Over the Years

Setting the scene
Noah was normal. He lived with his Mom and dad, Walter and Caroline Daze, and a brother, Jackson, and a sister, Kate. He went to school, and he had a best friend. His best friend was Juliet Marlow.
The Marlow family moved into the neighborhood when Noah was just born. Juliet was just born at the time also. Three days apart, Noah was older. They live in a small neighborhood.
Juliet’s father, William Marlow, was head of head of a company. Noah wasn’t really sure what the company was, but whatever it was it made enough money to buy a nice house. Juliet and her father were really close. It was hard for her to keep as close as a friendship that Noah and she had. He didn’t care too much for Noah, but she managed. Noah’s family was a bit different though. Walter didn’t really care too much for William. He always said he was no good.
Walter had definite expectations for his kids. He expected for them to go into law enforcement like him. Jackson, the oldest, he was especially proud of. Jackson was the good kid. Did what he was told when he was told, never complained about being dragged to church every Sunday morning. He always got good grades, studied hard. He played football in summer, basketball in the winter, and he ran track in the spring time. Kate, the middle child, kind of just went with the flow. She was never noticed, she never was never asked or went to the school Prom, but she was bright though. She wrote for the school newspaper in high school and got straight A’s. She wanted to go into writing instead of law enforcement.
But Noah didn’t exactly make Walter proud. Noah wasn’t dumb, or slow, but he got bad grades. Noah always questioned things, and Walter would never have an answer to any of his questions. He easily noticed things. Like how people act, and speak. He used those skills to help him blend in. He was a great lair, and talker. He lied and reasoned to get out of trouble. Unlike most people he knew, Noah always thought things through when lying. His father knew he was lying when he did, but he couldn’t prove it. Noah picked up skills that his father thought that only criminals would know. Noah didn’t have the greatest selection of friends. While hanging around with them, he learned to pick locks and hi jack cars. His father discovered he knew the skills one day when Noah was locked out of the house and was picking when he came home from work.
One day some jocks were being what Noah would call disrespectful to Juliet. He didn’t care for it to much. He ended up canned in a trash bin with a black eye, a broken nose, and cracked ribs. His father then had enough of Noah’s bad behaviors and decided it would be best for him to go live with his uncle, John Daze, in Texas. Noah, who spent all his life growing up in a small town in Michigan, hated the idea, but there was nothing he could do. He was going to Texas.
Six years ago
Noah was at a pond near the middle of the woods behind his house, skipping rocks. The pond had always been his safe spot. The spot he went to when he was angry, sad, or when he just needed to get away. Juliet approached him.
“Noah?” She asked uncertain.
“Yeah?” Noah turned around.
“Is anything wrong?”
“Nope, I’m good.” Noah skipped another rock, and started to walk farther in the woods. Juliet followed.
“Noah, tell me what’s wrong. I’ve known you long enough to tell that you’re lying.” She started jogging to catch up with him. They hopped over a log.
“Nothing’s wrong, Jewels.”
“Noah-“She let out a small scream, for she had slipped on a wet leaf and started to slide down a hill. Noah caught her arm and brought her back up. He looked at her and smiled.
“Noah?”
“Yes?”
“What’s wrong?” She asked. Noah let out a sigh. He began to walk.
“My father hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you.”
“Then why is he sending me away?” His voice was raised enough to even frighten Juliet.
“I...I don’t-“ She could bring herself to speak, and tears were starting to form in her eyes. Finally she brought herself to speak. “Why?”
“Why do you think?” There was a silence. She looked at him, but he couldn’t bring himself to look back at her.
“Where are you going?” Juliet asked
“I’m going to Texas, to live with my Uncle.”
“That’s far away,”
“I know.”
“We won’t be able to see each other,”
“I know.” He began. “It’s not like it’s my choice though, so there’s nothing I can really do about this. Is there?” Caroline began to cry and he held her in his arms, trying to comfort her.
“I don’t want you to leave.
Noah and Caroline were walking into Noah’s back yard. There was a tree in his yard that they used to climb to their bedroom windows. They used it to sneak out at night to see each other. Walter was supposed to build a tree house for him, but he only out on the base for it. He said that he was too busy to finish it. They were sitting on the wooden base watching the sun sink down past the trees. He was holding her in his arms, with her head pressed against his chest. She looked up and smiled. He smiled back.
