Chapter Seven

Harken stayed in his room for the rest of the night, not even answering when Noel tried to tell him dinner was ready, and when her dad tried again after. In the end, he gave up on trying to coax him out and went to the office, most likely for the night. Noel took his serving and wrapped them up, placing them in the fridge in case he ever decided to come out later.

Putting on a comfortable pair of jogging pants and a fluffy sweater, she grabs a bag of Doritos and a box of Ritz crackers, seating herself in the middle of the couch and getting herself comfortable to binge watch the series Shameless, assuming she has the living room and most of the house to herself for the night with no other homework for tomorrow.

A few episodes in and Noel is immersed in the show, not even paying attention to whether she is grabbing chips or crackers, she doesn't hear the creak of Harken coming down the stairs. Before she can react, he jumps on the couch and snatches the bag of Doritos away from her, hogging them against his chest and taking a big handful.

"Well, look who decided to come out. Thought you were going to shrivel up in there, drowning in your tears," she teases, somewhat relieved to see he is in a better mood.

"Not all of us are like you, Little Red, we need to escape our cages every once in awhile and see the outside world. You, on the other hand," he pauses and looks over to take in her oversized sweater and baggy pants, a smile creeping on his lips. "Look rather comfortable being holed up inside, like a house cat."

"A house cat? Did you seriously just compare me to a cat, not something like a sloth?" she scoffs, wondering why he didn't go for the more obviously demeaning option to her image.

"A house cat is more fitting; a sloth always looks happy and peaceful. Cats usually look grumpy all the time, like you," he says and pokes her in the forehead again. "Besides, sloths aren't that cute, cats are," he adds.

This startles her a little, wondering what he means by that. Does he mean to say she is cute, like a cat? Why would he say she looks grumpy all the time, then contradict himself by saying that?

"What garbage are you watching now?" he asks, dropping the subject.

She frowns and quickly takes hold of the remote before he has the chance to swipe it again and shove it down his pants like before. "It isn't garbage, it's a good show that's pretty relatable for a lot of people."

He scoffs and looks a little bothered. "No one hear could ever relate to anything like this show, trust me."

"What's that supposed to mean? Bisbee has people who aren't living in the best of conditions, Priscilla has witnessed it herself with her father."

"Who's her father?" he asks.

Noel thought they knew each other, it seems not. "The mayor, Priscilla's last name is Wright."

"That makes a lot of sense," he grumbles.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Noel glares at him.

He lifts his hands up in defense. "Nothing bad really, just explains why she seemed so hostile towards me when we first met, she even went as far as to warn me from bothering you the other day."

Noel snickers at this, picturing Priscilla entering what Noel calls her motherly side, knowing how she can get when she is defending Noel. "With how rebellious you've told me you were as a kid; I can imagine your name is well-known within her household," she teases.

Harken gives her a small smile back, but surprisingly no retort comes from him, making her wonder once again if she has said something wrong by commenting on his past. Every time she seems to try and joke about who he was before, he goes silent and looks bothered or upset.

"If I ask about your past, would you tell me about it?" she asks, testing the waters.

He shrugs, not looking away from the TV. "Depends; what do you want to know?"

"Well, can you tell me how you met my dad?"

He rolls his eyes. "Obviously, he's the only lawyer the state can appoint me."

"That's not what I mean. What was the reason you needed him?"

"Ah, nope." He shakes his head firmly, throwing a handful of chips in his mouth. "Not answering that one."

Noel frowns and slumps back into the couch. That's what she wants to know about the most, she can already assume the kind of childhood he had growing up by the few things she has told him so far, but her dad isn't someone that is normally called in for simple juvenile cases. Her dad made it seem like Harken's case was more complicated than most when he briefly explained why he is living with them but wouldn't reveal more than that.

"Is that really all you wanted to know?" he asks. There is an edge to his tone that catches her off guard, making her feel like he is irritated with her in some way. Maybe it's due to asking the wrong question, she has brought up memories he doesn't want to think about.

