Fragile Steps: Chapters 23-25
Previous Chapters
Fragile Steps Chapters 15 & 16
TRIGGER WARNING: This story includes scenes of cruelty, bullying, and ableism. If these themes are difficult for you, please prioritize your well-being and read with caution.
Chapter 23: Brianna
The traffic lights turned red, illuminating the sparse raindrops on the windows of Noah’s car.
“So what are you in the mood for tonight?” Noah asked, keeping his eyes on the road. “How about Daisy’s?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Going on a milkshake run had become a thing of theirs in the past few weeks, and they had a few favorite spots for them. There was The Filling Station, a gas station that sold the most outrageous desserts; Big Buddy’s, their milkshakes were legendary, but far too big for just one person to consume; and, Brianna’s personal favorite, Daisy’s Desserts, a cozy little café where everything was beautifully-presented — half the pictures on her phone were of the stuff she’d eaten there.
But right now, she wasn’t thinking about milkshakes. All she was thinking about was the overwhelming stench of smoke in Noah’s car.
It hit her as soon as she got in, almost burning the back of her throat. But Noah’s not a smoker. In fact, she could only think of one person she knew who smoked.
Keara. She smoked like a chimney. A cigarette had caused the fire at her apartment. The place must have been black with smoke, the type that sticks not just to your clothes, but to your lungs as well. The air in the car clung to her nostrils. It wasn’t just smoky — it was sour, like something had been burned too long.
Just then, Noah coughed, rasping and wheezing like he was about to die. “Excuse me,” he said. “Frog in my throat.”
The thought of a milkshake made her want to throw up.
Noah started the fire.
He did it.
You can’t trust him.
What a ridiculous thought. Noah doesn’t know Keara, where she lives, or what she looks like. But a smoker had been in this car recently, no doubt about it. Or at least someone who had been around smoke. Like whoever started the fire in Keara’s apartment.
She cast her mind back to the suspect Lieutenant O’Connell mentioned, and how the old woman had described him. Short. Slim build. Cropped hair. Dark baseball cap.
That could have been anyone, right? Noah owned a dark baseball cap — she’d seen him wear it, but so did half the town. And his hair was more wavy than cropped, thick around his neck and ears. He was slim, but could never be described as short. He barely fit under the door frame in her bedroom.
It couldn’t have been him — no way. She needed to stop letting her imagination run wild, playing tricks and spoiling the best thing that had happened to her in a year. He didn’t start the fire, just like he wasn’t the one who attacked Ryan.
Ryan’s face in the lunch room earlier. He’d been staring right at her, utterly terrified — but why?
“Are you okay?” Noah asked, glancing over. “You’ve gone quiet.”
“Yeah,” she said. She smiled, but it felt crooked. “I’m fine.”
Another sliver of suspicion crept up her spine.
***************
Daisy’s was empty. A solitary waitress scurried around, wiping down the tables and placing chairs on top of them. That, and her curt tone when serving them, told Brianna that she was probably about to close when they arrived.
She fidgeted with her straw. Back and forth, side to side, in and out. Then she counted the petals of the pink roses painted on the tabletop. Anything to avoid confronting Noah.
Noah sat with his chin resting on his clasped fingers, watching her not drink her milkshake. “What’s up? Not to your taste?”
“No, it’s not that.” In truth, it smelt delightful — a mixture of sweet vanilla and tangy citrus. On another day, she’d have already devoured it.
“Then what?” he asked, placing his hand over her. The familiarity of his warm touch… there was a safety to it, a secureness. It’s as if, no matter how shitty things get, as long as she’s with him, everything will be fine.
Brianna, you idiot. Had she really been about to confront him over an imaginary smell and a weird look? She’d been thinking about the fire all day, so of course the smell would be in her head. And Ryan hadn’t looked scared, he’d looked… sad. Yes, that was all it was. He’d looked sad because he was coming to terms with his football career potentially being over before it had started.
