Golden Boy (EDITING)

Chapter 8

"This is Reagan, she's new, be nice to her, Astrid you can show her around." My teacher said.

I looked up from my daydream and saw a girl with bright orange, curly hair. I had seen her in the diner a couple of times with her boyfriend Harvey Jackson, who was captain of the swimming team. They always ordered bacon sandwiches and raspberry slushies.

She walked to the back the classroom and slumped in the seat next to me. She had turned her school uniform into something that looked way cooler and made it acceptable to the dress code. She had a pink small rucksack that was covered in badges of places where she had travelled.

"Hey," She whispered.

"Hey."

"You work in Duke's Diner, don't you?" She said.

"Yeah."

"Cool."

We sat in silence for the rest of the lesson but it was comfortable and afterwards she followed me to my table alone in the corner.

"This corner is so nice, how is it not taken?" She said, sliding down into the seat.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Where the people you sit with?" She asked, gently.

"Max, my twin brother is at football practice or kissing a cheerleader somewhere. Penelope my friend likes to hang out with the cheerleaders and the football team. I used to sit with them in the first year but it was so boring. Then Noah sometimes sits with us." I said.

After last night, things got slightly awkward.

We were hugging in his dark room, he kissed my forehead and we snuggled up on his bed to sleep, but Maisie started crying. I don't see how anyone can just leave their child. Noah left to go and see Maisie and I ran out of the house and home.

Luckily I beat Duke to it, but felt so bad leaving Noah without an explanation. He's been avoiding me all day.

"Noah, eh?" Reagan said, raising her eyebrows.

"It's complicated." I replied.

"Completely get it." She said.

She took a bite of her lunch and Noah wasn't mentioned again.

Harvey Jackson slid onto the seat next to Reagan and put his arm around her.

Harvey Jackson. The most 'popular', 'hot', 'gorgeous' boy in the school. This meant trouble for Reagan from most of the girls in our school.

"Hey, I'm Harvey Jackson." He said, smiling at me.

"Astrid James," I returned a smile.

"Wait, are you Max's sister?" He grinned.

I nodded and smiled.

Half the girls in the canteen were staring daggers at me and Reagan.

To make things worse, Harvey leaned in and kissed Reagan on the cheek.

"Are you trying to get everyone to hate me?" Reagan said, laughing. So she had noticed the stares.

"No, I just want everyone to know your mine."

I made a puking noise.

Harvey and Reagan looked and me and laughed.

"Watch this." Harvey leant over to whisper to me.

He got up and walked half way across the canteen.

"See you later, babe! Love you!" Before speed walking out of the canteen.

Reagan covered her face in embarrassment whilst I laughed at her.

Immediately, Penelope came wandering over with two of her friends.

"Hey, Astrid, my darling friend? How's the diner?" She asked, smirking.

"Good, how's the new flat?" I shot back.

"Great, I love it." She smirked.

I stood up so I my face was close to hers.

"Your parent's deserve to be dead. They made one to many mistakes. You being one of them." She spat.

"Don't bring my parents, into this Penelope." I said, angrily.

"Well, they dump you lot with Duke, even though Duke is struggling then your Dad kills a man and your Mum drives into a lake with poor little Emma in the back. Poor Emmie." She mocked me.

As soon as she said Emmie my fist connected with her face. Hard.

She screamed and she pushed me onto the floor.

She sat on-top of me and started punching my face.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" I heard Reagan shout.

She tried to drag Penelope off of me but she's incredibly strong.

"GET OFF OF HER!"

It was Noah's voice.

I could hear it.

Penelope was still punching and all I could see was red.

Noah picked Penelope up and handed her to Harvey who held her to calm her down.

"IF YOU EVER TOUCH MY SISTER AGAIN I SWEAR TO GOD, PENELOPE!" Max screamed at her full volume.

Max punched the wall next to him in anger, he checked I was safe and then stormed out of the room.

Noah picked me off of the floor and carried me to the nurses office.

The nurse wasn't in, so Noah helped clean the blood and hold an icepack to my face.

"How much did you hear?" I asked him, quietly.

"Pretty much all of it." He said, honestly.

And with that I broke down sobbing. Full on. Sobbing. I hadn't cried since the incident and thinking about it was just so heart-breaking.

Noah wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed into his shoulder. I think he was shocked because I never cried.

"Just know, I'm here for  you." Noah said.

I nodded and wrapped my arms around him, feeling slightly more better .