Chapter Eleven

Noel doesn't know how she managed to make it back home, but after falling asleep on top of the water tower, she woke up the next morning in her bed, still wearing the same clothes from last night. She tried asking Harken what happened, but as usual, he was gone before she woke up in the morning.

Her only hope is to ask him at school, but on her way with Priscilla, she was asked how her night went, which reminded her of the shameful events that took place between Harken and her.

She had her first kiss taken by Harken Lewis.

Noel's face gave away her thoughts the second she thought of them, causing Priscilla to hound her for information the entire car ride, not even resting when they arrived at Noel's locker.

"Just tell me! What happened after I left last night? Did Nolan end up texting you back?" Priscilla asks. At the mention of his name, Noel remembers that she never responded to his text last night and instead just fell into despair the moment she read it. Maybe today she can have the chance to talk to him about it.

"Speaking of Nolan, did you see him in the parking lot this morning?" Noel asks.

Priscilla shakes her head. "Now that you mention it, I don't think I saw his truck either. I have the first period with him, I'll let you know if I see him."

Noel looks down the hall towards his locker and doesn't see the usual pose hanging around it, a clear sign Nolan hasn't shown his face at school yet.

"Maybe something really did happen with his family last night," Noel shrugs and continues to pull her books out.

Priscilla frowns and narrows her eyes at her. "I didn't expect you to be so chipper after the way I left you last night, you're even waving off what happened like it was nothing. Something definitely happened last night."

"Just drop it, alright? Nothing happened." Noel shuts her lock and turns away from Priscilla and walks right into the stone-hard chest of Harken, hitting her nose a little too hard against him. She sees his chest shake and hears his deep chuckle, shivers running through her similar to last night, the image of them kissing popping into her head again.

She can feel her face heating but has no chance to hide it.

Why did he have to show up now? She hasn't had the chance to get over what happened and figure out how to deal with it moving forward.

"What are we talking about, Little Red?" he asks her, his tone coming off in his usual teasing way.

She lifts her head to see him giving her a crooked smile, acting like there is no awkward tension between them like she is feeling. Is she really the only one feeling like this? Does he not feel awkward towards her at all?

"Uh, nothing much. What are you doing here?" she asks.

"What are you doing for your spare period today?"

Unsure why he is asking, she hesitates. "Nothing, why?"

"My friend Abel got me new tires for my bike, come with me to install them during your spare."

"What, why me?" she frowns. He is acting as nothing happened between them, and she isn't sure how to feel about it.

"I need the extra weight when I test them out, make sure there isn't anything wrong with the axle or pressure. Come on, it's not like you have anything better to do," he says and gives her his best puppy dog eyes.

She feels the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile, suppressing it when she remembers Priscilla standing next to her, observing their interaction like a mama hawk.

"Okay, I guess so," she agrees.

Harken's face breaks out into a grin, startling Priscilla. "Thanks, Little Red, I'll see you in the second period," he says with a wink, turning around and running off, leaving both Priscilla and Noel in stunned silence.

"Well, your relationship seems to have gotten better," she mumbles. "What the hell happened? He's like a different person."

Noel frowns after him, wondering the same. "I'll tell you during lunch, I have to get to class."

Priscilla narrows her eyes at Noel. "You better, I knew you were lying about something last night, I know you too well, Nole."

Noel gives her a hesitant smile.

Do you...?

Noel feels nervous as she approaches the door of her math class, knowing Harken is waiting for her on the other side. She has been sitting at the front of the class while he sits at the back for the past few weeks. Will today be the same? He didn't ignore her in the hall earlier and acted like nothing ever happened between them.

Walking into the class, she is quickly called out to by Harken as she expected, even saving her a seat, and waving her over to it.

"I had a feeling you were going to try and avoid me during class, judging how you reacted this morning," he says, giving her another wink.

What is with him lately?

"Can you blame me? It seems I'm the only one who is feeling awkward right now or are you just going to pretend as nothing happened?" she asks.

Harken rolls his eyes, but she notices he also scans the room quickly to see who is lingering nearby, lowering his voice when he speaks. "It was just a kiss, Little Red. I'm not going to apologize for it because I don't regret it, but I'm not sure what you're expecting out of it."

Noel feels angered by this. She wasn't expecting him to apologize, and she doesn't even know what she was expecting out of it either, but he doesn't have to wave it off like it was nothing.

