56 (Ch 56)Broken Wings, Severed Horns II

Noah arrived at their local shopping centre, truly questioning his own behaviour.

'Why am I even here, it isn't like me to stay in touch with people' He wondered.

His opinion of Emma hadn't changed but maybe because he simply lacked anything better to do he'd interacted more with her than anyone else, as sad as that was. Saying he was underdressed was probably an understatement considering Noah was wearing his school sports uniform, the only thing besides his school uniform that Noah owned.

"My own little sport class prince charming" Emma giggled, separating from a group of friends she'd come with.

"It's easy to clean" Noah replied

"Can't tell if that's just a sneaky way of saying you think I'm messy or not?" Emma said, pouting a little.

"Just a general observation"

"Sure, sure… anyway come on we'll be late if we don't get food now"

Lines were never much of a bother to Noah but apparently, they were the bane of Emma's existence, moving around like a ball of energy and spouting random topics in an effort to reduce her boredom.

The food was as overpriced and sugar-filled as one could expect from movie cuisine, Noah not holding Emma back when she insisted to pay. Some may think it was rude but Emma had proposed and basically forced the meeting. Plus Noah lacked free time funds without a job and living off government subsidies.

Movies weren't a particularly enjoyable pass time for Noah but one filled with dancing did excite him a little. That excitement was drowned out with Emma continuous attempt to get closer and commence "Accidental" physical contact.

Noah would often blankly stare at her with his apathetic mask, causing Emma to giggle and recede only to try again when he wasn't looking. He was perfectly aware of why she was acting in such a manner, he just didn't care.

'Emma, you have shit taste in men' Noah thought, throwing popcorn at her in an effort to stop Emma for the fiftieth time.

The physical contact made him aware of that same pungent makeup smell that hung around her locker like a mist, strange considering she looked without a hint of it on.

'If there's any real magic in this tragic world, it's make up.' Noah reasoned.

Despite his constant warding of her physical interaction Emma didn't stop, determined to hold his hand by the end of the movie.

'You're almost mine, lost boy' Emma thought, giggling to herself despite her intentions being cute and pure.

Lost boy was the nickname Emma had come to give Noah, the boy who puzzled and intrigued her. Though Noah said he was bad and evil Emma didn't once see him do anything of the sort. He just went along with life, blank to the meaning and reason behind it. To her, Noah didn't look like some Devil, just a boy, lost in the river of life with no paddle to guide him.

"What did you think of the movie?" Emma asked, not hiding her desire to grab his hand.

"Okay… a little slow but the choreography was good" He replied, snacking on popcorn.

"Oh! I forgot to ask" Emma realised, walking in front of Noah and showing off her outfit.

"Wadda ya think? I bought It a few days ago"

In understanding of her effort, Noah didn't half-ass his inspection of her, though to onlookers it looked quite creepy. He compared what Emma was wearing to everything he had come to know about fashion and its intricacies.

"It's good, beautiful in fact," Noah said, giving his Honest opinion.

"Hehe, you called me beautiful" Emma giggled.

"I said your clothes were beautifully put together, don't mix words"

"Sure, sure Lost boy"

It was late into the daylight but both of them still decided to wander around the shopping centre. Emma would plead for Noah's opinion on certain clothes, dragging him around to many branded stores.

'Well, it's not like I want to buy anything myself' Noah reasoned.

They ended their trip at the top of a car park, Emma's mother apparently picking her up While Noah was just gonna walk down and take the bus.

"Your parents can't pick you up?" Emma asked.

"Don't have any" Noah swiftly replied.

"Oh…"

"It's fine," Noah replied, the atmosphere around them becoming a bit awkward.

Emma decided to make a move before she lost this chance, standing before Noah in a presenting stance. Her heart beat faster and faster as her tongue dried, trying to swallow back the words she wanted to spit out.

"Umm… Noah" Emma said, keeping her head down.

"Yes?"

"I…"

"Hey look, two car park love birds" A familiar and malicious sounding voice shouted, interrupting Emma before she could confess.

Noah recognised that boy named Daniel and his gang of supporters making their way towards him and Emma.

