Frequencies of Us Chapter 80: Last of Us

Noah POV

I’m standing in the auditorium at Lincoln High, tweaking the PA system. My fingers twist the knobs, shaky from running out of the gym. Mateo’s hand rests warm on my back. His touch feels good, steady. We’re alone now, the crash of the gym still ringing in my ears. He smiles at me, shy and soft. I smile back, small and careful. We’re rebuilding something, something fragile that got broken with all the fights and fear. My heart beats fast, happy to be here with him.

He steps closer, his chest brushing mine. I look up, and he kisses me, gentle at first. His lips are soft, tasting like the water he chugged earlier. I kiss him back, harder. My tongue slides into his mouth, hungry. He moans, low and quiet. My hands grab his shirt, pulling it up fast. He yanks it off, letting it fall. I touch his chest, fingers sliding over his skin. He’s warm, firm. I kiss his neck, sucking soft. He groans louder, hands tugging at my jeans.

I undo them quick, letting them drop. He grabs me, his grip tight and hot. I gasp, loud, my legs wobbling. His fingers move, slow then fast. I bite my lip, holding in a moan. It slips out anyway, rough and needy. He kisses me deep, swallowing the sound. My hands fumble with his shorts, pushing them down. I feel him, hard and hot in my hand. I stroke him, matching his pace. Our breaths mix, fast and messy. He pulls my hair, just enough to sting. I groan, too loud. He presses his mouth to mine, keeping me quiet.

I push closer, hips rocking into his hand. He’s shaking, close. I feel it too, building wild and hot. “Noah,” he whispers, voice breaking. That’s it. I lose it, spilling over his fingers, trembling hard. He follows fast, a low growl in his throat. We hold each other, panting, sticky and close. His forehead rests on mine. Our breaths slow, matching. It’s sweet, perfect, even here.

I pull back, smiling soft. He grins, eyes shining. I fix my jeans, hands slow on the zipper. He pulls his shorts up, laughing quiet. “You’re too much,” he says, teasing. I shrug. “Only for you.” My chest feels warm, full of him. He steps closer, kissing my forehead. I lean into him, feeling safe. For a second, it’s just us, no chaos, no threats.

A buzz hums through the PA. My stomach jumps. I turn to the controls, frowning. The buzz gets louder, then stops. Suddenly, our kiss from the shed blasts out. My voice moans, loud and clear, echoing through the empty halls. “Mateo,” I hear myself say, desperate. My face burns, hot and red. His eyes go wide, staring at me. We scramble to the plug, hands fumbling. I trip over a cord, falling into him. Our lips brush in the panic, quick and sweet. I yank the cord out, hard. The sound cuts off, leaving silence.

I stand there, breathing fast. My heart’s pounding, scared and mad. “How?” I say, voice shaky. Mateo grabs my arm, tight. “Someone recorded us,” he says, low and rough. My stomach twists, sick. That shed moment was ours, private. Now it’s out there, loud for anyone to hear. I feel exposed, raw. My hands shake, sweaty in his.

The door bangs open. I jump, spinning around. Sofia bursts in, clutching a ledger. Her face is red, eyes wild. “Ortiz’s budget,” she says, shoving it at me. “Five thousand bucks missing. Before the vandalism.” I take it, fingers trembling. Ink’s smudged on the page, dates circled. My mind races. This ties Ortiz to Lena, to the prank. My chest tightens, angry. They’re in this together, screwing us over.

Mateo steps beside me, looking at the ledger. “Proof,” he says, voice hard. I nod, hope flickering. Maybe we can use this, fight back. Sofia paces, muttering fast. “Found it in his office. He’s hiding something big.” My heart beats faster, excited but scared. This could change everything. I grip the ledger tight, knuckles white.

The PA crackles again. My head snaps up. Lena’s laugh cuts through, sharp and mean. “Caught you, Keller.” My blood runs cold. I look at Mateo. His jaw clenches, eyes dark. The laugh echoes, bouncing off the walls. My stomach flips, hard. She knows we’re here, knows what we’ve got. My hands sweat, slippery on the ledger.

I hear murmurs outside, soft at first. My chest freezes. The crowd’s gathering, voices buzzing through the walls. Someone heard it. Our kiss, loud and naked, spilling into the halls. My face burns again, shame mixing with fear. “Noah,” Mateo says, grabbing my hand. His grip’s strong, keeping me steady. I squeeze back, desperate.

I step to the controls, hands shaky. “We need to stop this,” I say, voice breaking. He nods, helping me. We check the wires, fast. My fingers fumble, clumsy. The murmurs grow louder, closer. My heart’s in my throat, pounding wild. I feel sick, thinking about them hearing us. Judging us. My chest hurts, mad and scared.

Sofia stops pacing, staring at the door. “They’re coming,” she says, quiet. I nod, swallowing hard. The crowd’s right outside now, voices sharp. I hear a shout, muffled but real. My legs shake, weak. Mateo pulls me close, arm around me. “We’re okay,” he whispers. I want to believe him, but I don’t.

I grab the ledger tighter, holding it like a shield. “This can save us,” I say, low. He nods, eyes locked on mine. My mind spins. Ortiz’s money, Lena’s laugh, our kiss blasting out. It’s all connected, crashing down on us. My breath comes fast, ragged. I need to think, figure this out. But the noise outside grows, pressing in.

The PA hisses again, static popping. My stomach drops. I wait, frozen. A voice whispers, low and creepy. “You’re mine, Noah.” My heart stops. It’s not Lena. It’s someone else, someone worse. My hands shake bad, dropping the ledger. Mateo grabs it, pulling me tighter. “What the hell?” he says, voice rough.

I look at the door, trembling. The murmurs turn to shouts, loud and close. My chest burns, panic rising. “They heard,” I say, voice cracking. Mateo’s grip tightens, fierce. “Let them,” he says, strong. I nod, trying to feel brave. But my heart’s slamming, scared stiff.

A bang hits the door, hard and fast. My head snaps up. The crowd’s pushing, voices yelling. My legs lock, stuck. “Noah!” Sofia shouts, stepping back. I grab Mateo’s hand, squeezing hard. The bang comes again, louder. My stomach twists, sick. The door shakes, ready to break. Then a scream, sharp and wild, cuts through the noise. My blood freezes. Someone’s hurt out there.