"You've already told me a bit about your past, and I won't ignore the fact that is doesn't sound like the greatest childhood, but you seem relatively normal other than your insufferable sense of humor. Is there anything else I should ask about?" she asks, shrugging her shoulders.

He suddenly gets closer to her again, leaning his face down into hers and studying her eyes and face. "Do you seriously not remember anything?" he whispers, his tone now sounding angry, voice trembling slightly.

Leaning down closer, his pale-blue eyes narrowing and blazing with aggression, like one wrong word and he's going to eat her alive, he whispers again, "or are you pretending not to know anything? You're pretty good at playing the innocent act, I'll admit."

She pushes him away from her, unable to take being so close to him under his heated and intense gaze any longer.

Giving him a glare back, she tries to wrack her brain for what he could possibly be going on about, but nothing comes to mind. She is suddenly reminded of her conversation with Priscilla at lunch earlier today, when talking about the school trip and how she swears Harken was there and they even exchanged words a few times.

But, he said he wasn't there. Why would he lie, but expect me to remember him?

"Is this another dumb joke of yours? I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not trying to act innocent or pretending like I don't know anything."

He gives her another narrowed look, before his face breaks out in a sarcastic grin and he lets out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "I should've expected as much," he mutters.

"Can you just be clear with me?" she asks, feeling herself getting irritated with his sudden change in mood once again. It's the same as before at school and on their way home, he is constantly hot and cold towards her, never giving her a warning of when he is suddenly going to switch.

"Forget it," he says and stands up, tossing the bag of Doritos back at her.

Something in her urges her to run after him and demand he tell her what she did to make him suddenly turn so cold towards her, but the second she grabs his hand, he turns and pushes him off of her, pushing her with enough force to knock her on the ground.

She sucks in a sharp breath as a slight pain shoots through her hip, landing on her side on the hard wood floor.

Harken didn't mean to shove her so hard, startled by her suddenly grabbing onto her and instinctively pushing her off. The anger in him evaporates and he rushes over to offer her a handout of concern, but she quickly smacks it away, her dark hazel eyes growing even darker as she glares harshly at him.

It isn't the anger seeping into her eyes that makes his chest ache so much. It's the pain and hate he sees in them, and the slight tears welling in the corner of her eyes. He never meant to go this far, he was just blinded by his own anger and was trying to leave for this exact reason.

When he lets his anger consume him, he tends to be blinded to the point of blacking out as he calls it, letting his anger control him and not remembering most of what he does or says until he has the chance to calm down, or someone else tries too. He has done and said some pretty nasty things that he regrets, he didn't want to have any more with Noel.

Seems a little too late for that. She lifts herself off the floor and backs away from him, the pain and sorrow disappearing from her eyes, anger and despise replacing them.

"I don't know what the hell I ever did to you to make you treat me like I'm some sort of emotional support doll, you've barely been here a week, yet you've made it perfectly clear you have no intentions of being friends or even nice to me while you're here, so why don't you just stay away from me from now on?"

This pains him slightly, never wanting it to have come to this. But he can't think of a reason to argue or deny what she is saying. He has been a jerk ever since he got here, teasing, and tormenting her every second he could, not really holding back on any information he could get his hands on. He planned to have fun with her while he was here, but he meant for it to be harmless, he never wanted to push her to the point where she doesn't want anything to do with him.

"Noel, I didn't mean to-" he tries explaining.

"Save it, Harken. I've met enough people like you to know whatever you're about to say are just more empty words," she cuts him off.

This causes the anger to flare back up in him. Ever since they met, no matter how many times he has tried being nice to her despite being a jerk most other times, she always brings up the fact that he is a delinquent and reminding him that he is nothing more than a stray her dad brought home out of pity and civil duty. There are many things about her that he could keep bringing up and jabbing her with, but he has held back to be nice.