"I'm not expecting anything...but it was my first."

Harken looks over at her, his brows knitted together. "Your first what?"

Taking a deep breath, she mutters the words. "My first kiss, Harken, you took my first kiss. I wasn't expecting anything out of it, but I didn't want it to be treated like it was nothing, that's all."

Harken realizes he messed up, quickly sitting upright in his chair and leaning towards her. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I didn't realize that's how you felt, Little Red."

His words are comforting, but she still feels bothered by the situation and he can tell.

"This isn't the place or time; can we talk about it during your spare?" he asks.

She doesn't have reason to argue and nods her head, opening her textbook to try and zone into the lesson as Mr. Bertram walks in and dives right into where they left off the other day. She tries her best to focus on the equations she is trying to solve, but she can feel the burning gaze of Harken on the side of her face the entire time.

She is thankful when class ends, and although she isn't angry at him, she feels the need to escape the room as fast as possible. "I'll see you after lunch," is all she says to him, not even able to offer him a small smile before she gathers her things and leaves.

Meeting Priscilla at her locker, she drags her out to the bleachers and unloads everything that has happened since last night between her and Harken, not leaving a single detail out. Even Priscilla is unable to process the number of dramatic details of her story, trying her best to console Noel after she is done ranting.

"Men are stupid, honey. Your hair will turn grey from trying to figure them out, it's just best not to and focus on yourself," Priscilla says to her, Noel leaning against her friend as her hair is stroked comfortingly, like a child. Even though Priscilla is only a few months older than Noel, her birthday is in July and Noel always has a weird birthday, being the first day of the year, Priscilla has always treated her like a younger sister or daughter at times, having matured much quicker than Noel due to her family and home life.

"Is that why you still haven't tried finding anyone to settle down with? Or are you waiting for a certain bartender to notice you?" Noel teases, remembering what Isaac told her at the party about Priscilla's secret crush. She was reminded of the mysterious Abel when she heard his name again from Harken last night and today at her locker. Seems she will finally meet this man and find out just who can shake the usually confident and composed Priscilla Wright.

Noel is suddenly pushed off of her friends' lap as Priscilla glares at her.

"How did you find out about that, who told you? Was it Harken?"

Noel can't help but laugh at her friend. "Calm down, girl, it wasn't Harken. If you want to blame anyone you can blame Isaac, but don't really because he thought I knew. Anyway, you want to tell me now, just who this Abel Hayes is, and why you never mentioned him to me before?"

Priscilla knows there is no way out of this and proceeds to tell a similar story to what Isaac told her with more details, of how she met Abel Hayes and his parents. Turns out the reason Priscilla helped Abel save his parents' pub is that she fell for him, and although she was already against seeing her dad try and take advantage of a hardworking business for the lousy benefit of his trophy wife, she was determined to stop this deal by all means just to help the Hayes family.

It was after that, Priscilla continued to return to the pub and order meaningless food she would never try anywhere else in her life, being too young to drink and her face pretty known for being the mayor's only daughter. She tried her best to get Abel's attention, but she has only ever been treated as another customer or Isaac's younger friend.

"Do you think I'm pathetic for trying even though it's hopeless?" Priscilla whines to Noel. It's her turn to console Priscilla, wrapping an arm around her and patting her shoulder.

"I don't think you are. It just means you care a lot about him, and you have a lot of heart. I wouldn't want someone who doesn't care that much for me chasing me, they would probably lose interest the moment they finally got me and hurt me in the end by leaving or cheating on me after they've given me the chance to fall for them."

It grows oddly quiet between them, Noel looking to Priscilla to see her staring intently at her. "What's with that look?" she asks.

"Doesn't that sound close to someone you know?"

Noel is just remembering what her mother has often said to her when she was younger. "I don't know what you mean?"

Their conversation is cut off when she hears Harken calling out to her across the field.

"Speak of the devil," Priscilla mutters, but Noel doesn't hear her. Her attention is focused on Harken, watching him as he strides across the field toward them, wearing a thick black hoodie with the sleeves drawn up, showing off his inked forearms.