“You better come back, and not leave me here on my own.” She said sounding serious.
“I will, don’t worry.” The sun finally disappeared to light up the other side of the earth. Caroline started to get up.
“Where are you going?” Noah asked, following her up.
“Home. I’ll miss you, Noah.” She gave him a long hug and a kiss on the cheek. He could feel tears running down her face. She let go. “Goodbye.” She started to walk away.
“Bye.” He held back his tears. It was a sad moment for him. This was the last time he was going to see his closest friend.
Present Day
Noah pulls up the drive way of the house that he was kicked out of six years in the past. He parked his motorcycle. He ran out of the ice cold rain to the door. It wasn’t very likely he would receive a warm welcome at five in the morning, but he rang the doorbell. He was expecting for the doorbell to make his families golden retriever to bark, but it never did.
He saw a light come on in the house. He also heard talking. He figured it was his mom, but the second person wasn’t his dad. It was a female voice. The door swung open. Stood there was Caroline, his mother. She looked shocked.
“Noah?” Noah could tell that she didn’t know what to say.
“Hey mom.” He wasn’t sure what to say either. It’s been so long and he planned out what he wanted to say on the way there, but he was speechless. Stood before him was the person that just stood by and watched as he was forced out of the house. She didn’t try talking Walter out of it.
“What are you doing here?” She asked, while Kate appeared in the door way.
“Hey, Noah.” She said shyly.
“Kate!” Caroline stepped aside as he stepped in the doorway. He gave Kate a hug and lifted her off the ground. She laughed. Their mother hushed them.
“Quiet, your dad is still in bed.” She whispered. “What are you doing here, Noah?”
“Just a friendly little visit.”
Caroline smiled.
“Sure it is. Come, let’s talk in the kitchen.” They started walking to the kitchen. Noah was looking at the house.
“Everything is the same is how I left it.” He looked at Kate and Caroline. They were smiling at his comment. “Home, sweet home.”
They made their way to the kitchen. Noah still couldn’t find the dog. The girls seem use to him not jumping on a visitor and trying to lick their face. Though Noah didn’t care to much for the drool or smell of the dog, but that dog had been his friend since the day he found him in a box on the side of the road.
“Where’s Billups?” Noah asked as he sat down. The smiles on his mother’s face faded, same as Kate’s. Noah knew what that meant. He didn’t bother to say anymore. He looked down at the floor. The floor had been changed since he was last there. It used to be a wooden floor. Now it was tiled.
“I’m sorry hun,” Caroline began. “He got sick and passed away right after you left. The Vet said they couldn’t figure out what’s wrong with him.” Noah sighed.
“Way to start a visit.”
“Noah, you never did tell us why you’re here.” Kate pointed out. Noah looked at them both.
“I came to visit.” He responded. Kate and Caroline looked at each, had a short hushed conversation he couldn’t understand, and looked back at him with a weird smile on their face that made him feel a little uncomfortable. There was a moment of silence. Noah looked at them uneasily.
“If you’re going to say something, say it!” He yelled. “Stop staring! I mean it! You’re freaking me out!”
“Juliet Marlow.” They both said simultaneously. Noah just starred at the them with his mouth open.
“Great.” Noah got up from the table and went to the coffee maker. “Now, you’re talking at the same time. You girls must have had some serious mother daughter bonding time since I was gone.” Noah put in the stuff to make coffee.
“Since when did you like coffee?” Caroline asked.
“I don’t.” Noah said, looking confused. “I don’t even know how to make it.” Caroline got up and took over making the coffee.
“Let me do it.”
Noah stepped back.
“Thanks mom.
“So are we right, Noah?” Kate asked. Before Noah could answer, Caroline spoke for him.
“Of course we are. Those two were always together as kids, and now he happens to be back at the same time she comes home? It has to mean something.”
“Awww, like a love story.” Kate teased.
“Funny,” Noah said sarcastically. “Where’d she go? How long has she been back?”
“Whoa! Slow down there Romeo.” Caroline said. She and Kate smiled. “She went to DC, she had an interview there. She just got back a couple days ago.” Noah sat back down. “You should go visit her tomorrow.”
