Since she had returned from Hawaii over the weekend, Alejandro had been nothing but supportive and understanding, letting Noelani stay in her room and try to heal alone.

Noelani still had the pressing feeling of grief in her chest but she had grown used to it enough to get through a normal day.

Well, at least she hoped that she did.

Noelani sat in the passenger seat of Alejandro's truck as the two sat parked in front of her high school and watched as her peers flooded the entrance of the school.

"You don't have to do this if you're not ready. Heartbreak is, well, it's a bitch. And if seeing Jalen is gonna make it worse..." Alejandro started.

"No, it's okay. I can't hide in my room forever." She said in a low voice, swiping the lose strands from her bun away from her face.

Alejandro's face immediately dropped, letting Noelani know that she sounded more broken than she had meant to.

Alejandro let out a sigh then turned to face Noelani, "If at any time, you feel like today is just too hard, I want you to come to my office so I can give you my keys. Okay?"

"Okay." Noelani nodded.

At the feeling of Alejandro embracing her, she stiffened up a bit then relaxed and wrapped one arm halfheartedly around him.

"Okay. You're gonna bounce back from this, I promise." Alejandro stated.

"You sound like Uncle Kai," Noelani noted as she hopped out of the silver truck.

"Kai," Alejandro shook his head and slid out of the driver's seat then closed the door behind him, "That man never liked me."

"Okay, I have to go. I'm already gonna be late." Noelani said, readjusting the backpack strap on her right shoulder.

"Have a good day." Alejandro said then headed inside through the administration entrance on the far left of the school.

Noelani blended into the thinning crowd that was still heading into school.

She headed straight for her locker and stopped at the sight of her two best friends, Sydney and Jasmine, waiting right in front of it.

Noelani contemplated turning around and getting her dad's keys so she could head home to her dogs and just be left alone.

But running away had never been who Noelani was and she wasn't gonna start now.

So Noelani tightened the bun on top of her head, wiped her eyes, straightened her hoodie and walked to her friends.

Jasmine tapped Sydney as Noelani approached the two.

"Hey.." Noelani muttered.

"Hey. We heard about what happened. He's such an asshole." Sydney wrapped an arm around Noelani and she rested her head on Sydney's shoulder.

"Let's talk about literally anything else." Noelani said.

Jasmine rubbed Noelani's arm, "How was seeing your mom and everybody?"

"It was amazing. I wish I was there now." Noelani admitted, "I don't really wanna see anyone here besides you two."

"I don't think he's here. You should be fine." Sydney responds.

"Noel?" A masculine voice asks from behind the trio.

Noelani turned and spotted Nimari standing behind her with a sheepish expression on his face.

Noelani balled her tongue in her cheek at the sight of him, peered down at the ground for a moment then gave Nimari a stony look.

"Mari, maybe this isn't a good time." Jasmine said after seeing the anger on Noelani's facial features.

Nimari ignored Jasmine, "Can we talk?"

"No. Go make a bet with Jalen on the next bitch." Noelani remarked.

"Noel, please." Nimari tried.

"No. You knew about it and you let me be with him." Noelani accused him.

"I tried to tell-." Nimari tried to say.

"Do not say that you tried to warn me. Those half ass ambiguous ass warnings didn't do shit but make me want to be with him more." Noelani jabbed a finger in the air in his direction.

At this point, the topic of their conversation was beginning to turn heads.

Noelani glanced around their peers in the hallway then rolled her eyes and turned back to her locker, "Like Jas just said, this isn't a good time. It's never gonna be a good time. I'm done with you, with Coleman, with Jordan, with Jalen and with anyone else who was in on that dumb ass bet."

Then she turned the lock, grabbed a notebook out of her locker and then made a point to slam it closed, "If you know what's good for you, you'll relay the message and then you'll leave me alone for now."

Nimari nodded slowly then walked off.

"Damn, harsh." Jasmine said.

"I'm not dealing with any of them, Jas. I swear I'm not. I'm just gonna lay low until prom and graduation. I need-." Noelani immediately closed her mouth when she noticed Jalen walking into school via one of the side entrances.

The pressing feeling in her chest turned more insistent, making it slightly hard to breathe.

"I thought you said he wasn't gonna be here." Noelani managed to get out, turning towards Sydney.

"Jordan said he wasn't going to. I guess he changed his mind." Sydney glanced between Noelani and Jalen.

It was as if Jalen could sensed that he was being talked about.

Without pausing his stroll, Jalen's eyes never left her face and he swiveled to walk in her direction.

And with that, all of Noelani's hope for not running from her ex boyfriend faded away.

Tears had sprung to her eyes and holding them in was beginning to grow painful.

"Noel? Noel, are you okay?" Jasmine asked in a concerned tone.

"I need to go. I thought I could do this but I can't." Noelani whispered.

Before Sydney or Jasmine could come up with a retort, Noelani turned and lightly jogged down the hallway towards her father's office.

Over the sound of her blood roaring in her ears, Noelani could faintly hear her friends calling down the hallway for her.

By the looks of her classmate's faces, she could tell that her eyes were cherry red and her face was distorted in sadness.

Without knocking or saying hello to any of the administrative assistants, Noelani entered her father's office and wordlessly swiped the keys to his truck off of his desk.

Alejandro wasn't in the office so Noelani quickly wrote him a text, 'Can't do it. I tried'

Then she took out through one of the exits and slid into the truck.

Once Noelani was safe in the driver's seat, she let the tears flow down her face like a river, her sobs filling the vehicle.

The feeling in her chest had turned from heavy to raw and aching until all she could focus on was the internal pain.

Love fucking sucks.

Heartbreak fucking sucks.

Jalen Green fucking sucks.

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