Chapter 9

Elena’s father logged onto his sleek, black laptop and immediately click on the Google Chrome icon. He typed “NOEL TOBAIS” into the search bar and clicked on the first link that appeared on his screen. The page opened to Noel’s facebook page. As Mr.Adams scrolled down the page he failed to find anything out of the ordinary. He went back to google search bar and typed in his name once more. Other than the facebook page, all the other results contained a “NOLAN TOBAIS” in the results. He clicked on one of them and began to read the news article.



HAVEN POINT TEENAGER GOES MISSING
Nolan Tobais, seventeen, was last to see Alaska Hale before her disappearance on Monday, June 8th. According to sources, Hale was picked up from her residence late Monday night in a dark coloured vehicle. Investigations are still under way. If any information, please contact: 908 679 8479.

After skimming through the first three articles, Elena’s father sat back in his chair and cracked his knuckles slowly. Although he had known Noel had some secrets, he didn’t expect them to be anything like this. He stared at the laptop screen for a while before shutting the lid and heading upstairs.

~

Noel knocked on his girlfriend’s bedroom window and saw her jump slightly at the sound of his knock. Her eyes immediately lit up as she ceased what she was doing and opened the window to allow Noel inside. He sat on her bed, waiting patiently as she collected the stray papers strewn across her desk into a tidy pile. Noel appeared in front of her as she turned around. He embraced her, picking her up from her feet. Alaska brought her face closer to his, teasing him slightly. A smirked danced on her lips as she kissed his cheek followed by his nose– her nude lipstick leaving light traces on his skin. Noel ran his fingers through her wavy hair before placing her on her feet gently. He held her face as he looked into her eyes- a multitude of colours that reminded him of a supernova explosion. He closed the distance between their two faces as he kissed her lips passionately.



Alaska pulled back slightly. “I love you, Nolan,” she confessed before kissing him once more and slipping the tip of her tongue through his parted lips.

“I’m in love with you, Alaska,” Noel breathed in between kisses as he allowed himself to be consumed within the vastness of Alaska.

Noel woke up abruptly to find himself lying on his own, ordinary bed. He looked up at his ceiling and sighed- his senses still heightened from his realistic dream. As the dream replayed in his head, Noel felt a sharp pain in his chest. He clutched at his shirt with stricken eyes as his throat began to close in on itself. He clumsily ripped his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor. Noel heaved as the pain began to subside. He placed a hand over his heart checking to make sure that it was intact. If this is what heartache felt like, he wished Alaska was dead already.

To Noel’s dismay, the screen of his phone lit up to display a new picture message from Sutton. Noel’s stomach churned as the phone loaded the picture- pixel by pixel. Noel stared at the photo in embarrassment – this one being even more damaging than the first. Not only was he having reoccurring lucid dreams of his missing ex-girlfriend but his other ex-girlfriend was making his life a living hell. Noel drove his hands into the temples of his head numerous times in frustration. Serena stood outside of Noel’s door with her hand pressed against his door. She hated when her brother became like this. Not knowing what to do, she pressed her forehead against his door and just listened.

Hours later Noel emerged from his bedroom with dark circles under his eyes.

“Going somewhere?” Serena piped, as Noel grabbed the car keys from the kitchen counter.

“Elena’s,” Noel replied, looking at Serena with cold eyes.

“Noel…” Serena started.

“Serena, don’t. The last person I would talk to is you,” Noel blurted.

Serena looked taken aback but allowed her brother to walk out of the house and to the car.

~

Noel strolled to Elena’s front door and rang the doorbell. The door opened immediately to reveal Elena. In preparation for tonight’s dinner, she was outfitted in a sea foam blue cashmere sweater matched with a black pleated skirt.

“Were you waiting at the door?” Noel asked bluntly.

Elena blushed slightly, “I couldn’t wait.”

Elena ushered him towards the dinner table. Noel took the seat across from Elena's father and couldn’t help but feel his steel blue eyes on him.



“So Noel, Elena tells me that you’re interested in art,” her father began with fake interest.

“Yes, sir,” Noel replied politely.

“Are you planning on pursuing that in post-secondary school?” He questioned, peering at Noel curiously.

“I haven’t decided.”

“Haven’t decided if you’re going to post-secondary school or if you’re pursuing art in post-secondary school?” Her father asked slyly.



Noel coughed, “Uh, neither I suppose.”

“Dad, could you stop with the questions?” Elena interrupted.

“I’m just trying to get to know Nolan,” her father replied innocently.

Noel froze. His eyes were locked on the small green peas and mashed potatoes with bits of bacon on his plate.

How did he know?

“Do you prefer Noel or Nolan?” Her father asked, a hint of knowingness in his voice.