She doesn't realize she is biting her lip nervously as she pays attention to every detail of his body, to the walk his long legs stretch out in front of him, to the way his broad shoulders shift as he moves his arm, his other hand stuck in his jacket pocket. She can see the muscles in his neck and collarbone bulge and move, reminding him of the slight feel she got last night when they were kissing, being pressed against him with her hands trapped between their chests, she was given no choice but to feel the hardened muscles and abs through his tight-fitting shirt.

"Are you done checking him out? You're going to burn a hole in him at this rate." Priscilla breaks through her trance, smirking at her. She gives her a playful shove but feels her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"You ready to go?" Harken asks her, his expression oddly troubled, reminding Noel of how she left him in class. She didn't mean to storm off on him, it was just hard for her to get a grasp on her emotions at that time. What could she expect after one random kiss, to become his girlfriend? If every girl Harken has ever kissed had that expectation from him, he wouldn't still be as available and single as he is.

So, why should she think she is any different?

"Hello? Earth to Little Red? Do you compute?" Harken waves a hand in her face, snapping her out of it. "Come on, this bike isn't going to fix itself, I need those tires for when winter hits."

"Why? It's not like Bisbee gets a whole lot of snow here," Priscilla asks, then looks as if she has thought of something ingenious. "Say, when are you going to let me go for a ride on your bike?"

Harken scoffs at her. "Sitting on the back of my bike is a privilege not many get."

"What the hell is so special about Amy Stone? Noel, are you hearing this? Amy Stone is apparently better than your best friend and worthier of sitting on Harken's prized possession."

Noel feels her stomach churn when she is reminded of the scene from the mall a few weeks ago. She remembers her and Harken locked eyes, he saw her there clear as day.

"Amy's never been on my bike, what are you talking about?"

Noel is glad to have Priscilla in moments like this, never having the courage to call out people for their lies to their face, but she is a pro at it, following in her father's footsteps to seek out bad intentions and hidden agendas, calling them out on the spot for it.

"We all saw you and her at the mall the other week, it was sickening the way you let girls just cling to you like that."

Harken just frowns and looks down as if trying to remember. Noel can't trust if this is an act or not either.

"I was just showing her it, of course having a motorcycle attracts attention, and I'm pretty proud of the condition I've kept mine in. What's wrong with that? But she has never been on it."

It's Noel who snaps, unable to take him denying it any longer. If he doesn't see anything wrong with that day, why is he trying so hard to hide it then?

"I saw you put the helmet on her head, you even helped her with the chin strap," she says quietly. Harken's face softens and it looks like he's trying not to laugh. Does he seriously find her misery funny?

"Yeah, and you walked away after that with Nolan, right?"

"So?" Noel asks.

Harken just shakes his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can we talk about this after? I have to meet Abel soon, or his afternoon shift at the pub is going to start."

There he goes again, avoiding it and acting like nothing is wrong.

Noel doesn't say anything but stalks off the bleachers, pushing past him toward the parking lot. She is angry and irritated but doesn't know why. The only reason she is still going with him is to hear whatever excuses he comes up with to justify her anger.

Harken remains silent until they make it to the parking lot.

"I only did that to piss you off," he mutters.

Noel stops and turns towards him. "What?"

"The day at the mall, I just used Amy to make you angry. She's never ridden on my bike, no one has except Abel, and now you."

Noel frowns, feeling an odd sense of relief, all the misplaced anger and irritation from before gone. "It doesn't matter to me. You don't have to prove your point so badly."

"Your display with Nolan afterwards says otherwise."

Once again, they find themselves in an endless bicker. She takes a deep breath and sags her shoulders, feeling defeated.

"Am I not allowed to do whatever you do? Girls can cling to you all day, but I can't hang out with one guy? Or is it because that guy is Nolan James?"

He frowns. "If I said yes, would that make a difference?"

What is that supposed to mean? Does he really have something against Nolan?

"Sure, I'll just target a different guy. Isn't that what you guys do anyway?"

Harken growls in frustration. "Are you really that dense, Noel? Have you seen the girls that chase guys like Nolan and me? They're nothing like you."

Noel isn't sure why but hearing him say that hurts. She has never wanted to be compared to any of the slutty girls that like to hang around Nolan and his gang. But she doesn't know why it bothers her that Harken doesn't think of her like that.

Is he really not attracted to her at all?

Then why kiss me?

He did say he didn't expect anything out of it.

"Why did you even invite me out today if all we're going to do is argue?" she mumbles, feeling all the energy drain from her body.