“And tell her that you love her.” Kate teased again. “I could use this for my book.”
“I’ll go visit her, but I actually came to talk to dad.” He yawned. “But what’s this about a book Kate?”
“Tell you more later, but now you’re going to bed.”
“Mom, I’m twenty, almost twenty-one. You can’t tell me-“
“What to do? I think I can, if you’re sleeping here tonight.”
“Then I’ll go find a hotel.” Noah got up and started walking. ‘
“Get back here!” Caroline yelled. “You’re grounded!” Kate laughed as did Noah.

Fourteen Years Ago
Walter was in the Kitchen talking to John Daze. Noah and Jackson ran through the house playing tag. John stepped out of the way.
“Whoa! Be careful there.”
“Noah, I told you no running in the house!” Walter yelled. John stared at him in disbelief.
“Kinda harsh on him, aren’t you? Jackson was running to. You can’t yell at one boy and not the other.” Walter took a drink. Caroline came in the kitchen.
“How much did they pick?” Walter asked Caroline.
“Well, Jackson picked thirty-two, and Noah picked seventeen.”
“Seventeen? I told him to fill up the basket!”
“He did, he just picked the biggest ones.”
“That way he would have to do less work.” John laughed. “Smart boy.”
“Reminds me to much of you.” Walter replied. They both laughed. Walter took another drink and sighed. “Yeah, he is smart, I’ll give him that.”
Present Day
Walter shot out straight up in bed, panting heavily. He looked around and felt his face, slowly realizing that his nightmare wasn’t real. He wiped the sweat from his forehead off with his hand. He slowly laid back down, and looked over to his wife who woke from his panting.
“Another nightmare?” She asked.
He answered with silence.
“Same one?”
Again, he was silent. She gave up on trying to reach him and went back to sleep. Walter stared at the clock on his night stand. Four forty five. He had to get up to go patrol the town in an hour and fifteen minutes. He got up, stretched, and began his daily routine.
Noah was going through his old stuff in his room. Shuffling papers from school, and he looked in old hiding places. Under his bed was a piece a piece of carpet, but not connected to the rest of the carpet. He lifted the piece of carpet up and picked up what was underneath. It was a bunch of old pictures of him. His favorite ones.
The was ones from their family vacation, when they went to the zoo. There was another from when they went to New York while they were eating ice cream, standing outside of the ice cream shop. Kate was with Caroline, and Jackson was on Walters shoulders. Everyone was smiling, except Noah. He was pretty far away from them. He was looking away, and squinting due to the sun in his eyes.
There were a lot of pictures of him and Juliet. Them as little kids playing on the swing connected to the big tree in Noah’s back yard. He relived the memories as he looked through the pictures. That night he went swimming in Lake Michigan, went to the zoo, and a barbeque that Mr. Johnson had thrown the day before his wife died. The whole neighborhood came.
He sat there reliving those moments. He was so caught up his memories, that he spent the rest of the night dwelling in them.
Noah came down stairs just in time to see Walter leave. Walter had just opened up the door when Noah called him.
“Dad, Wait!”
Walter stopped. The voice of Noah was a surprise to him. He hasn’t heard his voice in six years. He turned around slowly. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost. He looked at Noah, who was wearing his old pajama pants that was about three sizes too small, and no shirt.
Walter remembered this young, trouble making boy. But before him now was a man. A man. Walter was speechless. He just stood there trying to find his words.
“Noah, wh-what are you doing here?” Walter was forcing words out.
“I wanted to talk.”
“Now? Why aren’t you in Texas? That’s where you should be.” Walter’s voice was getting louder. “I sent you there for a reason, and I wanted you to stay there. Does John know you’re here?”

“Yes, dad. He does,” Noah’s voice started to get higher than Walter’s, making him feel challenged. “And yes, now. Dad, I came to talk to you and make things right, and all you do is question me. I am no longer that kid. You haven’t even given me a chance to prove it. You just start accusing me of stuff. Must be a force of habit, huh?” Walter was speechless. He was backed against a corner. “You know what I think, Walter? I think you’re haunted by the fact that you kicked a fourteen year old boy out of his house, separating him from his family and all his friends. How can you sleep at night knowing you did what you did? Or don’t you sleep at night?”
