Bad Romance - 24. Chapter 20 - Part D

It took almost a week for the whole matter to settle down. In the meantime, the case was presented in the court. Lucinda had helped Noah get the best lawyer at her grandson’s request, while Holden had appointed Bonnie as his attorney.

Fortunately, after Noah’s attorney proved that this case fell under the Romeo and Juliet clause, the court immediately sided on his favour. The judge accepted it, since the age difference between the Luke and Noah wasn’t that much. Bonnie couldn’t defend that either. Also, Chris Skudder confirmed in front of the court, that Noah did resist Luke’s come-ons and even dated him for a long time.

The judge was quite satisfied by all the defensive points that were brought out in the open. Even the medical reports showed that there was no physical contact between them. Luke had smiled smugly at that. He had no reason to worry, because after they got together Noah had declared he wouldn’t go further than kissing or touching Luke. So that was a month without having sex, and he was damn sure it was kind of impossible for medical science to predict farther than that.

As the deliberation came closer, the court seemed to favour the defence, so Bonnie decided she had to do something. She brought the court’s attention to how wrong it was on Noah’s part to destroy a pure relationship between a teacher and a student. Although, he couldn’t control himself, he could have waited till Luke had at least turned eighteen, but he didn’t. She pointed out the fact that even though it was proved that there was no sexual intercourse, the pictures that were presented as evidence, showed that the duo shared some kind of intimacy and that this kind of intimacy with a minor was not acceptable in the eyes of the law.

The judge, after considering the points from both the sides, concluded that Noah Mayer was free from any charges under statutory rape. It was a mutual feeling between both Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer that brought them together in a relationship. However, Luke was still a minor, and Noah keeping any type of relationship with him, was illegal.

The court sentenced him to serve the community for a month away from Oakdale, so that there would be no chance for him to meet Luke, at least till he reaches the age of eighteen.

Holden cringed, definitely not liking that Noah was getting away with this so easily, but he was happy that he was being sent out of Oakdale. This meant his son was free from Noah’s clutches. On the other hand, Luke didn’t think so ... it broke his heart into million pieces to hear that he was forced to stay away from Noah like that. It didn’t go any easier with Noah either. Both the boys looked at each other in their melancholy moods, and tried to imprint the sight in their minds forever, silently wishing the time would just stop and neither of them had to leave each other.

@@@

Luke was pacing in the living room back and forth, feeling antsy. It was harder for him to stay away from Noah for longer than a day, and he had to find a way out of this.

Lily watched her son in worry while she sat on the couch. “Luke, will you stop pacing like that? It’s starting to give me a headache.”

“You know what’s giving me a headache?” Luke stopped and went to sit on the couch beside her. “It is dad and his freaking efforts to keep me away from my love ... why did he have to ruin it all by filing a case against Noah?”

Lily shifted to face her son. “He is just trying to make sure you are safe, honey.”

“I am safe with Noah. Don’t you fucking tell me that he is a danger to me!” Luke blurted out in anger.

“Luciano Eduardo Snyder, is that any language to use in front of your mom?” Lily sternly said.

“Mom, I am sorry. But please, try to understand ... I love Noah.” Luke said. “And he loves me as much as I do. I can assure you; he will never ever think of hurting me. He is a really great guy mom.” He was trying to make Lily see that whatever their opinion about Noah was, it was not at all right.

Lily pursed her lips, “That might be, but why don’t you just calm down for now?”

“You have no idea mom. Everyone has been on Noah’s case. And Dad? Why can’t he just let sleeping dogs lie?” Luke was driven up the wall by Holden’s actions.

“Luke!” Lily said sternly, “Did you bring dogs in here in our absence?”

Luke looked funny at her and slapped his forehead for bringing up an idiom. “It’s a phrase, mom! Geez, how can I forget you have problems understanding phrases?” He sarcastically said.

“It’s not that I don’t understand them; I just find them difficult to know when you are using them.” She shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Same difference!” Luke scowled.

Lily looked confused, “It is either the same or different, Luke.”

