

Acoustic Fishes

By Michael Vu

Cover Art By Joseph Hudak

Copyright 2012 Michael Vu

Smashwords Edition
CHAPTER ONE

Noah Spence was a boy who could never sleep.

The lights turned on. The lights turned off. A few moments passed. The bedroom was dark. The insects outside were talking loudly. The lights turned back on.

The young boy has school tomorrow. He looked out his window to see if anyone else in the neighborhood was still awake. The houses outside were in a deep sleep. Noah turned to look at the clock. Only a few more hours until the sun would come and shine. That would wake up other people; time for work, time for school, time to play. And he would not be alone.

Noah rushed to his closet. He threw over a clean t-shirt. He is forced, with much effort, to pull the fabric down over his large tummy. He pulled out a clean pair of khakis. He stood before the mirror hanging on the back of the bedroom door. He brushed his dirty blonde hair to the side. The thick glasses in front of his eyes were crooked. He straightened it. He looked deep into his blue eyes. He pinched his left chubby cheek, and then he pinched his right chubby cheek.

Ready for school he is. Only, school didn't start for another few hours. A car outside started its engine. The neighbor's dog Alice, barked.

Noah had an idea.

He tiptoed out his bedroom. He closed his bedroom door very gently. He walked past his parent's bedroom. As he headed for the stairs, he turned back to have a listen. There was not a sound in the house. Noah could only hear the sound of his breathing.

He was free to go. He started to walk down the stairs towards the front door when his left foot cramped. Noah tumbled and rolled down the stairs. He landed on his belly.

"Stealth mode," Noah whispered. He listened for any movements. There was not a sound. He picked himself up and brushed his t-shirt. He readjusted his glasses, which were even more crooked from the fall. He tapped his left wrist as if he just touched a button and said, "Stealth mode off."

Outside, Alice barked as Noah approached. As Noah walked closer to Alice, she stopped barking. Alice licked his face. Noah pulled out a plastic bag from his pants and feed Alice Goldfish Crackers. He sat next to her.

"Alice, do you want to hear a story?"

Alice stretched herself on the grass. She was tied to a pole near her doghouse in the back yard. She listened to Noah's voice. Noah stayed with her until the light came. He watched the sun rise.

At school he smelled like dog urine. Again.

Elizabeth Little cannot concentrate on her studies. Ms. Appleton talked and talked about history. But all Elizabeth could think about was where the water from the sink came from. And what about the water in the toilet? What about the water from the showerhead? She remembered her teacher saying that earth was mostly water. She felt relieved.

But what would happen if people used up all the water? Elizabeth grew anxious. Surely there wasn't enough water to last forever. Right? She fidgeted in her desk and shifts her weight. Her friends thought she had to pee again. But she really didn't have to pee.

That night, in the bathroom, she refused to shower. She looked down the toilet bowl. She closed the lid gently as if a monster sat inside asleep, and was not to be bothered. She decided not to brush her teeth before going to bed as she usually does. Elizabeth's mother, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen, yelled at her, and threatened that her teeth would all fall out! Elizabeth jerked in terror. In that moment she knew not what to do. But then, Elizabeth had an idea.

Elizabeth walked gingerly to the refrigerator so her mother could not hear her. Elizabeth opened the refrigerator door and felt a quick cold breeze. She reached for a can of soda.

Back in the bathroom, she slowly added toothpaste to her pink toothbrush. She opened up the can of soda and poured it over her toothbrush. When she was done brushing, she rinsed her mouth with soda.

"Elizabeth! What are you doing my baby girl?" cried her mother who was watching from the bathroom door.

"Don't worry mommy. I didn't drink any of it. I promise." Elizabeth opened her small mouth and showed all of her teeth. "No pop. See?"

"My baby girl, why are you using soda pop to brush your teeth?"

"Because you said there's too much of that junk on this Earth, mommy. Did you not say that, mommy?"

Elizabeth's mother laughed a bit. She stared at her daughter in admiration. She said:

"Elizabeth, just use water from now on. Okay, baby girl?"

Elizabeth pondered, with seriousness, what her mother had just asked of her. She did not want to disobey her mother, but at the same time, she did not want to deprive the Earth of its water. Her face grew stiff with horror.

Elizabeth's mother hugged Elizabeth and kissed her round, rosy cheeks.

"Off to bed, my angel. I love your long blonde hair. We need to trim it this week. You're going to be such a pretty baby girl when you grow up."

Elizabeth ran to her room. Elizabeth's mother wanted to use the toilet. She opened the lid, and then suddenly, jumped in the air.

"Oh, dear. Elizabeth! Flush!"

Elizabeth listened as her mother flushed the toilet. She yelled:

"Oh, no!"

Across the street, and only a mile away from Elizabeth's house, stood Noah in his bedroom still awake. He was twelve years, two months, and two days old. He thought about his school lunch. How awesome were the fries? They were so thick and salty. Noah rubbed his lips together as if a small grain of salt was still on them. He could taste the ketchup on his lips.

Noah had an idea.

He left his bedroom and slipped down the stairs. He made sure this time no cramp would occur in his left foot. He used his butt instead of his feet to get down the stairs. Noah found his bike sitting inside the shed in the backyard. Alice barked. Noah walked his all-chrome BMX bicycle to Alice. He placed his bike down and hopped the fence.

"I'll be away just for a bit, girl. You be quiet now. Don't tell anyone where I am going. Okay?" Noah slipped goldfish into her mouth.

The evening was beautiful, with clear skies and bright stars that seemed to line up in the sky for miles. The streets were quiet. The suburban houses, enveloped by tall trees, sat next to each other like deserted cardboard boxes.

The wind rushed through Noah's blonde hair. The twelve-year-old steered to the middle of the street, all the while keeping a keen eye for traffic. He caught a glimpse of a cop car and jumped into a bush in stealth mode. The cop car was not able to find him. Noah thought the driver in the cop car was a sucker.

Noah arrived at his destination. He loved Checker's fries. He had always thought the fries had an extra crunch to them. The oil tasted nice too. But the flavor of those fries, combined with ketchup and mayonnaise, was so tasty, so irresistible.

Noah rode his bike along the drive-up area and knocked on the window. A fat blonde woman came to the window. She opened the glass doors.

"Hi, Noah. Sweetheart, it's two in the morning. Don't you have school early tomorrow?"

"Hi, Mrs. Casper. You're getting fatter each night I see you."

"Yeah. Child is coming soon. I can't wait. He keeps kicking me. Say sweetheart, does your mother know you are here?"

"No, Mrs. Casper."

Mrs. Casper paused for a bit. She scratched her thick eyebrows. Noah had always liked Mrs. Casper's thick eyebrows. He overheard a conversation last Christmas between two skinny women saying that one of their boyfriends had thick eyebrows and that it made him look super smart. Noah liked super smart girls. He wanted to marry a smart girl. So right then and there, when he heard that thing about thick eyebrows, he decided he should only find girls with thick eyebrows.

Mrs. Casper said:

"Noah, I don't feel right about you riding your bicycle around this late at night. Nobody knows you are out?"

"Well," said Noah, pondering her question. His eyes darted around the area. He looked out towards the street, which was usually extremely busy with cars during the day, but was now subdued.

"Well, yes, you know I am out," Noah giggled. As he chuckled, the fat on his face vibrated.

"Oh, dear. And what about your school work, Noah?"

"All A's and B's. But more A's, Mrs. Casper! Yes! Ha. Can I have my fries now?"

Mrs. Casper sighed. She walked away. Moments later, she came back with a white bag. Oil stains blotched areas of the bag. She slipped the bag to Noah through the drive-up window. He reached in the bag and took one fry out to eat.

"Hot. Ouch. Thanks, Mrs. Casper. I hope the baby stops kicking you and swims out sooner over later. I'll see you later."

"Be safe, Noah Spence."

Noah started to ride away, with one hand holding his bag of fries and the other steering his bike. He turned back to Mrs. Casper, still watching him.

"I really like your eyebrows, Mrs. Casper!"

When Noah turned his head again to face forward, he saw a small rock in front of him. He tried to avoid it, but instead lost control of the bike. He zigzagged while desperately trying to keep control of the bike and the bag of fries in his arm. Noah lost all speed and fell to the cement hard. Fries spilled out of the bag.

"I'm okay, Mrs. Casper. This happens all the time." Noah looked at his hands, which he used to catch his fall. His hands were scraped and little pieces of rock were stuck to them. "Ouch," he said to himself. His foot was tangled in the bike.

"Noah, you have to be careful sweetheart! Maybe you should come in here to eat."

"It's okay." Noah unlocked his tangled foot from the bike. He stood up and brushed himself off. He started to pick up the fries on the ground. He ate one and placed the rest back in the bag. "Bye, Mrs. Casper. Again."

Noah rode his bike away and faded into the night. When he was out of Mrs. Casper's sight, he farted.

Noah Spence had no understanding of why he cannot sleep. He had merely accepted this fact, just as one accepted the fact that humans require oxygen to survive. Nobody knew about his condition. He explained this to Alice one night, but he was not sure if she understood what he was talking about.

It was when he was just ten years old when his condition started. At first, he watched a lot of television in his room. He started to read his homework assignments over and over; it helped his grades tremendously. When he was really desperate to sleep, but could not, he would rise from his bed and roam the neighborhood. But no matter what he did, he always retraced his thoughts back to that one night that forever changed everything: the night that took his father away in a freak car accident. It happened like this:

His tenth birthday party was set up at Happy Joe's Pizza Parlor. Family and friends came out joyfully to welcome the boy into his tenth year. Noah played games in the arcade. He won many tickets in skew ball and basketball games. Noah ate a lot of pizza. And as the evening came to a close, and cousins and grandparents had their fill of fun, family members made their way home. But Noah had craved ice cream treats.

Though his father was reluctant to drive to Whitey's Ice Cream down Twenty-third Avenue, the man did not want to refuse a wish on his son's birthday. So the family of three picked up their jackets and scarves, paid the bill, and drove away.

The car came out of nowhere. Noah remembered it happened at a red light their car had stopped at. When the light turned green, his daddy moved the car forward. It was then, at the intersection, that Noah saw the red car crash into his father. It bolted in the driver's side of the vehicle. Mr. Spence died immediately. Mrs. Spence was taken to the hospital.

Noah, who sat behind the passenger seat, came away without any physical injury. But that night he discovered there was, in fact, one injury: He no longer had the ability to sleep. His body rejuvenated itself each night as if it were in a deep sleep for eight hours, despite him never actually going to sleep. At first, Noah thought it was odd he was never sleepy at night. But he found ways to pass the time.

His poor mother, so lost and hurt, never noticed her child any longer. She was engulfed in the fact that the love of her life was gone. Mrs. Spence did not blame her son. But she felt a pang in her chest, for she did, indeed, feel anger towards the young child. Why couldn't he just have had ice cream at home? Did he not know it was too late for such a drive? Her thoughts drowned her into despondency. She was like a sailor lost at sea without her captain, without a compass to accompany her home. She was a drifter stuck out in the sea.

Noah was not angry about the extra eight hours. He rationalized his condition as this fact: He was living the extra hours for his father. The thought made him happy; it calmed his nerves each time he thought of his father.

Just a few blocks from where Noah was bicycling, Elizabeth was tossing and turning in her twin bed. Her bed sheets were pink and white, with pictures of smiling princesses. The walls were covered with artwork she painted or drew by hand. Above her head was a large window facing the street. There was a streetlight right in front, which sometimes prevented Elizabeth from sleeping. Elizabeth felt like playing with her princess doll. She ran to the light switch with light footsteps. The lights flickered on.

She played with her dolls for twenty minutes; a proper length of engagement for the princess to have tea with her screaming, yet annoying, fans. Sleep came to Elizabeth's eyes. She yawned. She forced the princess to bid farewell to the guests. Elizabeth stood and turned the lights down, when outside her window she saw someone riding their bike with a white bag in one arm.

She rushed to the window to see who it was, but the bike rider was gone.

"Odd people," Elizabeth whispered. She waited for a few moments to see if the rider would turn back. Nobody came. Elizabeth looked out her window and listened to the night. It was a quiet evening. The stars sat next to each other and illuminated the sky. Elizabeth started to count them. When she reached sixteen, her eyes grew heavy. She ducked under the covers, and fell quickly asleep.

Noah did all he could to hold back his tears.

"That freaking fall hurt!" Noah exclaimed to himself. He took a fry, which had dirt on it and brushed it off and chewed it. Noah rode his bike for fifteen minutes without a destination in mind. He rode down Twenty-third Avenue on the sidewalks, in case a cop jumped out and he needed to ride fast and get away.

Then Noah found himself at the site of the accident. He was always surprised to find the street so clean. The lights flickered to green, to yellow, to red, and then back to green. Everything worked. It irked him a bit to see everything functioning so well; it forced him to believe nothing bad had occurred here. But something bad did happen.

Noah turned his bike, and sped towards home. He took the long route back. Avoiding the main streets was key at that hour, because he didn't want to get into an accident. So he pedaled leisurely through the neighborhood. It fascinated him to think of all the people asleep. He was curious to know what they dreamt about. Noah ate another fry.

He could still remember his last dream. He was running in an open field. He was running so fast his feet left the ground and leapt into the air. Noah was airborne. He flew above the clouds. It was Noah's last dream. And it was one of his favorites.

Noah was running out of fries. They were cold now. But that's okay, he didn't mind. He stopped his bike to open small packets of ketchup.

"Slowly, slowly. Nice. Okay, now your turn, Mr. Mayonnaise." Noah stuck his tongue out as he gently and slowly released the sauce from the packets. "Good. No stains on the shirt. Hurrah!" Noah threw his arms in the air when opened packets of ketchup slipped through his fingers, floated in the air for a second, and landed on his shirt. "Oh, man."

Noah started to lick his shirt. He stretched it to his mouth and tried to wash the stain out with his tongue. No luck. There was a dark red stain on his white t-shirt.

Noah looked up. He noticed a light was on in a small brown house. That's odd. Usually nobody was up at this hour. Noah investigated. He gently placed down his bike in the yard. There was a tall tree in front that blocked most of the house. The yard was filled with healthy green grass. The front of the house had three windows, two medium-sized ones, and one large one in the living room. It was a two-story home. The streetlight in front was bright.

"Stealth mode," whispered Noah as he tapped his left wrist. He nearly tripped over a small rock as he neared the house.

Noah looked through the glass window on the first floor. He stood on top of rocks, which made his feet uncomfortable. Noah had to keep moving his feet around due to the uneven surface.

"She has pretty hair."

Noah watched a little girl with pretty blonde hair play with her dolls. She had a mole on her left cheek. She wore pink pajamas.

Noah could not hear what she was saying. He looked at the artwork on the wall. He thought they were stupid looking. The little girl pretended to fill little cups with liquid. She kissed one of her dolls frequently and neglected the rest.

"Boring," sighed Noah as he took another fry from the bag. "Not fair! The rest of the dolls aren't even drinking their tea."

Noah turned off his stealth mode. He quietly walked back towards his bike. He only had a few fries left, so he dipped the rest in ketchup and mayonnaise and ate them. He picked up his bike and rode away from the house while holding the empty white bag.
CHAPTER TWO

Noah rushed through his cereal. He slurped down the milk. Some of it dripped down his mouth to his chin. The light blasted through the untidy kitchen. Dishes were scattered in the sink. Food was left out overnight on the stove. Noah opened the fridge and put the gallon of milk back in.

"Bye mommy. See you later. I love you."

There was no response from his mother, who sat at the table lifeless. Noah bolted out the front door. He slung his backpack over his back and rode his bike toward Glenview Middle School.

It was a Tuesday morning in April. The winter cold was leaving the state of Illinois. Cars slowly pulled out of the driveway, on their way towards work.

Noah hummed a song. He waved to some of the cars pulling out. He yelled, "Have a good day!" When he passed each car, he whispered, "You old fart." Noah reached the street towards school, which was now heavy with traffic, and turned left where many students were walking.

Across Seventh Street, Elizabeth Little was getting dressed for school. Afraid her older sister would come in and make fun of her because she was still playing with dolls, she picked them up from the night previous.

That day, Elizabeth, who was twelve years, three months, and two days old, decided to wear a purple dress she was too small to wear before. She ripped off the tags and slipped into it. It fitted her nicely. She brushed her long blonde hair quickly. From the kitchen, her mother yelled: "Elizabeth? Baby girl? Time for breakfast, honey!"

Elizabeth rushed out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. She found her father and sister already eating. Her father was reading the morning paper. She kissed him on the cheek.

"Good morning everybody," said Elizabeth as she fixed her plate full of eggs, bacon, and toast. She sat next to her sister.

"That's an ugly dress. It's repulsive," her sister said with a look of disgust.

"I stole it from your closet, Melissa."

"No you didn't."

Mr. Little looked up from his paper. He studied his daughter in the new dress. He said:

"I think it looks lovely, Elizabeth."

"Thanks, Daddy." Elizabeth looked at Melissa and stuck out her tongue.

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth was in the van with her mother and sister. The trio's morning routine involved dropping Elizabeth off at Glenview Middle School first, then dropping Melissa off at high school. As they pulled up to the middle school, Elizabeth noticed a crowd had gathered near the bike rack, which was peculiar to her.

"Wonder what's going on?" pondered Mrs. Little aloud.

"I don't know. Look, all the teachers are running over there," responded Elizabeth.

"You should jump out here, sweetheart. Have a good day. Give Mommy a kiss." Elizabeth unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned toward the driver seat, and kissed her mother.

"Bye," said Elizabeth to her sister with disgust.

"Ugly dress!" responded Melissa.

"Shut up, you slut."

"Elizabeth!" her mother screamed.

Elizabeth closed the sliding van door and ran toward the entrance with haste. She was never given a tardy slip before, and thus, was determined not to receive one now.

Mr. Armstrong, the seventh-grade math teacher, brushed past her toward the crowd of students and teachers. He pushed some of the students back. Elizabeth waved to her mother as she drove away. Melissa, in the passenger seat, turned and watched Elizabeth with a scolding face. Elizabeth gave her the middle finger. She rushed into the building and unzipped her coat to let the warm air in.

Noah rode toward the bike rack. He found an open slot and eased his front tire between the cold bars of metal. He was pulling out his lock chain from his backpack when he felt a tap on shoulder. Noah turned around.

It was Rob! One of the meanest and biggest school bullies.

"Rob, what are you doing at the bike rack? I thought your mother was driving you to school? Is she pregnant again and on leave or something?" Noah talked fast when he felt nervous. He often said and did things before thinking.

Rob gave Noah an astonished look. He said, "What are you trying to say, my mom is fat?"

"No, not at all. It's just sometimes we shouldn't eat when we are full. I'm just saying from experience. So what can I do you for, Rob?"

"What the hell? Are you calling my mom fat?" Rob was red with anger.

Rob was a tall, thick boy with dark brown eyes. He had a large nose and some facial hair above his lip he desperately had been trying to grow since the fifth grade. He had dark brown hair and light skin.

All the boys were scarred of him. He was the bully because on the first day of school, he flipped one of the boys upside down and stuck his head in the toilet. He flushed the toilet ten times. Everyone called the boy, "toilet boy" and would not go near him. Rob was twelve years, nine months, and three days old.

