Chapter 2 -Midnight Music
714 Words
The first thing Lily noticed about the new house at night was the silence.
No traffic.
No shouting neighbors.
No sirens screaming through the streets like back in the city.
Just quiet.
Too much quiet.
Lily lay awake in bed staring at the unfamiliar ceiling while half-unpacked boxes surrounded her room. Moonlight slipped softly through the curtains, painting silver lines across the walls.
She hated first nights in new places.
They always made her feel like she didn’t belong anywhere.
With a sigh, she rolled onto her side and checked the clock on her phone.
12:47 AM.
Great.
Still not tired.
Then suddenly—
Soft guitar music drifted through the open window.
Lily frowned slightly.
The melody was slow. Gentle. Beautiful enough to make her chest ache unexpectedly.
"where is the melody from"
Curious, she pushed herself out of bed and moved quietly toward the window.
And there he was. The same guy with his friends and a ball he never seems to let go.
Noah Carter. He sat on the roof outside his bedroom window next door, guitar resting across his lap while his fingers moved skillfully over the strings.
The cocky attitude from earlier was gone.
Now he looked... different.
Calmer.
Almost lonely.
Lily stayed hidden behind the curtain, watching before she could stop herself.
The music filled the silent neighborhood softly, like something private she wasn’t supposed to hear.
Then Noah suddenly stopped playing.
Her stomach dropped.
Slowly, he lifted his head toward her window.
"Y was that". he called quietly, “most people just say hi instead of spying.”
Lily’s eyes widened.
Caught.
Perfect.
“I wasn’t spying,” she whispered back defensively.
A small grin appeared on his face.
“So you always stare at random boys through windows?”
“I was trying to sleep until someone started a midnight concert.”
He placed a hand dramatically against his chest. “Wow. That hurts. That is what I love."
Lily tried not to laugh.
Unfortunately, the tiny smile escaping her gave her away.
Noah noticed immediately.
“Do you like it".
“What?”
“The music".
Her expression disappeared instantly. “You’re annoying.”
“And yet you’re still talking to me.”
Lily leaned slightly against the window frame before realizing she probably looked insane having a conversation through neighboring windows at almost one in the morning.
“I should go back to sleep.”
“You could,” Noah replied casually, resting the guitar against his knee. “Or you could tell me why you looked sad earlier.”
Her breath caught.
The question surprised her enough that she didn’t answer immediately.
Noah studied her quietly from across the darkness.
“I wasn’t sad.”
“Sure.” when someone is sad the person sees something haven't seen before".
“I wasn’t.”
“Okay,” he said easily. “Then you just have naturally depressing eyes.”
Lily let out an offended laugh.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“There’s a smile.”
Why did he notice that?
Before Lily could respond, another voice suddenly shouted from inside Noah’s room.
“Noah! Mom said get off the roof before you break your neck again!”
A younger girl appeared at his window.
She spotted Lily instantly.
“Oh my God,” she gasped dramatically. “Is that the new neighbor?”
Noah groaned. “Go away, Emily.”
Emily ignored him completely.
“You’re really pretty,” she told Lily excitedly. “And Noah never talks to girls this long unless he likes them.”
“EMILY.”
"REALLY".
Lily’s cheeks burned while Noah looked seconds away from throwing himself off the roof voluntarily.
Emily grinned proudly before disappearing again.
Silence settled between them.
Then Noah sighed.
“She’s twelve and emotionally violent.”
To Lily’s horror, laughter escaped her completely this time.
Real laughter.
Noah stared at her for a second like he’d won something.
And somehow that made her nervous.
“Well,” Lily said quickly, stepping away from the window, “goodnight.”
“Goodnight, neighbor.”
She closed the curtains before he could say anything else.
But as Lily climbed back into bed, one thought refused to leave her mind.
Maybe Noah Carter wasn’t exactly who she thought he was.
- Writer