“God! Why am I even arguing with you, when I should be worrying about Noah?” He shouted and stood up to go to his room. He turned on his mom calling behind him to deaf ears, and shut himself in his room, so he could think straight.

For about half a minute, he stood in the middle of the room rubbing his chin, when an idea hit him. He started smiling suddenly and ran over to his closet.

@@@

Noah was sadly packing all his belongings while deep in thought. He was thinking about Luke. A constant worry kept bugging him without any reason, and he felt sadder than before. He was to leave Oakdale today as soon as possible. He didn’t know how he was going to survive without Luke now. Previously, he tried in all his power to keep Luke away from him, but now he can’t even imagine his life without Luke.

At that moment, his train of thought was abruptly halted by the interruption of the doorbell, and he wondered who it was. He guessed it might be his attorney that Luke’s grandmother had graciously appointed for him. He had thanked her when she had met up with him at Olde Town. She wanted to introduce him to her attorney, and Noah thought she was a woman with grace and power. She seemed to act a bit strange at first, but then she had warmed up over a cup of coffee they had shared.

He went to the door and opened it. It was an utter shock for him to see none other than Luke standing there. “Luke!” Noah said in horror.

“Hey Noah,” Luke voiced his excitement to see his love again. He wanted nothing but to jump into Noah’s arms and kiss him.

Noah looked outside, looking both ways, to make sure no one was spying on them, and pulled Luke inside immediately. “What are you doing here Luke?” he asked in concern.

“I ...”

Luke had started to answer, but Noah interrupted him when he noticed a stuffed backpack he was carrying on his shoulders. “What’s in that bag?”

“Oh, it’s just my clothes and some important stuff.” Luke said as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“And you have brought it all over here with you because...?” Noah looked confused.

“Well I thought we would need this wherever we are going.”

“Wait ... what?” Noah looked at Luke in amusement, “You gotta be kidding me! Don’t tell me you have left your parent’s house and are planning to escape with me?”

“I uh ... I have left my parent’s house and am planning to escape with you.” Luke repeated and scrunched his nose, waiting for an expected reaction from Noah.

And as Luke expected, Noah did go ballistic, “Luke are you crazy?! Isn’t it enough for you that we have been through hell for the past week, now you want to create more trouble for us?”

“Shh. Calm down! Nothing’s gonna happen. I have taken care of everything; we won’t get in any more trouble, I promise.” Luke assured, getting close to Noah. Instead of getting closer to Luke, Noah took a step back.

“Stay away from me.” Noah said holding up his hand to stop Luke.

Luke looked at him like he had lost it, “What?”

“I don’t want you anywhere near me.” Noah saw the hurt look on Luke’s face and he got teary eyed. “It hurts, you know. Getting what you wanted and then suddenly, you wake up to reality and realize it was just a dream.” He sniffed and tried to keep his emotions in check. “I don’t want to go through it all over again.” Noah turned and walked in his room.

Luke followed him desperately wanting to make him understand. “But Noah, who said you are going to lose me?” He said with a sad smile.

Noah turned when he reached his bed and frowned, “What do you think? If you turn your back on your parents and go with me, will they sit idle and do nothing?” As much as he wanted Luke with him wherever he went, he knew it wasn’t that easy to have that happiness. “No Luke! Now, when they find out that you are gone from the house, the first thing they will do is send the cops after me and get me arrested, because they pretty much have an idea now where you’d go.”

“I know all that.” Luke watched Noah getting back to packing his clothes, “And believe me; I have taken care of it all. You don’t have to worry.”

Noah kept his hands busy, pretending to avoid Luke. It offended the blonde and he angrily snatched the shirt from Noah’s hands. “Noah, I am talking to you. Answer me.”

“I have nothing to say to you, Luke. Just go home. Your parents might be worried about you.” Noah raised his voice, keeping his tone stern.

“You are doing it again.” Luke huffed in amusement and bit his lower lip as it began to tremble.

“I am doing what again?”