"I didn't say your mom is fat, did I?" Noah took a deep breath. "But Rob?" Noah knew what was about to ensue; he could see the vapor coming out from Rob's nose. Noah thought he made the most of it.

"What, Noah?"

"Kiss my ass!"

Rob started to beat Noah's belly with his open hand. Some of Rob's friends rushed up and started to beat his belly too. Noah wanted to go into stealth mode, but it was too late. Darn, is that Randy? Why is he helping Rob out? It was only two days ago that Noah offered him milk money. Why was he in on this beat-down? And Scottie? What's his problem? Scottie started to kick Noah's bike. When Noah saw this, he rolled over to his back, and then toward Scottie. When Scottie wasn't looking, Noah kicked him in the balls. Man down.

Rob and Randy beat Noah until his stomach turned to a deep red. A crowd gathered nearby.

"Chubby! Chubby boy!" yelled Rob.

Noah heard an adult's voice. Finally.

"Move! Everyone back. I said move! Charley, move!"

Noah recognized Mr. Armstrong's voice. The math teacher made his way into the crowd and pulled Rob and Randy off Noah. Scottie was still on the ground, moaning as he kept his hands around his groin.

"Everyone inside. Now!" yelled Mr. Armstrong.

The crowd rushed into the building.

"Rob, Randy: straight to Principal Curt's office."

Rob and Randy gave high-fives to each other. They walked away excited. Mr. Armstrong picked up Noah. He lifted Noah' shirt to examine the boy's belly. Noah's pale white skin was stroked with deep red lines. Mr. Armstrong pulled down the shirt to cover Noah's new wounds.

"Not that bad today, Mr. Armstrong," said Noah.

"And what's wrong with you, Scottie?" asked Mr. Armstrong as he eyed Scottie, who was still lying on the grass.

"Noah kicked me in the balls, Mr. Armstrong!"

"You deserved it. Go to class, Noah."

"Thanks, Mr. Armstrong." Noah headed toward the entrance. He turned to his math teacher. "See you tomorrow morning, same time then, Mr. Armstrong."

Elizabeth found what books she needed for first period and ran downstairs towards homeroom class. At this middle school, students were divided into two teams due to the large body of students. Elizabeth belonged to the blue team. She was glad to be on the blue team. Most of her friends were on this team, except a few. She liked her teachers.

The homeroom bell rang.

Noah had all the books he needed for his next two classes. He walked past his locker, past the large cafeteria, and up a ramp to his homeroom. When he walked into the class, Noah yelled: "I kicked Scottie in the balls!"

Noah belonged to the gold team. He thought that because gold was superior to blue, he too belonged to a superior, smarter class. The teachers were better on this team, he thought. Luckily for him, Rob and Randy belonged to the blue team, so he didn't spend much time with them during the school year. He knew though, that next year in the eighth grade might be different.

Noah ate his lunch in the eighth row at the very end. It's where all the losers belonged. The nerds sat there. Kids who smelled bad, for no reason, sat there. Kids, who smelled fine, were considered smelly because they sat there. Kids who picked their nose sat there. The popular kids didn't go back there. They purposely took the long route to return their food trays. Even the teachers avoided that area if possible.

All the cool boys sat together in row three, table one. The pretty, popular girls were together in row seven table four, not too far from Noah.

The day's conversation at row eight, table six focused on whether pro wrestling was real or fake. Noah disapproved of those who believed that such a sport should be deemed fake. He wanted to kick all those who doubted the sport off the table.

Noah's best friend, Cookie, asked what happened to Scottie that morning. Was it true that the foot of Noah Spence kicked his balls?

"Yes, it's true, my boys," said Noah, as he placed his right foot on top of the table.

Cookie began to rub it, as if it symbolized luck.

"So you touched his balls?" asked one of the boys.

Cookie immediately stopped rubbing Noah's foot.

The entire row eight table looked over to row five, table six, where Rob and Randy were sitting. They were leaning close together, whispering something of importance. They occasionally broke conversation and looked back toward Noah. Noah examined the distinguished glow in Rob's eyes.

Elizabeth sat at row seven table two. Elizabeth was often quiet. She listened to her friends talk about the popular boys. Every week, each girl discussed which boy she liked, and why. But Elizabeth did not like boys yet. She lied and said she liked a boy from the eighth grade.

Some of her friends made fun of her pink lunch box. But Elizabeth really liked it. Her mother had bought it for her. It hurt her feelings and she wanted to cry when they teased her about the princess picture on the front of the box.

Row eight was the first row called to leave the cafeteria. Noah walked to his locker, grabbed his thick math book, and headed toward Mr. Armstrong's room on the second floor. A few feet from the entrance door stood Rob and Randy, waiting. They grabbed Noah and yanked him by his backpack. He was pulled into the restroom.

Inside was Scottie with his arms crossed.

"Hello, chubby boy."

Noah received a beat-down. The boys slapped his chubby stomach. Rob opened his backpack and flushed Noah's schoolwork down the toilet. Noah covered his head with both arms. He counted the seconds going by to help pass the time. He waited for rescue to come.

Eighth graders waltzed in. They told all the seventh graders to scram. They laughed at Noah on the ground. They told him to get out. Noah stood up and looked in the mirror. His face was bright red. Tears streamed down his chubby cheeks. Cookie rushed into the bathroom.

"Where are they? I'm here, Noah!"

The eighth graders laughed. Cookie helped Noah pick up his things and together they walked out.

"Next time, don't leave my sight. Got it, man?" said Cookie.

Cookie was a short boy who was twelve years, six months, and seven days old. He had long black hair that he parted down the middle. His nose was flat and he had small lips. He had a dark tan complexion. Cookie had no muscles and was fairly slim.

"It's okay, Cookie. I'll see you later."

Cookie started down the stairs. Noah began to walk to class when he heard sobs coming from the girls' restroom. Students fled to their classes quickly; the bell was about to ring.

The halls were empty. Noah walked to the entrance of the girls' restroom. He heard a girl continuing to sob.

"Hello?" Noah asked while rubbing his face, which was still bright red.

There was no answer. The sobbing stopped.

"Are you okay? Are you okay, little girl?"

Noah stood at the entrance for a moment. He stared at the school mascot poster. It was gator smiling with his thumb in the air. The gator wore a white t-shirt with the school's name printed on the front. Noah thought of an idea.

Elizabeth was at her locker. She put her lunch box away, and was taking a few books out when Scottie approached her locker.

"Hi, Elizabeth."

"Hi, Scottie."

"Can I walk with you to class?"

Elizabeth's cheeks blushed bright red. She turned her face away from the boy.

"No."

"Why not, Elizabeth?"

Rob and Randy walked out of the cafeteria. They found Scottie. Rob yelled, "Scottie! Scottie! It's time. Go to the bathroom upstairs near Mr. Armstrong's room. And hurry up!"

"Got to go, Elizabeth. See you."

"See you," replied Elizabeth.

She watched as Scottie ran away. His baggy jeans were too big for him; he had to hold them up with both hands. His long brown hair flopped up in the air as he ran. There was a loud chatter going on behind Elizabeth.

"Nice dress, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth turned around. Jenny, the most popular girl in the seventh grade and perhaps the whole entire school was walking toward her. Behind them were the rest of the girls from table seven, row four. Jenny said:

"Is it your mom's?" Jenny laughed, then the rest of the girls laughed. They gave Elizabeth a supercilious look. Elizabeth shut her locker door and ran upstairs. The girls' bathroom near Mr. Armstrong's class was always empty. She found solace there. She rushed into a stall, shut it, and began to cry profusely.

The bell rang. The hallways were quiet. The bathroom was quiet. She had the entire floor to herself. Or so she thought. She allowed herself to sob loudly.

"Hello?"

Elizabeth heard the voice of a boy. He sounded sincere and concerned. Elizabeth held her breath. She put her hands over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face.

"Are you okay? Are you okay, little girl?"

Little girl? Elizabeth thought that maybe the boy thought she was in the sixth grade. But this bathroom was near the seventh-grade homeroom. Did she happen to cry like a sixth grader?

She kept quiet. She listened for any footsteps. She knew the boy was still standing by the entrance. The boy said, "Sometimes, to make myself feel better, I flush all the toilets in the bathroom. I don't know why, but it makes me feel better. It's like flushing everything bad all away. You can try that, little girl."

His steps slowly faded away.

Elizabeth collected herself. She walked to the mirror. She fixed her long blonde hair. She wiped the wetness from her cheeks. She readjusted the purple dress and patted off any dust sitting on her shoulders. Elizabeth squeezed her textbooks to her chest and began to walk out of the restroom.

But then a thought entered her mind. She stopped, turned around, and flushed all three toilets. Elizabeth walked out feeling much better.
CHAPTER THREE

Noah devised a plan to get back at Scottie. He wanted to hurt Rob and Randy too. Late one night, in his back yard, he paced back and forth thinking of a plan. Nothing came to his head.

"Alice, what do you think?"

The Golden Retriever stared at him with dull eyes. He feed her some gold fish. He placed his hand in his pocket and ate some too.

Noah learned last week that the three boys were to be together at Randy's house for a sleep over. Noah called his plan, "Operation Kill Joe." He wasn't going to kill anyone though. It was just what he called it.

An idea came to Noah. He ran inside his house quietly. He opened his closet and took out six packs of firecrackers. He pulled out ten stems of bottle rockets. He ran to the kitchen and found a pack of matches. His mother was a heavy smoker. He placed the matches in his pocket and darted back out of the house.

It was ten o'clock in the evening on a Friday night. Noah rushed through the streets on his bike. Randy lived only fifteen minutes away.

Elizabeth didn't have that many friends. The friends she did have, she hung tightly on to. The boys at school had taken a liking to her good looks. She was terrified. She liked being in elementary school; it was at that time that the boys disliked her and left all of the girls alone.

But now they awkwardly tried to talk to her. She did not like that. She tried to ignore them. This just made them talk to her more. It wasn't that she didn't like them. The truth was, she was extremely shy and did not know what to say to them. She thought boys were weird.

Elizabeth was in Mr. Sano's advanced math course. Her scores were high in this class. Mr. Sano lectured most of the time, but always left the last ten minutes for discussions. He allowed the students to scoot their desks together so they could collaborate on assignments.

Jenny, the most stuck up bitch, the most popular girl in the school, was in this class. She gave Elizabeth lots of dirty looks. Elizabeth's best friends, Lisa and Erica were also in the class. They were sitting together with their desks facing each other. Lisa asked:

"Did you hear what happened last night at Randy's house?" asked Lisa with a laugh. Her smile revealed in her mouth thick pieces of grey metal, which latched tightly on to her teeth to the point that when she spoke, it was uncomfortable for her to speak. There was a piece of chewed broccoli hanging from the metal. She had braces for over a year now.

Presently, the girls shook their head.

"Someone threw a bomb in his window! Yeah, it like exploded and caused a fire."

"Who would do such a thing?" asked Elizabeth.

"Do they know who did it? I bet it was Wayne Foster. Was it Wayne?" asked Erica.

"No you dumb slut. They don't know who it was. The group rode off." Lisa gave Erica a look of disgust. "But rumor is, it was a large group of eighth graders, maybe fifteen of them, who hit Randy's house."

Elizabeth was terrified. She wondered if any of their houses were safe. A gang of eighth graders, maybe fifteen of them, what was the school coming to? What on earth, is this earth coming to? She asked:

"How bad was the fire?"

"Bad," answered Lisa.

"Oh no," cried Elizabeth.

Noah was in stealth mode. He arrived at his destination. Operation Kill Joe was a go.

Noah walked up to the house. That's odd, it's pitch black inside, he thought. Where did everybody go? The rest of the neighborhood was lively. A group of high school boys passed the street in a truck.

"Go Panthers!" said a boy in the back of the pick up truck.

Noah ducked in a bush. He waited for them to leave. When they were gone, he turned his attention back to the house still dark.

He took out a pack of firecrackers from his backpack.

This is how Noah came into possession of these weapons of mass destruction: His uncle in Rock Island, Illinois drove to Missouri a few times in the summer to load up on illegal fireworks. Noah stole these from his uncle's house while he was in the garage fixing cars. His uncle was a car mechanic. He had lots of pictures of nude women on the walls.

Noah lit the firecrackers. The line whistled loudly. He chucked it to the front door. The firecrackers slammed against the front door and landed on the porch. Noah stepped back behind the bush. A fresh smile formed on his face as he covered his ears with his hands.

The fireworks exploded and popped profusely; the neighborhood echoed. The front door was covered with pink and red colors from the firework blast. A few moments later, there was commotion inside the house.

Then a light in the front window turned on. A man came to the window and looked towards his front door. He searched and scanned the area to see who lit fireworks on his front porch.

Another light turned on from the bedroom on the second floor. The window slowly opened up. It was Jenny! The most stuck up bitch at Glenview Middle School. Noah chose the wrong house! Operation Kill Joe has gone wrong; it was a complete embarrassment!

"Oh crap!" yelled Noah. He jumped on his bike, rode near a row of trees, and sped quickly away.

As Noah jetted away, he heard Jenny's father yell:

"You boys better get the hell of here! I'm calling the police!"

Noah thought he urinated on himself. He checked, but luckily was still dry.

Noah drove his bike two streets up. He spotted his target, returned to stealth mode and decided to proceed with the operation.

Noah gingerly walked up to the house. He saw Randy and Rob in the living room playing video games. Scottie entered with a joystick in his hand.

"Nintendo Sixty-Four boys? Nice. I got a game for you," whispered Noah.

Noah slapped his face.

"So stupid, how could you get the wrong house?"

Noah's face grew red with anger. He thought about all the abuse he had received from these three boys. He decided that it was best to tie up three packs worth of firecrackers so that when he lit them, they would explode at once. He tied some bottle rockets into the monolithic pack too.

He checked to see what the boys were doing one last time: They were still busy playing, laughing, and eating chips. Noah wondered if they had any gold fish to eat.

He took out the matches and tried to light the line. It did not go. He started another match, but still, the line did not catch on fire. He did this until he reached the very last match.

"Last one, come on baby. Light for me. Light for me baby. Come on," whispered Noah with his tongue out.

He lit the match and placed it to the line with a shaky hand. A wind gust passed through and blew the small flame out.

"Holy shit! No. No!"

Noah threw the match to the ground. He kicked some rocks sitting in front of the house.

"No! No!"

Frustrated, Noah picked up his bike and threw it at Randy's front window. The front tire slammed against the large window and shook the glass, and then the bike bounced off the window and slammed right back into Noah's body. He fell to the ground with the bike on top of him.

"Ouch."

Randy ran to the window.

"Who is there? I said who is there? Dad? Come here!"

Randy's dad rushed to the living room.

"What is it boys? What was that boom noise?"

"Someone threw something at the window. It looked like, like, like a fucking bike."

Noah was on the ground holding the bike. He was just underneath the house, so nobody could see him. He started to pick himself up, when he heard a hissing sound. He looked to his left.

The fireworks!

He did light them somehow. The lit line was slowly reaching its end. Noah pushed off his bike and rushed to the fireworks. He tried to put out the line with his foot, but it continued.

Footsteps reached the front door of the house. The front light of the house turned on. Noah was exposed. He stomped and kicked the fireworks to put out the sizzling line now at the end of its life.

Noah did not know what to do. If he stood there, he would turn into firework toast, go to jail, and live the rest of his life with impaired hearing. He picked up the fireworks; it was about to go off! Noah looked around for a solution. He thought he could dump the fireworks in the driveway and make a run for it. But Randy's family would see him jet off on his bike.

The front door started to open. In the final moment of the firecracker's life, Noah threw the chain of fireworks at the front door. The fireworks flew past Randy's dad and into the house.

It exploded.

Randy's dad jumped several feet in the air in pure fear. Randy, Scottie, and Rob ducked under the couch for cover. Randy's dad ran up the stairs and dove into the kitchen. He knocked over dishes, which fell from the counter and broke as they slammed to floor.

The explosion was so loud Randy could not hear his dad yell:

"Down, everyone down!"

Noah jumped on his bike. He made haste and scurried away quickly. As he reached the main road, he turned back and looked into the front door. A small orange ball of gas latched on the wall. The fire spread to the curtains and from a distance away, appeared brighter than a Christmas tree.

Noah drove his bike fast. His lungs struggled for air. When he reached Seventh Street, Noah saw a fire truck a mile ahead of him with lights and sirens turned on. Noah turned down a side street. He faded down a quiet alley and allowed the darkness to envelope him.

Elizabeth was in her room. She thought it was silly, that she, a twelve-year-old girl, practically a teenager, was still using a blanket that could pass for a child. She ripped off the covers and threw it in her closet. She elected to use a more subdued comforter. A plain white one would do.

Elizabeth ran to her closet. She pulled out anything remotely childlike. She reached for the purple dress, worn just days ago. She placed it into a garbage bag.

As Elizabeth crossed the kitchen towards the front door, her parents, at the dinner table having a chat with tea, asked her where she was going.

"The trash. I'm taking out the trash," replied Elizabeth.

As she passed the kitchen, the pink lunch box she had used for a number of years crossed her sight. She grabbed the box, placed it in the garage bag and headed outside to the trash bin.

Elizabeth opened the trash bin and threw her things inside. Then suddenly, she noticed a shadow, in the shape of a human body, walking towards her.

"Who is there?" asked Elizabeth turning around.

The shadow did not answer. Elizabeth stood near the driveway waiting for the person to come close.

"Hi Elizabeth."

"Scottie. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Is that okay?"

Elizabeth cheeks flushed bright red. The blood in her body rushed to her head. Elizabeth knew she was bright red now, but was happy that the darkness concealed her embarrassment.

"What do you want?"

"I want to ask you something Elizabeth."

"Okay."

Scottie shifted his weight. His hands fidgeted in his pockets. He stared at Elizabeth's bare feet.

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

Elizabeth's face was flushed with more heat. She had never been asked to a dance before. She did not know how to dance. What would she wear? She just dumped her favorite dress into the trash bin.

The long pause forced Scottie to perspire. His eyes were wide open as he impatiently waited for an answer. Perhaps, she did not hear him, he thought.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yes?"

"Will you go with me?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth stared at Scottie's black shoes. Her face was not as hot; she felt it cool down a bit. She asked: "Scottie, did Randy's house really catch on fire by some gang?"

"Yeah. It caught on fire. I was there. I was scarred, but I ran outside ready to fight them. We thought a gang kicked down the front door and started shooting the place up. The gang must have run off quickly as the fireworks blew up the house. It was crazy. Randy's dad started crying. He couldn't hear out of his right ear for two days!"

"Did they ever find out who it was?"

"Nope. But the cops did find a tire mark on the front window."

"A tire mark?" asked Elizabeth.

"Yeah, the gang was leaving their mark. The cop said it was some kind of warning or something."
CHAPTER FOUR

Noah liked dances. Though he was too frightened to ask for a date, he managed enough courage to attend anyways. He enjoyed participating in school activities. This year, Noah was in charge of the punch.

He was dressed nicely. He wore a clean white shirt and a brown silk tie. The white dress shirt was barely tucked in his navy khakis; it was not long enough to stretch over his belly. His blonde hair was long and shabby and needed a hair cut.