He pauses, before letting out a deep sigh. Surprising her, he reaches out and pulls her in for a hug, wrapping his arms around her neck and squeezing her to his chest.

"I'm sorry, okay? I've just been on edge a lot recently, I didn't mean to take it out on you so much, Little Red."

His simple gesture and shock of apologizing are enough to dissipate her irritation, leaving her feeling confused and drained. Lifting her arms, she gives him a squeeze back, wondering what in the world he is thinking.

"Screw my bike, let's go grab something to eat," he suddenly says, pulling away.

"Don't you have someone waiting on you?"

He shrugs. "I'll text him later, Abel will understand when I say I ditched him for you," he says with a grin.

She wants to ask him what he means by that, she has never met Abel and he doubts he cares much for her, but he is already turning back towards the parking lot, tugging her along with him. Walking over to his motorcycle, he lifts the seat compartment and takes out the helmet he bought for her.

"Doesn't this take up a lot of room?" she asks.

"I don't carry a whole lot in here, right now it's just used for books and personal shit."

"I can just hold onto it then, I'm not always with you." He did say no one else rides the back of his bike, except Abel, and chances are he isn't going to fit this helmet.

Harken takes it and just like the first time, puts the helmet on for her, doing up the chin strap. He flips the visor up and smiles.

"Who says you won't always be with me?" he asks, his tone teasing but his eyes serious. It gives her mixed signals, but he turns away again and slips on his own helmet. Straddling his waist, it now feels different being so close to him, her stomach fluttering the entire way, blaming it on the adrenaline of still not being used to riding a motorcycle.

Noel tries her best to enjoy the ride this time, peeking her eyes open a little to take a look at the view, but closing them every so often when the blurring scenery makes her dizzy. They soon pull up to Pub Hayes, the place already looking lively for an early afternoon weekday.

Harken keeps the bike running, squeezing her leg to tell her to get off. She swings her other leg over and uses Harken's shoulder as leverage, noticing how his hand lingers on her leg as she jumps off.

He takes off his helmet, prompting her to as well. "Stay here, I'm going to bring it around back for Abel and then we'll go inside and grab something to eat."

Noel looks at the entrance of the pub, having passed it many times before but never daring to go in, the place looking rather intimidating to her even now. She hears Harken cut the bike engine and he joins her out front soon after, reaching for her hand and gripping their fingers together.

"Ready?" Is all he says, not waiting for any response before tugging her toward the entrance. Fuzzy tingles are erupting from the fingers he is gripping between his, shooting up her arm like fireworks.

Harken pushes through the door, and Noel braces herself for the dark and dreary bar that awaits her. Instead, she is hit with a blast of upbeat classical music pouring through the overhead speakers that surround the main room. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with a line of smiling patrons seated at the bar, looking like they're already six cups deep, but having the grandest time.

The place is nothing as she expected, and from the smell drifting from the kitchen, the food doesn't seem half bad either. Harken continues to pull her through the small crowd and towards a lonesome table in the back.

"Sit here, and don't look at or talk to anyone." Harken sits her down, giving her a firm look before wading his way back through the crowd to the bar. Noel watches as a tall, dark-skinned man with shiny brown hair that would make any girl cry walks out from the back, greeting Harken with the usual guy high-five slash hug.

Is that Abel? I understand how he can fluster even Priscilla.

He is a good-looking man, but Noel can't shake the lingering feeling that she has seen him before, not remembering where. Harken said he went to Bisbee high, and his parents are business owners in the city, she's bound to see him on the streets around this area.

But that doesn't feel right to her. She knows him from somewhere important.

Before she has the chance to think more about it, Harken returns with two baskets, one full of fries and the other overflowing with crisp onion rings.

"Abel should be coming with drinks in a second, thankfully we got plenty of time before his shift starts," Harken says, setting down the fries in between them but putting the basket of onion rings directly in front of himself.

"You don't plan on eating all of those, do you?" Noel teases. She assumed he grab two different things, not knowing what she likes and doesn't like yet.

"Well, you could help me if you didn't dislike such a delicious food as onions."

Noel laughs out of instinct but quickly backtracks. "Wait – I don't like onions. How did you know that? I don't think I've ever mentioned it."

For the past few weeks, they've also barely eaten together at home.

