Whatever It Takes
Rejection — Noah had experienced it plenty of times in his life. Rejected by his birth parents when they dropped him off at the local church at only a couple months old, rejected by his adopted parents when he decided to drop out of college, and most recently, rejected by Sadie, the love of his life when she dumped him last week. They had started off as friends, first meeting in elementary school and bonding over their love of science and rock music. Their duo soon became a trio when the new kid, Tyler, moved into town half way into their seventh grade year. They were as thick as thieves in the beginning, spending their free time together playing outside and going to the mall, they even had a stint as a garage band but that ended as quickly as it started. By junior year all of the girls had eyes for Tyler, Sadie included apparently, but Noah had only ever felt strongly about her. To him she was the one. Early on, Tyler had even assured Noah that he didn’t see Sadie “in that way,” so when him and Sadie finally became a couple at the end of senior year, he was on cloud nine. By their third semester in college, Noah made the choice to drop out of school. On his last day on campus he made Tyler promise to look after Sadie and boy had his so-called friend done a bang up job.
He couldn’t fathom how he and Sadie spent nights staying up late together sharing their most intimate thoughts, their hopes, dreams and visions for the future only for her to break up with him over text. According to Sadie, she needed a man with ambition, who was actually working towards a goal in life. As if he didn’t have dreams and goals that he had shared with her. As if those nights they spent together meant nothing to her. Noah knew all about how she wanted to move out east, away from their home town to start fresh after graduating college and getting a job in the city. She knew how much he wanted a family, some stability in his life for the first time and he would do anything to achieve it, even applying for a second job at the local restaurant so they would have extra money saved for the move. How could two people go from being friends and lovers, from sharing parts of themselves they had never shared with anyone else with each other to never speak again? He just couldn’t bring himself to understand.
It was chilly out and the fog of the early morning was lifting by time Noah arrived at Plymouth Mutual Bank. He stood at the end of the line behind four other bank regulars, too consumed in his thoughts he didn’t give much thought to the man leaning against the bank’s brick facade smoking a cigarette. The way he saw it, all he had to do was save up a bit more cash and buy a ring for Sadie. He just had to prove to her how much he really loved and cared for her, how much she meant to him. She would see that Tyler wasn’t all he was cracked up to be, after all he was a few failed tests and missed classes away from dropping out of college too and his budding streaming career wasn’t going to take either of them very far. Even though school hadn’t worked out for him, at least he had work ethic and determination. He could be the man she wanted him to be if she just gave him another chance.
After checking his watch he quickly shoved his hands in his pockets, in about ten minutes the bank security would be opening the main entrance doors. His new job at the restaurant didn’t allow for direct deposit but since they were a small family owned business he and his coworkers didn’t make such a big fuss about it — mostly because they loved the job and were treated as part of the family. He would deposit his check, grab breakfast and a large coffee, he was working a double shift tonight so he was going to need the caffeine. The sound of a long exhale and footsteps pulled Noah from his thoughts. He caught another glimpse of the man as he flicked his cigarette away and headed for the end of the line to stand behind a very angry looking woman.
Having the chance to finally take the guy in, he seemed a bit out of place. His gray suit was covered in wrinkles, but contrary to his disheveled appearance there wasn’t a strand of silver, almost white hair out of place. Though dark shades covered his face, he seemed relaxed, content to wait as long as it took for the bank doors to open. The woman directly behind him was blonde with a short pixie cut stuffed under a well-worn baseball cap. She clenched the handles of her purse and held it close to her, tight, as if she was afraid a robber would snatch it out of her hands at any moment. She shifted her weight and stared off into the parking lot ignoring the men that stood on either side of her.
“Excuse me, you know what time the bank opens?” asked the gentleman in a clear and direct voice, gesturing with his head to the doors.
“The guard should be opening the door in two minutes or so,” responded Noah after checking his watch again.
“Since when did a bank in a small town like this need a security guard?”
Noah shrugged, having never given it much thought. “I heard someone in town just won the lottery. Thirty-two million! Could you believe it? What I wouldn’t do for that kind of cash… ”
“We could all use the extra cash that’s for sure. What would you do if you had that much money?” he asked extending his hand past the young woman, who stood more rigged than before, to shake Noah’s hand. “I’m Rick, by the way.”
“I’m Noah… ” before he could continue, the line in front of him began to move and the young woman walked ahead of him but Rick still had a hold on his hand.
“What would you do if you had that much money?” asked Rick again, looking Noah directly in the eye.
A look of puzzlement crossed his face as he pulled his hand out of Rick’s grip. “I would buy a ring for my girlfriend and a house. We want to start a family,” he responded genuinely, because that’s what he would do if he wasn’t newly single.
“Is she worth it?” Rick questioned. Noah couldn’t say he had ever had a stranger ask him such personal questions, like they actually cared, and it made him want to open up. Not like he would ever see the guy again.
“Absolutely! I would do whatever it takes to see her happy,” Noah said with a small smile on his face.
Rick patted him on the shoulder, “I’ve got an idea then.” Together they walked into the bank.
Noah figured all his dreams were about to come true. What if Rick was the secret millionaire looking to give back? Shoddy suit aside, it could be a possibility. Maybe he hadn’t gotten a chance to spend it yet? Some people choose to take monthly payments instead of the lump sum after all. Too eager to keep close to his potential blessing, he dropped the deposit slip he’d grabbed. Before Noah could bend over to pick the slip up, Rick pushed warm metal into his hands.
