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Sheknewwho she was—blunt, honest,real. So what if people didn't like her for who she was? She liked herself plenty.
She was aware she had negative qualities—who didn't? The issue was that people had always overlooked her positive ones for her negative ones.
Online, it was even worse.
Though Noelle had been the rightful performer that night—though she'd won the competition fair and square—people accused her of bullying her classmate and driving her to suicide. The fact that she'd been so blasé about her death made her even more of a monster.
Noelle had been unable to help herself as she'd searched the internet about the incident. Yet the more she read, the more outraged she became.
Even in death, Ann Marie was being a pest.
So Noelle had done what she'd considered best at the time—which, admittedly, might not have been thebestidea—and she'd created multiple accounts in which she'd tried to come to her own defense.
The result?
She'd been even more bullied online. Other users had been quick to point out it was probably a sympathizer or Noelle herself. Because it was impossible for her to haveanyoneon her side, wasn't it?
If before Noelle had felt alone, now that the entire worldandthe internet were against her, she felt evenmoreso.
And if things weren't already bad enough, that night at dinner she received the worst blow of all.
"You should go back upstate," her brother suddenly told her.
Her hand froze on her fork. Blinking, she asked him to repeat his words.
"It's not safe for you to be in the city anymore. I think it's best if you went back home."
"But I won't go out," she protested.
"It makes no difference. It's just a matter of time before people find our address and start camping out in front of the building to get a shot of you. You're better off upstate."
"But…"
"I've already talked to our mother and she agrees with me."
Yuyu was silent by his side, her gaze flickering between her and Cisco.
"I don't want to stay with mamma," she said in a small voice.
Normally, she would have reacted with outrage, yet at that moment she had none of her usual force.
Her mother…
She hadn't seen her since the incident, and even then, it had been momentarily and with Cisco and Yuyu present. Elena hadn't dared do anything she would have normally done—yell, slap, or curse her out.
But to move back home? To go back to living with her?
"I'm sorry, Noelle. But you'll have to," Cisco stated, his harsh tone indicating it was the end of the discussion. "The driver will take you back tomorrow. You should pack in advance."
Too stunned at his decree, she simply excused herself from the table.
"You were too hard on her, love," Yuyu commented after Noelle went upstairs.
"I was. And she didn't even talk back," he pursed his lips. "I'll have a doctor discreetly check in on her. I don't think it's normal."
"She could stay with us. You don't need to send her back home," Yuyu tried to reason with him, but Cisco wouldn't have it.
"No. She needs to be away from all this for a while. It's not good, Yuyu. It's not good at all," he added grimly.
