Just a Ride Home

Gregory picked me up the next morning for school, I got in the car and slammed the door behind me. I sat in silence the whole drive, gazing out the

window at the blur of green bordering the road. We pulled into the parking lot, Gregory shut off the engine, I reached for the handle but Gregory placed

his hand on top of mine. My hand froze under his, I turned to look at him. His eyes were sad, he looked like he had been crying. "Norah, I..I can't believe

myself. I'm so ashamed. I know you will never forgive me. I'm so sorry." I almost thought about forgiving him for a moment, but then quickly shoved the

thought out of my head. I opened the door and began walking to the school, alone. No Gregory pulling my hand or smashing me into his side, just me.

The day flew by, Gregory left me alone though. He was never at my locker, not pulling me by the hand to lunch, nothing. I liked being alone though. I

hadn't seen Kate all day. Which was odd, but I assumed she was skipping with Sam.

The school day ended, and still no sign of Gregory. I decided on not waiting around, and to start my walk. I pushed open the grey double doors and was

instantly soaked by a downpour of golf ball sized rain drops. Fantastic, just what I needed. I was almost half way home when an all to familiar truck

pulled along side me. I looked into the window to see who it was, even though, I already knew. He pushed open the door from the drivers seat. Shit.

What do I say? Do I tell him Gregory will beat me up if I even speak a word to him? Or do I get in the car and hope no one sees? "Thank you, but I'm

alright walking." I said shouting a little so he could hear me through the pounding rain. I moved forward a couple steps, the truck moved with me.

"Norah, get in the car." Luke said eyes glaring at me. "No really, I'm fine." I tried to convince him, but I sneezed half way through my sentence. Great,

that was convincing. "Bless you. I don't want you to get sick, get in the car." He didn't seem to be giving up. "No, Luke." I said as sternly as possible.

"Norah, get in the fucking car." There was no use in fighting with him. "Fine." I said grimly, while pulling myself into the car, closing the door behind me.

"Now was that so hard?" he teased while pulling into the road, I just glared at him. "So where's your boyfriend?" He glanced at me. "I don't know." I said

honestly. "That doesn't sound like the loving boyfriend he is, just leave you alone? Or is he off with Lindi?" He was angry, rightfully so, I might add.

"Luke, I'm sorry okay? What do you want me to say?" I asked him, "Norah, what happened to your face?" he asked out of the blue, and completely off

topic. "I fell." I said blankly, God why was I such a bad liar? Luke turned the car around and began driving in the opposite direction of my house. "Luke

where are you going?" I was confused, how could he had forgoten where I lived in just a few days? "I'm not taking you home until you actually tell me

what happened." Ugh, I did not want to talk about this. "I told you I fell, now take me home please!" I began to shout a little. "No Norah! I don't believe

you! Tell me what he did to you!" He was shouting right back, "What who did to me!" Maybe playing dumb would work? "Gregory!" Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Nothing! I fell down the steps! Take me home! I can't be with you!" I really hoped that no one saw me in the car with him. "Why Norah! Why can you not

be seen with me?" Shit, he had it figured out. "Because!" I didn't know how to answer that. "Pull over! Let me out!" I began to cry, I guess that got to

him, because he swerved to the side of the road, shockingly enough. I jumped out of the car, and there came the waterworks, along with the rain of

course. I was walking away from the car, when I began to break down my legs crumbled beneath me, I fell into the grass next to the sidewalk, I

screamed in pain as I felt my ribs hit the ground.

"Norah!" I heard Luke scream. In no time at all Luke was at my side, he picked the top half of me off the ground and sat next to me, wrapping his body

around mine. I pressed my face against his chest, "I'm sorry." I whimpered into his shirt. He didn't answer. "H..he.. he hit me." I said just loud enough for

him to hear. I felt his body tense around mine. "You can't tell anyone!" My eyes flashed up to his. "Norah, you can't just let this happen!" His eyes were

filled with anger. "No! You can't tell anyone! I'm not even supposed to talk to you! Don't you dare!" I shouted at him pushing myself out of his grip.

"Norah, I'm not just going to sit around and let it happen!" He told me like I was stupid, which I was. "Dammit! I knew I shouldn't have told you!" I got off

the ground and began walking away, in the direction I thought was my house. "Norah! Stop!" He shouted tugging on my hand spinning me around. "If

you don't want me to tell anyone, I won't. Okay?" I looked at him in disbelief. "Really?" I questioned. "Really." He sighed.


****Luke's POV****

I wrapped my hands around her waist, pulling her body into mine. I wanted her to be all mine, but I knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. I

lifted her chin, and scanned her eyes for some emotion. Those amazing blue eyes, they got me everytime. I pressed my lips to hers, I could feel her not

knowing how to react at first, but quickly go right into the swing of things, her lips pushed back into mine, they moved together in perfect harmony. She

pulled away abruptly. "I..I can't, not here." She stuttered. I took her hand and lead her back to the truck. "I'm scared." She stated blankly as we began our

drive. "Of Gregory?" She swallowed hard, and nodded. "I won't let him hurt you, I promise." She didn't answer, we sat in the car in silence for the rest

of the drive. I pulled into the driveway, but a small black car was already there. "Shit!" Norah exclaimed before jumping out of the car and slamming the

door behind her.

****Norah's POV***

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. I decided to do the first thing I could think of, which was to tell him that I didn't have a ride so I had to walk, which wasn't

completely a lie. I made my way to the top of the steps, I turned around to see Luke's truck still sitting in the driveway 'Leave!' I mouthed to him, but he

didn't. I decided that if Luke was there, it would make it ten times worse, so I ran back to the car and knocked on the window. "Luke, you have to go.

Now." I told him seriously. "No, Norah I told you I wasn't going to let him hurt you, so I'm not going to." He didn't look like he was planning on listening to

my persuasion. "Luke, no. You have to go now. I will call you later, I promise. You really need to leave now." I saw the I'm-not-giving-up look in his eyes

subside, "Fine. Call me soon, or I'm coming back." I nodded and ran back to the front door, I watched Luke pull out, and opened the door. I took a deep

breathe, and saw Gregory sitting on the couch, his back to me.

"Who was that Norah? Is there something you need to tell me?" Gregory said quickly, startiling me. "No, nothing." I said quietly, I dropped my head and

walked towards the kitchen. "And where exactly do you think you're going?" He questioned me threateningly. "To..To the kitchen." I stuttered. "Get your

ass back here." He demanded. I sat on the opposite end of the couch and glanced at him. "Norah, you know what I was actually going to do something

nice for you, and then you show up with that stoner and expect me to be nice to you? No, Norah. That's not how this works." His eyes were filling with

that scary look again. He rose from the couch and walked towards me. "Gr..Gregory what about what you said this m-morning?" I tried to make him

remember how bad her felt, it didn't seem to matter. "Yes, yes I do remember. The past doesn't change to future Norah, now does it?" That didn't make

a whole lot of sense to me, but I decided now was not the time to argue. "P..Please?" I looked into his eyes and begged for sympathy. No such luck.

His hand blew across my face sensing my neck whirling around. The next blow came straight for my jaw, I heard a crack and pain shot through my

mouth. The next hit got my stomach, the kind of punch that if I was pregnant, I would be no longer. He grabbed my hair and yanked me onto the floor.

his foot slammed into my rib cage, which was still dammaged from the first time. The next kick hit me square in the nose. I was out.