Walter didn’t know what to say. He was embarrassed. He wasn’t use to being questioned like that, so he just looked around, looked at the floor and left in a hurry. Noah rubbed his face.
“Great. I came to repair our relationship, but I ended up trashing it even more.”

Six Years Ago
Noah stepped out of his uncle’s pick-up truck on to the dusty dirt road. They were about a quarter mile from John’s house.
“Why couldn’t we have parked closer?” Noah asked, already sweating from the hot Texas sun.
“I like the exercise.” John smiled as he got out of the car. He looked at Noah. He could tell by the look on Noah’s face that this was going to be fun. “Alright, let’s get going. Get your junk out of the trunk and jog up to the house with me.”
“Jog? Are you crazy? It’s like ninety degrees outside. That and I have all my stuff.”
“You want to run instead?”
Noah sighed and they did what he was told to do. Every night there he would go to bed at seven and get up the next morning at five.
John normally didn’t get up at five every morning, but he thought it was a great way for Noah to build character, and teach him what it’s like to work hard. He had him do simple, yet time consuming jobs on the farm. Noah would always find a way of doing the chores in a short time. John knew he was smart, so John had to be smarter, which proved to be a challenge at times.
Every night while lying in bed, Noah would think of Juliet and his friends at home that he had been forced to be left behind. He blamed his father for it. He learned to hate his father. John could sense it.
While in Texas, after about a week, Noah made friends: Robby, and Desmond. Desmond Williams was a bit of a math geek, while Robby was into sports. By himself, Robby Dallas couldn’t compete in school sports due to grades. But since Desmond helped him with grades, Robby was able to make touch downs, and hit home runs.
Those two weren’t popular, which surprised Noah. An athlete that makes more touch downs a game then most do in a season was the most popular guy around where he had come from. Noah stuck with those two, and they became great friends. Unlike his other friends at home, they didn’t break the law or get into too much trouble. But they did get talked to about noise complaints time to time from parties they threw, though not many people came.
They were loyal friends too; they always stuck up for each other. John got them out of a lot of trouble, and he knew they were good for Noah to be around. He sent them over to one of their parties to find out it wasn’t really a party, it was just them and five other guys just playing a game of monopoly.
Noah didn’t know what to think of this event, but he ended up joining them and getting invited to every “party” That they threw since then.
One day Robby and Desmond got into a fight, which turned into a brawl in the lunch room. Two students were sent to the hospital. Desmond and Robby were only messing around so Noah decided that he would take the blame. His uncle wasn’t too happy with the decision, but understood why he would do something like that. The three of them were the closest group of friends in Texas after that day.
Present Day
It was about noon time when Noah got over to Juliet’s house. He walked up and knocked on the door, expecting Juliet to answer. But instead it was William who came to the door. He looked at Noah head to toe.
“Do I know you?”
“Mr. Marlow? It’s me, Noah.” Said Noah.
“Noah…” He said as if he was trying to recall who he was. “Yes, I know you. Juliet’s best friend as kids. Always up to trouble, you guys were. Well you were, she wasn’t. Oh, where are my manners? Please, come in. Have a seat.” He stepped aside and let Noah in.
He walked in the house and took a look around. It wasn’t a fancy house, just a plain one.
“I take it you are here to see Juliet. I will call her now. I will also make a lunch. I am kind of hungry. Almost lunch time, you know?” He turned away and called Juliet. “Juliet! Juliet! There is some one here to see you!” He finished Shouting and turned to Noah. “She’ll be down in a minute, and I will leave you two alone.” Noah watched as he went to the kitchen mumbling all the way. Then behind him he heard a voice.
“Noah?” He turned around and on the stair way, Juliet was there.
Noah ran up and hugged her. He lifted her of the steps. She laughed as he swung her around.
“Noah, what are you doing here? I haven’t seen you in like….forever!”
“Six years.” Noah Corrected.
“Six years to long!” She laughed. “What’s up?”
“Do you want to talk over lunch?”
“I can’t, I am so sorry. What about dinner?”
“Yeah, dinner’s fine.” Noah said.