“Here, use this,” he whispered. Immediately, in succession, two shots rang off into the air.
Noah felt stuck. Between the sound of his heart beating through his chest and the non-stop ringing in his ears, he couldn’t tell which was louder. He had neither held a gun, nor even seen one in real life. A third shot went off. His hands trembled but his feet stood solidly in place. While cemented to the ground he could do nothing but replay the morning in his head. Who knew this would be how his day started and perhaps ended? Lightheaded and completely blindsided by life, Noah watched as Rick held his own gun on the bank tellers demanding they put the money from the register into a large black duffel bag.
“This is all we have,” shuddered the male teller as he pushed the half-full bag across the counter.
“Fill the bag up with money from the vault,” ordered Rick, gun now aimed directly at the female teller. She nodded and hurried to the back bag in hand.
Noah’s senses were overloaded, there was too much happening. He stared over at the entrance doors where the security guard’s body laid. Two of the bank regulars Noah recognized sat on the floor huddled together. Feet rooted to the floor and gun still in trembling hands, he watched as the elderly woman and the middle-aged man closed their palms over each other. The woman chanted prayers over and over. Noah hoped she prayed he too made it out of this building. The other two regulars, both men, spoke in hushed whispers with the blonde woman.
“Quiet!” Rick said in a commanding voice staring directly at the group as he waited for the teller to come back. They quieted down but the woman glared at him intensely, almost unafraid.
“Noah, you said you would do whatever it takes to make your girlfriend happy right?” Rick asked as he snatched the unused gun out of his hands.
Noah couldn’t find it in himself to reply so no words left his mouth.
“I guess not huh. I had such high hopes for you,” Rick laughed to himself, “best be careful what you wish for next time, if there is a next time.”
The sound of the teller’s heels could be heard as she made her way back up to the front registers.
“This is everything we have,” her voice quivered as she pushed the now filled bag across the counter.
“Thanks sweetheart,” Rick said with a smug smile. Snatching his loot from the counter he slowly backed out of the building, gun still aimed at the tellers.
As he turned around to make his escape through the doors, the group of three that had been conspiring together launched into action. The blonde woman held her purse by the straps and with all her might hit Rick in the back of the head. His face hit the glass doors, blood gushed out of his nose and in pain he fell to his knees clutching his nose. The straps to her purse broke apart and heaps of money spilled out onto the floor, yet that didn’t stop her assault. One man grabbed his arms, the other his legs and they worked together to hold him down. The female teller spoke on the phone with police as the male teller ran from behind the counter to check on the security guard.
Noah watched as both men wrestled to keep Rick on the ground, but he was strong and close to grabbing the gun he had passed to Noah initially. Though Noah knew he couldn’t handle anymore excitement for the day the bravery displayed by the others inspired him to make a move. Taking deep breaths, he willed himself to move towards the struggle. Heart still pounding, he kicked the gun away from Rick’s grasp as far as he could. He and the middle aged man joined the other two men in holding Rick down while the blonde woman attempted to soothe the elderly woman who was almost hysterical. Rick screamed and cursed generations of their families, swearing he would do whatever it took to get his revenge.
Noah didn’t pay attention to any of what was being said instead focusing on the sound of sirens that blared loudly outside. The female teller greeted the police outside and explained the situation. They swiftly breached the building and Rick was eventually taken away in handcuffs. The security guard was taken away in an ambulance, his status unknown but not looking good considering how much blood stained the floor. No one had been able to calm down the elderly woman and she continued to chant prayers as she was put into the back of the ambulance. Apparently, there had been a string of bank robberies in nearby counties in which Rick was the main suspect. At each bank he had left behind a gun with the fingerprints of someone from the previous bank. In hopes of making someone else a suspect he had inadvertently tied all of the crimes back to himself.
Noah was still shaken up but he finally being able to take a breath. Grateful to have gotten out of the situation alive he walked over to Cleo, the blonde whose name he hadn’t learned until after they has been interrogated by the police, to thank her for saving the day.
“So, he thought you were going to help him rob the bank to make money for your girlfriend? What a psycho,” she stated shaking her head in disbelief.
“My ex, and yes I guess so. I said I would do whatever it took to make her happy but I would have never took it this far,” Noah answered truthfully. “What was up with the money that fell out of your purse earlier?”
“Don’t worry about it. I was lucky to have come into a bit of money recently,” Cleo answered vaguely. He nodded in understanding, he probably didn’t even want to know.
“Do you want to grab a coffee? My treat.” he asked, wanting to connect with someone who he could talk about the incident with.
“A coffee? You need caffeine after a day like this?” she joked.
“I guess not, but I do know a good restaurant nearby that makes the best cheeseburger in town, if you’re interested.” She shrugged and Noah led the way.
He was sure his job would understand if he needed a couple days off. He had never needed the money that bad.
Prompt taken from Self-Publishing School: “Your character lines up at the bank very early in the morning, dreading another day of mind-numbing work ahead at their corporate job. A gentleman in a grey suit with white hair greets them and engages in some small talk. Then, out of nowhere, he hands your character a gun, takes a few steps back, and fires a couple of rounds into the ceiling.”
