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[Chapter thirteen]

"Thank you, kids--oh my god, Nevaeh, honey, what happened to you?!" Tanya exclaims as she sees me still soaking wet and sticky from the fizzy drink incident.

"Noah happened." I grumble.

Tanya turns to her son with a glare and he just shrugs, emotionless like always.

She turns back to me and ushers me upstairs, to her room.

She rushes out of the room and returns a few minutes later with a pair of Noah's sweatpants, a white t-shirt and an old football hoodie with the last name 'KING' on the back.

No way! Noah plays football?!

Huh. I would've never guessed that.

"I know there's a reason you always have your hood up, so I thought I would let you use this one." Tanya smiles. Why does she look sad? "I hope you don't mind that it's a football one, it's the only one we really have around the house. Noah doesn't really wear hoodies, and when he does, he doesn't like to share them."

"It's fine. Thanks, Mrs. Ki--Tanya." I smile sheepishly.

She giggles a bit before going over to her chest of drawers and pulling out a pair of undies and a sports bra -still in their packaging- and hands them to me. "They're brand new."

"Thanks."

"The bathroom's right through that door." She points to a door next to another one, which I'm guessing is the closet. "I'm sure you'd like to use my bathroom rather than the one my boys -sometimes even Max and Dylan- share. Take as long as you need. I'll be back to check on you later."

"Thank you, Tanya." I smile. She smiles back and leaves the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

I start heading to the bathroom but freeze when I hear Tanya yelling at Noah.

A smirk makes its way onto my face.

Karma's a bitch, King.

*~*

I wrap my hair up in the towel before putting on the clothes Tanya gave me. I reach out to grab the hoodie off the rack but groan when I feel nothing but the cold metal.

I left the hoodie on Tanya's bed!

Remind me to face palm myself later.

I pull the towel off my head and put it back on the rack.

I run a hand through my damp hair before cracking open the bathroom door and slipping out.

I walk over to the bed and grab the hoodie.

Suddenly the door opens and Tanya steps into the room.

"Holy fudge-cicles!" I jump, dropping the hoodie.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear." Tanya apologises, bending down to pick up the hoodie. She stands up and her eyes land on my face as she hands me the hoodie.

"Uh, thanks." I mumble, throwing the hoodie on quickly, pulling the hood over my head, making sure my face is covered.

"Nevaeh, honey, you're beautiful." Tanya starts, gently lifting her hand and pushing the hood off my head. "I don't know why you hide your face, and I may never know, but whatever it is, you shouldn't hide your face because of it."

"I--uh--well--" I stutter, not being able to for a sentence.

"Nevaeh, if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here. Listen, tomorrow's Sunday. Noah, Max and Dylan always go off and destroy people mailboxes or something and Danny goes to his grandmother's house on Sundays. They're usually gone for the whole day." She explains. "Why don't you come over and we'll talk?"

"I...I'd like that." I smile softly.

She smiles back, placing a motherly kiss on my forehead before walking to the door. She places her hand on the doorknob before she stops and looks at me over her shoulder. "By the way, Noah has a thing for blue eyes and dimples."

My cheeks heat up slightly, making her chuckle before leaving the room.

*~*

"Will you be alright? I can walk you home."

"Carter, I just walked you home. If you walk me home, I'll just have to walk you right back." Noah rolls his eyes.

After a very awkward dinner which consisted of me kicking Noah's shin under the table and him kicking me right back, and everyone constantly looking between the two of us, Tanya made him walk me home.

"Whatever." I shrug. "Just don't blame me if you run into Pennywise and I'm not there to protect you."

"Later, Carter." He rolls his eyes, but I see a hint of a smile on his face before it disappears and he starts walking down my driveway.

"Hey, King?" I call making him stop halfway down my driveway and turn around to look at me.

"What, Carter?" He calls back.

"Shot for walking me home." I thank. "Shot is Kiwi slang for thanks, by the way."

"I guessed." He shakes his head slightly, a small smile on his face. "And no problem."

I turn back around and silently open the front door of my house and step inside.

Please be asleep. Please be asleep.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

And she's not asleep.

"I was at a friend's house." I say simply, shutting the door behind me.

"For two days straight?!" My mother's stands up off the couch. "And since when do you have any friends?!"

Ouch. Does anyone one have any Aloe Vera? I need to treat my burn.

"Since I was little. But I don't get to see many of them anymore, because you know, you kinda packed up and moved us halfway across the world." I roll my eyes.

"You watch your fucking tone, young lady!" She shouts.

"What tone? I'm talking normally."

"Shut the fuck up!" She throws the empty beer bottle at me.

I don't move or flinch and it narrowly misses my head, hitting the wall and shattering to pieces.

I shake my head, turning around to walk up the stairs.

"Goodnight, mother." I spit, walking up the stairs, hearing her fall on the couch and start sobbing.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! NOT HEAVEN! YOU!"

I shake my head, shutting my bedroom door and falling on my bed.

"I've been thinking the same think for the last two years, mum." I whisper, feeling the tears well up in my eyes roll down my cheeks.

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