“There was a fire at Keara’s apartment last weekend,” she blurted out. “She was burned pretty badly, apparently.”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “You say that like it’s bad news.”
“It is, sort of.” She chewed her lip. “Keara’s an evil little bitch and we hate her, but the police think I’m involved somehow.”
“What?” He almost laughed at the absurdity of it. “Why the hell would they think that?”
“Principal Munroe, that’s why.”
She told him about Keara’s hair being burnt off. And then how Munroe and Lieutenant O’Connell had grilled her in Munroe’s office. Their injuries were similar, so she had to be involved, right? The things they’d said — bringing Brad into it, accusing her of being jealous of Keara. Just thinking of it made her want to knock over this cute little table they were sitting at.
Oh, and let’s not forget that half the school thinks she did it too, because they overheard her admitting she’d love if Keara died.
Brianna tried to blink her tears away, but it made them pour down her cheeks. Things had been going so well in school. She’d found her confidence again, started talking to people, trying to make new friends. Then that horrible bitch attacked her, and, in the space of a few days, she was back to being an outcast. Alone again.
Noah’s expression was dark, his eyes smoldering with rage. And there was that manic glint again, the same one he’d had that first time in the diner. What is he thinking?
Then, just like that, it’s gone. He smiled softly, taking her hand again. “I’m sorry, Brianna. You don’t deserve any of this. But it’s all gonna blow over eventually. You’re innocent, you have nothing to hide.”
“Thank you.” Her voice sounded pathetic, like a helpless little mouse. She hated that.
He slid his chair closer to her. His face was inches from her, so close she could smell him. And he didn’t smell like smoke. He smells like heaven.
His beautiful lips glistened as he leaned in even closer. “And you’re not alone in this. You have me. And I’m not going anywhere.”
She froze as he placed his hand under her chin.
Then he kissed her.
Chapter 24: Noah
What a beautiful evening it was.
The air had that familiar sharpness — the kind you only felt at the shore. Noah zipped up his jacket, curled his toes into the sand, and counted the stars scattered across the night sky. He let the waves crashing against the rocks lull him, the slow splash of the tide creeping in, a ray of moonlight pouring through a crack in the pier above.
Yes, it really was beautiful. And even more so with a new friend to enjoy it with.
Principal Mike Munroe woke up with a gasp. “Where am I? Help — somebody, help me!”
His feet splashed at the edge of the water as he thrashed around, trying in vain to escape the wooden post under the pier, before quickly exhausting himself. The sack over his head sagged and swayed with the breeze.
He was already shivering pretty badly, which was no surprise. Aside from a few generous layers of fat, the only thing protecting his body from the elements was a large pair of moth-eaten underwear.
Time to have some fun.
“Hey, mister — are you okay?” He removed the sack from Munroe’s head, but stayed behind him, out of sight. The trickling blood from the back of his head had congealed around the base of his neck. If he had to guess (which he didn’t), he’d say someone hit him with a baseball bat, a rock, or perhaps a tire iron. “How’d you end up here?”
The panic in Munroe’s shivering voice made him smirk. “Oh, I don’t know, I don’t know. Please, you have to help me — I’m so cold!”
“Of course I’ll help you! Just give me a minute and we’ll get you untied.”
“Oh thank you,” he cried, weeping like the pathetic excuse for a man he was. “Thank god for you.”
Noah fumbled with the rope around his wrists. “Wow, these knots are really tight. What kind of monster would do such a thing?”
“Oh, I’ve no idea.”
“Maybe it was one of your students.”
Another wave crashed against the rocks, the sound almost as loud as the cogs turning in Munroe’s head. “W-what?”
Noah stroked Munroe’s shoulder, savoring every goosebump. Then he leaned in close to his ear, catching a whiff of sea salt and body odor. “Come on. They can’t all love you, can they, Mike?”
“Who are you?” he demanded. “I recognize that voice.”
“Oh, we’ve never met. But I know all about you, Principal Munroe.”
Munroe strained against the ropes again. “How do you know me? Why don’t you show yourself, coward?”