         Officer Jones was Walter’s partner. Walter and him were partners for seven years and not only were they partners, they were also close friends.
They were watching an intersection. Talking, sharing stories, and drinking coffee.
“Noah’s back.”
“What? Why aren’t you with him?” Jones asked. “Nothing ever happens here so I think I could’ve handled you taking a day off to spend with your kid.”
“I don’t want to spend time with him, that’s the problem.”
Jones looked at him in shock.
“What? What kind of father doesn’t want to spend time with their son after not seeing them for six years? Noah was like fourteen when he left, and sure he made some mistakes when he was younger, but don’t we all?”
Jones and Walter stared at each other. Jones broke the stare and looked out the windshield. They were silent for about fifteen minutes. Then a Ford pick-up truck goes flying passed the stop sign.
Jones starts up the car and turns on the sirens and begins driving after the car. The car pulls over right away. Walter turns to Jones.
“Want this one?”
“No thanks, man. I got the last one.”
Walter sighed and got over to the car. He slowly walked over to the car. He could see people moving around and talking, and it looked like an argument. He saw the guy in the passenger seat look away and the guy in the driver seat got out of the car.
“Problem, officer?”
“Sir, I need to see your license and registration please.”
The guy reaches behind his back.
“I am going to have to say no to that, officer. But you can take a look at this.” The guy pulls out a handgun and shoots Walter three times in the stomach.
Jones sees this and opens the passenger seat door and pulls out his gun and starts shooting, using the door as cover and the man that shot Walter, who was now on the ground, got back in the pick-up and sped away.

         Juliet laughed as Noah and her shared old memories. They were eating in their favorite restaurants. They use to eat there all the time as kids. Noah felt his cell phone vibrate and looked at it.
“Who is it?” Juliet asked.
“My mom.” He responded. “It can wait, though. Whatever it is.” He put his phone back into his pocket, and looked back up at her. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks.” She said blushing. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“Thanks, I think.” He smiled and took a drink of his coke.
Juliet’s phone started to vibrate. Juliet took a look at it.
“That’s my dad, he wants to know if I’m with you. That’s weird.
She put her phone away and continued to talk to Noah.
“So what are you doing back here? You just decided to come back to Michigan?”
“I decided that I would come back and keep my promise I made with you six years ago, and try to fix my relationship with my dad while I am here.”
“Oh, so it’s not a permanent thing?” She said with a hint of sadness.
“Well it can be.” Noah said almost right away. “I want to stay, it would be so nice. I would live near you again and we can see each other all the time.”
Juliet gave a half smile.
“Just like old times.”
“Exactly, and there is nothing I would want more than that.”
“It would be nice Noah, it really would.”
They were now standing outside on Juliet’s front porch. She stopped and turned around to speak to Noah.
“Thank you, Noah. I had fun tonight.”
“Listen Jewls, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”
She laughed and grabbed his hands.
“I haven’t heard you call me that in six years! Wow, I feel like an old person. Anyway, go on.”
“We, us, together, we have a lot of fun. Always have, and still do. We seem to be as close as we were six years ago, and I want to take this to the next level.” Noah smiled and it started to rain. “I want us to be more than just friends.”
She let go of his hands and turned away.
“Noah, don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s not worth it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, the risk, our friendship, I don’t want it to be ruined. We have a great friendship, and always have had, and I don’t want it to end.” A tear was running down her face. “I am sorry Noah, I really like you, I am not going to deny that. I hope you understand.”
There was a crack of thunder as her turned away.
“I understand Jewls, don’t worry.”
Juliet turned back to face him, but he wasn’t there.
Noah walked into his house, and his mom and sister were weeping.
“What’s going on?” Noah asked.
“Noah, I tried calling you.” His mom said. He could barely understand her. “But you didn’t answer.” She continued weeping.
“What’s going on?” He asked again.
Jones, who was sitting across from Caroline who Noah didn’t noticed at all, answered him.
“It’s your father Noah. He was shot three times earlier today.”
Noah was speechless. He looked down at his shoes, then back up to Jones and left the room without saying a word. Jones was going to go after him.
“Sit down, Jones.” Caroline said. “Just leave him for now.”