"You never hesitate to remind me how much higher you are above me, do you?" he points out, clenching his teeth until they grind together and his jaw clicks. "I may have been arrested and gone to juvie a couple times, but at least if I die tomorrow I can say I lived my fucking life. What can you say? You had good grades and watched some good shows?"

He knows by the hurt look on her face he has once again struck a chord, but he is too angry to want to stop. "You keep calling out my faults and baggage, but you've lived such a sheltered and boring life that you don't even have anything to be happy or proud about, and now I understand why you're always so miserable and up-tight towards everyone who tries to get close to you."

This pushed the conversation over the edge. He knows very well why she carries such misery and distrust for people, not getting close to many others, but the words fly out of his mouth without a thought, hitting her where it hurts most.

Noel doesn't even try and hold back the tears, letting them well up in her eyes until they spill onto her cheeks. With blurry vision, she runs off towards the stairs, pushing Harken roughly to the side as she brushes past him and runs up the stairs, locking herself in her room and leaves Harken trembling with rage.

Not knowing what to do with this uncontrollable anger, he takes off for a ride on his bike. Noel watches as he leaves from her window, then sends a message to Priscilla asking her to come over. She responds in a few minutes and agrees to come over after she attends a dinner with her parents, having a special guest of her father over and wanting to impress him with a loving and functional family setting.

That means she will also need a large break and escape from her night. Noel is hoping to ask her more about the trip they went on in grade 9 and find out if Harken is lying or not about really being there that weekend. His story lines up with the damage she would often see at the liquor store but that doesn't mean it was necessarily him. Mrs. Marche told her that there was a group of them that used to go around, and she recognized Harken's face as one of those kids.

He should have a tattoo similar to what she described as well, but it doesn't seem like she will get the chance to ask him now. There is a chance it wasn't always him breaking into the liquor store if he really is a member of the gang Mrs. Marches was referring too and could've been present that year during the trip. She never mentioned how old these boys were, or when she last saw Harken, just that it had been a while since she had saw any of them around town.

A couple hours after and Priscilla shows up, still no sign of Harken. She comes into Noel's room and throws her bag down, looking exhausted and worn out.

"That was tiring, I need something to wake me up now," she declares.

Focusing on the small cherry blossom tree painting she has been working on for the last couple hours, Noel chuckles at her friend, already feeling her mood lifting a little. Painting was supposed to help with that, but it hasn't been doing the trick like normally, Noel keeps thinking about her argument with Harken and what he could've been talking about.

"Do you have anything in mind?" Noel asks.

Priscilla shrugs and tosses herself on Noel's bed, laying on her stomach and putting her feet in the air as she lounges over the edge. "I was thinking we should go out, but there aren't many places we can go."

"There aren't any parties going on tonight for you to go to? I assumed even Karl was desperate enough to thrown one in the middle of the week, his parents are never home anyway," Noel suggests.

Priscilla groans. "No, sadly not. Speaking of jerks, where's Harken?"

"We got into a big argument, and he ran out on his bike, he hasn't been back since I texted you," Noel says, her tone giving away her irritation.

"Oh? What did you guys argue about that made him so angry?"

Noel puts her paint brush down and turns to face her. "Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you that relates to that."

Harken doesn't pay much attention to where he is riding, focusing on the stretch of road ahead of him until he sees the bright lights of downtown, deciding to pop into Pub Hayes, hoping to distract his mind with free alcohol and mindless bar chatter.

Abel Hayes is still working behind the counter, despite being just a few months over 19, making it illegal for him to even work the bar to begin with, that changes a lot when your parents have owned the place since before he was born. Abel and Harken first met in elementary school, their first meeting coming when Abel was being bullied by a group of other kids after he entered the school year half-way through, all because his skin is a few shades darker than theirs, but his eyes are an odd light honey color, his family being middle eastern.

