Page 24 of The Sins of Noelle

Yu opened the door for her, closing it after she got inside and taking his place by Cisco's side. He was around a head shorter than Cisco, and though most thought it odd that he'd chosen Yu as his bodyguard, he would have never trusted anyone else.

"Didn't go well?"

He shook his head. Taking a cigarette from his pack, he brought it to his lips, lighting it up and inhaling deeply.

"You were right," Cisco grimly admitted.

But then, when was Yunotright?

"I take it she didn't react well."

"No. Good thing you weren't there, too. Otherwise it might have been worse," he chuckled.

His mother couldn't stand Yu, and would often go out of her way to insult him.

"Me and Mrs. Elena in the same room? Heaven forbid," Yu shuddered.

Cisco smiled, yet he had to give it to Yu. He'd been the one to point out to him that something might be going on with his sister and had advised him to make time for the recital. Cisco valued Yu's insight as much as he did his own, so he'd agreed to do so, though initially a little skeptical about the situation.

Yet now he was convinced he had to do something about it before his mother sunk her claws into Noelle and destroyed what made her unique.

4Noelle

Noelle opened her notebook, turning to a blank page at the end and scribbling random figures in an attempt to ignore the noise around her.

After the debacle at the recital, she'd thought her mother would take her out of school, settling for private tutors as her brothers had before her. But Elena hadn't budged. She'd expressed her disappointment in hundreds of ways, but she'd been clear that Noelle was to finish the year at her school. Even her oldest brother, Cisco, had argued to her defense, saying that it was unlikely to be a conducive environment to any studying if the relationship between teacher and student was strained. Elena, though, hadn't wanted to hear any of it. Instead, she'd merely acquiesced that Noelle would change music teachers.

Though Cisco was Elena's favorite, she'd shut him out this time, stubbornly maintaining her idea. According to her, Noelle needed to learn how to behave herself in society. It was either that or the camp school option, which Cisco had been vehemently against.

And so she found herself back to school—her personal hell. Worst of all, her mother had once more forced her to wear apinkshirt. She could already feel all the eyes on her. No doubt, everyone was laughing at her and at her dignity, currently wasting away on the floor.

Bringing her eyes down to her front she couldn't help the shiver of revulsion that enveloped her. It wasn't just pink. It wasbrightpink. So bright she wagered it could act as a traffic light.

Even worse, since her last stunt with the black paint, the art supply closet had been locked, only to be opened during art class.

Noelle had caught her mother's knowing smile as she'd watched her pitiful pink self trudge her way towards school in the morning. Elena had waved enthusiastically, ushering Noelle away and sending her flyingkisses. As if she didn't know it was all an attempt to undermine her and make her quit her antics.

Alas, color torture was not going to work.

Noellerefusedto let it work.

So what if the art supplies had been locked away? She would find another way.

"Noelle DeVille, are you listening?"

Slowly lifting her head up, it was to come face to face with her English teacher, Miss Lawson, who was currently glaring at her.

Of course she was.

Noelle didn't think there was one teacher in the entire school who didn't dislike her. She'd come into conflict with all at one point or another. Of course, everything had been made more potent by the allegations of nepotism circulating about her family—the reason why the principal hadn't expelled her so far.

Noelle grimly admitted that there had to be some favoritism involved since she'd done more than her fair share of trouble to ensure she'd be expelled. The result? Nothing.

No matter how many times her mother got called at the school, she still insisted Noelle continue to attend her classes.

"Yes," she replied politely.

For the moment she didn't want more trouble. She was already getting a headache as it was from all the pink that had bled into her field of view.

---