Chapter Twenty Four

{A/n - Change in POV - Ashley's latest best friend in her clique}

Couple days later...

He's a Monster!

Zoe Lopez POV

"Listen up, you little bitch."

"You better get your ass down here right now." I heard my Step-father voice echoing through out the house.

My biological Father lost his life in a car accident when I was six years old and my Mother ended up marrying a wealthy guy, regardless.

Years after she happily got married, she became bedridden and she ended up passing away last year due to a tumor in her brain.

Every since my Mother died, my Step-father tends to physically direct all his issues and anger towards me.

He blames me for everything...

"Are you hearing me?" I heard him yelling from downstairs.

"Coming." I quickly went down the staircase.

I made it into the living room and I caught my breath at the door before I looked at the couch to see the monster, himself.

"Yes?" I walked around the couch and he glanced at me while he drank from a bottle of whiskey.

"Where were you?" He asked with his feet resting on the coffee table and I figured he was drunk again, since he was staying home from work.

"I'm running late for school, so I..." He interrupted me.

"Oh...really...and where's my breakfast?" I watched as he began to look around in the living room.

Shit!

"I will go and make it right now." I told him before I rushed towards the kitchen.

I quickly prepared his breakfast though I knew I was going to be extremely late for school.

An hour later, my hands trembled while I carried his breakfast to the living room. I placed the tray of food beside his burnt-out cigarettes on the coffee table.

"Come to me." I heard him saying when I was slowly escaping his presence while avoiding eye contact.

I looked at him and he gestured his hand for me to come closer. I inhaled a deep breath when I stood closer to the couch and he exhaled a sigh while staring at me.

"You look just like her." He claimed as he grabbed me by the hair and I winced while I crashed beside him on the couch.

I predicted he was referring to my Mother, however, he held my head against his chest while sniffing my hair and weeping on the low.

I kept still while trying to control my shakily breathing against his chest as he continued to cry in my hair and drinking from his bottle.

We remained in the same position on the couch while I started to count the minutes.

After an entire thirty minutes, I flinched when I heard his empty bottle falling to the floor from his hand while breaking the silence in the living room.

Then I came to realization, he was too silent at the moment and I slowly moved my stiffened neck from his chest.

He was currently passed out on the couch with his mouth wide opened while the back of his head was resting against the headrest of the couch.

I steadily withdraw myself from his presence and I stood on the other side of the coffee table before I picked up his empty whiskey bottle from the floor.

I placed it onto the table and I gave my Step-father one last glance before I exited the living room.

By the time my cab arrived at school, it was already lunch time and I was holding my bag against my back by the straps as I headed towards the cafeteria.

When I entered the lunch room, I realized Lexi, Chloe nor Ashley wasn't sitting at our lunch table and they were nowhere to be found inside the cafeteria.

I exhaled a small breath due to their second absence of the week.

Then I walked out of the lunch room and I went towards the school's library to complete my Mathematics homework which was due tomorrow.

When I entered the library, I saw Noah and Scott messing around with the librarian while he sleeps at the front desk.

As I slowly walked by, they both were carefully drawing a mustache and a penis with markers on the librarian's face.

I slightly gasped to myself before softly chuckling as I went to take a seat at an empty table while the other students pretended not to see them.

I placed my backpack on the table after taking a seat and I took out my Mathematics book along with the textbook including a pencil.

Meanwhile, I saw Noah and Scott snapping a photo of the sleeping librarian before they went over to a table in the library.

I realized Carlos was sitting at the table with his usual headset over his ears and I watched as they displayed a phone before cracking up with chuckles.

I slightly smiled to myself at their great friendship before I returned my attention to my books.

Minutes later, I silently completed my homework and I placed my belongings into my bag before I stood up from the table.

I made it towards the exit while fixing my bag over a shoulder and I realized the three boys were exiting the library as well.

I looked at Noah as he exited ahead of me with Carlos and Scott while laughing.

I silently exited the library behind the boys; I've always been a shadow in school, but Lexi somehow befriended me after we got paired to complete an assessment and I managed to meet Chloe along with Ashley.

They're basically the only three friends I have so far and I'm quite grateful for their friendship...

When I bumped into a figure, I realized I wasn't paying attention to where I was actually walking and I quickly apologized while taking a step backwards.

The figure turned out to be Scott and he looked at me with curiosity in his eyes while turning around as the other two stopped as well.

"I thought it was the Principal, you got no presence." Scott chuckled at me and I shyly avoided eye contact while nodding.

"You're friends with Ashley, right?" I heard Noah asking me and I quickly nodded while screaming inside my head since he actually spoke to me.

"What's your name?" I heard Carlos questioning while he leans against the nearest locker beside us in the hallway.