Cookie was standing next to him helping fill up the empty cups. Noah poured and Cookie placed them on the table. Cookie asked:

"Dude did you see Jenny? She is so hot man."

"She's ok."

"Ok? Dude, she's like the prettiest girl in school. She's also the school bitch, but still, man."

"She's also the meanest. Why are all the pretty girls so mean?"

Cookie bobbed his head to the music. He scanned the room for potential dance mates. He spotted a girl.

"Be right back dude."

"Where you going?"

"You see that girl, with Lisa?" Cookie pointed to a girl across the room. "The one in the pink dress?"

"Yeah, I see her all the time. Who is she though?"

"Going to find out man," replied Cookie nodding his head. "She's on the blue team. Wish me luck."

Noah watched his friend slowly walk across the dance floor. He passed a crowd dancing and finally reached his destination. Cookie, relative to his target dance mate, was fairly short. The girl in the pink dress looked at Cookie with an embarrassed look.

Cookie's mouth moved. Noah tried to read his lips. Then, Cookie started to dance. He threw his arms in the air; he placed his hands on his sides and shook his body in small circles.

Lisa and the girl in the pink dress stood there staring. They giggled a bit and then scooted away from Cookie. Cookie stood there dancing by himself for a bit, not realizing that he was unsuccessful in finding a dance partner.

Moments later he returned to Noah. Cookie said:

"They didn't want to dance with me."

Lisa started to giggle as she watched Cookie back at the punch table. She turned her attention back to her friend.

"I love that pink dress Elizabeth. Where did you get it?"

"Thanks. My mom and I went to the mall yesterday. We got it on sale, can you believe it?"

Elizabeth turned her head and looked over towards the punch table.

"What was that little boy doing?"

The girls started to laugh. Erica joined the group with a cup of punch. Erica looked at Elizabeth and asked:

"Where's Scottie?"

Scottie was nowhere to be found. He agreed to meet Elizabeth at the dance.

"I don't know, he said he'd be here later."

"You're so lucky. Are you going to be his girlfriend?" asked Lisa.

Elizabeth's face turned bright red. She needed a drink to cool her blushed face down and to deflect the attention placed on her.

"I don't know. Let's get something drink."

The girls started for the punch table, when Lisa held the group back. They watched as Cookie walked away and then proceeded to the table. As the girls approached the table, Elizabeth asked:

"Who is that in the white shirt, the chubby blonde boy filling up the cups? I see him all the time, but I don't know who he was?"

"That's Noah Spence," responded Erica.

Elizabeth shook her head.

"Never heard of him."

The three girls reached the table. Lisa and Erica took cups of red punch. Elizabeth was empty handed. She gazed at Noah as he poured her a cup.

He handed her a full cup with a smile. She returned his smile, turned her back to him, and chatted with her friends.

Cookie returned from the restroom break. He rushed to Noah's side and whispered:

"Dude, the girls came looking for me? Man! Why didn't you wave to me to hurry up?"

"Cookie, I think they just wanted punch."

Cookie paid no attention to Noah's words. He walked around the punch table and started to chat with Lisa and Erica.

Noah started to giggle. He has always appreciated his friend's short-term memory. Noah understood his friend to be one of the funniest, most loyalist person he has ever known. He enjoyed his company.

Scottie approached Cookie from behind.

"What are you doing? Get out of here shrimp!"

Rob and Randy walked up and stood behind Scottie.

"Sorry man," said Cookie.

Cookie started to walk away from the group. Groups of students near watched to see if an explosion would occur.

"Hey you. Hey Cookie."

Cookie turned around. Scottie motioned Cookie with his index finger to come.

"Get me a glass of punch. Now," said Scottie.

"No way man."

Lisa intervened. She told the group of boys to leave Cookie alone. This enticed them. Scottie grabbed Cookie by the back of his shirt. He yanked it up towards the ceiling.

"I said, get me a glass of punch!"

Scottie released Cookie's shirt. Cookie walked to the punch table, picked up a cup, and walked back to Scottie.

"Here you go Scottie," said Cookie softly.

Scottie extended his right hand to receive the cup, when Cookie turned the cup slightly down and pushed out the liquid into Scottie's face.

Students erupted loudly with laughter. Elizabeth covered her smiling face with her hands.

Scottie stood there with a wide-open mouth. Cookie stared at him, then at the crowd; he embraced the chatter and laughter. It energized him. When he looked back at Scottie, he lost his cheerful face.

Scottie was red with anger. Scottie clenched his fists. He charged Cookie and slammed him hard to the ground.

Noah ran around the punch table. He took two cups of punch, ran up to Scottie and threw both cups of punch into his face.

"My eyes! My eyes! Someone threw fucking punch in my eyes!"

When Scottie fell off Cookie and on to the ground, Noah kicked him in the groin area.

"My balls! My balls!" yelled Scottie.

Noah helped Cookie to his feet.

Rob and Randy charged in. Noah pushed Cookie to run in the opposite direction. Lisa yelled:

"Leave them alone Rob! Randy, stop!"

But the boys charged after their prey. Cookie and Noah only got a few feet away when they were grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground.

The beat down lasted a full three minutes before the adults reached them.

It was a dark and cloudy night. The park was deserted. The tree branches swayed back and forth from the gusting winds. The swings moved back and forth with no passengers. Noah was sitting in the center of the merry-go-round as Cookie pushed it.

Noah tried to comb his estranged hair now flowing up in all directions. His white shirt was tinted yellow and brown from the dirty floor. Cookie did not fare well either for his nose swelled up to the size of a golf ball.

"Thanks Noah."

"For what?"

"Man, for getting beat up with me."

"Sure. Wasn't the first time and it won't be the last. You've done the same for me many times."

Noah's left nostril was plugged up with tissue, which was now a dark red color.

"It's getting late," said Cookie. "I better get home. You ready to go?"

"No, I think I am going to stay here for a bit."

"Ok. See you later man."

Cookie jumped on his bike. He rode away and faded into the darkness like a phantom gliding away on its horse.

Noah readjusted himself, stood up and walked up to the slide. He climbed the stairs to the top and sat down with his legs extended down the slide. He sat there for several hours staring up at the cloudy sky.

He waited for the sun to rise.

When Noah returned home, the sun was quickly making its way up to into the sky. He changed out of his white shirt, now stained with dark hues of red, when the home phone rang. It was odd to have a call at such an hour on a Sunday.

"Hello?" there was no answer. "Hello?"

The person on the other line was a girl, with a sweet, low toned voice. It was not clear exactly what she wanted. Her voice was distant and slow; it was as if she were waiting to be entertained by the person receiving the call.

"May I ask who is calling?" asked Noah.

The girl responded with a no. There was a slight pause on the line, and then the girl said:

"I'd like you to tell me about yourself."

Noah was reluctant at first. He thought it was a friend from school pulling a prank on him, but he knew nobody would call at such an early hour.

Noah was amused by her random call. He sat down on his bed, and began discussing things insignificant. But then the girl asked to know something unique of him; something nobody knew so that if one day she should pass by him on the street, she might be able to recognize him and say hello.

"Well, I can't sleep. I haven't slept in years. I've never told anyone that before."

There was a pause. The girl asked him to continue.

"I don't know why I can't sleep. I forgot what it's like actually. Sometimes I close my eyes and pretend I can sleep. But nothing happens. I just keep thinking and thinking about things. It kind of, well, it kind of tires me out a bit. You know?"

Noah giggled as he listened to the murmurs. With a laugh he said:

"Actually, it's wonderful to never sleep. I have a lot of time to read, do my homework, or play with Alice – my neighbor's dog. She's a pretty dog. But sometimes it makes me tired. Not tired like sleepy tired. But tired like I don't want to think anymore. I'm jealous of people who can sleep sometimes. They get to go to places I can't go to anymore."

There was a pause. Noah listened to her breathing. Then she spoke. Noah nodded his head, and answered:

"I like to egg this guy's house." Noah giggled. "Mr. Wheeler. He treats his daughter like a queen. She's a snob. Mr. Wheeler is a stuck up man. I think I'm doing the neighborhood a favor by egging his house at night. I should belong to the neighborhood watch and receive a medal for my work."

After the dance, Elizabeth headed straight home. She was turning in for bed when she came up with an idea. She listened and waited until other members of the house were asleep.

When all the noises in the house were gone, she crawled out of bed. She dragged her feet gently on the carpet towards the kitchen where the phone sat charging.

Back in her room, with the lamp on, she dialed random numbers. On nights when sleep was difficult, or when her friends were bored during a sleep over, Elizabeth passed the night by calling random strangers. She liked to hear the sound of their voices. And if it was a pleasant voice, she interacted with them.

She dialed a random seven-digit number. The phone rang and reached its voicemail. Elizabeth hung up. She dialed another number, but this time, she is greeted with a hostile man. He demanded to know whom he was speaking to and why this person was calling at such a random late hour. Elizabeth hung up. She turned down the light.

That night Elizabeth was having a hard time falling asleep. The sunlight started to show its way into the room. She felt utterly lonely. She picked up the phone, and randomly dials another number.

The person on the other end picked up.

"Hi," said Elizabeth.

She thought the boy's voice was pleasant and comforting. It made her flush. She pulled the comforter over her head as she listened to him speak. She felt the urge to make a connection with this person, so immediately asked the boy if he could discuss something personal; something he has never told anyone. He answered and she listened.

"What's it like to never sleep?" asked Elizabeth with a laugh.

She found the boy to be funny and creative. She immediately wished to see his face to compare what she imagined him to look like against the reality of his appearance.

"Why do you want to know my name? It's fun to not know each other's names don't you think? You could be anyone." Elizabeth paused for a bit. With a chuckle, she answered: "But if you should know my name, it's Beth."
CHAPTER FIVE

"Do you want so more water? You have to drink some, the doctor said. Noah?"

"Yes, my sweet?"

"Noah, I love you. Don't leave me."

"Okay."

"Okay what? You will leave me? Or okay, you will stay with me?"

Noah took a deep breath. He observed the equipment surrounding him. Tubes ran from his arms and from his nose. The room was bright white. He looked out the window. It was a cloudy night. The stars were hiding themselves.

Noah's lips were dry. His light blonde hair was cut short. Noah was thirty-two years, six months, and two days old. He had a thin face, which matched his slim body. His nose, which was even, matched his thin lips. He smiled and gave his sincere, charming eyes.

"My sweet, my dear Chloe, I will never leave you. Besides, there is no other woman as pretty as you who would marry me."

"My babe, who said I'd marry you?" said Chloe with a chuckle. She smiled while tears flowed down her cheeks. "Drink this water here."

Chloe helped Noah to some water. He observed her bright brown eyes. Her lovely long brown hair was youthful and spritely. Her long narrow face matched her height. Chloe was a tall woman of five foot ten, much taller (with heels on) than Noah who was five foot nine. She had long thin fingers. Her complexion was clear and pale. She had a thin, well-profiled nose.

"The doctor said you've been getting up in the middle of the night. We were wondering where you go babe? I thought the medication was working. We were so worried you have been sleep walking again." Chloe took the cup of water from his hands. She placed it gently on a plastic tray. She leaned in closer to his face. "But you aren't. He told me the staff would find you lucid and fully aware of where you were."

"You know me, not one for sleep is all."

Noah's brown eyes darted around the room. His thoughts circled back to the streets of New York. He loved the nights he spent roaming the city. He wished he were out there now. Living in New York was for him like a fish roaming a wide ocean full of adventure, full of stories waiting to be discovered.

He wanted to be out there now. But Chloe would never allow it; she was extremely cautious of him walking alone late in the city.

This was where he met Chloe for the first time. It was in Central Park. Chloe and Noah belonged to a youth group called Upward Bound. In addition to their full-time work, they worked as volunteer mentors. Each summer, the program, through yearlong fundraising, allowed the group to a weeklong tour of New York City.

He was alone looking at the fish swimming in the pond. The air brushed through the trees, which gave birth to the leaves on the ground. Locals and tourists packed the park with great cheer.

Chloe was with her friends. She saw Noah standing alone, and decided to chat with him.

"Weird fishes."

"I'm sorry?" responded Noah.

"I said weird fishes. They don't seem to eat what we feed them. Watch." Chloe threw in the pond some crackers towards a pair of gold fish. "See, nothing."

"They're special fish. Maybe they don't eat the stuff because they're not like all the other fish."

"What do they eat then?"

Noah paused to think about the question. He returned his gaze at the fishes. He reached into his pocket.

"Dark chocolate," said Noah.

"Dark chocolate?"

"Yes." Noah pulled out a half eaten bar. He unwrapped it.

"I don't think they can eat that," said Chloe doubtfully. She raised her eyebrows.

"You're right. We better try it first." Noah unwrapped the gold foil, broke apiece off, and fed it into Chloe's mouth. She was surprised by the gesture, and thus, took a step backward.

"Oh, me first?"

"How is it?" asked Noah.

"It's dark." Chloe studied his dark brown eyes. She smiled. "I'm Chloe by the way."

"I know."

"Do I know you?"

"You're very pretty Chloe," interrupted Noah. "Would you like another bar of chocolate?"

This was the first conversation between Chloe and Noah.

Back in the hospital, Chloe was asleep next to Noah's bed on the sofa. He watched her sleep.

How pretty she was! She appeared to him an angel at rest. He admired her long brown hair. Her clear complexion at rest made her look youthful and innocent. He kissed her cheek. He kissed her lovely hands.

"Be right back sweetheart."

Noah slipped out of bed, past the nurse's desk, and out into the night.

New York City was a very beautiful place to be when one cannot sleep. You could drift through streets to be alone without the feeling of being the only person alive. The notion comforted Noah.

Noah took the F Train to Bryant Park. He took a seat in a green chair and gazed up at the buildings standing tall and erect. Noah had been coming here often and was surprised to know that that each time he came, not one building ever appeared familiar to him. What great architecture, he thought each time he stopped here!

A homeless man, who was walking by, stopped and faced Noah. He approached Noah gingerly.

"Do you have any spare change son?"

"I don't."

The homeless man stood there for a moment. His face was streaked with black marks as if he laid himself down on the streets and was run over with car tires. His white beard was long. He was covered in a red comforter one would use for camping purposes. His response was:

"Oh." He scratched his face. "Why are you wearing a hospital outfit?"

"Because I am a patient."

"Oh. What happened?"

The homeless man took a seat next to Noah. Noah explained that he was in an accident at work. Noah worked at Tekserve, an Apple Reseller on Twenty-third and Sixth Avenue. He was part of the stock room team, explained Noah to the observant homeless man.

Two afternoons ago, he was unloading a truck when a car lost control and swerved. Though he was able to jump out of the way, the car slammed into the truck being unloaded. Merchandise and boxes dropped down from the truck. One large box in particular, dropped down and landed violently on top of Noah.

"And that's how I landed in the hospital."

"Oh," said the homeless man.

A few moments passed between them.

"And you are sure you don't have any change?"

In this exact moment, a few blocks away, was Elizabeth Little circling her apartment. She lived in a studio apartment not too far from Bryant Park and would often go there Sunday mornings to do Yoga with a large group of other New Yorkers.

She was having a hard time falling asleep. She tried to count the stars outside her window, but clouds surrounded the stars. She picked herself up and walked to the bathroom. She turned on the light, looked for her brush, and brushed her long blonde hair.

Elizabeth looked deep into her blue eyes. She was a pretty woman of thirty-two years of age. She had long eyelashes, which she had often used to charm people; it often aided her when she was out of luck or in need of good fortune with someone. Her body was long, thin, and narrow. Her breasts were small. She had full lips and a straight, even long nose.

Elizabeth played with her hair for several minutes. But still, sleep would not come to her eyes.

She had an idea.

Elizabeth grabbed her keys, placed her New York Yankees baseball cap on her head, which she just bought at a home game last week, and headed out the door.

She was never one to stroll the sidewalks late at night. But the urge to do so tonight was suddenly strong. The streets around her apartment were quiet.

It was three in the morning. Her feet took her to Bryant Park. She looked around the area: Nobody was there. Elizabeth took a seat. Several streets away she heard the sound of a taxi honking its horn.

Suddenly, Elizabeth heard footsteps coming up behind her right shoulder. Her heart sinks. She tried to remain calm. She turned around to face the walker.

"Ms. I was wondering if you had any change?"

"No, I don't. I am sorry," Elizabeth, answered startled.

Elizabeth observed the homeless man. She wondered why he was covered in a red comforter in the middle of April. The homeless man stood there for a moment staring into her eyes as if she would change her mind and magically find coins in her pockets.

But she had no coins in her possession. The homeless man exclaimed:

"Oh."

He walked away. Elizabeth returned her attention to the city. She sat there for an hour in a deep pensive mood. Finally, she picked herself up and headed back to her isolated apartment.

Inside, she undressed and slipped under the covers. Her eyes grew heavy as the sun began to rise. Streaks of orange light blasted through her windows. She wondered if there was anyone else in New York watching the sunrise. It was beautiful.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The next day at work, Elizabeth was slow and groggy. It was Tuesday morning on a bright and warm day. The caffeine in her coffee was too slow in its cause to kick her into gear.

Elizabeth worked at an advertising agency. She belonged to the accounts team. All through junior high and high school, she had taken a liking to numbers. She observed this preference to be her calling.

But the lack of sleep, and the slow ingestion of caffeine, prevented her from working well. To make matters worse, her computer keyboard wasn't working.

"Alice? Alice?"

A woman dressed in a grey suit, white dress shirt with pointy collars, turned around in the cubicle across from her. She smiled at Elizabeth.

"What's up girl?"

"Do you know if they hired someone in I.T. yet? My keyboard works and then doesn't work. I can't work!" exclaimed Elizabeth while slamming her fingers down on the keyboard.

"I think they did. Call them up."

Elizabeth turned around and dialed the number to the information technology department. To her surprise, someone picked up immediately. She explained the situation and the person on the other end of the call said he would be there shortly.

A few minutes later, someone arrived.

"Hi. Keyboard broken?"

"Yes, I think so," responded Elizabeth.

"I'll just replace it with a new one and check out the old one."

"Okay great. Thanks so much. Did you just start? We've all been waiting for someone to replace Roy. It's been too long since we've had anyone. We needed you like, last month," said Elizabeth.

"Yes, this is my first week."

"Great. I'm Elizabeth Little." Elizabeth extended her right hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Noah Spence." Noah took her hand into his.

She thought Noah Spence was a handsome boy.
CHAPTER SIX

Noah checked himself out early morning after his brisk through Bryant Park. He was getting dressed for his first day at a new job. The incident at Tekserve put him in the hospital for several weeks; he decided not to return to work there.

A friend of a friend was in need of someone with systems administration skills at a rising advertising firm. The friend of a friend suggested Noah.

Chloe rushed in the bedroom to peek at her lover.

"Do you need help with the tie babe?"

"Yes please."

Chloe walked up to Noah and adjusted his collar. She formed a supportive smile and asked:

"Are you nervous, first day and all?"

"Not really."

"How did you sleep last night? You were tossing and turning a lot. I swear you never sleep a night in the hospital."

"Just fine. I slept fine," retorted Noah.

"Don't give me that attitude babe. You know I care for you."