Noah gave him a patronizing pat on the back. “Yes, good ole’ Principal Munroe. So popular with the athletes. And you just love them, don’t you? Not so much the rest, huh?”
Munroe gasped at Noah’s accusation. “No. No, I don’t have favorites. I care for all my students equally.”
Lying son of a bitch. He grunted as Noah tugged on the rope around his chest. “Is that so? How about if one of them was being bullied — would you help them?”
“Y-yes. Yes, of course I would. Please, just let me go!”
Noah sighed. “Okay, fine — I’ll help you. In fact, I’m going help you in the same way you helped one of your students when she needed you most.”
“What? Which student?”
Noah tore off a big strip of duct tape and wrapped it around Munroe’s mouth. Then he leaned in close again, venom in his whisper. “Brianna Harvey.”
Munroe thrashed like a madman, hyperventilating between muffled shouts from behind the duct tape.
At last, Noah walked round and faced him. “She was desperate for help. All the shit she’s been through in the past year, and you never lifted a finger. And just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, you go whispering to your buddy, Frank, and make her look like a fucking criminal. He’ll get what’s coming. And soon.”
Munroe’s eyes bulged in terror as he writhed around, kicking and gasping for air, while trying to make as much noise as possible (which wasn’t all that much, really).
Grabbing his face, Noah forced him to look his way. “Well, now you’re the desperate one. In a few short hours, the tide will consume you. If I were you, I’d start praying to be saved by a bum, or an early-morning dog walker. Tick tock, Mike.”
His muffled screams faded as Noah placed the sack over his head again. By the time Noah walked away, he’d stopped struggling. In fact, he’d stopped moving altogether.
That’s three, he thought.
Chapter 25: Noah
Brianna opened her front door to Noah, wearing a smile as cheerful as this sunny day. The same went for her outfit — slim fitting, bright pastels and floral patterns. She’d ditched her hat as well, wearing her baldness with pride. It was hard to believe this was the same frightened, miserable girl he’d met in the lab just a few short weeks ago. And it’s all thanks to me.
Her freckled cheeks blushed as she looked up at him. “Hi,” she said with half a giggle. “Come on in.”
She beamed as he entered and handed her the bouquet of flowers he’d been hiding behind his back. “Aw, flowers! How sweet, thank you.”
That smile of hers, it was even brighter now as she buried her face in the flowers. “They smell amazing.”
She looked at Noah like he was her favorite thing in the world, and he couldn’t help but smile in return. His insides fluttered in a way he’d never felt before — what could that mean?
“Would you like some coffee?” Brianna asked.
“That’d be nice,” said Noah. “But first…”
With both hands on her cheeks, he leaned in and kissed her. It was the kiss that last night’s should have been — longer, fuller, more certain. She was clearly out of practice; she leaned the wrong way, and didn’t open her mouth all that much at first. She’d find her rhythm soon enough.
She sighed as they pulled apart, sounding all weak and breathless. “Oh.” was all she managed to say. Bless her.
“I’ll get the coffee,” he said.
Brianna’s kitchen was as familiar to him as his own. He started making the coffee, instinctively opening the cupboard where the mugs were kept, and the cutlery drawer for the spoons, while Brianna flicked on the small TV in the corner.
“So,” he said, the coffee machine whirring and buzzing. “How are you feeling about everything today?”
Brianna squinted at whatever was on TV. “Yeah… yeah okay, I guess.”
