Page 13 of The Secret Of Us

She must be able to feel me staring at her, though, because she stops walking and turns around. She scans the room like she’s looking for someone, and before I can avert my gaze away from her, her eyes snag on mine.

That bright smile from earlier appears on her face as she lifts her hand to wave at me. And, once again, I can’t help but mirror it as my heart races.

5

IZZY

“I heard he got a girl pregnant.”

“I thought it was a teacher.”

“No, he fought a teacher.”

As I enter the classroom, all I hear is hushed conversations of wild stories that seem too farfetched to be true.

“What is happening?” I ask Amelia as we head toward our desks in the back row.

“I have no idea, but it doesn’t sound good.”

I take my seat, pulling my phone out of my pocket to see a text from Luke asking if I want him to bring anything when he comes to school tomorrow. I type out a quick reply, telling him there’s nothing I need before focusing back on the conversations around me. I’m still trying to figure out what everyone’s talking about when the room goes silent.

I look up to see Noah standing in the doorway, his eyes darting around the room before he drops them to the floor and makes his way toward me. I catch how everyone’s eyes track his movements, and as soon as he sits down, the whispers start up again. People keep glancing in our direction, covering their mouths as they speak.Are they talking about Noah?

“Morning,” I say to him, trying my best to ignore all the stares focused on us.

Noah nods before folding his arms across the desk and resting his head on them, his face turned away from me. I don’t take it personally. It’s clear that he wants people to stop looking at him, so I avert my gaze, too.

Mrs. Harper enters the room, and everyone settles down as she starts taking attendance. When she calls Noah’s name, he lifts his head just enough to voice a quiet ‘here’ before dropping it again.

She keeps talking, and Noah keeps his head down. He’s starting to worry me. Although he was quiet yesterday, he wasn’t completely closed off like this. Mrs. Harper’s voice fades into the background as I reach out a hand to touch his shoulder, but I pull back at the last second. I’m not sure if that’s crossing too many lines with someone I barely know. I don’t want to upset him any more than he already seems to be.

“In a few weeks, your parents will be invited for an evening to discuss your plans,” Mrs. Harper says and I’m dragged out of my worry for Noah. “I’m sure most of you have already started looking at your options for university, so this will just be an informal evening to touch base.”

My stomach drops. It’s like a combination of everything I’ve been trying to avoid coming together all at once. I barely speak to my parents, so of course, I haven’t told them I have no intention of going to university. I haven’t even told Isaac yet. But if they come to school that evening, I’ll have to confront them.

Would they even turn up?

The thought pops into my head and sticks there before I can dismiss it. Neither of them has contacted me to ask how the new school year is going, and not a single text before it started either. All I got was a forwarded email a few weeks ago to say that my fees had been paid. I chew on my bottom lip in an attempt to stop the quiver of my chin from showing to anyone who might be looking at me.

I don’t hear Mrs. Harper dismissing us, but chairs scrape across the floor, and my classmates stand up to head to first period. I blink a few times quickly, trying to clear the sting I can feel in my eyes. I clear my throat, and a movement in my peripheral reminds me that I don’t sit alone anymore.

“Noah, are you okay?” I ask quietly, ducking my head slightly closer to his. Maybe if I focus on him, I can stop thinking about my parents.

I startle when he pushes his chair back to stand, the screeching sound ringing in my ears.

“Sorry, I’m not feeling too good,” he mumbles.

He’s out of the room before I even think about asking him anything else. I definitely spoke more than he did yesterday, but he wasn’t this short with me. I don’t want to be this affected by being ignored by a random boy, but his reaction to me and thinking about my parents has me fighting to take a steady breath.

“They were all talking about him earlier,” Amelia says. “Making up reasons for why he transferred here this year.”

I keep my eyes focused down as I pretend to look through my bag until I’ve composed myself enough.

“Did you hear what they were saying? He wouldn’t do anything like that.”

Even after what just happened, I still feel the need to defend Noah. From our time together yesterday, I don’t get the impression that he would do any of the things they’ve been mentioning.

“Everyone just wants something to talk about, and he’s an easy target,” Chloe says, coming over to join us with her hand in Josh’s. “They’ll get bored in a few days once they realise he’s not playing into it.”

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