It was Monday morning and Carson recognized her unruly, curly hair bob among the crowded hall of students. He knew he had to catch her before she went into her AP Bio class. He grabbed her by the arm, startling her. She frowned at him as she craned her neck to look at him. She forgot he was a fucking tree. He was wearing a grey t-shirt that seemed to fit him like second skin and he had that all-American boy smile smeared on his face.

Carson noticed that her style was stagnant and plain. Blue jeans that made her hips look really wide and a ratty, loose t-shirt that had some garage band on the front and tennis shoes.

"Can I help you?" Noelle asked impatiently.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened on Friday." He said after clearing his throat nervously. This was the first time Carson Holt had ever been nervous in front of the opposite sex. The entire feeling was alien to him. He could feel his palms sweating.

"Thank you, Mr. Holt--" Noelle started.

"You don't have to be so formal, Noelle. We're at school, just call me Carson." He smiles at her.

"Uh, Carson, is there something you need?" She asks politely, trying to hold her tongue.

"Well," He rubs a large hand on the back of his neck making his shirt rise a bit, "I was hoping you didn't stop our sessions. I really need you." Carson said while shifting his eyes from hers to the tiled floor.

"Technically, the process of cancelling our sessions is more difficult on my side compared to yours. So, we're still on this Thursday." Noelle explained.

When she said that, he could almost picture himself back on that field without a care in the world, leading his guys to victory at Regionals. When his day-dream finished and looked back down at the petite curly-headed angel and wanted to kiss her for giving him another chance at getting off that God-forsaken bench. He thought for sure she would just say 'Fuck you, you're on your own, kid,' and leave him out here to fend for himself. His smile widened and he couldn't contain his joy any longer.

Carson scooped up Noelle in his arms and bear-hugged her until she couldn't breathe. Students passing by looked at them like they were deranged as Noelle was being swung back and forth. Noelle found no joy in this display of affection. She wanted nothing more than to punch this dude in his throat for practically forcing her to not say 'no.' She needed the money and he needed the help. She could last a few months, right?

She patted him on his back awkwardly and gently as he practically dropped her back to Earth and she could breathe again. She wheezed a bit as Carson punched the air in victory. He put his hand on her shoulders and looked into her melting brown eyes and said, "I promise I'll give it my all this time. Thank you so much for not giving up on me, Noelle. I really owe you!" Carson exclaimed. "Is there anything you want?"

"What? You're already paying me to tutor you." She mentions.

"Lunch, how about I pay for lunch on Thursday! You like Jodie's Diner? We'll go to Jodie's! It's a treat, on me!" He rushed out and jogged down the hall, leaving Noelle confused about what just happened. Shaking her head, she enters her AP Bio class with Thursday on her mind.

***

Noelle opened the door to her house and was met with the confetti and a banner saying:

Her stepmom yelled 'Surprise' and nearly gave Noelle a heart-attack, while her father blew a noise-maker incredibly loud. She looked down to see her black and white Shih Izu, Baxter, waddled up to her and rolled on his back. The dog was dressed in a flamboyant costume that looked like it was hand-made. She picked up the small dog in her hands and petted him. Noelle was confused as to why there was confetti and party balloons everywhere.

"What is all this?" Noelle looked around stunned. Her stepmom's joy deflated and her father stopped blowing the noise-maker.

"Noe, are you kidding? Where were you? Margo is coming back from France today. We told you all week." Her stepmom, Lydia, said calmly. Lydia was a petite Korean woman that her father adored. Lydia was the sweetest person ever but, sometimes when she was stressed out, she got antsy. It also didn't help that she was 6-months pregnant with Noelle's baby sister.

Crap! Noelle totally forgot that Margo was coming back from her year abroad in France. Noelle had been so focused on work and school, she totally forgot about Margo's return. Setting Baxter down and watching him waddle in his ridiculous costume into the kitchen.

"...You've known about this for weeks! How could you be so forgetful?" Lydia was becoming hysterical and her father placed a hand on her small shoulder and told her to calm down.

"Calm down, Honey. Just go have a seat in the kitchen, you've been on your feet for hours." Noelle's father coaxed Lydia and she nods and waddled into the kitchen similar to Baxter's waddle.

Noelle blew a breath after Lydia left and her father held the same expression. "Thanks for getting me out of the line of fire." Noelle commented as she leaned against the front door. Her father just smiles lightly at his daughter.

"What kind of father would I be if I subjected you to that kind of heat. She can get mean when she gets hysterical. I know it's just hormones but, damn she's a beast." He chuckled lightly.

Suddenly, something tumbled down their staircase and hit the bottom landing hard. It was a small Korean boy with pillows tied to his little body and a bicycle helmet secured on his head. It was one of her step-brothers that had just thrown himself down the stairs...again.

"Jesus, Jason!" Noelle said as she picked up her brother and dusted him off. His little face was flushed from excitement as he looked up at top of the staircase. Noelle followed Jason's eyes to the top of the staircase. Her other younger step-brother was in a fit of giggles at the top of the stairs. He was also decked out in a bicycle helmet and pillows--clearly he was supposed to go next. "David, what are y'all doing?" Noelle inquired. Jason and David were two years apart, Jason being six and David being eight.

"Me and David wanted to surprise Go-Go when she got home from France!" Jason said out of breath. She thought it was crazy that they would throw themselves down the stairs to impress their older sister.

"Well, taking a trip down the stairs isn't the best idea, is it?" Noelle's father said as he picked up Jason and sat him on his shoulders. "David, come down and help us make Margo's favorite food!" Noelle's father called up the staircase then walked off into the kitchen with Jason still with pillows strapped to him.

Noelle could remember when her father would carry her that way. Granted, she was an only child for a very long time, up until the age of 12. That was around the time her mother, Colleen, divorced her father. Out of the blue it seemed. One day she loved him with all her heart, then the next day, she couldn't wait to get away from him fast enough. But, in Noelle's eyes, that wasn't even the worst part. Her mother voluntarily gave up her parental rights and left the state after the ugly divorce. She hasn't seen her mother in years but every month Colleen sends a post-card.

Although, Noelle misses her mom all the time, Lydia was like her second mom. She treats her like her own daughter and she couldn't ask for a better step-mom. And she thinks of her step-siblings as real siblings even though they don't share blood. She loved them and they loved her.

David came trudging down the stairs without his pillows or bicycle helmet. Noelle saw him and opened her book bag and pulled out the most recent copy of his favorite comic book: Titans. A huge smile spread across his face and he rushed down the rest of the stairs. Noelle borrowed the copy from the library. Technically she rented it for a month for David but, it takes him less that a week to start and finish the issue.

"Oh my God, Noe! Thank God, I gotta know what happened to Kronus and Professor Godless!" David exclaimed as he hugged Noelle and ran to the kitchen to show his mother his new comic. Noelle walked to the kitchen and leaned against the doorway and smiled at her family. They were trying to make Margo's favorite food: Lasagna. But, Jason and Baxter were too busy eating the shredded mozzarella. And David was explaining the universe of his comic to Lydia.

Suddenly, two pale and cold hand covered Noelle's eyes. She knew exactly who it was without them having to speak.

"Bonjour, Bitch." She whispered.