Raincheck Chase

Alice grasped her shoulder in reflex, but her gaze followed the person who pushed past her roughly. A flash of fiery blue ran through her gaze, and her mouth dropped as she instinctively reached out for their blazer stopping him right in his tracks. She had no idea how he was able to run into her when the hall was large itself. 

She didn't need to question further when she saw the glazed look in his eyes along with his swaying body. Alice had to snap him back to reality because something was detrimentally wrong. Alice once again couldn't tell if he was angry or sad, but there was a fire that she couldn't even comprehend coming off of him.

Stunned at seeing him in that condition, she yanked Noah back and yelled out, "What is wrong with you?"

Noah tried to shake off her grip. "I have to go."

"Calm down," Alice said as her eyes scanned his face frantically. "What is wrong?"

His hand slid down his face. "I don't have time."

Alice frowned. She had no idea what was wrong with him. Were the exams this day that shocking? But of course, she wasn't dull. The only thing that could rattle him like this was if it was pertaining to his grandfather.

His grandfather definitely wasn't in good shape. Changing her grasp from the bottom of his blazer to the wrist of his blazer.

"What happened to your grandfather?" she asked quickly.

His lips curled into a sad smile. "I don't need a babysitter today, Alice. You can head home."

Her fingers tightened on the material of his shirt. "You're not in the condition to go anywhere alone."

Noah shook her grip off him as he took off down the hallway. "Be my guest."

He truly was in a hurry, and she didn't want to hold him back despite already having her confusion dissipated by taking a few minutes from him. But she didn't hesitate to make the decision. Her steps took off after him, and Noah didn't even need to look back to confirm that she was indeed going with him. 

Noah ripped open the door as they got to the end of the hallway that was full of sunshine, a stark contrast to the dark, restless feelings holding Noah confined, Alice squeezed through the small crack with the door slowly closing after them, her breath coming out quick from the fast clip they just sprinted.

They were right near the gate with all the students flooding out after the long day, and Alice caught sight of Claudia speaking to the girls next to her. Alice opened her mouth just on the verge of shouting, but Claudia saw her first with her cornflower blue eyes widening in shock at the mess that was about to approach her.

Noah ran past Claudia and the rest with his head down, but a ton of other students were looking over at him as well, trying to figure out what was happening. Alice raised a hand over at Claudia, sprinting forward, doing her best to catch up with Noah, whose legs were twice the size as hers.

"Rain check!" Alice yelled.

Claudia gave her a knowing smile and a quick wave in response as Alice turned the corner Claudia disappearing from her sight. That was all that Alice could catch from the corner of her eye, crying out for her dear life for Noah to stop since she desperately needed to take a breath. She may be in shape, but she definitely wasn't a runner. 

The sidewalk going downhill was in her favor, and she dodged the people who were taking their leisurely walk along with the students that were walking home. Alice watched as Noah caught a lady's bag that she was about to drop, making the older lady squeeze Noah's shoulder in thanks before going off about how handsome he was.

Alice snickered at that, and it was like he heard her reaction which was why he picked the pace back up on the sidewalk that had eventually all cleared with people to punish her. She didn't even want to think of what she looked like when she was running for him when she was so out of her element.

"Noah!" she called. "Wait up."

He turned around and held out his hand and with a bated breath, Alice hunched over as she tried to catch her breath. Noah pushed her body back up to make her stand up straight. "You shouldn't hunch over like that."

Alice patted his back, drawing up in the air to try and make her lungs stop seizing, silently letting him know that she was fine because words were not feasible at the moment.

He waited for a few moments before they started walking again. They crossed the next street over to get to the large intersection of one of the large roads of the city.