"I think it's Chloe." I watched as Noah looked between Scott and Carlos while my heart crumbled.

My crush doesn't know my name...

I'm completely invisible to him...

Noah's black messy hair, piercing hazel eyes and enthusiastic personality...

He's a total joker, but he's still my dearest crush...

"No, Chloe is the new Cheer captain." I heard Scott assuming while looking at Noah.

"And who's Lexi, again?" Carlos asked the boys while touching his jaw and I slowly stepped aside.

"Who's Ashley?" Noah started to laugh with Scott and Carlos rolled his eyes before joining them.

"No more smoking pot before school." I overheard Scott saying and my eyes widened as I slowly walked around them.

"Where are you going?" I heard Noah questioning my escape as he turned to look in my direction.

I simply pointed down the hallway.

"I will catch up with you bros later..." Noah pointed a finger at the boys as he approached me and they saluted him.

"Keep him safe for us..." I heard Scott whining as he pointed to me and I blushed while Carlos pulled him away by the collar.

"Oh...yes...Zoe?" Noah said as he placed his arm around my shoulders.

I squealed in my head.

"And we're in the same Maths class." He recalled while nodding to himself.

He actually noticed me...

"Yeah...yeah." I cleared my throat, awkwardly while he looked at me.

"You're kinda cute, you know." He chuckled while looking ahead and I felt as if I was floating into heaven, but I played it close to being normal.

"And you're kinda ho...high." I stuttered on my words as we continued to walk in the hallway and he touched his forehead.

"My body temperature?" He asked while looking at me and I quickly shook my head.

"I'm joking, I know what you meant, but let's keep it between us...okay?" He chuckled while extending his little finger.

I smiled as I looked at his finger.

"Okay." I shook his finger with mine and he grinned while we quietly walked.

Noah POV

"Mr. Noah, a kind reminder that the assigned homework from last week is due tomorrow." I groaned in agony when I saw the Maths Teacher approaching her car in the parking lot.

The bros laughed.

"Which one exactly?" I shouted at her and she gave me a stink eye while ignoring my question as she entered her car.

"You better get it done, young man, or I will be informing your parents about your bonker reputation in school." She pointed a finger in my direction and I gaze as she drove away.

Oh, right...I'm the school's comedian...the class clown...the life of the gang...the energetic freak...just for being me.

As the infamous Joker once said, my life is like a comedy...

My folks couldn't care less or give a fuck if I should drop out of school since they already have a family job for me to embrace in the future, but who gives a shit about what anyone thinks...

"Noah be bonker." I heard Scott chuckling as he leans against his bike in the parking lot.

Carlos smirked.

"And pussies be trippin." I said while we continued to chill in the school's parking lot.

They both laughed.

"Where the fuck is Tyson?" Carlos seemed curious as he relaxed against my jeep.

"You mean, where the heck are the others?" I snickered since I haven't see Mason, Tyler nor Chase since week.

"They be ditching us, man." Scott looked ahead as he ruffled his hair.

"There's Ashley and the quiet one from earlier." I looked in the direction when Carlos pointed and I spotted Ashley entering the parking lot with Zoe.

"Give me a minute." I told them while I jumped down from the hood of my jeep.

"Take your time." Scott fanned me away and I walked towards Zoe as she stood beside Ashley in the parking lot.

"Are you sure?" I overheard Ashley questioning Zoe as I approached them.

"Yeah, someone's coming to pick me up." I saw Zoe nodding and I stood beside them while they both looked at me.

"Ladies." I greeted them as I threw my arms around their shoulders while I stood in the middle.  

"Hey, Noah." Ashley assaulted me by the ear while Zoe smiled warmly at me.

"What did I do?" I narrowed my eyes at Ashley though I knew she can be playfully abusive sometimes.

"You stole my markers this morning." She reminded me with a glare and I chuckled, nervously.

"For productive reasons." I cleared my throat while recalling the prank on the school's librarian at lunch time.

Ashley rolled her eyes.

I looked at Zoe when she slightly chuckled with her hand covering her mouth since she was also in the library at the specific time.

I flashed her a wink of silence and she blushed while looking the other way then Ashley made eye contact with me.

"Oh, yes...speaking of productivity, do you have the notes on the Maths homework which is due tomorrow?" I questioned Zoe and she quickly nodded while looking at me.

"You can just snap a photo." Zoe told me while she started to look through her bag.

"Of your contact info?" I suggested and she blushed deep red while handing me a book.

"Pathetic move." I heard Ashley muttering while looking the other way with her hands crossed.

"Um...sure." Zoe said while sliding her loose hair behind her ear and I took the book.

I nodded as I opened the book and she started to skip through the different pages while I recalled having only six written pages in my Mathematics book since the opening of the semester.

"Are you sure we both are in the same class?" I scratched the back of my head while awkwardly looking at Zoe.