Noah did not like to lie to Chloe. But with that question, which came up every now and then, he was usually robotic with his answer.

The first day bored Noah. He was introduced to so many people that he thought he met some of them twice. Noah was part of the I.T. help desk team, which meant he would troubleshoot computer tickets in levels tier one to tier two.

The only other person on staff was James Daniels, the Vice President of the information technology department. He wanted Noah to jump right in the fire and take calls on the first day. He said it would be good experience for Noah. But Noah just thought he was being passive and lazy to go through proper procedures with him cordially.

Noah was left alone and sat at his desk for the first time. A few moments later, the phone rang. Noah answered. Shortly after, he was off to the other end of the office with a keyboard in hand.

Noah was lost. He had no idea where he was going. After awhile, the rows and rows of gray cubes appeared similar. He stopped by one of them to get directions, but this just made him more lost. Finally, after several turned corners, he found his destination. A blonde woman stood up as he approached her desk.

She was so strikingly attractive; Noah almost had a heart attack.

The woman made him nervous. He tried to hide his face from the pretty blonde woman, and when he thought her eyes were looking elsewhere, he immediately wiped the sweat from his forehead. He asked some questions about her broken keyboard, then decided to replace it with a new one while he took the replacement back for testing.

She introduced herself and shook his hand. That's odd, Noah thought to himself: the name Elizabeth Little sounded so familiar. But the funny thing was, she too seemed to look at him with familiar eyes.

"Noah Spence," she said to herself with her eyes to the ground. "That sounds so familiar." Elizabeth looked up and met Noah's blue eyes. "Where are you from by chance Noah Spence?"

When Noah returned to his desk, he discovered the keyboard was functioning just fine.

In the following weeks, Elizabeth and Noah were inseparable. Friends of Elizabeth labeled Noah as her "office husband," a title Noah chuckled at. They ate lunch together everyday at two in the afternoon. They even clocked out together and walked to the subway station in the evenings.

They talked about their hometown. There was much to gossip about because friends back in Illinois had stories to tell.

For instance, when Elizabeth came over to dinner, she explained to Chloe how a teacher of theirs in high school had recently been arrested for sleeping with several students.

"He always stared at me," said Elizabeth, rolling her eyes. "I'm not surprised though. Every one at the school knew it was going on, but nobody did anything."

Chloe sighed. She looked into Elizabeth's eyes with her own tender ones.

"I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of that was going on around our schools these days. It's just horrible. Awful. I don't even want to think about that."

As time passed by, Chloe and Elizabeth got along like sisters. They joked and suggested to Noah they were separated at birth.

"What was Noah like in school?" asked Chloe one night after dinner.

"We didn't know each other. Actually, I don't think we ever spoke to one another. Did we Noah?"

"I don't think we did. Nope." Noah was clearing the table while the two ladies sat chatting away.

Elizabeth turned to Chloe. She said: "I remember he was a chubby boy though. I always wondered about him. He always looked aloof in those big glasses of his," said Elizabeth chuckling.

"They were my dad's glasses," retorted Noah. "And I wasn't part of the popular crowd as you were, Ms. Elizabeth Little."

"What group were you with then babe?" asked Chloe.

"He used to get into a lot of fights," interrupted Elizabeth quickly. "Isn't that right Noah?"

Noah attempted to conceal his embarrassment. He turned his back and headed towards the kitchen. He shouted:

"What happened to Scottie and the other guys anyways?"

"Oh you didn't hear?"

"No."

Elizabeth turned to Chloe. She whispered: "These boys used to pick on Noah a lot in school."

Chloe nodded her head with excitement and waited for more details. Noah returned to the dinner table and sat down. Elizabeth continued:

"They're all living in Illinois still. Well, not sure if you would say Scottie is quite living it up in Illinois."

"Why, what happened to him?" asked Noah.

"He got arrested for trying to burn down a building. Supposedly, he was trying to get back at some girl who dumped him. Everyone back home is talking about it. It was all over the news for days, as if they didn't have anything better to report."

Elizabeth enjoyed spending time with the couple, even though she felt a bit ill when she saw how affectionate Noah was towards his girlfriend. It made her feel lonely, absent, and a bit envious.

Chloe and Noah had lived together now for a number of years: three to be exact. Through Chloe's mannerisms and energetic eyes, Elizabeth came to the conclusion that she was well taken care of. Elizabeth could see that the couple was madly in love.

It made Elizabeth feel even lonelier. She felt a sense of guilt for feeling such a way. It was not that she could not find a date or admirer of her own; this was not the problem. Many in her path have made it known that they would like to be considered a candidate of her affection.

She fancied nobody. The men she did date had no lasting impression. The relationship would begin strong, and then always end up in a bitter fashion or in solidarity that they as couple were better off as friends.

She wanted deeply what Chloe had: Someone who was dedicated, charming, and thoughtful towards her. Noah treated Chloe always in such a fashion.

Over time, Elizabeth was surprised how fond of Noah she had become. The feelings were so clear and immense; it was no longer a choice of hers to deny her disposition. She was falling in love with Noah.

She fancied in her daydreams that she spotted Noah decades ago, and was able to secure his affection during their younger days at Glenview Middle School. Then and there, she would love him and care for him. They would plan a wonderful life together and eventually, move to the city. She imagined what their children would look like and gave them names and characteristics.

The thought both hurt and soothed her.
CHAPTER SEVEN

Noah wanted to hit Mitchell Schlossberg right in the mouth. Oh how Noah wanted to shut up that cunning son of a bitch, who was so pompous, dull and so conniving of a bastard.

"Would you like so more tea Mitchell?" Noah asked kindly. He even managed a smile.

"Lovely. I would love another cup."

The afternoon sunshine blasted its light all over the city. It was a pleasant day for company and tea. So on this particular Saturday afternoon, Chloe invited their closest couple of friends for conversation.

Chloe and Elizabeth were engaged with Mitchell in a light and fun conversation. When Noah returned to the dinner table with a warm cup of tea, he noticed that Elizabeth's hand was slipped underneath Mitchell's.

The couple, still in the beginning stages of their relationship, was energetic and youthful. This meant that everything they did and said was fresh, new and exciting. Noah, who was bothered to the point of jealousy, noted the display of affection.

But he was a man with an ability to conceal his emotions. He was like an actor emoting happiness and cheerfulness when really deep down inside he wanted to reach over and strangle the other man until his face represented the color purple.

Mitchell observed the apartment.

"You have a nice place here. May I ask what you two pay for rent in this neighborhood?"

Chloe and Noah, by sheer luck, found a decent size one bedroom in the Forest Hills area in the Queens Borough. The apartment was located near a park Chloe fancied right off Seventy-third Avenue between Austin Street and Queens Boulevard.

It was a six floor pre-war building, so the ceilings were high. The walls, painted by Noah in the middle of a heat wave, were of a mocha color. Black and white photographs of men and women, taken by Chloe, hung on the walls.

The apartment was fully furnished. A large couch sat in the living room. Single chairs and lamps surrounded the sofa. A coffee table sat in front with photography magazines Chloe read to improve and update her photography skills. She was a freelance photographer with over five years of experience.

As Chloe gave Elizabeth and Mitchell a tour, Noah followed quietly behind. He observed Mitchell. He had dark black hair, a thin nose, and delicate lips. His brown darting eyes betrayed his face; it gave one the impression that he was holding back information.

He was a tall man who just reached his third decade of age. He had just spent many weeks in Asia, which is where he received his tanned skin.

Mitchell was particularly interested in the home. He asked thoughtful questions and sought advice from Chloe. This in turn gave Chloe a sense of pride; she in return answered his questions to be useful. Mitchell asked:

"Do you know if any apartments are open in your building by chance?"

"We don't know, but I am sure there are openings in this neighborhood. Oh, how wonderful it would be if you both lived near us! We could dine out together all the time!" exclaimed Chloe with a huge smile. "Don't you think that would be great babe?"

"Yes, lovely."

Elizabeth stood in the living room embarrassed. She had never lived with another man before. But it was safe to assume she would one day venture such a thing. Elizabeth had an idea and asked:

"Shall we all dine out tonight? There's a restaurant on Austin Street I heard about."

And so several weeks pass. Elizabeth and Noah continued to see one another during their lunch breaks. Elizabeth spoke of Mitchell often. Noah was reluctant to hear new news of him, but did not want to be disagreeable to their friendship. He listened to Elizabeth with darting eyes and spotty nerves.

"Mitchell is so lovely. But the poor man is always busy with work. We have dedicated nights though, you know, to see each other."

And of course Noah knew what she meant.

Elizabeth paused and chews on lettuce. And then she continued talking about the man she was falling in love with.

He listened, but the gaiety in Elizabeth's voice scratched his ears like an ear swab penetrating too deep.
CHAPTER EIGHT

Elizabeth was in love with Noah. She could no longer deny the fact. She grew agitated with Chloe's presence. When Noah talked about her, she wanted to vomit. Better yet, she thought she would hit Noah in the face and tell him to hush immediately whenever he discussed matters around his partner.

She decided it was best to come forth about her emotional state towards Noah. She was open to discussing her feelings during their lunch engagements, but many lunches would pass without a word of the truth.

With Noah, Elizabeth was shy on only this topic. But she thought it would be easy to speak such feelings; after all, the two were acquainted all the way back to junior high school. It was perhaps destiny that the two were reunited here in New York. If only she could muster enough courage to reveal her heart to him, then and only then, would she be able to resolve the pang in her heart, thought Elizabeth.

One morning, Elizabeth woke up refreshed. Her thoughts were clear to her as if she were born with a new brain. She decided immediately that she would tell her feelings to Noah that day when she met him for lunch.

When Elizabeth had her coffee, she noted how it tasted sweeter and stronger than usual. Her commute on the train was light; she even managed to get a seat. She hustled through the morning tasks with excitement. All the work was done quickly, yet with care and efficiency. She was having a good day.

Elizabeth looked at the clock: still one more hour until her lunch hour with Noah. The nerves in her fingertips made her hands shake. She wanted to see Noah. He swarmed her thoughts like a bee hovering next to its hive.

Elizabeth picked herself up to visit the ladies room near the copier room where Noah sat. She often did this when she wanted to see him. She slowly strolled along the hallways to allow a few minutes to herself. She wondered if Noah knew she often went to this bathroom just to spy on him. Oh, how embarrassing if he knew, she thought.

He never seemed to notice. Though, when she did pay a visit, he consistently matched Elizabeth's cheerfulness. At times, Elizabeth believed that Noah was indeed in love with her too. But she was never sure. The passion that surrounded her heart confused her logic; it was as if Noah had the ability to make an English sentence seem foreign. Her love consumed her body to the point where she didn't know if she was in love with Noah or the idea of being in love itself.

In the bathroom, she quickly dried her hands, adjusted her hair and walked out. She found Noah bent over fixing a damaged computer. She stared at him in silence briefly and admired how precise and detailed he was in his work. She watched his long fingers take charge of the computer hardware. Noah was so into his work she wondered if a fire alarm could stop him from working.

His clothes, though nothing out of the ordinary or spectacular, fitted his body well. He was someone who knew his body type, and dressed his outerwear in accordance that showed one he was conscious of his physical structure. It annoyed her a bit to stand next to him, for he was several inches shorter than she. Though, in a way, it was comfort to know that if the two were ever to get into a physical altercation, her height may tip in her favor and she would come out victorious. Elizabeth often daydreamed of this physical altercation. At that particular moment, she imagined pinning him down.

"Hey buddy!" Elizabeth never called him buddy. She was nervous. What a stupid thing to say to someone when you were on the cusp of revealing your true feelings. She reminded herself to never call him her best friend.

"Hi Elizabeth. What are you doing in this neck of the woods?"

She loved the way he said her name. His tone of voice enunciated her name in way that made her feel regal or of someone in possession of authority. She had got in the habit of him calling her Queen Elizabeth. She asked:

"We still on for lunch?"

Another stupid question, for they both knew that their lunch hour was always designated for each other. It was a sacred hour. Diarrhea wouldn't even come between their engagements, which last week Elizabeth had the misfortune of having, though, did not prevent the two from having a meal together.

Noah looked up at her with gleaming eyes.

"Of course Elizabeth. I wouldn't miss it."

She stood there for a bit staring at him. He stared back into her deep blue eyes. The two were comfortable with each other, even in moments of long dull quietness. It was like standing in front of an ocean with a neighbor; the tone of the water hitting the rocks was all that needed to be said and would be said.

"Okay. See you then Noah. Bye."

"Bye Elizabeth."

Elizabeth gave Noah a sharp glance and smirk. Noah returned her smirk with a pair of tender eyes. He watched her turn her back and walk away.

As Elizabeth made her way back to her desk, she stopped by the water cooler for a fresh cup. She was too excited to return to work. She filled a small cup turned when someone slammed into her body.

Water spilled all over her chest. Elizabeth observed her beige silk blouse and grey skirt. Her mouth was open in shock as the cold water soaked the lining of her clothing.

"I am so sorry Ms. Here let me help you!"

Elizabeth looked up to find a man slightly taller than her. He ran to the counter and retrieved napkins.

"Here you go."

"Thank you." Elizabeth was not amused. She started to dry herself.

"You are Ms. Elizabeth Little, are you not?" asked the man.

Elizabeth was shocked to hear her name spoken on the stranger's tongue. She looked up and observed the man. He was dressed nicely in a dark grey suite. He was clean-shaven man and his hair was combed nicely. He looked formal and ready for a big business meeting.

"Yes I am. And who might you be?"

"I was just hired here for consulting work in the accounts department. I'll be here for a few months to help out with the books. Or until they are sorted."

"I wasn't under the impression our books needed assistance."

"They don't necessarily. But it doesn't hurt to have a third eye check it over."

The man looked at Elizabeth deeply. His gaze was strong; it made her feel nervous and excited at the same time. His stare forced her to shift her weight and look in the other direction. He made her anxious. The water accident was a bit embarrassing and increased her vulnerability towards the new acquaintance.

"Can I make it up to you?" he asked while pointing his eyes to the spilled water on her chest.

"How might you make it up to me? Should I spill water on you?"

The two chuckled for a bit. Co-workers entered the area and placed their bags of lunch at a table near the water cooler.

"You can if you like. But I was thinking of dinner tonight."

Elizabeth smirked and her eyebrows extended upwards.

"You are a bit forward."

"I don't see why I should hold back."

Elizabeth stared into his deep brown eyes. She glanced at his shoes, then to his waist, and back to his eyes. She answered:

"I'm sorry, but I just met you and I don't date co-workers."

Elizabeth started to walk away when she heard:

"Then lunch, as co-workers. You can get me up to speed to how things work here."

Elizabeth turned to him.

"Okay. But you didn't tell me your name yet."

The man walked up to Elizabeth and extended his right hand. He smiled.

"My name is Mitchell Schlosberg. It's nice to meet you Elizabeth."
CHAPTER NINE

Noah waited for Chloe to fall asleep. She was the type of sleeper who fell asleep quickly, and once in a state of rest, was hard to wake. Her breathing was heavy. Noah kissed her cheek and slowly crawled out of bed.

It was a warm, pleasant evening. The neighborhood was silent. Noah walked towards Forest Hills Gardens. When inside, Noah had the impression he escaped the city. Inside were many trees and large houses. It reminded Noah of his home state of Illinois.

Noah was always curious about what people did during their free time. Back in Illinois, as a child, he would sneak out and spy on other people. He often found, much to his dismay, that there were no particular interesting elements to how humans lived. Often, he watched them watch television. And now, presently in the secluded part of the city, at eleven o'clock, he found many residents doing the same.

Noah thought his neighbors looked ghoulish. In the large dark living room, nicely decorated, sat a lonely human being on the sofa with his or her face illuminated by the bulbs of the television.

Noah grew agitated. He left Forest Hills and ducked under the subway station.

The city was still loud. He arrived near Grand Central Station. Noah spotted an interesting couple walking away from the train station. He tailed them. It was apparent they were fighting about something, but Noah couldn't hear because the noises from the moving trains were loud.

When on the streets, he stalked them further. Noah learned that the woman was upset with the man because he had behaved poorly at a dinner party: An engagement at her mother's house, which they had just returned from.

Noah followed them up to Bryant Park. He watched as they made their exit down a street and up into to a high-rise building when suddenly, Noah saw a familiar face.

Coming out the adjacent building was Mitchell! He was not alone! He strolled along the street with a female companion, who matched his height and age.

"It's a late hour to be out," said Noah to himself.

He wanted to investigate. He followed the pair for several streets. At first their engagement showed no indication of what their relationship might mean. Their mannerisms only showed as if they were friends just leaving a cocktail party together.

But then Mitchell puts his arm around her waist. She accepted his gesture without a hitch. Noah followed them to the Grand Central Station.

Mitchell and the woman stood together. He leaned in and kissed her lips. They hugged and off she was. Mitchell turned and walked all the way back to Bryant Park. Noah was curious to see where he would go next. From a distance away, he sat at the park for a few moments watching with sharp eyes. Mitchell stopped, took out his phone and made a few phone calls. He must have been speaking to Elizabeth, thought Noah, and was about to return to her studio apartment, which was not far.

The thought of his lips touching Elizabeth's made his fists clench. He imaged himself jumping from out of the dark to attack the cheater. But instead, Noah lurked closely behind and then eventually out of sight. He chose to do nothing, for now.
CHAPTER TEN

Elizabeth tossed and turned in bed. Her studio apartment was quiet and still. She imaged something dropping in the kitchen or someone knocking on the door so that she might feel less lonely.

To help ease her nights alone from Mitchell, he surprised her one evening by returning to her studio with a small kitten. They named her Miles.

But Miles could not comfort her tonight. She wanted to be in Mitchell arms. He was nowhere to be found. She knew about his work assignments, which oddly at the moment were not desperate for his time.

From her fifth floor window, she scanned the streets to see if she could get a glimpse of his head. She wondered where the man was at the hour. If only she could feel the warmth of his body next to hers so that she could calm her nerves and sleep immediately.

Presently, Mitchell did not answer his phone or return any of Elizabeth's messages. As of late, this was a habit of his. She got out of bed and flipped on the light. In attempt to occupy her mind, she let her thoughts roam until finally, it fixed on calling Noah. But doing so might give Chloe a wrong impression. How hurtful and mean it would be to call on another who was in bed with their significant other.

But Elizabeth still desired him. Mitchell was to her a good companion, but at the same time was someone who only filled a void. She told herself that with due time, she would learn to love Noah less and thus, learn to love Mitchell more. It was already in the process. She could note how her feelings for Noah abated. But in nights such as these, when her lover was nowhere to be found, the only man she thought of for solace was a man already spoken for. Oh how poor timing can be! If only Chloe had met up with a different man, or perhaps if she herself had the courage to tell Noah her true thoughts!

At this moment, her phone rang.

"Hello? Mitchell?"

Elizabeth listened to the phone with fingers so tightly wrapped around that her fingers were now red.

"When will you come here? It's late." As she paused listening, her eyes roamed around the quiet room. "You're at Bryant Park? Ok, I will wait for you. But please, come quickly." Elizabeth jumped out of bed and ran to her closet as if a fire loomed near.

