Page 51 of Greased

“Of course, Scar. I have been waiting until I could finally talk to you and tell you. You have been one of my biggest supporters and I knew you would be just as excited as I am.”

That does it. The tears I have been fighting finally break and I let out a choked sob.

“Shh Scar, please don’t cry. You will make me cry,” Emotion overcoming his voice.

“I can’t help it. I’m so fucking proud of you. I don’t think I have said it enough, but I am. You are there, Noah. After all the bad shit, you are living your dream. Being selected to debut for the Brumbies now is a real possibility!”

“Thanks, Scar,” he whispers.

“Now I guess it's you who still needs to remember us measly peasants when your face is posted on billboards around the country,” I laugh, recalling our earlier conversation.

Noah chuckles too, the heavy mood instantly lifting. “I could never forget you. You are my best friend. My ride or die. I still hold you to the pact we made when we were ten,” he says and I snort, instantly recalling what he is talking about.

“Noah, I love you but I’m not marrying your ass.”

“Come on, future wifey. I know you have secretly always wanted to be a WAG,” he laughs.

“Maybe when I was ten,” I chuckle, then since knowing what I’m about to tell him isn’t going to go down too well. “There’s also been a little bit of change in events.”

There is a slight hesitation to his reply, “...okay.”

“Um, so Rhodes took me to this club the night we got here. It's kind of like a gentlemen's club but super classy. It's also kind of a main hangout spot for everyone. Long story short, I ended up getting up on stage with these girls and singing which was incredible.” I hear Noah laugh but I don’t stop. “Afterwards, Rhodes introduced me to a couple of people. The girls from the band then dragged me over to this other group of people.” I pause, taking a breath. I feel like everything is coming out in one jumbled mess but I can’t seem to explain it any better, needing to just word vomit, “You will never guess who they introduced me to.”

I wait for a reply for a long time. Long enough that I have to check if we are still connected.

“No.” Is all Noah replies with.

“Yes,” I sigh.

“Those motherfucking cunts!” Just as I expected Noah begins yelling obscenities through the phone. There is one thing us Aussies are good at and that’s hurling the most obscure abuse at people. Noah is creative, I’ll give him that.

“So what, I guess those ass sucking toads are begging for forgiveness now?” He finally says once he finally exhausts his creative name calling skills.

I groan, rubbing a hand down my face before collapsing onto one of the benches that lines the locker room. “Well Dacre, Nicky, Pike and Sonny are.”

“What about Dawson?” Noah asks with a grunt. I can just imagine the scowl on his face. It's not often that grumpy Noah comes out to play. That is normally saved for the footy field and whenever someone wrongs his mates. If Noah is one thing, he’s fiercely protective of the people he loves, which makes what he went through in his childhood so incredibly traumatic for him.

“He believes I don’t belong here. Says I need to catch the first plane back to Australia.”

Noah snorts, “Yeah, and that fuck face can take the next train to Cuntsville.”

I can’t contain my laughter. “He would be the fucking mayor too.” Noah adds in which does nothing but heighten my laughter. We sound like a cackle of hyenas.

“Stick to your guns, Scar. Don’t let him get one up on you. This is your chance to get to know your family and make something of yourself.” There’s an edge of pride in Noah’s voice as we finally collect ourselves. My stomach drops knowing what I still have left to tell him.

“Ah, there’s also something else that I didn’t get a chance to tell you or Grace before I left.” I hesitate slightly. My best friends deserve to know the truth. They shouldn’t be blind sighted. Especially if something was to happen to me. Which is a real risk. Apparently.

“Go on.”

I begin telling Noah the shortened version of my Dad’s involvement in the Thunderbirds and who they are. I then go on to explain the ambush and that I was the one that was kidnapped. I hear a sharp inhale of his breath and shuffling down the end of the line, like he's gotten up out of bed to pace his room.

“Jesus fucking christ, Scarlett!” His voice sounds panicked. “I.. I can’t…” He trails off as if trying to find the words for what I just told him.

I let out a breath that I had been holding. “I know. It’s fucking hectic to say the least.”

“The very least.” I note the disbelief in his voice. I can relate. I felt the same way when I was told.

“Yeah. I guess it helps to explain why I can’t remember my childhood and why my father did what he did to protect me.”

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