CHAPTER ELEVEN
Noel declined the race without drama.
No announcement.
No speech.
No justification.
The message didn't even come from him directly.
It appeared quietly—passed from mouth to mouth, screen to screen—until by midday, everyone at Evalon High knew:
Noel Madison wasn't racing.
At first, people laughed.
Then they argued.
Then they tried to explain it away.
He's injured.
His parents shut it down.
He's scared now.
He's a chicken.
Noel didn't correct them." He just walked through.
He sat through classes with the same detached calm, his posture relaxed, his gaze distant, as if the noise existed behind glass.
The flyers for The race remained taped to walls, corners curling, ink dark with promise.
But the center—the gravity—was missing.
And everyone felt it.
Alex Wilson expected a reaction from Noel at least.
Anger.
Defiance.
Some form of acknowledgment.
Instead, he got silence.
And that just kept fueling his guilt and anger making him furious.
He cornered Noel near the senior wing just before last period.
The hallway buzzed faintly, lockers slamming, students pretending not to watch.
"You think you can just walk away?" Alex asked, voice sharp.
Noel stopped.
Turned slowly.
Looked at him—not with hatred, not with fear, but with something far worse.
Indifference.
"I already did,Now get the fuck out" Noel said.
Alex scoffed.
"You're just a little scared kid."He said trying to justify his guilt.
But Noel didn't give him that.
Noel's lips twitched—not into a smile, but something close.
"No," he replied. "I'm done letting people like you get a chanceto disrupt my peace and quiet."
That was all.
He walked away.
Alex stood there, heat flooding his face, the echo of those words louder than any engine.
3:25pm.
School bell rings .
Noel carries his bag and kept walking with his pods plugged into his ear.
Emily followed up behind him.
Emily Jones didn't ask.
She just followed him to the parking lot.
"You're driving?" she asked, eyeing the unfamiliar car.
"For now."
She nodded, climbed in, and buckled up.
The ride was quiet at first.
Greyview passed by in clean lines and soft shadows, the late afternoon sun reflecting off glass buildings and long roads.
The silence wasn't awkward—it was heavy with things unsaid...
"You scared everyone today," Emily said finally.
Noel exhaled through his nose.
"That wasn't intentional."
"You declining the race," she continued.
"They don't know what to do with that."
He kept his eyes on the road.
"Neither do I."
He kept driving towards .The Madison House .
The gates opened smoothly, security recognizing the car instantly.
The estate stretched before them—manicured lawns, tall hedges, the quiet luxury of a place built to last.
Emily whistled softly as they pulled in.
"I forget sometimes," she said. "This is… different from my place."
Noel shrugged.
"It's just space."
"Oh stop with the modest act- your mansion is put of this world ." She paused . And continued " you've not thought of staying alone.?"
".Nah,I've not considered it." Ion think I would actually.
They entered through the main door.
"Seems like queens will be late" Emily said silently.
"Yeah I think she's at her friends ".Noel replied not not quickly
Emily- which of em??
Noel- ion know for real.. Just guessed ." Maybe Susan or Claire " either one.
Emily- ".Oh.
They headed to his room.
Mrs. Riley wasn't home yet.
Tiffany was still at work she has been working outside the country for a little while after the incident.
The house felt lived-in but quiet, the kind of quiet that listened.
Emily kicked off her shoes automatically, familiarity earned over years of friendship.
"So," she said, dropping onto the couch. "Catch me up.
Because everything feels… off."
Noel sat across from her, resting his wrist carefully on the armrest.
"I crashed," he said simply.
She rolled her eyes.
"I know that part."
"I didn't win," he added.
Emily stilled.
"And you're okay with that?"
He considered the question longer than expected.
"I don't know," he admitted.
"But I'm not okay with what winning costs."
She leaned back, studying him.
"You could've ended him.Won the stupid race and got it over with"
"I know."
"And you didn't."
"No."
"Even before the crash?"
He nodded.
"That's not fear," Emily said quietly.
"That's control."
Catching Up...
They talked for hours.
About school.
About the tension.
About his dreams.."Or nightmares rather.
About the way Evalon High felt smaller now.
Emily told him about the whispers, the sides people were choosing, how Alex had started lashing out at anyone who mentioned the race.
The shipping the bets and alot going on that he did'nt catch because he didn't feel the need to.
"He's unraveling," she said.
"Everyone can see it."
Noel stared at the ceiling.
"I didn't want that," he murmured.
Emily looked at him sharply.
"You don't get to control how people fall when they push themselves."
That landed.
The Unasked Question.
Emily hesitated before speaking again.
"Are you still having the dreams?"
Noel closed his eyes.
"Yes."
"Every night?"
"Almost." Sometimes even in day time.
She shifted closer.
"You don't talk about it anymore."
"I don't remember enough to explain it," he said.
"Just fragments. Noise. Weight. Fear."
She swallowed.
"And the race brought it back."
"No," he corrected. "The attention did...the tension"
Emily nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Evening Settles In.
The sun dipped low, casting warm light through the windows.
The house softened as evening approached.
Mrs. Riley came home quietly, surprised but pleased to see Emily.
"You're staying for dinner," she said firmly.
"No arguments."
Emily smiled.
"Yes, ma'am."
At the table, conversation stayed light.
Safe.
But beneath it, everything churned.
Mrs. Riley watched Noel closely—not hovering, not probing, just observing.
She noticed how he ate slower now.
How he avoided leaning too far back.
How his eyes flicked toward doors instinctively.
After dinner, Emily stood to leave.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
Noel walked her to the door.
"Thanks," he said.
"For today."
She smiled gently.
"You don't have to run," she said.
"You just have to stay."
He watched her take the key from her driver and drove away leaving the driver behind."Heh..classic emily"
Later that night, Noel stood alone on the balcony outside his room.
The city lights stretched endlessly in the distance.
Somewhere out there, engines were revving.
Flyers were being shared.
Names were being spoken with hunger.
He wasn't part of it anymore.
And for the first time—
That felt like power.
Not speed nor pressure.
Not dominance.
Choice.
Noel turned back inside, closing the door softly behind him.
Thing would happen.
Just not with him at the center.
And that—
That terrified him more than any race ever could.