Noah ran into his room. There were no tears, just sadness. He slid down his door to the floor and sat there. He didn’t know what to do. He could hear the thunder and see the lightning from the window.
Noah attended the funeral, but stayed in the back away from everyone else. He hasn’t talked to anyone since he got the news. The Marlow family attended. Juliet often looked back at him. She was worried. He hasn’t answered any texts or calls. He has barely eaten anything at all either.
After the funeral, Juliet catches Noah before he gets on his motorcycle.
“Noah, wait!”
He doesn’t speak back.
“Noah, please. I’m scared for you.”
“Why?” He snapped. “What’s there to be scared of? Are you scared that I might have a mental break down? Or commit suicide?” He gets on the Harley. “Besides, why do you care?”
“Because you’re a friend and-”
“A friend?” He asks “I’m just a friend now?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“No, no I think that’s exactly what you meant. I am nothing but a friend to you. I’ve never been nothing more to you have I?” He starts up the motorcycle and Juliet begins to cry. “Save the tears. They won’t get you anywhere.” He drives off.
Kate runs over to Juliet.
“What’s wrong?” Kate asked trying to comfort her. Though she and Juliet weren’t close, they knew each other pretty well through Noah. Juliet turned around and hugged her. Juliet cried in her arms, and Kate just held her.

         Noah went home and opened up the fridge and grabbed one of Walters’s beers. His mom hated beer and Noah didn’t like things going to waste, even if he was two months underage. He closed the fridge and turned around. He jumped at the sight of Jackson standing there.
“Hey Noah.” Jackson said.
“Don’t ever scare me. You know I hate it.”
“I know you do. I also know you’re underage for that beer.”
Noah looked at the beer and back to Jackson.
“I hate to see things go to waste. You know mom won’t drink it. Nice suit by the way.”
“True,” Jackson said grabbing the beer from him. “So I will drink it.”
Noah rolled his eyes and got a coke out of the fridge.
“You missed the funeral.” Noah said.
Jackson put the drink down. “Yes, and how was it? Was it fun?”
“It’s a funeral. Do you really think a funeral could be fun?” Noah was now yelling. “Especailly your own dads? What’s the matter with you, Jackson?”
“You can’t spell funeral without fun.” Jackson said with a smile. Noah gave him a death glare. “What’s happen to you Noah? Did Uncle John take away your sense of humor?”
“I’m not in the mood.”
“So I see.” Jackson walked to the front door. “Whenever you’re ready to talk, here’s my number.” Jackson pulled out a business card out of his inner coat pocket and threw it on the floor and left.
Noah went over and picked it up, and put it in his pocket.

         Later that day Noah went to go visit Mr. Johnson, his neighbor. Mr. Johnson has lived there for years, been living there longer than anyone else. Everyone knows him and respects him. He helped Noah out on homework and gave him a place to hang when he wasn’t with Juliet.
Noah knocked on his door. He heard his dog bark, but no answer from Mr. Johnson. Noah saw the door was unlocked, which was weird, he always locked his door when he leaves. Noha walks in.
“Mr. Johnson? It’s me! Noah!” Noah searches the house and finds Mr. Johnson on the floor in his bedroom. His dog, Rambo, was on the floor next to him whining.
“Not you too.” Noah got on his knees and began to cry.
The ambulance arrived and Noah was questioned. One of the cops, Officer Kevin, was there.
“Noah, I thought you were dead!” Kevin said giving Noah a hug.
“What?” Noah asked, almost in a laugh.
“I and a few guys once you left made a bet where you went. I bet that you were dead.”
“Gee. Thanks, I guess. What’s going to happen to Rambo?”
“The dog?” Kevin asked, kind of puzzled. “Going to the animal shelter. Why?”
“I want him.” Noah said.
“Why? That dog is old. It’s going to die any time.”
“I don’t want him to die in some shelter.”
Kevin puts his hand on Noah’s shelter. “Maybe you aren’t thinking this through; the dog might have a year on him, maybe not. Hey, he might even get adopted so he wouldn’t have to die in some shelter.”
“Why would anyone want to get a dog that’s going to die any time soon?” Noah asks with a smile.
“I always hated it when you used my words against me.”
“I know. This is kinda random, but how did you end up being a cop?”