the past, he treated me like his annoying little brother, but the more time we spent hanging out, the more he began to treat me like an equal. I started to consider his friends my own, hanging out with them when

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