At lunch the next day, Noah debated on whether to tell Elizabeth about her cheating companion. The thought of her in pain ached his chest. He could not summon the courage to come forth with the news. Noah instead thought he rationalize and get insight about how the relationship was going before crimpling his friend's relationship in such haste.

"Are you still considering moving in with Mitchell? I think an apartment in our building is about to open up," said Noah passively but with intent eyes.

"We are discussing it," answered Elizabeth quickly while looking down.

"How are things going with you two? As of late, you've been quiet about him. I don't see you as cheerful as before."

Elizabeth hesitated. She chewed her lettuce slowly to buy extra time. She said:

"I don't know how things are going actually. He's been aloof as of late."

"Aloof?"

"Yes, distant. I thought I've done something wrong, but when I press him about it he turns the other direction or changes the subject. I have no idea what's going on." Elizabeth took a deep breath. She looked into Noah's eyes sincerely and said: "I just have no idea anymore."

"Are you in love with him?"

"He hit me."

Noah dropped his fork. He gave an astonished look and attempted to lock eyes with Elizabeth who turned her face away.

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth? Please look at me! Did you say he hit you?" screamed Noah. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

Elizabeth did not answer, but instead looked in the opposite direction.

"Where? Are you ok? When? Why? Elizabeth! Did you call the police? Elizabeth? Please talk to me!"

Noah was out of breath.

Elizabeth did not know why she lied to Noah. Perhaps she was desperate for his attention, or any kind of it for that matter. Mitchell had neglected her. She reminded herself of all the nights she spent alone and remembered that particular sentiment made her feel terrible.

She could see Noah was in need of an answer. The look on his face searched for some meaning or understanding.

"I believe he is having an affair. To think we are considering moving in together! I feel stupid." As she said this Elizabeth began to cry.

Noah took her into his arms. She tucked her face deep into his chest. This was all she wanted to begin with: To be in his arms. The warmth of his body added comfort to her body and safety to her mind. She did not like to lie. But at that moment, she did not want to be anywhere else but in the arms of the man she really loved.

Noah held her until the streams of tears ended. They finished their lunch in silence and returned to the day's work in gloom. At their desks, they both sucked up the feeling of holding each other. Their bodies together brought to Elizabeth new hope, and to Noah new strength and vigor. How could one neglect someone as sweet and kind as Elizabeth? The mere thought of her existing propelled Noah to new heights.

At this moment, as Noah fixed his eyes on a blank computer screen, he started on a plan to put an end to Mitchell Schlossberg.
CHAPTER ELEVEN

After dinner, Chloe fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows. Noah gently uncovered himself from the sheets, and dressed. He took the train from Forest Hills to Grand Central Station.

Noah waited around to get a glimpse of Mitchell. He walked up to Bryant Park, but the streets were bare and desolate. It was a quiet evening. There was no wind in the air. No loud horns to be heard from taxis. And Mr. Mitchell Schlossberg was nowhere to be found.

The next day, Noah made plans with Elizabeth to watch a film at her apartment. He enthusiastically told her about the plot and history of the feature in hopes of enticing her to spend a full evening with him.

But really he wanted to find out if Mitchell would arrive late to meet her. If not, he would slip out in search of him. Luck happened to shine on Noah that evening. As Noah sat next to Elizabeth, in the dark, watching a classic film he himself had never seen, he tactfully asked about Mitchell and his whereabouts.

"He's working late near Union Square," said Elizabeth. "He said he would try to make it over and catch a glimpse of the movie's ending. He's seen it before."

Elizabeth chewed on some popcorn. Miles came up to smell the bowl and its melting butter. The feline glided up to Noah and nudged his knees with her head.

"How cute! Little Miles likes you Noah."

"Pets always like me. Kids too. I don't know why. Hi baby Miles." Noah enunciated her name as if she were a newborn child.

Miles was a grey and black tabby. Her tummy had streaks of white, brown, and grey.

Noah's eyebrows were stuck upward; he had a question for Elizabeth but was reluctant to ask all evening. As he petted Miles, the courage suddenly appeared in his heart to ask.

"I've meant to ask you, did Mitchell ever touch you again?" As the words came out he could feel the tension in his chest release.

Elizabeth laughed hysterically out loud. Noah noted the desperation in her laugh. How could such a thing be so funny? Noah scratched his head.

"Oh don't worry about that. It was a one-time thing. Forget I ever said anything."

"But it is serious Elizabeth! How could you ever tell someone to forget something like that? Are you insane?"

There was a long pause between the two. Elizabeth finally broke the silence.

"I lied about that."

"You what?"

"I lied about him hitting me. He's never laid a finger on me. In fact, Mitchell is fairly good to me. Except for some absent evenings, I'd say he is quite the gentleman. Maybe I'm being to hard on him."

"So why did you say he did what he did?"

Elizabeth took Miles into her arms. She petted her for a bit.

"I don't know. I was feeling lonely. And I wanted your attention."

Noah blushed. He could feel blood swarm his cheeks. It made him happy to hear she wanted his attention. It made him feel forceful and needed. The air in his chest grew and forced him to sit upright. To be thought of as useful, from someone like her, gave him a wonderful feeling.

But now he thought he would come forward about Mitchell's rendezvous with another woman. He wanted to let Elizabeth know what he really thought of the man; that he was cunning, elusive, and always seemed to carry with him a hidden agenda. An agenda that advanced his wants and needs at the cost of others.

He didn't know how Elizabeth would receive the news. After all, the couple got along well with Chloe; perhaps she would think he was being paranoid. He decided it was best to obtain proof first that way he had something to supplement his accusations.

Noah quickly stood up like a frightened cat jumping up in the air.

"Elizabeth, I should get going. Chloe is probably wondering where I am."

"Oh, but what about the movie? It's not even close to the best part. Was it something I said? I'm sorry if I was deceiving you about Mitchell hitting me. I don't mean to lie to you."

"It's not that."

Noah gathered himself and started for the door. He continued:

"I have to do something. Let's finish this tomorrow. Is that okay Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth stood up. Noah could see the disappointment in her beautiful blue eyes. She frowned a little. This made Noah's heart sink. He hated to see her in distress; to think of her alone and lonely made him agitated to the point his hands shook. It was even worse to be the one who caused her distress in the first place.

"Sure, that's fine Noah."

"See you tomorrow."

And with that, Noah dashed out of the door quickly; he couldn't stand to see her face like that. As he walked down the stairs he tripped and rolled down a flight of stairs.

Elizabeth reopened her door.

"Are you ok Noah?"

"Yes, just fine." Noah dusted himself off. "I just fell down these stairs, again," as this rolled off his tongue, Noah grew embarrassed by the truth and his forwardness. He wished he were in stealth mode. Stupid klutz, he thought to himself.

Outside, the warm air breezed through Noah's hair as he hailed a taxi. When he tracked one down, he said:

"Union Square please."

Noah waited around in the park. A man, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty approached him. He gave Noah a blank stare. Finally, he asked:

"Would you like a flyer?"

"No," responded Noah nervously.

"Well, fuck you then! A big fucks you in the face. What, something wrong with my flyer? But I'll bet you'll take a flyer from a guy across the street!"

Noah stared at the man with a blank stare. The two eyed each other for what seemed the longest minute to Noah. The dressed up man noted:

"It's just an accounting flyer. Tax season is here. Come on man take one."

"Ok. Give me one."

The man's lips formed a smile. He then started to talk to Noah as if they were long lasting friends. He called Noah his brother and if Noah observed correctly, he thought the man might hug him at any moment.

Then on a sudden Noah's eyes grew wide. He spotted Mitchell walking right past him with yet a different woman! She was a pretty blonde who looked much like Elizabeth, but was fairly shorter and had green eyes. Her nose was fairly larger than Elizabeth's. At the moment the two were holding hands.

Noah excused himself from his new friend, who was reluctant to let Noah go. Noah followed the two as they walked up north on Broadway. This was it: The moment he would get his evidence. He planned to use his mobile phone to snap photos of Mitchell and his mistress and return them for Elizabeth to view her lover's misdeeds.

Noah slipped his hand into pocket pants and pulled out his cell phone. He aimed the lens at his target. Finally, when he was satisfied with the composition and was about to take the photo, the phone started to ring, which delayed his photo.

"Hello? Hello! Cookie? God damn it call me back. Bye. Bye!" Noah quickly ended the phone call, aimed his phone at Mitchell. He readjusted his grip. "God damn it Cookie," he whispered to himself. He was about to push the button to snap a photo when his phone rang yet again.

"Cookie? What? No. No! I didn't mean call me right back! I meant call me back later. Not now. No, I meant later. No, my reception is fine. Okay man! Call me back later!" Noah paused and listened to Cookie speak over the phone. "Just call me later. Yes in five minutes, that's fine. Okay, ten minutes. I don't care! Just call me later! Bye!"

Noah quickly ended the call. He aimed his phone at Mitchell, who was still walking on Broadway with the blonde woman. He was about to snap a photo when the phone suddenly went to black.

"Oh my god. Oh my god."

Noah slapped his phone profusely. He flipped it around and then back to its front.

"Fucking battery!"

Noah watched as Mitchell faded up Broadway. He pretended to throw the phone at him. He pumped back his arm with the phone in his right hand. He held it like it was a football about to be released for a quick pass.

Noah did this two times. On the third time he did not mockingly throw his phone; it actually slipped out of hands. The phone slowly flew in the air as if the power of gravity ceased control of it. It floated away from him and towards Mitchell's head, when on a sudden, coming out of a burger place on the left, was an elder lady holding a bag containing her supper.

The phone smacked her right in the forehead. She dropped the bag of food to the ground and fell on her rear. Mitchell did not hear or notice and continued walking with his mistress. They faded up the street out of sight.

Noah ran up to the lady in desperation.

"Old lady, old lady. Are you ok? Are you with us? Are you going to die?"

"Someone hit me with a fucking brick! What the hell? I am seeing, I am seeing horses!"

The old lady started to rub her forehead.

"I'm so sorry old lady. I didn't..."

"Who the hell hit me with a fucking brick young man? Did you see who it was?"

"I didn't, actually. I didn't catch him yet." Noah picked up his cell phone from the ground and placed it gingerly in his rear pocket. In the opposite direction he started to run. He yelled: "You wait here old lady, I'll catch him and bring him back. Wait here!"

Noah started to run down Broadway towards Fourteenth Street in pursuit of some phantom. He shouted:

"You come back here you criminal! How dare you hit an old lady?"

Bystanders on the street moved out of his way. Noah looked back and saw the old lady. A man and a woman stood near the old lady to assist her in standing up.

Noah turned the corner out of sight. He remembered where the nearest train station was and headed in that direction. When he hopped on the train, he was out of breath. He calmed himself in the chilly air-conditioned train ride. It wasn't until he reached Brooklyn did Noah realize he was heading in the wrong direction. He jumped off the train and transferred to another line heading uptown. When he got on the train, his lungs were full of air.
CHAPTER TWELVE

"What's wrong with your dinner honey?"

"Nothing Chloe. I'm sorry. I guessed I am a bit distracted with work. Somebody was doing something today they should not have been. But the dinner is lovely babe. How was your day?"

Chloe stood up and walked to the counter to retrieve an opened bottle of white wine. She poured Noah's glass to the top and then helped herself.

"My day was wonderful. I took photos in Brooklyn for that couple I told you about getting married next month. They are such a pretty couple. They were so happy."

"Oh right. Get good shots today?"

"The light was just perfect today. It wasn't too cloudy, but not too bright. I love these overcast days. The couple didn't have to squint, you know?"

The door buzzer rang. It startled Chloe. She turned to Noah and said:

"I wonder who on that could be?"

Noah stood up and walked to the front door. When he opened the door, nobody was there.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Babe, who is it?" shouted Chloe.

"Nobody."

As Noah was closing the door, a figure of a little boy jumped out and startled Noah.

"Cookie! Dude, what are you doing here? Babe its just Cookie."

Cookie walked in the apartment. He shook Noah's hand and then gave him a tight hug.

"Just Cookie? What the heck man," said Cookie in a joshing manner. He then turned to examine Chloe. "This must be the Ms. Chloe. Hi there I am Cookie."

"Why hello," she said while extending her right hand. "I've heard so much about you. What brings you to New York? Have you had any dinner? Will you please sit with us?" Chloe was generally nervous with new people. To compensate for her nerves, she spoke rather quickly in result.

"Yes, actually I haven't eaten yet. I just got of the train."

"Cookie what brings you to New York? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I called you, but dude, you told me to call you back. Remember? You were being freaking rude to me man, what's up with that?" Cookie started to shake his head. "Sounded like you were in some trouble."

"I'm sorry, I was having trouble with the phone." Noah's face turned red as he remembered hitting the old lady with his phone. He quickly turned the attention back to Cookie. "How long are you here for? You will stay with us of course, right?"

Cookie chuckled. He examined his surroundings.

"Well, that's why I am here. Of course I want to stay with you. I am just doing some east coast touring actually. I'll be here for a few days then I'll be heading down to D.C. My first time on the east coast and so far I like it."

Cookie still appeared as he did in junior high school. He was a short man with dark black hair that was cut short. His hairline had receded. He still carried in his walk a spritely and lively manner. If one were to spot him at a large party he most likely would be identified as the gregarious one of the bunch. His easygoing manner made him a target for new people to introduce themselves; it was easy to be comfortable in his company. Cookie asked:

"So what's for dinner?"

Cookie sat down to a meal and ate with a large appetite. He reconnected with Noah; the two had a jolly time talking matters about the past and present. Cookie was extra energetic that night. He wondered if the couple would join him for a drink somewhere in the city. Chloe was reluctant. She had an early morning engagement so had to pass. She announced her plans to get up at dawn and start editing photos in the studio lab.

Later, Cookie helped with the dishes. When the chores were near completion, Chloe insisted the two head out immediately. She offered Noah her lips and then they headed out.

On the way to the train station, Cookie noted how lovely Chloe was.

"She is pretty. I like Chloe."

"Chloe is sweet."

"So what is she doing with you?"

Cookie nudged Noah's arm with his shoulder. The two had a chuckle.

"Do you think you guys will get married? Have children? She seems really into you. A little too clingy for me."

"I think if you could, you'd settle for anyone. But, I'm not sure. We've talked about marriage, kids, and a big house. I mean, when I think about it, she would make the perfect companion. She's pretty, smart, fun to be with. I know she would make a good mother."

"But?"

"But, I don't know, she's also a really good friend to me. I guess there's just this something I am looking for in her that I am missing." A few thoughts passed through Noah's mind. He asked: "Hey do you remember Elizabeth Little by chance?"

Cookie and Noah land in the West Village. They bar hopped for a bit. Cookie had a lot of drinks. For a man his size, Noah did not expect him to be able to put away so many drinks without showing its effect. Cookie said he drank often with friends in the Chicago area, where he resided. He still hung out with people from school.

Noah mentioned a few names and, through Cookie, was able to be reacquainted with friends he grew up with. They talked about their episodes with Scottie, Randy, and Rob. It comforted Noah to know that each was still misbehaving in some fashion back at home.

Cookie slammed his empty beer glass down. He appeared ready for another round. It was Noah's turn to buy. He took the empty glasses to the bar, and attempted to wave over the bar man when he noticed at the opposite end a familiar face: It was Mitchell Schlossberg.

Noah watched him for a bit. He recognized the man's mannerisms, his charming smile and cheerful expressions. A blonde woman took a seat next to him. Noah could only see the back of her head, but recognized her as the woman with Mitchell in Union Square! Oh the nerve!

The bar man filled two empty glasses full of beer. Noah paid, took the two glasses and walked towards Mitchell. This was it! He was going to confront the man. He would give him an earful and declare his love to Elizabeth at once!

"Mitchell! Mitchell!"

Mitchell turned his attention away from the woman to Noah. He smiled.

"Noah!"

"Mitchell, I got you..." as Noah started to say this, he recognized the blonde woman to be Elizabeth. "Elizabeth! It's you!"

"Yes, who were you expecting silly?" said Elizabeth with a loud laugh.

Mitchell turned his eyes down with embarrassment.

"Elizabeth what are you doing here?"

"We're having a drink silly. We just got back from dinner. Mitchell wanted a drink before heading to the theater. What are you doing here? Is Chloe with you? Where is she?"

As Elizabeth looked around the bar for Chloe, Cookie approached from behind her shoulder. He tapped it.

"Cookie! Is that you?" Elizabeth jumped out her chair and hugged Cookie. She was much, much taller than he was. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting Noah for a few days. How have you been? We haven't talked since high school. You look so great! It's so cool that you two are out here in New York now." Cookie turned his attention away from Elizabeth and looked at Mitchell. "Hi, I'm Cookie."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mitchell Schlossberg. Cookie? That's a cool name. How did you get it?"

"Well, when I was six my brothers made fun of me because I was so short. To tell you the truth, I obviously haven't grown much since," said Cookie cheerfully. "But anyways, at our grocery store, they placed the chocolate cookies we liked on the lower shelves. My brothers used to make me get them. They would say, 'Cookie, get the Cookies.' And then they would hit me in the face."

The group laughed. Mitchell said:

"Well, let's pull up a few chairs shall we?"

Noah watched Elizabeth. He watched her so intently that Elizabeth was able to catch his gaze. She did not seem to be harmed or threatened by the forwardness of his eyes. She merely accepted it as a compliment in the form of a smile. Her confidence was boasted as the night progressed, and along with alcohol mixed in her system, Elizabeth became more vocal and flirtatious.

Noah was a bit agitated. He felt let down. Why couldn't Mitchell be with another woman? He was a liar, a cheat, and the truth needed to come out. Tonight, would have been a perfect opportunity.

Elizabeth tossed her hair. The blonde pieces of hair flew in the air like golden strings dancing with another. Her neck was open. Noah thought he jump out of his seat and attack her skin with his lips. He also thought he had too much to drink. He tried to look away from Elizabeth.

But he could not help his eyes, which casted on her frequently. She wore a tight black dress. Her long legs were revealed. Noah imagined his fingertips scrolling up her legs towards her upper body. Why couldn't he feel this way about Chloe? Why was it so difficult to be truthful to this beautiful creature?

His mouth may have betrayed his thoughts, but at this moment, his eyes spoke of the truth. And he didn't care if anyone saw him, especially Mitchell Schlossberg. Perhaps, with the alcohol lurking now in his blood, he had an excuse to be forthcoming.

"Are you seeing anyone Cookie?" said Elizabeth interrupting Noah's thoughts.

"I was."

"What happened with that anyways? The one in her early forties, right?" asked Noah.

"Yeah, Mary. Well, she caught me with her mother. I have a thing for older women. For me, they just get better with age. Please don't judge me."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Elizabeth was dressed for a night out. She was putting the final touches on her face in the bedroom mirror. She picked up her purse and shouted:

"Mitchell are you ready? We better hurry if we want to get dinner and make it to the theater on time."

Mitchell came out of the bathroom. He was dressed in a grey suit, white shirt, but was not wearing a tie. The top button on his white shirt was left open.

"Yes. Let's go my queen."

Elizabeth did not like it when Mitchell called her this. She reserved that calling for only one person; and this one person was not Mitchell.

