Noah's POV

I'm walking home really late. I just got into a massive argument with Daniel over some ideas for our duet. God, I didn't really realise the time. It was 11:45pm!
I hope my mother doesn't decapitate me. I'm just walking by myself, no one around and listening to the sound of cars in the far distance and the wind rattling the leaves. Out of nowhere, I hear this blood curdling scream. I stopped dead in my tracks. I looked around but I couldn't see a single soul. What was that?
There it was again! This time it was louder. It was a girl, and she sounded terrified. I didn't think at the time, I just ran. Ran towards the scream.
I came across this alley way and could hear piercing screams at the end of it. I ran through it to find a man. A man trying to do a terrible thing to a girl.
"Get off me!" Yelled the girl.
The man was touching her up, and ripping her clothes. She tried to squirm away but she was too weak against him.
I couldn't leave her to be raped. That's so messed up. No one deserves this.
I went up to them and pulled the man off of her. That's when... that's when I saw his face. "Liam!?" I ask. I am staring into the eyes of my best friend. Let me just make this clear, he's not my best friend anymore.
Liam's eyes widened as he realised it was me, when he turned back and ran away into the darkness. What the actual fuck?
I turn around and see the girl on the floor, curled up into a little ball, crying. "Oh my god! Are you okay? Sorry that's a stupid question! I mean, are you hurt? Did he hurt you?"
There was no answer, just tiny whimpers.
I lift up her arms and try to pull her up from the cold and dirty ground. "Sorry, I'm N-"
"Noah, yeah I know" said a sweet voice. A voice I'd recognise anywhere.
"Richelle!!!?" I yelled/asked.
She looked up at me and nodded. The moonlight hit her face just right and she was glowing perfectly. I've always admired Richelle. Her passion for dance has always inspired me to keep going. She had red marks on her face that would bruise within hours and she was bleeding from her head. Her gorgeous blonde locks were, in some places, coated with red.
But she was still stunning.
"Why would Liam do this to you!?" I ask. I'm so angry, I'm so protective over Richelle. I guess you could say I've always had a little crush on her. And the fact that the person who did this was my 'best friend' doesn't make things better.
"He's been bothering and threatening me for weeks, tonight he acted on it" she said looking down.
I embraced her in a massive hug, careful not to hurt her, and she accepted it. She stared crying into my chest while I stroked her hair.
"Richelle, let's go to my house and get you cleaned up, we will have to sneak past my parents if you don't want them to know. I'm sure that they would help and call the police though".
"NO! You can't tell anyone! He'll hurt me! Please don't tell anyone"
"Richelle I won't let him h-"
"Can we just go to my place? It's empty right now"
"Anything, of course"
Hand in hand, we started walking to her place, which was round the corner. I wasn't letting Richelle go for even a second, I cannot believe what has happened tonight. I'm so glad I stayed at Daniel's till late. Otherwise... who knows what could of happened.
When we arrived at Richelle's house, it was midnight. We walked through the door and she let me go in first. I took my shoes off and turned around to see her doing the same. She leant back up and winced in pain. "Come on Richelle" I tried to move her closer to me but she almost fell to the ground. "Oh my god! Richelle!"
I screamed. She just looked up at me and gave me a weak smile to show that she was okay. How could she smile at a time like this? God she amazes me. I scoop her up in my arms and walk upstairs. I lay her down on her bed and start cleaning her head with some tissues I found on her dressing table.
"Richelle... can you tell me about Liam?" I asked gently.
She looked at me, she looked nervous; scared. "Liam, Liam said he was in love with me. I was flattered but incredibly shocked, I mean I never thought that he would fall for me. I had to turn him down as gently as I could for I was or AM in love with someone" she said looking down, twiddling her thumbs. "Then he... he started getting angry. But he didn't do anything. In fact, he didn't talk to me or even look at me for weeks. Then he started sending disturbing texts and notes saying that he was going to attack me and that he was going to kill me if I told anyone about his threats".
She sighed.
"But I thought it was just that; a threat. I didn't think he was genuinely serious. And yet, here we are" she said now staring into my eyes as I watched her intently.
"Richelle, I'm sorry i-i had no idea any of this would happen to you".
"Noah, nobody could see it"
"There you're all cleaned up, why don't you put some comfy clothes on and get some sleep?, I'll come over in the morning to check you're alright" I said.
"Okay... um Noah, could you please stay.... the night? I can't stop thinking that he's just watching outside my house, waiting for you to leave so he can finish what he started" said Richelle with tears welling up in her eyes. Her gorgeous green eyes.
"I'm so glad you said that because I wouldn't have stopped worrying" I said with a sincere smile on my face. She let out a small chuckle.
"Can we talk about something else?" She asked while making room for me on her bed.
I thought for a second for what we could talk about.
I smirked and looked at her.
"What?" She chuckled.
"Who are you in love with?" I said, not wiping the smirk off of my face.
She went as pale as a ghost and her eyes grew wide.
"Come on, you can tell me Richelle" I teased.
"You" she whispered.
"Really?" I asked shocked.
"So much" she replied.
"Richelle, have you ever wondered why I stare at you everyday at dance? How I get jealous every time Elliot or some other dude flirts with you? Have you ever wondered why I am so protective over you?"
She sat there in silence. Just staring at my face, a million thoughts whizzing around inside of her pretty little head.
"It's because I love you too".