“You are pushing me away!” Luke yelled. “All the time I keep hinting to you that I want nothing but to be with you, and every time I try to, you are there to rain on my parade. Why Noah?” Tears began to form in Luke’s eyes as his heart began to cry out its sadness through words. “The first time when I kissed you, you left me feeling like shit, so much that I didn’t want to live. When Coach Skudder found out and he blackmailed you, you threw me out of your life. And now you are doing it again; shutting me out at the time when we both need each other.” He threw the shirt at Noah forcefully in anger and yelled, “What do you get after all?”

Noah had a sad look on his face. “I just ... I love you so much that it hurts.”

“What kind of love is this if we can’t face the hurdles together, Noah? As much as it hurts you to be away from me, it hurts me too. Why else do you think I am here?”

“I don’t know, Luke.” Noah still wasn’t sure what to do.

“Noah,” Luke swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, and controlled himself from breaking down. He had to stay strong and make Noah see that this was only right. “I might have silently suffered through my sorrow before, but not anymore. I want to be with you. Now, I leave it up to you. I have left my home and I am not going back again, that’s for sure.” He said with determination and Noah looked at this new Luke in a daze. Luke’s features softened staring into Noah’s deep blue eyes. “If you love me, take me. If you don’t ...” He left the sentence hanging, expecting Noah to answer quickly in his favour. But the brunette just stood there, not moving or uttering a word. Luke exhaled, “Fine, I guess that’s your answer.” He took one last look at the guy he had fallen in love with, and a tear rolled down his cheek. “Goodbye Noah.” He said and turned around to leave.

“Luke, wait!” He heard and ecstatically turned around with rising hopes. “I love you, dammit!” Noah said and opened his arms with a grin forming on his face, “Come here.”

And Luke dashed forward, throwing himself right into Noah’s embrace. “I love you too, Noah. I love you too.” He whispered and cried in his arms. He was happy today; extremely happy that he was finally going to get to be with the love of his life, with no one stopping them. Now, he looked forward to how his life with Noah was going to turn out to be.

Luke was already excited.

@@@

When Holden found out that Luke had ran away from the house, his rage rose up to a crazy level. After he read the note that Luke left, he was spitting anger. Lily’s crying and whining over her child leaving them like that, irritated him the most, and he yelled at her to shut up.

He quickly got ahold of his phone and called Margo. However, he was surprised when Margo guessed the reason why he had called before he could tell her. “How did you know?”

“Because Luke handed a letter to Casey to give to me” Margo said into the phone while still holding the letter and eyeing it.

Holden scowled, “Then what are you waiting for? Go look for him at Noah’s place; I am damn sure he went to meet that motherfucker.”

“I can’t.”

“Excuse me?” Holden asked wondering if he had heard wrong.

“I said I can’t do that Holden. Luke has mentioned in his letter that he is fed up with how controlling you are over him, and that’s why he is leaving the house. We can’t go search for him because he is really not missing.” She pointed out.

“Bullshit!” Holden angrily spat, “He is a kid, Margo. He doesn’t know what he is doing. You have to send your search squads to look for him.”

“Holden, just calm down, this matter is not in our hands. It’s all Luke’s decision. He decided to move out of that house to seek freedom. Who knows, Luke might feel homesick at one point and return home.”

“And what do you expect me to do in the meantime?”

“Just wait. Believe me Holden, that’s all you can do right now.” Margo sympathised with him.

“Damn it!” He banged the receiver down ending the call.

Lily quickly ran to his side, hoping for some good news. “What happened? What did Margo say? Please, Holden, find our son.” She sobbed, “I can’t live without him.”

“Stop it, Lily! He doesn’t care about us, so why do we care about him?” Holden spoke angrily. “Just forget about him; that’s what I am going to do.” He said and left to go back to his room, leaving Lily in a million tears. How can a mother ever forget about her son after all?

@@@

--- TBC --- (Chapter 20 is over here. Next update will be Chapter 21)

Your opinion counts, of course. So please review on how the story has been up until now!