They ate dinner in the West Village. Mitchell had roast chicken and vegetables, and two glasses of beer while Elizabeth feasted on a vegetable omelet. She was not a big meat eater. It grew in her mind that eating another's flesh was unethical. She had considered for several years to give up meat all together. It nerved her to think what toxins she consumed. It also bothered her to learn how much damage meat consumption had on the planet from transporting the animals.

"My queen, will you have some chicken. You are all skin and bones lately."

Elizabeth was a thin woman. The flesh against her skin, particularly in the face, allowed the lining of her bone structure to show. She was blessed with fine jaw line that assisted her high cheekbones. The older she became, the less resemblance she had with her sister still living at home.

It was not uncommon for Elizabeth to receive stares. With age came experience and more beauty. Elizabeth received all the attention without the slightest sign of acceptance. It made her indifferent.

"What do you say about that quick drink after this my pretty lady?"

At the bar, Mitchell ordered two drinks. As the bar man was making this, Elizabeth excused herself to powder her cheeks in the ladies room.

On her way back to the bar, men around the room watched her glide across the room. She moved her long legs with ease; her posture was not perfectly aligned, but this imperfection seemed to only add more attention towards her. The black dress she wore hugged her thin body; it showcased her body's assets.

She sat with Mitchell and sipped her martini. And then to her surprise, she heard a familiar voice. She turned to see Noah approaching with gazing and judgmental eyes. He looked lovely and the sight of him made Elizabeth's heart pound profusely. Hers thoughts wandered around Noah until an old friend appeared.

As she listened to Cookie speak, she could feel eyes all over her. But these eyes were different; these eyes gave her a certain type of attention she craved and was happy to be consumed by. Elizabeth, without being conscious of it, flipped her long blonde hair in the air to entice more attention.

She glanced at Noah with tender eyes. She loved him deeply. The blood streaming in her veins flowed with heat like that of lava swarming the insides of a volcano. The conversation the group was engaged in meant nothing to her. She wanted deeply to go home with Noah Spence.

But this did not happen.

They finished their drinks, said goodbye, shook hands, offered hugs, and then Elizabeth found herself seated next to Mitchell at the theater. She did not enjoy the performance. Her mind was uncontrollable, and thus distracted.
CHAPTER FORTEEN

"I do," said Mitchell.

"And do you, Elizabeth, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do."

The reception party was elaborate. It was held at a popular hotel in Midtown. Noah watched as Elizabeth danced with her husband. He wanted to vomit all over his rented tuxedo.

Guests circled the area as if the event were a networking job fair. They ate without embarrassment; consumed beverages in diversity and quantity. Many in attendance wiped their plates clean and dove in line seconds afterwards.

Cookie was also in attendance. He kept matters light and fun; this was expected of his nature. Chloe was also in high spirits and thus, proved to be good company. She hinted to Noah her thoughts on marriage; it was safe to assume she was more than prepared to accept a proposal, which she hoped would be coming soon. Weddings fascinated her.

Noah drank a beer glass too many. That night he returned home with Chloe in haste. He aggressively pursued her until their feet landed in the bedroom.

"Bad boy you are," whispered Chloe into his ear.

"Take off your clothes."

"Turn off the light first."

Noah stayed next to Chloe all night. He watched her sleep. He wanted to forget Elizabeth; he wanted even more to forget her new bond to Mitchell. Noah vowed to love Chloe even more. He demanded of himself more effort and compassion towards her.

He remained in bed until the sun came up.

Weeks passed by. Elizabeth and Mitchell came over often. They found an apartment in Forest Hills, not too far from Noah's. The four often dined together. At the dinner gatherings, Noah constantly glanced at Elizabeth's wedding ring. The shine of the diamond beamed light into his eyes like a lighthouse looking for a ship.

Chloe and Elizabeth vowed to be a stronger pair now that they were living close to one another. It was not uncommon for the ladies to share clothes. They roamed the city together, did grocery shopping with each other when time permitted, and compared yoga notes before and after sessions every Saturday morning.

This forced Mitchell to spend more time with Noah. Noah was cordial to him. He poured him a glass of scotch when it was empty; he offered him a seat on his couch when a football game was on; he even cooked some of his favorite dishes for him. Often when the ladies were musing around, the two men went out for glasses of beer.

But Noah could not help his ill feelings towards the man. When Mitchell turned his head in the opposite direction, Noah gave him looks of disdain and disgust.

Though Mitchell was successful, good looking, and could provide all the comforts Elizabeth required, Noah still believed that he was in the wrong. He believed desperately that the man was no good.

His feelings for Elizabeth never changed. If anything, her marriage to Mitchell increased his sentiment towards her.

The month of October approached. The leaves outside, brown and pale, fell to ground from trees nearly bare. The clouds dominated the evening sky. The stars were not present at night, but when they were, they appeared dull and lethargic.

Noah was walking around Forest Hills. He stopped by Elizabeth's apartment and stood near the entrance looking up. She lived on the sixth floor. Noah wished she lived in lower level apartment so that he could peer into the windows. But all he could see was the light on in her bedroom and living area.

He started to walk away, when he noticed Mitchell outside smoking a cigarette. He was hidden behind the trees. The darkness engulfed him. The only way Noah noticed a man was there was because he saw the orange-lit light from the cigarette.

Noah was about to cross the street to greet him when he heard Mitchell's phone ring. Mitchell answered it. Noah could not hear what the man was saying. He elected to stay across the street.

Mitchell ended the call. He dropped his cigarette to the floor and dug his right foot into it until the orange glow faded. Mitchell started to walk away from the building.

"What time is it?" whispered Noah to himself.

He took out his phone and pressed a button. The light illuminated Noah's face. It was near midnight.

Noah followed Mitchell to the train station. Mitchell paid the fare at the turnstile and proceeded to Manhattan. Noah stayed one subway car behind and in order to conceal himself, pulled over his head his hooded sweatshirt.

Mitchell got off at Bryant Park. When he reached the sidewalks, he looked around the area in search of someone. He spotted a woman. It was the same blonde woman he was with in Union Square several months ago! Mitchell hugged her. She was dressed up nicely in a fitted red dress that hugged her body tightly. The length of it fell well above the knees and revealed the top of her breasts. Her hair was down and around her wrists were several pieces of gold jewelry.

Noah followed them to a nearby hotel. It was an ordinary place with no extravagant decorations and was quite bare. Inside the lobby, he listened as they checked in. The blonde woman paid for the room. The reception lady said:

"Room 426. Take the elevator to your right. Enjoy your stay."

Noah watched as the couple headed out of sight. He sat in the concierge area. Guests ranging from all ages check in and check out.

Noah formed a plan. He walked up the reception area.

"I'd like a room please," said Noah eagerly. "Is room 425 open by chance? My wife is on her way here. We had that room the last time we stayed. Is it by chance available? We would love nothing more than to stay in it again."

Noah took a deep breath. He thought he was being too needy and obvious and thus, profusely shifted his weight while his eyes wondered around the hotel.

The reception lady typed on the keyboard and stared at her screen with focus. She looked up.

"Room 425 is taken." She typed a few more keys quickly.  
"But, room 424 or 427 is open. Would either of those do for you?"

"Sure. We can take room 427. That should be no problem. That would be very lovely. Thank you."

"Wonderful, I just need your credit card."

Noah opened his wallet and hands her his credit card with a generic smile.

"Wait, may I pay with cash?"

"I'm sorry sir, we require a credit card. It is policy so we can reserve your room. But you may pay by cash when you check out. We apologize for the inconvenience." She spoke in a robotic manner, as if she were repeating words off a manual book.

"No problem," said Noah nervously as he handed over his card.

"Thank you Mr. Spence. Take the elevator to your right. Enjoy your stay. I'm sorry I could not help with the room you wanted."

"That's no problem. This room will do just fine. Thank you very much."

Noah took the elevator up to the forth floor. He looked for his room, found it, and inserted the card to open the door. It showed green and he entered.

By the time he took a seat on the bed, he noticed his clothes were drenched with sweat. He walked up to the mirror to have a look at his sweaty face. He rushed to the bathroom to towel himself dry. But it was pointless, sweat continued to pour out his skin like water running down a river.

Noah opened the small fridge. He pulled out a bottle of cold water. Within a few sips he felt much better. Noah stood up and placed his ear against the wall. He could not hear anything. It was silent.

"What are you doing in there Mitchell?"

As his nerves calmed, Noah observed his own room. The walls were painted in a beige color. The bed was a queen size. The room was bare and small. He thought it was a poor place to bring a lady; it wouldn't do service for someone like Elizabeth.

Next to the fridge, near the entrance, was a door that led to the room adjacent. Noah walked up to it and wondered if he could somehow break the lock. He turned the door handle. To his surprise, it was unlocked!

Hours passed by. Noah passed the time by watching television. He had no idea what to do next. He thought he should leave the room for the train station and head home to Chloe, when an idea popped into his head.

He placed his ear to the wall, but there were no sounds.

"Stealth mode."

It made Noah feel ridiculous to call such words still, but he was at ease when it rolled off his tongue. He was happy to learn that his nerves could still rely on such a stupid mind tactic.

Noah opened the door and stepped into the adjacent room. The room was dark and very cool. Noah waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they did, he slowly walked up to the bed. The room was completely silent except for the blowing air conditioner.

In the bed were two bodies at rest. Noah prepared himself. He nervously took out his cell phone. He walked gently up to the lamp sitting next to the bed. He slowly reached his hand underneath the lamp and gingerly turns the switch. Light flowed through the room.

"What the hell?" Mitchell said while covering his eyes. "Amy?"

"Mitchell?" cried Amy.

Amy started to move. She sat up and attempted to cover her eyes.

Noah waited for the two to uncover their eyes so that he could get a good photo of them in bed together.

"Noah? Noah? Is that you?" cried Mitchell.

There was a long silence. Noah mumbled and fumbled words. And then he shouted:

"It's me Mitchell! I got you this time!"

Noah was about to take a photo when he realized he was not in fact holding his phone. He was holding his wallet. Embarrassed, he checked his pockets, but there was no phone to be found. He realized it was left in the opposite room on the counter.

Amy and Mitchell appeared dumbfounded. They watched Noah place his wallet in his back pocket.

"Noah, what the hell are you doing in my room?"

"What the hell are you doing in a room? Mitchell? Huh? Tell me!"

The two stare at each other. Mitchell added:

"It's not what it looks like."

"Oh, try telling that to Elizabeth. I'm telling her everything, that you are half naked with a half naked women. She's not even wearing a shirt! You are done Mitchell. How dare you sleep with a prostitute when you have a woman like Elizabeth back at home?"

"I'm not a prostitute! My name is Amy. I work with Elizabeth."

"Oh great Mitchell," said Noah with his arms in the air. He began to pace around the room. "Sleep with Amy, her friend," said Noah with his hands on his waist.

Mitchell uncovered himself. He was only wearing boxers. He walked up to Noah.

"Please don't tell Elizabeth. Let's work something out. Please, I'm in love with her," said Mitchell in a convincing manner.

Amy appeared upset. She said:

"How dare you Mitchell. You said you were going to leave her? You said that you love me!"

Noah laughed. He started for the door when Mitchell seized his arms.

"Get your hands off me. You and Elizabeth are done." Noah turned to Mitchell. "And put on some pants."

"Please Noah. Please!"

Mitchell pulled on Noah's arm. He tugged it and attempted to push Noah back into the center of the room away from the front door. Noah smacked Mitchell's face. The blow forced Mitchell to let go of Noah's arm.

"Did you just smack me? Did you just smack me like a girl?"

Noah grew red. He then stood erect and tall as if he were validating himself and his actions.

"Yes I did. Did it feel nice?"

Mitchell held his cheek as if a baseball bat broke his jaw. He looked up at Noah.

"Ok then."

Mitchell swung his open hand at Noah's cheek. His hand landed a good blow. A loud smack sound of flesh hitting flesh vibrated Noah's ears.

Noah grabbed his face. He looked at Mitchell. The two started to claw at each other like cats fighting in the wilderness. Mitchell slammed Noah to the ground. Noah started to smack his head. He pulled on his black hair.

"My hair! Let go of my hair you girl."

"Stop smacking me in the head like a girl then. You're a girl."

The two continued to wrestle. Noah punched Mitchell in the eye. Mitchell fell to the ground tending to his wounds. Noah quickly stood up, looked around, and grabbed a plant vase sitting on the counter.

"No!" yelled Amy.

As Noah heard Amy's cry, the vase was already in motion. It slammed against the top of Mitchell's head. It broke into pieces. Mitchell's body went limp and he crashed to the floor violently.

As Noah stood over his friend's body, he attempted to serve his lungs with oxygen. He grabbed his head with both hands in horror. He looked at Amy as if she were a ghost. His skin grew pale.

Amy got of bed. She was dressed only in white undergarments. She checked Mitchell's pulse.

"Is he alive?"

Noah crouched to one knee. He examined Mitchell with Amy. He could hear him breathing.

"He's alive," said Noah with a deep breath.

Amy stood up. She walked to the phone sitting on the desk near the window.

"I'm calling the police." She looked back at Noah, then at Mitchell on the ground. "And an ambulance."

Noah panicked. He quickly realized he had broken the law. He trespassed a hotel room. He smacked a man in the face, and then slammed a vase over him. Noah was doomed for prison.

"No wait. Please wait."

Amy exchanged glances with Noah as she held the phone to her ear. Noah continued:

"Put the phone down." Noah's eyes landed on an identical vase sitting next to him. "There's still one more vase here you know."

"What are you going to do, hit me with a vase like you did with Mitchell? What are you doing here? I did nothing wrong. You broke into our room. You tried to take a photo of us, with your wallet! You are the one who hit Mitchell. You are the one in trouble."

She turned her back to Noah and began to dial. Noah jumped on the bed and tackled her to the ground. She started to scream. Noah covered her mouth, but squeals still filtered out. He was on top of her. Amy struggled against Noah's weight.

She scratched and clawed at Noah's body. She broke free from Noah's hands and resumed screaming. Noah punched her in the left eye. The impact pushed her head backwards and slammed on the ground so hard that her head bounced right back up.

Amy started to cry. She threw her arms in the air in deep panic. Her cries for help were more desperate. She begged Noah to get off of her; she begged for mercy; she begged for help.

Her cries for help startled Noah. He reached for a pillow on top of the bed.

"Please don't. Please!" cried Amy now desperately fighting Noah off.

Noah covered her face with the pillow to shut her up. He wanted her to land unconscious so he could have a moment of quietness to sort the situation. She struggled for a bit. Her arms flung in the air and smacked Noah in the face. She scratched his arms.

"Calm down Amy. Calm down."

Amy's cries for help seized. Her arms fell to the ground. Noah applied more pressure to be sure she was unconscious. And when there was no more commotion, he removed the pillow from her face.

"Amy?"

She did not reply. Noah placed his index finger underneath her nose. She was not breathing! He grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse.

Noah jumped off her body. It was not his intention to kill her; he only wanted her to calm down so he could rationalize a plan. Why did she have to yell? If only she was calm they could have sorted a plan together.

He rushed to her side. He performed CPR.

"Oh my god. Hold on."

His attempt to revive her was not working. It was not that he performed CPR poorly: the girl was dead; it was hopeless.

Noah fell to the ground. Tears came to his eyes. He crawled up to Mitchell to see if his body still consumed oxygen. It did.

Noah looked around the hotel room. It was a mess. He picked up the phone and placed the receiver back in its place. He considered his options. He thought he should call the police. They would rush over and make an arrest immediately.

Noah thought about Chloe's sad face. She would be devastated. But Noah did nothing wrong. Why should he be the one in prison? He was merely attempting a good deed. He wanted Elizabeth to be free from Mitchell and his adulterous ways. He was a liar and a cheat; it made Noah feel well to think his assumptions about the man were correct.

Noah thought about the implications of spending long nights in a prison cell. He would be restricted and contained. In a prison cell, he had not the ability to sleep away time. Noah would be stuck, with no freedom to roam.

Noah considered more options.

He looked over at Mitchell. He grabbed the pillow, the same he used on Amy, and crawled up to Elizabeth's husband. He sat on top of his friend's body. Noah gave him one final glance. Tears strolled down his cheeks.

Noah slammed the pillow over Mitchell's face with strong force. For a few moments there was silence. Then Mitchell's legs began to kick. The man regained some strength; he threw his arms in the air just as Amy did moments ago. He struggled with Noah; he pounded his fist against the hands holding him down.

Mitchell was dead a moment later. Noah checked his pulse to be sure. Noah stood up. He looked down at the victim. He did not look dead. He only appeared to be napping; in a few moments he would rise for a late night snack thought Noah. But that would not be the case for Mitchell Schlossberg.

A cop car with its siren blasted outside. Noah rushed to the window. He looked down. The vehicle passed by the hotel and away was the sound of its siren.

Noah took a deep breath. He looked around the room. He quickly headed for his room. He wanted to collect his things and rush back home before he was found out. In his room, while gathering his things, he considered the predicament he was in.

How could both Amy and Mitchell be suffocated without the police knowing there was a third party involved? It could not be left this way. It was impossible to assume that Mitchell killed Amy, and then proceeded to suffocate himself. Surely there would be an investigation.

When Noah collected his things, including the cell phone, which had a full battery, he headed back into the adjacent room.

"I'm sorry Mitchell."

Noah picked up Mitchell. He dragged his body towards the balcony. Noah opened the sliding door. He looked out to see if any one was watching. Noah picked up Mitchell's body with arms, and slung him over the balcony. He watched the body flow in the air. It crashed violently on top of a parked taxi. Glass shattered everywhere.

Noah rushed out the room. He took the stairs down four flights. In the lobby, witnesses swarm out of the hotel to see what was the matter outside.

"It's a body! Call for help!" a man called out.

As Noah hurried through the lobby, he saw the reception lady, who checked him in, rush back behind the counter to call for help. Noah reached the streets. He quickly moved through the crowd. He did not look at the body.

Noah took the train all the way home. It was the first time in a very long while he wished he could sleep just like everyone else.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Elizabeth and Miles were sleeping on the couch. Mitchell, often working late hours, would return home in the early morning and wake his wife and on occasion, carry her to bed. This would not happen as expected.

Elizabeth woke the next day to Miles loud screams. Miles grew accustomed to receive her breakfast at a certain hour. Her mother was late in preparing the food. The tabby cat rushed up to Elizabeth. She brushed her head against Elizabeth's fingers.

"I'm up. I'm up Miles."

Elizabeth stood up. She swiped the sleep away from her eyes. Miles screamed at her.

"Where is your daddy? Huh? Can you call your daddy for me? You got his number?"

Elizabeth dialed her husband's number. There was no answer. She fixed for Miles an abundant breakfast. Afterwards, she was in the shower. It was a quiet Saturday morning.

The night previous, however, was not. Elizabeth and Mitchell fought with furious anger. Elizabeth demanded to know his whereabouts, for as of late, he had either been absent or uncommunicative. The more she pressed him, the worse his anger became.

"Tell me Mitchell, do you still love me? Are you seeing another woman?"

"Elizabeth, for the last time, no."

"Then where are you when you should be here with me at home? You come up with so many excuses; I can't begin to even keep up."