Having darker tanned skin but pale colored eyes himself, Harken was often the target of harassment too, but he built a quick backbone towards his bullies and learned to fight back, fending them off with ease. Abel didn't seem to be able to develop that same confidence and strength, making him the easier target. Harken put a swift end to that by sticking up for him, giving the kids a good beating to remind them never to mess with Abel again.

A quick and strong friendship formed between the two of them after that, lasting even after Harken started running with the wrong crowd, and was first arrested for breaking and entering, his first major offense besides stealing and vandalism.

Despite him being in and out of juvie, constantly disappearing and reappearing, whenever Harken did eventually come back, Abel never pushed him to explain what happened, and when he finally did, there was never any judgement from his friend. He was always someone Harken knew he could go to if anything ever happened, a comfort he never knew he needed until he met Abel.

"What's making you look so down? You seemed great just a few hours ago," Abel comments, walking towards a slumped over and pouting Harken at the end of the bar after serving a few drunken regulars.

"Has no one seriously questioned how old you are?" Harken asks but taking one look at Abel and he knows he asked a stupid question.

Despite being picked on when they were kids, once Abel hit puberty he really grew into his looks, becoming someone that even Harken thought was good looking. He grew out his dark brown hair, showing off the natural curls he has to them and decided to continue growing it down to just under his ears, a look that suits his appearance well.

People once made fun of his tanned skin and light eyes, but once he grew into his rugged features and started hitting the gym in his early teens to get rid of the lingering baby fat, girls quickly flaunted to him, and guys envied him instead. By the time he hit 16, you could think he was 21, and now that he's 19, he can easily pass for at least 25 no questions asked, which makes it all the easier for him to work behind the bar without his parents getting questioned.

"Talk to me, it's rare for me to see you like this," Abel continues probing.

Harken lets out a frustrated breath and slumps over onto the counter, glaring at his reflecting in the mirror in front of him. "See me like what?" Harken continues to deny.

Abel just chuckles and grabs a glass from under the counter, turning to one of the beer tabs and pours him a drink. Before he hands it over, he pulls it back and lifts an eyebrow.

"You have to tell me what's up first, or you pay for this."

Harken groans, knowing his friend wouldn't make this easy for him despite looking so defeated. "What do you want me to say? I'm a fucking mess, I'm angry but I'm not sure who I'm angry at anymore."

"Elaborate; what happened between the when I saw you a few hours ago and now?"

Harken takes a deep breath and rethinks his argument with Noel.

"Honestly, I don't even know where to start. I came here with one goal in mind, and something else too tempting for me to miss was thrown into the mix. I thought I had everything under control, but it's only been a couple days and I'm already losing grip on myself."

"You weren't expecting to meet Noel Ashford again, were you?" Abel asks and Harken silently shakes his head, snatching the drink from him and taking a big swig before dropping his head back onto the counter.

Abel remembers when Harken had returned from his first 6-months in juvie after he was arrested for breaking into the liquor store for the second time but managing to get caught this time, already causing damage, and attempting to steal the liquor, it was also revealed that he was reselling it to other underaged kid, that fact being what tipped the judge to decide juvenile detention as punishment.

Harken had missed out on so much the year before, everyone else having graduated elementary school but Harken being held back because he had missed too much. Because of this, it put him an entire grade below entering high school, everyone he once knew and hung out with had adapted to high school life already, groups forming with different people than before, and he didn't know where to fit in since he didn't even have any classes with them anymore.

Trying to go through daily life at school was tiring for Harken, mostly being on his own for lunch and activities – until he met Noel. She wasn't someone who usually stuck out in the crowd and always kept to herself, choosing to study in the library by herself quietly during lunch or hang out with the one person she managed to connect with during junior year, Priscilla Wright. They had an assembly and dance just before everyone went away for the winter holidays their junior year, and some people were given meaningless awards from the faculty for their success in their academics so far.