Noel finally looked up, facing Elena’s father.

“It’s Noel,’ He replied harshly.

Zach dropped his fork in surprise.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Mr.Adams said, standing up to his full height of 6’2.

Noel excused himself from the table and headed towards the door. Before exiting the house, he turned back to give Elena a slight smile. Once the front door closed behind them, Mr.Adam’s grabbed Noel roughly by the arm.

“I may not know what you did, but I know you’re a bad influence on my daughter.” He whispered harshly.

“You don’t know half the story.” Noel replied through his teeth, trying to keep his breathing even.

“You’re a suspect in a possible murder investigation, don’t try and play the victim!” Elena’s father roared. “I expect you to end things with my daughter immediately. If I ever catch you around here again, I swear to god…” He trailed off, shaking Noel violently.



“I get it.” Noel spit out as he pushed himself out of Mr.Adam’s death grip. Noel retreated to his sleek, black car and started the engine immediately. As he drove off, Noel looked back to find Elena’s father standing firmly at the front door like a guard dog waiting to kill. As Noel drove, his vision began to cloud over. Images of Alaska’s silky brown hair and playful smile danced around his head as if on a loop. Noel grabbed at his head roughly and shut his eyes.

Why was this happening to him?

As he opened his eyes, Alaska seemed to materialize out of thin air. She stood in the middle of the road – motionless. Noel shook his head quickly but she wouldn’t disappear.



To avoid hitting her, Noel swerved quickly to the left. The Lamborghini crashed violently into a light post as he lost control of the car. Noel hit his head against the air bag that exploded in front of him. Bleeding from the head injury, Noel lay unconsciously across the steering wheel.

~

Noel awoke to find himself lying on a hospital bed. Although he was still drowsy from the sedative he tried to sit up. Noel looked down in shock as he realized that his wrists were strapped down to the bed. He thrashed violently before giving up and sighing.

“You’re awake,” came a voice from across the room.

Noel glanced over to the location of the voice. Alaska emerged from the darkness and caressed Noel’s face with a cold hand.

“This isn’t real. T-this isn’t happening.” Noel stuttered, the colour gone from his face.



“Nolan, I miss you…”

“Stop. Get away from me. You're DEAD” Noel yelled, scratching at the wrists straps in an attempt to escape.

A voice emerged from Noel’s subconscious, “Wake up. Noel, you have to wake up right now.”

Noel heaved, gulping in breaths of air as he regained consciousness.

Serena was standing above his bed with a stricken expression on her face. Noel touched his unbound wrists and felt a warm, viscous liquid. He gazed at his bloodied arms in shock.

“Noel…what's happening to you?” Serena whispered as a pool of tears began to form in her eyes.



“I-I was…” Noel tried but couldn’t find the right words, “Did you see h-her?”

“See who?” Serena asked, turning her head slightly to look around the room.

“No one.” Noel muttered, knowing that he would seem even more unstable if he mentioned her name.

“Elena’s here to see you but they’re only allowing relatives in right now.”

“Good. She’s not seeing me like this.” Noel stated, looking at his wrists once more.

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t come in,” Serena said giving her brother a tight smile, “Get some rest?”

Noel nodded slowly and watched his sister walk out of the dark room. Just as he closed his eyes, his ears tuned in to a conversation right outside the door.

“I'm going to need to go in and talk to him.” A stern voice demanded.

“Well, good luck getting answers out of him. He’s sleeping,” replied his sister’s voice.

“Oh that’s fine, I'm told I'm very patient.” The familiar voice replied, “Hey, why don’t you go get yourself a coffee, you look tired.”

Noel imagined an exchange of a few dollars between Serena and the unknown man. As his sister walked away, the click clack of his sister’s heels became inaudible.

The door to Noel’s room creaked open immediately. A man dressed in a neat suit came into view.

“Remember me?” Asked the man.



Noel met the his eyes, “Detective Lahey, was it?”

“That’s right. I just have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Do you think I'm an idiot?” Noel scoffed as his head throbbed in pain.

“Nolan, they are just a few routine questions,” Detective Lahey replied, leaning against the wall.

“How about making yourself useful and calling the nurse for me?” Noel asked, ignoring the detective’s last statement.

“In all honesty, Nolan, if you were to cooperate we might actually have a shot at bringing her home,” urged the detective.

There was a quiet knock at the door before Noel’s nurse peaked her head into the room.

“It’s time for his next sedative,” she replied, walking past the detective and injecting a syringe into the plastic tube connected to Noel’s hand.

Detective Lahey sighed before backing away.

“Just contact me if you think of anything. You know she’s still out there.”

Were the last words Noel heard before he went under once again.