It was at this moment she thought she send a blow to Mitchell's heart. Elizabeth considered hurting him by telling him the affection she had for another man. She would tell him how much she loved this other man; how much she wanted to be with him; how she only married to fill a void rather than for the actual bond for love. She wanted to devastate him they way he clearly was hurting her now. She felt entitled to return a favor; she felt it was owed and justified in her mind the rationality of coming forth with the truth.

But Elizabeth never had the chance.

"Elizabeth, my wife, I am going down for a cigarette. When I come back up, we will discuss this."

Mitchell never returned up. Elizabeth waited for him on the couch. She fell asleep without word from her husband.

Presently, in the shower, as the warm water touched the softness of her skin, she looked out the window. She knew it would be a warm day and considered the appropriate attire for the day.

A few blocks away, Chloe fixed breakfast as Noah was in the shower. He ruminated on what would happen next. Could he come forth to Chloe? Should he tell her the truth? How stupid was he last night! And how much worse it was to keep such a secret to oneself. If only he could release the tension!

Noah jumped out of the shower and toweled himself dry. He took his seat at the table. Chloe fixed a fine breakfast. The two ate and chatted away. The conversation and food provided fuel and distraction. Chloe comforted him. He regretted now what he had done. Seeing Chloe's cheerfulness, and easygoing matter, made his heart sink. He knew he did her wrong. What crime did Chloe commit? None. But she would suffer for actions he carried out; this lover of hers whom she slept next to and adored, and thought was so innocent, so sweet.

"How did you sleep?" asked Chloe.

"Fine. How about you? You were snoring all night you little piggy."

"I was not!" retorted Chloe. She threw a piece of bacon at him. "Actually, you were snoring rather loudly. You must have been tired. I had to cover my ears!"

Noah was confused. She must have been dreaming. Or perhaps Chloe was mixing up her breathing for his. She often did this. Noah thought she was goofy. But he was glad for this for it made her good company, and now, a good alibi.

There was a knock at the door. Noah jumped in the air like a cat suddenly disturbed. He dropped his fork, and when it landed on the floor, Chloe picked it up.

"Easy my little babe."

Chloe answered the door. Elizabeth rushed in. Noah took a deep breath. He drank some orange juice and watched Elizabeth fix herself a plate of food.

"Where is Mitchell?" asked Chloe curiously. "Is he still asleep?"

"Actually, I have no idea. He didn't come home last night. I rang him, but no answer." Elizabeth took a seat and began eating. She looked up at Noah. "Noah, did he call you about his whereabouts by chance? Did you happen to be at the bar with him?"

"No. No, I didn't get a call," he answered quickly.

"It's not like him to go this long without calling me. He's probably at a friend's asleep." Elizabeth's face turned red. She looked down. It was apparent that she spoke words she wished she had not.

"It will be fine. Eat Elizabeth," said Chloe.

The three changed the topic of conversation. They made plans for the evening to have dinner together at an Italian restaurant on Austin Street.

Elizabeth said goodbye, and thanked them for breakfast. As she walked up to her building, she noticed two police vehicles parked near the entrance. Elizabeth took the elevator up five flights. When she pushed the elevator door open, she was startled to find two police officers knocking on her door.

It was a female who was knocking. She stopped when she saw Elizabeth walk up to them.

"Hello," said Elizabeth. "I live here. How can I help you?" Startled, she quickly asked: "Is there a problem officers?"

The male officer looked at Elizabeth with a sulky face. It nerved Elizabeth. The male officer said:

"Are you Mrs. Schlossberg?"

"I am."

"Mrs. Schlossberg, may we come in for a moment?"

"Why, yes of course. Let me get the door."

That afternoon, Noah prepared lunch. Chloe sat in the living room on the computer. She flipped through various photos. Some of them required touch ups and color corrections.

Noah rubbed down a slab of baby back ribs with salt and pepper. He poked the meat with a fork to make little holes so that it cooked evenly. He opened the oven and tossed in the meat. In a bowl, he added honey to barbeque sauce to naturally sweeten it.

The criminal could not stop thinking about the night previous no matter what invention he used to distract his mind. When there were noises outside his door, he thought his doom was likely near. An ambulance drove by, which made Noah sweat and breath heavily until the siren was gone. He contemplated the matter while he gathered himself to cook lunch for Chloe.

It was only a matter of time until they found out Mitchell's name. His wife would be phoned. But Elizabeth had no news of the matter yet. Why?

Amy paid for the room. Obviously, when it appeared she had not checked out, a member of staff would knock on the door. He would be the first to witness Noah's poor behavior. What time is checkout, eleven or maybe twelve o'clock in the afternoon? It was nearing one o'clock now!

Oh poor Elizabeth! She had nothing to do with this matter. Why did Mitchell treat her so poorly? If only the married man were more moral in his actions, none of this would have occurred. This was Mitchell's doing; he deserved what happened, thought Noah to himself.

And what about Amy? She was only a woman of love. She too fell for a conniving man. Mitchell strung her strings like an old guitar waiting to be played. He believed he could get away with his actions? How pompous was he to think he could carry this lifestyle without any repercussions? He was doomed to hurt Amy in some way. He wrote her fate: He was at fault for her life.

As Noah contemplated this, what he had been anticipating finally happened. There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it babe," said Noah waving to Chloe to remain seated.

He opened the door. A female and male officer stood by the door. The male was stout, had a round face, and a large nose. He asked:

"We are looking for Mr. Spence. Noah Spence."

"Yes that's me."

Noah was ready to offer his wrists so that they could easily cuff him. He would not put up a fight or argument. He was willingly ready to go. He was in many ways comforted to know that he would be apprehended; he would no longer have to anticipate the inevitable.

"May we come in sir?" asked the female officer.

She walked in first. She had long brown hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. Like the male officer, she too was overweight; she carried it with difficulty as she made her way into the living room area.

Chloe stood up to greet the officers. She appeared ghastly and thin. The white on her face match her polo shirt. She nervously pulled back her brown hair behind her ears. She placed her hands in her jean pockets.

"How may we help you officers?" asked Chloe nervously.

"Mr. Spence, can you please tell us where you were last night?" asked the male officer.

Noah was surprised to hear this question. He thought he would be arrested at once. Perhaps they had video surveillance. Or maybe a witness saw him rush out of the lobby, and now the officers were merely checking the references against his word.

"I was here at home officer. May I ask what this is about? You are making my girlfriend and I fairly nervous. I'd appreciate you being candid."

"We have bad news for you folks," said the female officer. "But we've just informed Elizabeth Schlossberg that her husband, Mitchell Schlossberg, has passed away by way of suicide."

Chloe placed her hands to her face. She gave a ghastly cry. Her face filled with horror while her eyes grew wide. The color from her cheeks rushed out with immediacy. She ran up to Noah and placed her small head into his chest. She began to cry. Noah tried to comfort her. He was desperate to console her, but at the same time wondered what the officer's angle was. He asked:

"How can we help with the matter?"

"Sir, your credit card was used last night at the hotel Mitchell Schlossberg stayed in. In fact, your credit card booked the room next to his. We understand from Mrs. Schlossberg than you are acquainted with her husband. We're wondering why you booked a room next to Mr. Schlossberg who was staying with an Amy Lee," said the male officer.

"Amy Lee?" interrupted Chloe.

"Correct Ma'am. We just need to verify where you were last night Mr. Spence," said the female officer impatiently.

This was it. He could tell the truth; justice would be served and he would spend the rest of his waking life in prison. He considered the possibility of his mind rioting in prison. What would he do in those long nights while all the other jail mates slept except him?

But they believed Mitchell committed suicide. He quickly considered the facts. Noah said:

"I was here last night. Chloe can vouch for me. But the funny thing is, my credit card has been missing. Is it possible Mitchell stole it from my wallet and used it to book a room? Perhaps he did this to conceal his whereabouts with this Amy person."

The officers stared at Noah with bored eyes. This seemed to be routine for them. They jotted down some notes in their note pads. Noah couldn't tell if they were actually busy or pretending to be. Their attitude was automatic, as if a suicide investigation was a normal part of their day.

The male officer took a deep breath. He said:

"Makes sense. And you are?" he asked pointing his pen towards Chloe.

"My name is Chloe Walker."

"Ma'am, can you verify that Mr. Noah Spence was with you all night?" asked the female officer.

"Yes of course I can. He never left my sight. In fact, in fact he snored all night last night."

"Very well," said the male officer taking more notes. "That will do it folks. We are sorry for bringing you bad news. We will leave now."

The officers were not sincere with their message. They gathered themselves and quickly walked out. They gave a final nod before leaving out of sight.

When the door closed, Chloe rushed to the phone. She called Elizabeth, but there was no answer. She ran to the bedroom closet, dressed herself, and dug for shoes.

"This is terrible. Why would Mitchell commit suicide? Oh my god, Elizabeth must be heartbroken. This is horrible! I'm running over there now. Are you coming with Noah?"

"I think I will sit back for a bit," said Noah circling the bedroom. "I think I need to gather my thoughts."

Chloe rushed up to Noah. She hugged him tightly. She kissed his cheek. Tears were coming down her face. She hugged him again and then rushed out the door.

Noah stood there alone for a bit. He walked up to his wallet, opened it, and retrieved the credit card he used the night previous. He hid the credit card deep in the back of his closet so that it could never be found ever again.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Elizabeth fell to the floor when she heard the news. She began to cry profusely. The female officer walked up to her. She started to stroke Elizabeth's back. She helped Elizabeth to her feet.

"Why would my husband commit suicide? Tell me what happened. I don't understand. I don't understand any of this!"

"Mrs. Schlossberg, ma'am, let us have a seat together," said the female officer calmly.

The female officer assisted Elizabeth to the couch. The male officer stood firm, but his proximity was still close. When the two women were situated, he spoke.

"Your husband was with a Ms. Amy Lee."

Elizabeth eyes turned from sadness to horror. The light in her eyes abated.

"We have reason to believe that after intercourse, your husband and Ms. Lee got into altercation. He suffocated her with a pillow, realized what he did, then proceeded to take his own life by way of jumping off the balcony."

Elizabeth started to cry again. This time more loudly. As the female officer tried to console her, the male officer received a call.

"This is officer Lance. Yes do you have the name of the neighbor staying in that other room?" Officer Lance took out a small pad and pen from his utility belt. "Noah Spence. Could you spell the last name and do you have an address?"

"Noah?" cried Elizabeth.

"Let me call you back." Officer Lance hung up the phone. "Do you know this person?"

"Yes of course. What does he have to do with this?"

"Well, that's odd. We've checked for witnesses at the crime scene. We knocked on nearby hotel rooms to see if anyone knew of anything. But when we knocked on this Noah Spence's room, nobody was there for a statement. We had to check with the reception to get the name, which I just got. Do you know where he lives Mrs. Schlossberg? We will need to pay him a visit."

Elizabeth fell into a deep depression. She spent many nights with Chloe and Noah. The thought of returning home made the blood her in veins turn cold. She decided to pack her things and move out of the apartment at once.

It just so happened that there was an opening in Noah's apartment. It was a small one bedroom, but she decided it was best to be near company. Chloe tended to her needs. She cooked meals for Elizabeth. She reminded her to eat and care for herself. But Elizabeth was unable to focus or stay mentally present. The mechanics of her mind failed her; she was like an old car running on expired motor oil.

Her looks began to fade. New lines and wrinkles formed on her face. Her lovely long blonde hair now had streaks of grey in it. Her skin, once radiant, was now dull, dry, and weathered. She appeared to advance many years.

She could not understand Mitchell's action. Why would he choose to be with another woman? With Amy Lee no less! A co-worker of theirs! She felt embarrassed, though was not entirely surprised of her suspicions that he was seeing someone else. It explained the late nights. It explained a lot, but now, to know Mitchell now as a murderer? She could not fathom it. She knew her husband too well, so attempted to rid her bad feelings by telling herself she possessed no sign or knowledge of his ability to take a life.

But what she could not understand was why Mitchell would take Noah's credit card to book another room? Perhaps he planned to sleep in the adjacent room alone? None of it made sense. The case was closed. There would be no investigation. Elizabeth tried to move on.

But she grew more and more lonely. Having Mitchell around filled a void, and now that he was gone, her sentiment towards Noah's relationship agitated her. She grew jealous by their companionship. She wanted what Chloe had.

If she were honest with herself, she would admit how much she disliked Chloe. She resented the woman for treating her with so much care. She thought Chloe was horrible; it was with courage to stand in her presence. But Elizabeth remained with her because she wanted to be comforted by Noah. The proximity to him gave her comfort. She sought solace in him.

Elizabeth could not understand why Noah was distant. Perhaps, Noah was mourning for Mitchell, she thought. Elizabeth saw that his manner towards her was much different than before. He seemed to always carry with him a sense of guilt or sadness in her presence. Though he tended to her needs, his eyes invoked a different message: one of sadness and despair; like that of a dog in a corner who is wishing for his master's acceptance.

Elizabeth felt like she was a nuisance to him. She did not like being the third wheel. But Chloe insisted that she remain with them, and so they continued to see one another. But the truth was, the sight of Chloe and Noah together only made the blood in her veins colder. She could no longer help it. She wanted his attention. She wanted him to love her more.

Elizabeth spent most of the nights awake while others around her were in a deep sleep. She envied their ability to fall unconscious, because now her sleep patterns were random.

Late one night, while sitting near the window with Miles, she saw a man walk by. She watched him along with Miles. But as the figure continued to move, she thought she recognized the movements as Noah's. She recognized the slouch in the back and dragging of the feet. She realized it was in fact Noah when he walked under a streetlight.

"Noah?" she said with her indoor voice. "Noah," this time a little louder.

But Noah did not turn around. Elizabeth quickly hurried to her bedroom closet. She found slippers and headed to the front door where Miles stood waiting.

"Mommy will be right back," said Elizabeth as she leaned down to kiss the needy cat.

Elizabeth rushed through the streets to find Noah. It was a clear night, with a slight dampness in the air. She could feel the moisture from the air settle on her cheeks. The stars rested evenly bright above. The moon was visible, but that night it was the size of a penny.

The area was fairly quiet. Elizabeth was used to seeing the area busy with cars and people in a rush to get to their destinations. Now the land was mysterious and mystical. You had the impression that at any minute a switch would be flickered to give back the city its liveliness and breath.

Elizabeth spotted her target. Noah was slowly walking down Austin Street towards Continental Ave. She watched him from behind as she made her way closer to him. He walked with his hands in his pockets. He wore the light green linen shirt Elizabeth had purchased for him at a nearby boutique. His legs were covered with khaki pants.

"Noah!"

Noah turned around. He attempted to adjust his eyes. When Elizabeth reached him, he said:

"Elizabeth. What a surprise. Were you not able to sleep either?"

"No. My sleep is gone I guess," she said with a laugh. "What are you doing? I saw you walk by my window. I thought I'd catch you."

Without Chloe's presence, the two shared a different experience; it was as if they had met for the first time and did not know how to speak to one another. Their voices were high in tone and their body language was playful.

"Wonderful. Will you walk with me my queen?"

The two walked side by side. Elizabeth seemed a bit frightful. The quietness of the streets, and not seeing other walking patrons alerted her. She walked rather closely to Noah. She desperately wanted to hold his hand. She was quite gay to have a moment alone with Noah. As they continued to walk, the existence of Chloe did not register a thought in her mind. In this moment, the only two people living on the planet were the two walking now. If only the moment could last a lifetime, thought Elizabeth. Could the sun do her a favor and be at rest forever? Noah broke the silence.

"How have you been holding up?"

"Some days are better than the rest. Some days are worse. I've decided to go back to work next week. I think it's time. I'm ready to keep busy. Keep my mind elsewhere. You know?"

"That's great Elizabeth."

"Money isn't a concern. I was left with a substantial sum." Elizabeth took a deep breath. Her eyes darted towards the sky. She continued: "But I think the only way to start moving on is to actually get up and do something. I've been dormant about my life for too long." She looked at Noah as they crossed the street. "Can I ask you, have you ever felt like telling someone something, but when the moment came, could not?"

Noah searched Elizabeth's eyes. In her eyes there was a sense of tenderness and sincerity, and at the same time it showed agony and pain. The sight made his stomach ache.

"I know what that is like, Elizabeth. It's never good to hold things in. I believe it can lead to self-destruction or maybe worse, can develop an ability to hurt those you love most. Life could be a different world if more were not only honest with themselves, but also with others near them."

Silence overcame them. They continued walking and turned on Seventy First Avenue towards Forest Hills Gardens. Elizabeth thought about Noah's words carefully. His speech repeated in her head like a broken record stuck on one track.

Then on a sudden, a cat jumped out in front of them. Elizabeth jumped in the air and gave a loud cry. When she landed, she was astonished to find herself in Noah's arm. She held his hand tightly.

"It's just a cat my queen. A black cat to be exact."

"It came out of nowhere! My lord! It scared the shit out of me," said Elizabeth while trying to catch her breath.

The black cat gave the couple a long stare. It rushed away and headed up the stairs towards the Long Island Train Station.

"Looks like he is heading to Long Island," said Noah in a mocking manner.

The two looked at each other. They laughed and continued walking. Elizabeth continued to hold Noah's hand tightly. Her thoughts wandered furiously.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"I do," said Noah.

"And do you, Chloe, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do."

Chloe and Noah kissed.

The married couple purchased a house in Forest Hills Gardens. To make their lives a little easier, they purchased a vehicle. Chloe, from New York, had to get a driver's license. She flunked the first test. Noah was frightened to be behind the wheel with her, but found the nerve to stick it out and tutor her.

The house was large. It sat deep inside the Gardens. The house contained four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a basement. The housing market worked in the young couple's favor; it proved to be a good investment.

Chloe wanted children to fill the empty rooms. Noah too wanted this, but he feared that his children would rear his sleeping condition. He did not wish them to be born like him. But what if he were to have children who could never sleep? He could never forgive himself if he knew he passed on this trait.

Chloe and Noah agreed in solidarity that Elizabeth, if she desired, should move into their house. It was not far from the apartment building they lived in. The train station was still near. Chloe wanted to look after Elizabeth; she felt more close to her than ever. Chloe even mentioned to mutual friends that Elizabeth was not just like a sister, but actually was a sister.

Months later Elizabeth agreed to move in. She was happy for Noah's advancement. He had come into a higher position at work, and what ensued was more responsibility, which paid accordingly.

Presently, the three were eating dinner. Each member of the household had cooked a meal. They sat around the table feasting on each other's creation. Nobody was modest about his or her servings; they ate with great appetite.

"Elizabeth, I think it's time for you to start dating," Chloe blurted while holding a chicken wing.

"Honey. Please. Let's just eat," yelled Noah.

"No babe, I think Elizabeth needs to hear this. I love her and I think it needs to be said." Chloe paused, and then turned to Elizabeth. "It's time sweetie. It's been long enough. I'm not trying to, to apply pressure. But I think it would help you to get out there. I know what it's like to be stranded. Take it from me, if you stay out of the game for too long it starts to change. And when you get back into it, you are just completely lost. It's like learning a new game all together. What do you think Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth paused. She helped herself to more potatoes. She said:

"I guess you are right. You know, it has been a long time. I appreciate your concern." She looked at Noah. "I guess it's time to let things go. No, fuck it, you are right. I need to move on with my life."