'What a pain…' He thought, guessing their intentions.

Laughing maniacally at his own joke Daniel stopped in front of Noah, inspecting the boy who was slightly taller than himself, his apathetic mask reflecting no concern, just boredom.

"Daniel, just leave us be," Emma said, her eyes growing a little misty and unclear, that light in them dimmer in a haze.

"Leave, why? You've found a new boyfriend and as the last, I think it's my job to give pointers. Right, Noah?" Daniel asked, never taking his eyes off of Noah's.

"We aren't dating," Noah said in his deadpan voice.

"Awe, look guys he's trying to cover for Emma. You're already doing a great job man" Daniel said, smiling before jabbing Noah in the gut.

Emma reacted immediately trying to get to Noah's aid but the group of guys held her back, clearly practised in this situation.

"Daniel stop!! If you wanna get back at me for leaving you this isn't the way to go about it!!" Emma screamed, hoping to gain the attention of anyone in rooftop car park.

Sadly it was late and this was planned. Daniel didn't forget the slight feeling of fear and revulsion Noah had made him feel. It bugged him to an almost endless extent that a bug like Noah wasn't already squashed beneath his feet.

'I don't give a fuck about that bitch, but it's a good excuse to have some fun with this brat' Daniel thought, sneering at the idea of his plan.

Noah had keeled over out of habit but his mask wasn't broken and he didn't react at all. He honestly couldn't remember the last time any amount of pain had bothered him. Daniel smirk lessened at the lack of reaction but he didn't even think of giving up, shoving Noah onto the ground.

"See Noah's fine, So what'd wanna know?" Daniel asked, straddling the downed boy.

A barrage of hits assaulted his face and torso, Emma nonstop begging for it to stop. Noah could see her normal expression faulting as she started to become more manic and reactive, like a deer in headlights.

"I could tell you her favourite colours" Daniel stated, never ceasing his barrage of violence on the forced down Noah.

"Her favourite places to eat"

"Her best friends"

"Where she live's"

"Where her mom and dad work"

Despite the rather bait he set out Noah didn't want to bite making Daniel even angrier. He also didn't seem to react to the sudden acts of violence the way Daniel had expected.

'Most people stall up when someone springs violence on them, but that's not what this is. It's like he doesn't care, like pain and blood don't phase him in the least. I wonder… are you like me, you little shit'

"Daniel, Please Stop!!!" Emma begged the light in her dimming as the darkness of this man leered over her. She clawed frantically, doing her best to reach Noah

'…The lights fading' Noah realised, throwing the boy named Daniel off of him.

If one asked Noah why he acted at that moment, you wouldn't get an answer because even he didn't know. Perhaps it was those bright eyes, ones that found some substance in his emptiness. Maybe it was that Faith in him that no one else seemed to share. It could have even been the fact that he'd seen that same fading light in his own eyes once.

But none of that mattered, in the end, all that did was his innate selfish human desires spurred on by it.

Daniel caught his balance looking back in Noah in surprise yet something seemed different, not just about the boy but the atmosphere around them.

'What is this' Daniel wonder, his body tensing instinctively as the hairs on the back of his neck started to stand.

Looking at Noah again Daniel felt his body tug back as if it wanted to run, meeting those dead and lifeless eyes. Emma was relieved seeing Noah defend himself, spotting the eyes he tried to hide reemerge, empty like a void.

'Dazzling' Emma thought, staring at those eyes that mesmerised her so much.

They seemed to carry the weight of an unending void, yet their owner didn't let it show or infect others if he could help it. Noah carried that weight alone without complaint or excuse and for that, he dazzled and enthralled her.

"Oh?… creepy eyes, that the best you got?" Daniel asked, his voice trembling slightly. "Did you expect that to sto-"

"You all get one chance to leave, anything that happens after is your own fault" Noah's voice cut him off, every syllable spoken by its ice-cold tone feeling like another razor blade held against Daniels's throat.

He stood still without raising his guard but still somehow managed to radiate a certain type of pressure that made it hard to breathe. Daniel assumed Noah was just a normal kid but this aura of danger felt like that of someone…

…who had killed before.