"What are you doing here?" I marched over to Michael, he stood outside my high school leaning against his Ferrari. Either he was oblivious to the disapproving stares that he was receiving from every single person for miles around or he just didn't care.

"You've been ignoring my texts, look babe I said I was sorry. What more do you want?" I clutched my books tighter to my chest, using them as a theatrical shield. He obviously paid to get his teeth fixed because now his mouth looked perfectly normal.

"I'm not doing this Michael. You have no respect for me, we're over. Don't contact me again." I started walking away from him but he ran in front of me, blocking my path.

"How do you expect me to have respect for you when you go to this dump? Your mom waits tables at the shitty diner in town, basically a slave and don't even get me started on your house. I only treat you what you're worth." He looked down his nose at me and I tried to dodge out of his way but he blocked my path once more.

"Get out of the way I want to go home." I muttered pathetically. He grabbed my arm, making my books tumble to the floor. He pulled me towards his car and opened the door, trying to shove me inside while I loudly protested.

"Let go of her!" His tight grip loosened on my arm and Michaels body got pulled away from me. It all happened so fast, Noah and Michael fighting but Noah clearly had more experience because he was a boxer and Michael only knows how to fight with money and harsh words. It took five people just to break them up.

"You chose this douche bag over me you whore." Michael screamed at me as he got into the car and drove away hitting his foot down on the gas.

"Mr Scott, detention... now." The principal started walking towards the school and Noah turned away, ready to make a break for it. I grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Noah, what are you doing? This will go on your permanent record." I pointed out, I knew how much he needed his education to be squeaky clean. Ditching detention would most definitely compromise that.

This was the first time I had spoken to him in over a week and melancholy eyes pulled me in instantly.

"I have to pick her up, I can't leave her waiting." He admitted.

"I will pick her up." I offered. He looked towards the school building and then back at me, not wanting to commit to this decision.

"Noah!" the principal shouted.

"Okay. I'll call you as soon as I'm out." He said with reluctance. He didn't make any effort to walk away.

"I'll keep her safe." I reassured him. He nodded his head slowly and then turned back to the school, dragging his feet all the way to detention.

I made my way to Emily's school wondering what her reaction would be to me picking her up. I had no idea what Noah had told her. Surely he explained why I had not been around lately. I waited outside with the other parents, everyone much older than I was until the doors sprung open and children started piling out.

"Mia!" Emily shouted as she ran over to me and wrapped her arms around my body, giving me her best squeeze. She pulled back and her smile fell. "Where's noah? Did something happen to him? Did he die?" Her frantic little eyes searched mine.

"God no!" I shouted and she relaxed. "He just got held up at school. He will meet us later." I smiled at her, trying to calm her anxiety. It was the first time I could visually see that her parents death really affected her, mentally. Once she was confident Noah was okay she chatted my head off all the way back to my house all about her day at school.

"Mia?" Mom called as she heard my keys in the door. She greeted us in the hallway and glanced down at Emily with confusion. Emily swayed shyly from side to side, offering my mom the sweetest smile that reminded me so much of her brother. "Who is this?" My mom asked with a kind smile.

"Mom this is Emily, she's my friends sister and nobody could collect her from school today so I'm taking care of her." We walked further into the house and Emily's head moved in every direction as she took in her surroundings. I felt ridiculously self conscious which is stupid because how much could a kid judge?

"Your house is beautiful." She told me, holding onto my arm. My mom glanced at me and we both smiled at one another, knowing it was far from beautiful.

"Emily, you like cookies? I was just about to make some." My mom asked and Emily nodded her head frantically.

"Can I help?" She asked excitedly.

"We will all help." I said.

I would love to say we made the best cookies in the world but realistically we threw on the tunes and danced around the kitchen, singing into wooden spoons and metal whisks. We got covered in flour from head to toe and the final products ended up tasting a little burnt around the edges.

My phone rung and I wiped my floury hands on my jeans before I answered.

"Hey, is she okay? How is her anxiety?" Noah's worried voice asked. I left the room, watching Emily lick chocolatey spoons from the living room and I laughed to myself.

"Noah she's fine, your anxiety is a lot worse than hers." I informed him.

"I'm on my way now, where should I pick her up?" My eyes widened in horror and I looked around at my apartment. There's no way I could tell him to come here, I'm so ashamed and Michael said he wouldn't even allow a wild rat to live here.

"Mia? Where should I pick Emily up?" He repeated again, getting impatient.

"I brought her back to my house." I said quietly.

"Text me the address." He hung up the call and I had no choice but to text him my address.

"Emily, Noah will be here soon." I called into the kitchen. My moms eyebrows raised at the mention of a boys name. Emily heavily complained because she didn't want to leave. I made a mental plan to have Emily ready as soon as Noah got here so I didn't need to invite him inside but every time I tried to get her coat and shoes on she started playing with something else. My heart sank when there was a knock on the door and very slowly I opened it.

"Hi, thank you so much for having her." He said politely and I nodded a little taken aback by his nice tone. He awkwardly waited on my doorstep for an invite so reluctantly I stepped aside, chewing down on my lip shyly.

"Hey Em, you have fun? Get your stuff and let's go." Noah didn't cast his eyes around my house, he just smiled politely at my mom and fumbled with Emily's coat and shoes.

"I don't wanna go." Emily complained, she was cutting up paper to make a snowflake.

"Emily come on, we've troubled them enough." Noah's tone increased in authority.

"Hi Noah, is it? I'm Lynne, Mias mom. Emily is a delight. Would you like something to drink?" My mom smiled warmly and exchanged small talk with Noah as I stood back watching the whole strange encounter.

"I'm not going. I want to stay the night here with Mia." Emily told her brother. Noah clenched his jaw but remained calm.

"You have school tomorrow Em and I told you, Mia and her mom are busy." Noah knelt down to her level and spoke calmly to her.

"Mia please can I stay? Please Lynne?" Emily ignored her brother and came directly to us.

"I really don't mind as long as it's okay with your parents." My mom piped up. I cringed and so did Noah but Emily just looked sad.

"Uncle." He said quickly. "We live with our uncle." My mom muttered her apologies. "Emily, you're staying at Georgia's house tomorrow. If you don't come with me now you will be away from me for two nights."

"I don't care I'm staying." She put her foot down and Noah stood up, I could see in his face that he looked insecure about this whole thing but he walked towards the door and I followed him. Closing the door behind us so Emily and my mom couldn't hear.

"Where are you going to stay tonight?" I asked him.

He reached up and put his hand on my cheek, it felt cold because he had been outdoors but in a way it was beautifully refreshing.

"Don't worry about me, just take care of Emily. She's never slept out with anyone before, except her school friends but she was doing that long before our parents died. I don't know if she will get scared. I'll keep my phone on, call me anytime. Okay?"

"She's gonna be fine." I reassured him and he nodded, still appearing skeptical. I waited until he had fully walked off until I went back inside to look after the most precious thing in his life.