Poor thing, he thought. She was clearly trying to put on a brave face. In spite of how happy she seemed, her mind was probably still racing with thoughts of the fire, and what else the police might do to make her life difficult. “Try not to worry so much,” he said, adding hot milk and a sweetener to her coffee, just how she liked it. “Remember, you’ve done nothing wrong. The police have zero evidence that you were involved in the fire, so how could they tie it to you? And your injuries being similar to Keara’s — that’s just an unfortunate coincidence. Trust me, this will all blow over soon, and they’ll find whoever they’re looking—”
“Oh my god!” Brianna shouted, cranking up the volume on the TV:
Noah turned, eyes widening as he saw the headline across the bottom of the screen, thick black letters against a yellow background:
BREAKING: SCHOOL PRINCIPAL FOUND DEAD ON BEACH
A solemn news reporter stood at the beach, facing the camera and clutching her microphone. “Fifty-five year-old Michael Munroe, a respected principal at Westvale High School, was reported missing yesterday evening. Police are treating Mr. Munroe’s death as suspicious, and urge anyone with information to come forward, as they work to try and piece together the details of how this tragic event occurred.”
Brianna shot a glance at him, and he opened his mouth wide, feigning shock, while admiring his own handiwork on TV. Everyone on that beach — reporters, photographers, distraught family members, police officers and forensics — they were all there because of him. How fascinating.
“Wow,” he said — he had to say something, and that was all he could think of. “That’s your principal, right? The guy you hate? Or, hated, I should say.”
Brianna nodded, her eyes fixed on the TV again. “Yeah, I hated him, alright, but… I can’t believe he’s dead. And they’re treating it as suspicious too. Jesus.”
Change the subject, he thought. The more time they spent discussing Munroe, the more chance he’d say something… incriminating. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound good. So, anyway, I thought we could do a little more rehab for you today. We’ve been slacking a bit lately, and—”
“I’d hate to find a dead body.” Brianna said, blowing out a big sigh.
Is she ever going to shut up about this? He gave her coffee a quick stir, then opened the cookie jar. “One cookie, or two?”
“I mean, how must that person be feeling right now — the one who found him? Such a shock.”
“Yeah, finding a body all tied up like that — just horrific. I wouldn’t wanna be them right now. Anyway, here’s your coffee — drink it while it’s hot.”
Noah held out Brianna’s coffee, but she didn’t take it.
She was no longer staring at the TV.
Now she was staring at him, her face full of horror, like he was Munroe’s ghost.
Noah frowned at her. “What is it?”
Her mouth opened and closed, the words creeping out like she was too afraid to say them. “How do you know he was tied up?”
The mug slid from Noah’s grip, coffee splashing as it shattered against the floor.
Shit.
Author’s Note:
The cat is out of the bag!
But let’s back up a bit. First, we see Brianna growing more and more suspicious of Noah — the smoke fumes, the black baseball cap. But once again, her desire for a normal life, and to not ruin the good thing she has with him, makes her push those suspicions aside.
Then we had Noah taking a little nighttime trip to the beach! I know I’ve said it before, but I just LOVED writing his chapters. I’m a huge fan of Dexter (both the books and the show), and that definitely inspired me when writing Noah.
And finally — the slip-up. He casually mentions that Munroe was tied up… even though the news reporter hadn’t said that. We’ve seen this kind of reveal plenty of times in books, films, and shows, but I had a very specific reason for using it, which will become clearer later in the story. Also, his simple reaction — “shit” — made me laugh to myself.
Next week, Brianna confronts him and learns the whole gory truth of what he’s been up to! Paid subscribers get it four days early, as you know...
What was your favourite line or moment in this part? Don’t leave me hanging — I’m nosey and I need to know.
Oh, and if you like this story, here’s another I wrote which I felt never really got the love it deserved. My first attempt at dark comedy, but not my last:
Model Boss
Grace ran her fingers through her brittle hair, wincing as another handful of broken strands fell into her palm. She rubbed her hands together and let them drift to the floor, forcing a smile and hoping that no one noticed. Her cheeks burned with a sudden flush; was it hot in this meeting room, or was it just the overwhelming sense of dread?
It's hard to choose just one favourite line or moment, the whole thing just comes together so nicely. I'm here saying to Noah 'dude, be careful!' Surely with forensics and all he's bound to get caught? And surely people are going to put 2 and 2 together and see Brianna with Noah and figure it's him, right? I have a terrible tendency to overanalyse these things, but I love this story, and the author's notes at the end are a cool bonus.