"Damn right girl," cried Chloe. "I've already set you up with someone!"

"Chloe!" yelled Noah. "What are you doing? Have you gone mad? Elizabeth doesn't need you to set her up with people. You should have consulted us first."

"It's fine Noah. I could use some help. So whom did you set me up with?"

"You shall meet him tomorrow! Oh, I am so excited! I've never set up blind date!" Chloe began clapping her hands. "He's a photographer. We've worked together at some events."

"Are you talking about Bob? I fucking hate that idiot! He's not right for Elizabeth. He's no good."

"No, it's not fucking Bob, Noah you retard. He's coming over tomorrow to pick you up. What do you think Elizabeth? You'll say yes won't you?"

"Sure why not."

Chloe jumped out of her chair. She rushed up to Elizabeth, who had a mouth full of potatoes, and hugged her tightly.

"Not so tight Chloe," said Elizabeth struggling in her arms. "Not so tight. Food will come back up."

"Sorry. I'm just so happy. Aren't you happy Noah? I'm happy!"

Noah wanted to vomit all of the food back up. He waited impatiently for the next evening to come. He spent the evening roaming the streets with clenched fists. At work the next day, he was restless.

Chloe helped with Elizabeth's attire. The two ladies were upstairs doing cosmetics, hair, and polishing of the nails. Chloe was so energetic; one would believe it was her who was going on a date.

Noah sat downstairs with a book. He pretended to read. The laughter and cheerfulness upstairs prevented him from concentrating on the words.

When Elizabeth came downstairs, Noah looked at her with awe. She was by far the prettiest woman he had ever seen. She wore a tight silver sequence dress. The length of it ran just above her knees. It was Elizabeth's face that dominated his attention. She no longer appeared dull or despondent. The makeup to covered her blemishes. Elizabeth looked confident, youthful, and energetic. She had a certain pop to her step. Her skin was as lively as ever. The sparks in her eyes glimmered like stars twinkling in a dark night.

"So what do you think?" asked Elizabeth.

She reached the bottom of the stairs. Chloe followed behind her. There was silence. Elizabeth grew jittery from the silence.

"Well, come on Noah!"

"Oh, pretty. I've never seen you more pretty in my life," he said jittering. "Wonderful job Chloe. Wonderful. Just brilliant. She looks like a true queen."

Chloe remained behind Elizabeth with her arms crossed over her breasts. She held in her air a sense of pride; she was like a proud coach about to see her player win a big game. She said:

"It's my dress. She looks better in it than me."

There was a knock on the front door. Chloe jumped in the air and clapped her hands as if she were a child earning tickets at the arcade. Elizabeth remained calm. She stole a glance at Noah to check his countenance. He appeared agitated and nervous as he walked towards the front door with Chloe.

When the door opened, a man several inches shorter than Elizabeth walked in. He wore a brown corduroy suit. He had round brown eyes, dark brown hair and light skin. His lips were thin, which matched his small nose. He was a descent, ordinary looking man in his early thirties.

He greeted Noah with a firm handshake. He carried in his arms a bouquet of red roses sitting in a clear vase. He greeted Chloe with a hug. When he saw Elizabeth he stiffened. She took the color in his cheeks right out of him. He said:

"Hi, I am Johnny. My god you are pretty. A lot prettier than Chloe told me. She told me you were pretty, but not this pretty. Oh these are for you," he said while handing over the flowers.

Noah wanted to smash his head with the vase. Elizabeth said:

"Thank you. Shall we go?"

"Now you too have fun," said Chloe as the two walked towards the front door. She walked up to Noah and hugged him. "Don't stay out too late. Be safe you kids! Bye now. Be back before it is dark."

Everyone laughed but Noah. He watched Elizabeth leave. The door closed. He picked up his book and tried to read, but ended up on the same page over and over. He waited up all night for Elizabeth to return home.

Finally, she walked through the front door and gently closed it. Elizabeth gingerly walked up the stairs. A light flickered on. Standing at the bottom of the stairs was Noah in a pair of jeans and t-shirt.

"Noah!" cried Elizabeth with horror. "You scarred me. Crap! What are you doing up so late at this hour?"

"It's late. I've been waiting up for you Elizabeth."

"I can see that."

"I was beginning to get worried. Do you know what time it is? I... we were getting worried. We tried to call your phone, but there was no answer. Are you ok? Did anything happen to you?"

Elizabeth walked down to the bottom of the stairs to meet Noah. She appeared energetic and lively. She looked deep into Noah's eyes and studied them.

"Everything is fine. I'm a big girl Noah. I can take care of myself. Where is Chloe?"

"She fell asleep. How did it go?"

"It went fine."

Noah took a deep breath.

"Will you see him again then?"

"When he dropped me off, he said to me: 'Elizabeth you are so pretty, it would do me the honor to see you again my princess.' I started laughing."

The two laughed. Elizabeth looked deep into Noah's eyes. She said:

"He should know that I'm not to be called a princess. I am to be known as the queen."

Noah blushed. His face turned red.

Elizabeth ran upstairs. She changed her clothes and jumped under the covers. She slept with a smile. Noah remained downstairs. He picked up his book and turned the pages until sunlight came into the room.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The next day, Chloe insisted Elizabeth join her for a day of shopping and lunch. It was a delightful Saturday afternoon. The sun came out with light not too strong for the skin or eye. There was a nice breeze. The weather permitted light clothing.

Chloe and Elizabeth hopped from store to store. They were enjoying themselves.

"So do you think you will see Johnny again? I called him and he said he had such a good time with you. He wondered if you too had a good time."

"Yes I did have a good time. I'm open to seeing him again. I don't see why I should not."

Chloe clapped her hands together. It made her feel well to connect Elizabeth with someone; it gave her confidence a boost. She intended with great effort to enjoy the day with her best friend. As they walked on, Chloe placed her arm around Elizabeth's.

The pair had lunch on Austin Street. They sat near the window. Their conversation was light and entertaining. They each had an ice tea, salad, and assorted Italian dishes the waiter recommended. Elizabeth loved ravioli. She ate slowly. Groups of people walking by stared at their dishes. Some even stopped in for a meal after seeing the food.

When they finished, Chloe paid the bill and the two were back on the streets for more shopping. Chloe spotted a pair of shoes she liked across Austin Street.

"Elizabeth do you see those! We have to try them on, come on," said Chloe darting quickly across the street.

Chloe was nearly across the street when her foot lodged in a crack. She tried desperately to free herself. But the foot was tightly latched in between the cement. Around the corner, a bus was coming towards her.

She reached down to see if she could tear her foot from the shoe. She cried:

"Elizabeth! My foot! It's stuck. Help me! Quickly, the bus isn't slowing down."

Elizabeth stared at Chloe for a bit. She stood in the middle of the road, motionless, with her hands to the side. The bus was coming right at her.

Elizabeth imagined Chloe dead. She imagined a life full of happiness with Noah. How terrible to think such thoughts, Elizabeth thought. But she could not help herself. She watched Chloe scream for her help. Chloe's eyes were wide with terror, and with that in view, Elizabeth rationalized.

She rushed to Chloe. The two reached down and tugged her right foot with desperation. The bus was still not slowing down. Within seconds, it would smash into the two bodies.

"It won't budge Chloe!" cried Elizabeth.

"Don't leave me! Please Elizabeth! Keep pulling. Please help me!"

The two pulled as hard as they could. The bus was within two car lengths away when Chloe broke free from the cement. Elizabeth pulled Chloe to the side of the street.

"Oh my lord. That was close. I was so frightened," said Chloe in desperate search of oxygen.

The bus was about to pass them. Elizabeth watched it. If only Chloe were gone, she thought. How wonderful would her life be with Noah? They could marry; have children and raise them in the house they both lived in now. She wanted to rid Chloe from the life she felt was taken from her. Elizabeth believed she was entitled to Noah. After all, it was she who lost her husband; it was she who put up with his cheating ways. She belonged to Noah, not Chloe!

"I don't know how my foot got stuck. It just..."

Chloe was unable to finish her sentence. Elizabeth quickly pushed Chloe back into the street where her foot was stuck moments ago. The bus slammed into her body violently. Chloe's body was sent airborne. Blood splashed all over the window shield. Her body landed several feet in front of the bus.

It all looked like a video game to Elizabeth. It was as if at any moment a film director would jump out and ask the crew to reset for another take. None of it seemed real. The bus driver slammed on the brakes. People in the area rushed to Chloe's aid.

"Someone call an ambulance!" a man shouted.

The bus driver opened the doors. He ran up to the body. He yelled:

"She came out of nowhere! She came out of nowhere," he said with terror in his eyes.

Elizabeth held herself with composure. She walked up to the body. Chloe's face was covered with blood. She was still breathing. Her body shook profusely. Chloe's eyes met Elizabeth's. Chloe had in her eyes, a burning terror. She stared at Elizabeth as she gasped for air. Blood streamed down her small mouth. The light in her eyes faded down. Her body shook and twitched.

Then, it seized. Chloe was dead.

She lay there on her side, in the middle of the street, covered in her own blood. Her eyes were still open.

Noah did not shed a tear at the funeral. He did not cry the following week. He appeared lifeless and quiet, like he was in deep mediation only with eyes wide open.

Elizabeth allowed him to grieve in the manner he felt suited. She watched him ruminate. She could tell he was trying to make sense of the outcome.

Presently, the two were eating dinner. They spent a lot of time together since Chloe's death. Neither had much to say to each other, but on occasion exchanged glances.

Noah ate slowly. He contemplated on what had occurred. He felt that Chloe's accident was from his doing. He eliminated Mitchell. It was fitting that someone he loved pay for his actions; justice was now done. But how terrible that it should be carried out like this! What had Chloe done? Why was he not punished? The situation was unfair, and as he thought about his, he looked over to Elizabeth.

She too was suffering because of his actions, he thought. And now, he sat there alone with the one person he had always wanted to be with. Noah felt responsible for Elizabeth; he took responsibility for everything. His chest was full like a balloon with too much air; it was about to explode.

Noah dropped his spoon and began to cry. Elizabeth looked up at him with astonishment. She had yet to see him emotional. She knew it was only a matter of time before he broke down.

Elizabeth placed down her knife and fork. She walked over to Noah. She placed her arms around his head. He cried harder when he felt the warmth of her arms. Elizabeth hugged him tighter and listened to his deep cries.

When Noah's stream of tears stopped, Elizabeth pulled him to his feet.

"Come on Noah."

Noah stood with her. She held his hand and directed him towards the living room. She left him standing in the middle of the room. Elizabeth walked over to the stereo. She turned it on. Music by The Platters blasted through the speakers. She walked back up to Noah. Noah said:

"I like this song. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes right?"

"Yes. Dance with me a little. Let's not think anymore."

Noah placed his hands around Elizabeth's waist. They started to dance. Elizabeth searched deep into Noah's eyes. But he looked down to the floor. He was embarrassed to show the wetness in his eyes still.

Noah's emotional state made him unpredictable. His inner circuitry was running improperly. He rationalized and drew up courage to tell Elizabeth the truth. He wanted her to know that Chloe's death was his fault. He would tell her what happened with Amy and Mitchell. It was his fault they all died.

"Elizabeth," whispered Noah.

Elizabeth looked in his eyes. She saw a man in despair. She loved him. She wanted nothing more than to comfort him. Noah was about to speak again, when Elizabeth placed her finger on his lips.

They agreed to be quiet. Elizabeth placed her head on his shoulder. The two were a sad pair dancing the night away.
CHAPTER NINETEEN

Noah watched Elizabeth sleep. She appeared to him like she did when they were in junior high school. Her skin was plush, youthful and vibrant. She was once again a child: innocent and ready for the world to take its claim on her. Elizabeth looked so pretty with her eyes closed, thought Noah. He wondered where her sleep took her. What dreams did she dream at this moment?

He loved being by her side now in his bed. He considered the results it took to get to this point. But if he had the chance to do it all over, would Noah interfere with fate if given the opportunity? Or would he be a blind advocate and allow the unfortunate events unfold?

It was meant to be. It was clear to him that the stars forced themselves to align, whomever or whatever was in its way stood a chance to be harmed.

He waited for Elizabeth's eyes to open. She breathed calmly. Her chest rose and deflated with ease. She was a beautiful sight! If only one could clone her, so that the rest of the earth could be spoiled with her splendor prettiness.

Her eyes opened. The beautiful blue eyes darted around the room in attempt to register where they were at the moment. The eyes had enough beauty in them that one would be inclined to give up a day's work just to stare into them. The color in them marveled like that of an ocean one sought to be lost in.

Elizabeth looked at Noah. She said:

"Hi."

"Hi," said Noah with a smile.

Noah moved his lips closer to hers. He gave her a tender look. He pressed his lips against hers. They were soft, moist, and warm. Noah backed off. He looked deeply into her blue eyes.

Elizabeth's face was content with bliss. She appeared relaxed, but at the same time looked lost in the moment of surprise. Noah's lips sent a shock through her system. She believed for a moment that her mind was merely playing a trick on her, and that at any moment, she would be woken up. She longed for Noah's lips again.

"What now?" she asked.

Noah examined her face. He gave her a slight smirk. He replied:

"Now we have breakfast."

The couple ate with a large appetite. They served themselves pancakes, scrambled eggs, wheat toast, sausage, ham, bacon, fruit, juice, and coffee. The kitchen was a mess. They did not care.

Afterwards, Elizabeth wanted fresh air. The two ran upstairs and dressed quickly. They ran out the door and jumped on a train towards Manhattan.

It was lovely day to be in the big city. The birds sang with confidence. The sun sat next a cluster of clouds. The light winds passed through the tree, making the leaves flip around.

Elizabeth insisted on a walk through Central Park. She held Noah's hand. It gave her a sense of pride and comfort to be with him now; she cherished being in his presence. She wanted the world to know that they belonged together. She held his hand so tightly that Noah's palm began to perspire. Elizabeth noticed, but did not relieve pressure.

Together, they watched the world move. They did not exchange many words. Occasionally Noah pointed out a thing here and there. They reached a bridge and stopped to have a look around.

"Kiss me Noah."

"If that's what you want my queen."

The pair kissed.

"Now take me to lunch," said Elizabeth cheerfully. "And then take me home so we can make love. Again."

"Of course Elizabeth."

Back at home Noah carried Elizabeth up the stairs. She helped him undress while he assisted with her blouse. Elizabeth pressed her lips against his. Her lips before were moist and tender, but now they seemed to be on fire.

They fall on the bed. Elizabeth pulled the covers over their bodies. She kissed Noah.

"Make love to me Noah," she whispered in his ear. "I love you. I've always loved you."

Noah obeyed her wish.

Elizabeth was asleep naked. The light from the stars found its way into the room. The light from the stars gave the bedroom a soft aesthetic. It made Noah feel as if he were only at a hotel room on holiday, and would soon have to give up the comforts of this circumstance and return to real life. But when he looked at Elizabeth, he knew that this was real; he knew she was real. He could touch her, taste her, and smell her.

"I wish I knew you when were little," whispered Noah.

"At least we were around each other all along."

Noah smiled. He thought her choice of words were innocent and comforting. He said:

"I know. But I mean I wish we really knew each other. Maybe our lives would be different. Maybe everything would be different. I've spent my life running around for something. I was always in search of answers in hopes to give my life something more. But when I think about it, it was you who I've always wanted. It was you who I needed. It's silly to think that as children, our houses were only separated by a number of streets. Life is so funny. You can search the world to no end for something, but the answer can be as close as your own eyelash."

Elizabeth listened calmly. She watched his thin lips move. Was this his way of telling her he was in love? The thought excited her.

She threw the covers off. She pushed Noah over and pinned him down. She kissed him heavily. Noah was overcome with joy.

Then something strange happened, something that hasn't happened in so many years. Noah began to feel a slight tremble in his eyes. His breathing became deeper. The eyes that he held open for so long grew tired. His eyelids were now like heavy curtains ready to be pulled down.

"Elizabeth, my queen," softly whispered Noah now aware of his drowsy eyes.

"Yes?"

"I think, I think I am about to fall asleep."

Elizabeth giggled. She thought his statement was unnecessary; it was already too obvious to her. She replied:

"Goodnight then. I'm right behind you. I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, goodnight my dear queen. But only a goodnight here, because I'll see you yet in my dream and say good morning then."

Elizabeth watched his eyes fight to stay awake. And then it happened. For the first time in decades, Noah Spence's eyes closed. The boy, who could never sleep, was finally at rest.

Noah Spence would never wake up again. His breathing stopped in the middle of the night as he rested next to his beautiful Elizabeth Little, whom he loved and cherished dearly.

For Elizabeth, it was the best sleep of her life.
CHAPTER TWENTY

A month flew by. Elizabeth remained in the house. It was quiet and dreadful. Though she was sad to be left alone, with no companion or friend, Elizabeth was content with the small time she was given to be with Noah.

Presently in the kitchen was Elizabeth fixing breakfast before the day's work. The windows were all open. The final moments of autumn were near and soon the winter cold would swoop in. The birds outside sang and spoke to one another. The sun was out, but only offered a little light.

Then suddenly, Elizabeth felt a rush of liquid rush from her chest to her throat. She vomited all over the kitchen floor. She was too dizzy to make it to the bathroom. Her body disobeyed her and was lethargic.

She checked in at the hospital. They ran a few tests, asked many questions, and then left Elizabeth in a waiting room while the doctor was making rounds. She sat on the bed impatiently.

A female doctor walked in. She was a woman in her late fifties, but could easily pass for her forties. She had long black hair, small brown eyes, and a rather small build. Elizabeth was a tower compared to her.

"Well Elizabeth," the doctor paused and looked down at her clipboard. "Elizabeth, do you still go by Mrs. Little?"

"No, I've recently changed it to Spence."

"Very well Mrs. Spence," said the doctor looking into her eyes cheerfully. "You are with a child. Congratulations."

Elizabeth nearly fainted. The color in her cheeks ran out. She nearly vomited again, but was able to contain the matter in her mouth. She swallowed it back down.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, very sure. Congratulations again Mrs. Spence."

Elizabeth loved the way that name sounded in her ears.

She picked up her things, and left the hospital. She informed her employers her situation; they then encouraged her to take the week off to sort matters.

Elizabeth spent the rest of the evening in a cheerful mood. The idea of rearing Noah's child comforted her. It made her feel less lonely. Though she could not be with him any longer, she was able in some way keep his presence alive by bringing into this world a piece of his existence.

In her mind swirled all kinds of plans. She played around with names for a boy or girl. Elizabeth planned to shop the next day immediately for the baby. She was all too excited and could not rest.

After dinner, Elizabeth decided to go for a late night stroll. She roamed the neighborhood and followed the same routes Noah and her once walked. He never ceased far from her thoughts. She still loved him dearly, and concluded that her affection for him would remain for the rest of waking her life. She felt grateful and proceeded to rub her belly gently.

As Elizabeth thought about all this, she considered another matter as she walked through the quiet neighborhood. She planned to be healthier now that she was in command of two persons. She considered proper meals to eat and set a number of hours to sleep each night.

But then an odd thing occurred to Elizabeth.

"That's funny," she said to herself as she crossed the street, "I haven't slept in days."