Harken looks hesitant at first, but then his eyes light up. "I saw your dad picking off some onions on a pizza he ordered one night, he told me it was because you don't like onions and they messed up the order and put some on."

"Oh, I didn't realize even he paid that much attention to me," she mumbles, not noticing the slight look of relief on Harken's face.

"I know he isn't there for you a lot, and that's kind of a dick move of him, but he is still your dad, and he clearly cares somewhat about you. I don't think I've ever seen any of my friends' parents go as far as to pick off onions from an entire extra-large pizza, just because they fucked up and their kid doesn't like onions," Harken points out.

Noel now feels a little guilty for some of the things she has thought about her dad in the past, always understanding he is grieving in his own way, but it has been a long time and she has always wished he would return to at least being a dad, coming home at night and helping her navigate life.

Their conversation is interrupted when Abel arrives with what looks like two beers in his hand, and a cup of soda. She can already assume the soda is for her, but Harken is only a year older than her, still under the legal drinking age.

"Why does he get to drink?" she teases Abel, hoping to also break the ice for their first official meeting, already knowing quite a bit about him.

An icy chill sets over the table, and even Abel looks uncomfortable.

"I'd rather you didn't touch alcohol while we're here," Harken sighs.

Noel wrinkles her nose, once again confused at his sudden attitude change but warming up to it at the same time. Abel is the one to quickly divert the conversation.

"Don't believe we've had the chance to meet, but I'm sure we've heard a lot about each other," he jokes and sticks out his hand to Noel. "I'm Abel Hayes, nice to finally meet you, Noel."

She smiles and shakes his hand. "Likewise, Abel. Anyone who can stomach being a long-time friend of this guy is an interest of mine. I'm sure you have many stories," she says and kicks Harken under the table. He doesn't seem phased by it as he just grins at her.

Noel then notices he has been staring at his phone the entire time she and Abel have been talking, but it doesn't look like he's using it, just staring at something on the screen.

"You better down that, if you want your tires changed," Abel says to Harken, causing him to perk up.

"I thought you said you work at 2? That only gives you like 20 minutes out of the half-hour?"

Abel just shakes his head. "Do you want this done or not?"

Harken looks like a kid on Christmas, about ready to bolt towards the tree, but he stops and looks at Noel pleadingly as if asking for permission to leave.

"It's fine, go. That's originally what we went out to do," she says and waves him off, a small smile curving her lips.

"Again, don't move from this spot, don't-"

"Don't look at anyone, don't talk to anyone, don't even breath in the same direction as someone," she cuts him off. "I got it, now go, you're going to make the hardworking man late for his shift."

Abel chuckles, giving her a small wink, Harken is long gone. "He means well," he says.

"I'm sure he does." She watches as Abel disappears after Harken through the back exit door, deciding to turn to her phone for entertainment, thinking over the events of the last few days.

She went to her first party, had her first alcoholic drink, and had her first kiss. She has done everything she never planned for, except get a date. With Nolan, she came so close, almost believing it was just a joke, until seeing that he isn't at school today, it seems to make sense.

But she can't shake the feeling that she should be embarrassed or angry about it. Nolan hasn't said anything to her since, but she also never responded to his text about cancelling, it doesn't make her look the greatest either.

I should just try and play it cool, maybe he really was genuine.

Making up her mind, she opens the message thread between her and Nolan.

'I understand why you cancelled; I hope everything is alright. I really appreciate you asking me out and I won't lie and say I haven't hoped one day you would, but I think that day has passed. This almost date helped me realize a lot of things, so I do have to thank you for that 😊'

Her fingers tremble as they hover over the send button, quickly pressing it in a flash second and slamming her phone down on the table.

Her nerves are buzzing to the point where she literally jumps at the sound of a phone going off, looking to the table in front of her and seeing that Harken left his phone behind.

That's weird... She thinks, realizing his phone went off right after she sent her text to Nolan. Assuming it's coincidental, she takes a quick peek at his phone and feels her heart drop to her stomach as she reads the very text she just sent Nolan.

Rage blinds her as she grips his phone and marches through the crowd towards the door Abel left through. Pushing it open so it slams against the concrete wall behind it, her eyes narrow in on Harken and Abel, both jumping back from the bike in surprise.

"Whoa, Little Red, coming in hot. You aren't supposed to take your nickname liter-"

She chucks his phone at his chest. "You're a fucking asshole!"