Ashley chuckled.

Zoe nodded and I exhaled a deep breath before snapping a photo of the two full pages of Math equations.

"I don't have to do this, right?" I asked myself in a dull tone while looking through the homework on my phone.

"The answers are already there." I heard Zoe saying and I looked at her in confusion.

"What...it's there?" I brought the phone closer to my face and they both chuckled at me.

"Sounds like someone needs a Math tutor." Ashley patted me on the back in a pitiful manner and I handed my phone to Zoe, so she could add her contact.

"Working on it." I informed Ashley while I threw my arm over Zoe shoulders and Ashley shook her head with a slight smile on her face.

"Zoe." I heard a dude's voice while Zoe returned my phone and we all looked in the same direction.

Zoe POV

"Working on it." Noah told Ashley while he placed his arm over my shoulders and I saved my contact into his phone while grinning.

"Zoe." I heard my Step-father's voice in the parking lot while I returned Noah's phone.

We all looked in the same direction and I saw him standing beside his corroded truck in his mucky clothes which he wore this morning.

"What are you doing here?" I quickly approached him and he glared at me.

When Ashley offered a ride to drop me at my house since her parents will be picking her up from school, I told her someone will be picking me up instead.

However, I actually meant I was going to take a cab which I do almost every day since I didn't want my friends to meet him...

"How dare you leave me in this condition?" My Step-father questioned while I stood beside him in the parking lot.

"Is he your Father?" I saw Ashley approaching us with Noah.

I stayed quiet.

"And why was that boy hugging you, huh?" I heard my Step-father asking as he gripped me by the arm and I looked at him with a smile while trying not to wince.

"Can we go?" I pretended to smile at him and he looked at my friends.

I watched as a vehicle slowly drove up in the parking lot and Ashley stepped aside before approaching the car.

I realized it was her parents.

"Excuse me, but I'm Noah, her fellow classmate...and don't you think you're being a bit too harsh, sir." I stared when Noah extended a hand foward while chuckling as he gestured his brows towards my Step-father's grip on my arm.

"How dare you speak to me without being spoken to, boy?" I watched as my Step-father slapped Noah's hand away.

Noah slowly looked at me before smiling in response.

"It was in regards to your daughter, sir." Noah claimed while looking at my Step-father and he suddenly pushed me aside towards his truck.

"Get inside the truck." He ordered me and I stared at Noah before I slowly opened the door of the truck.

"And you better keep your hands to yourself, boy." I looked as my Step-father grabbed Noah by the collar of his shirt.

I froze...

"I would say the same, boy." Noah continued to smile as he shoved my Step-father in the chest.

"Stop!" I yelled when my Step-father raised a hand at Noah and I saw Ashley jogging towards us.

"I'm calling the Cops." I heard Ashley's Father, Mr. Sky informing us as he stood outside his car while her Stepmother was keenly watching us through the car window.

"Fuck the Cops, I have civilized rights!" My Step-father turned his attention to Mr. Sky instead and Ashley slowly pulled me away from the truck.

"Zoe, get in the fucking truck." My Step-father commanded while pointing to his truck. I ignored him as I saw three of the school's Security Guards approaching us while there were few students watching nearby.

"Bitch, don't let me come over there." He warned me and Ashley quickly guided me towards her Father while her Stepmother slowly exited the car.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Her Stepmother safely engulfed me in her arms while we stood beside the car and I realized my cheeks were wet as I held my head against her chest.

"What the heck is this all about, I just came here to pick up my bloody daughter." I heard my Step-father yelling from across the parking lot.

Then I saw Noah approaching us with Scott and Carlos while the Security Guards were restraining my Step-father as Mr. Sky walked over to the commotion.

"Has he been abusing you, Zoe?" I heard Ashley asking while the boys stood among us, but I looked at Noah.

"He's a Monster." I said as they watched the commotion when the Cops pulled up on the school's compound.

"He's mentally ill and he tends to get physically angry, but he's the only family I got." I admitted while Ashley's Stepmother slowly rubs my back.

Noah sighed and the boys quietly stared at me with Ashley.

"He's not the only one you got, Zoe, you have us too." I watched as Ashley smiled at me and I stared at her.

Noah also smiled at her point and Scott slowly nodded while pulling Carlos closer to his side as he ruffled Noah's head.

"You're safe, quiet one." Carlos told me with a nod and Scott slightly chuckled while Ashley rolled her eyes at the boys.

"Her name is Zoe Lopez and she's going to be my Math tutor." I heard Noah saying with a brag and we looked at him while Ashley's Stepmother slightly chuckled at us.

"Right?" Noah nervously scratched the back of his head while looking at me.

I softly chuckled before I nodded.

He smiled.

Friends...Family?