Noel Ashford was one of those people. Abel can't remember what she got an award for, she was good at every subject they studied and being a grade above her, he never paid any attention to her or her class. But he remembers the look Harken had on his face that day when he first saw her, it was like Christmas had come early for him, he was completely taken with her, and Abel had no idea why. To him, she looked rather plain, nothing bad about her but nothing special, with plain copper hair and a skinny short frame.

Harken tried everything he could to get close to her after that day, but for some reason she seemed oppose to making new friends or allowing anyone else close to her, Priscilla seeming to be the only exception. Abel remembers Harken even approached Priscilla on several occasions in junior year and tried to persuade her to help him get close to Noel, but even with her help it never seemed to work.

It wasn't until their end of year trip of their junior year, a trip Abel never went on and after that year, only learning after when the class returned and Abel visited Harken that summer, seeing the drastic change in him for himself. The once playful and humorous Harken has turned into a cold and humorless shell, refusing to even leave the house despite how many times Abel had tried to get him out.

He never learned what happened that night, and Harken disappeared once again not long after, and hadn't returned until now. Abel learned when Harken first visited him this evening after school, that he had worked his way in and out of juvie over the last few years, having gotten involved with the wrong crowd and turning down the wrong path. It was Noel's dad, Scott Ashford, that convinced him to try and take a different path, reminding him that he still has a chance to turn his life around and not be tied down by the minor offenses he has on his record.

Abel offered to give him a job as a dishwasher in the kitchen of the pub, only needing to ask his parents later if they're alright with it. It will at least give him the experience he needs, but Abel has no clue what he plans to do after he finally graduates. Harken says he wants to leave the Ashford house, but it seems meeting Noel again after so many years, he isn't able to let go of what happened the night they last met.

"I've been curious, ever since we were in our junior year," Abel starts saying, trying to grab Harken's attention. He succeeds when he lifts his head and looks at him with a confused expression. "I never asked because it seemed to affect you pretty deep back then but...whatever happened on that trip your class took at the end of the year?"

Harken isn't able to hide the shocked and defensive look on his face, but he still slumps back and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know what you mean."

Abel rolls his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, man. You know exactly what I'm talking about, you were like a completely different person after you came back from that trip. I remember trying to get you just to leave the house for days after."

Harken knows he can't deny it, Abel was there for him in a lot of ways, and he has seen him at his absolute worst, there is no way he can wiggle his way out of this now.

"It has to do with Noel, she was the reason I went on that stupid trip anyway, it was an attempt to get close to her, being isolated in the middle of nowhere and forced to be stuck together with each other, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get close to her," Harken explains, pausing as if he is having trouble continuing.

"Well, what ended up happening?" Abel asks.

Harken shakes his head a little. "It ended up working to my surprise, we were paired for canoeing, and I remember she was terrified of falling into the water, not being able to swim even at that age. It was the first day of the three days that we were there, so I offered to try and help teach her how to swim a bit. For the next two nights after that, we met at the water and I helped her learn a bit, and she acted like it was the first time we had ever met, it kind of broke me after how hard I had tried to get close to her before."

"Is that why you were like that afterwards?" Abel asks, almost wanting to scoff in disbelief at him.

Instead, Harken does for him. "No, I wish it was that simple."

"Then what did she do?"

Harken smiles bitterly. "The morning of the day we were packing up to leave, I sent her a note telling her everything I felt for her, and even reminding her of all the times I tried talking to her before, in hopes that she would understand how sincere my feelings towards her were. I told her that if she felt the same, she would meet me at the water tower on the edge of town, not far from where we lived at the time, and that I would wait all night for her to arrive, no matter the time. I would only leave if she didn't show up at sunrise."

Abel is hesitant to ask what happened next, already assuming the answer, but feels compelled to. "And...what happened?"

Harken lifts up his glass and downs the rest of the drink, slamming the glass down, fingers gripping it tightly.

"I saw the sunrise alone, that's what happened."