horndog 2 !?

chapter one

purpled eyes and bloodied lips

cigarette ashes dropped thick and heavy as snow

black

cole :

There was nothing left to do. No more people to push away. No more schools to be expelled from. This was the end of the line and Cole knew it.

The cold wind cut like knives against his face. This was the eighth school he'd been in. They told him he was lucky to have another chance. He knew he was lucky to be alive.

The sun was setting and with it all chances of making it home before his father. Muttering a soft curse under his breath, he kicked down harder, sending the skateboard down the road at record speed.

No lights were on within the low brick duplex. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his skateboard off the gravel driveway and trudged up to the door, the sight of his dad's red 1996 Honda Accord making his anxiety spike.

The quiet hum of the tv was all that Cole could hear as he silently closed the door behind him. Hanging up his jacket and keys by the door, he saw him.

"Why're you so late," the slurred words of his father made him wince.

The lay-z-boy his father lived in creaked and groaned with strain as he struggled to stand up. The leather cracked as he fell back onto the seat with a defeated sigh.

"Get me another beer," he ordered.

Cole quickly rushed to the kitchen, ignoring the grime, and reached into the white fridge to find his dad's beer. Sometimes it felt like that was all he kept Cole around for.

There was no 'thank you' as the opened can was set beside the recliner. No 'how was your day' or 'do you have any homework'. No goodbye as Cole made his way to his room.

For many people, a Friday night is a cause for celebration. For Cole, it promised no escape from his prison. As much as he hated school, it offered him a break from all the pain of home. And he got to see his friends.

That had been the one plus about moving to Ninjago High. He usually never bothered to learn people's names or try to remember faces. There was never a need to. But as he walked into the biology room and was partnered with Lloyd, he knew it was going to be different this time.

The groupchat was blowing up. Lloyd and Morro were arguing about what they were going to do for their first anniversary while Kai spammed in thirst videos of himself Juuling. As cringe as his friends were, their friend group was actually pretty popular, in that untouchable baddie sense. They were the kids that rolled up to school on their motorcycles and smoked in the bathroom. Even Cole couldn't deny how hot his friends were, either. Kai had dated pretty much everyone in the school and if Lloyd and Morro weren't dating, they would be swarmed.

And then there was Cole. He had been told that he was attractive, but he truly couldn't see it. Maybe it was because his dad refused to look at him for over a year, claiming that he looked too much like his mother. That part was true. They had the same dark skin, freckles that covered their bodies, and thick curly black hair. The only real difference was the Cole had his father's monolid eyes and slimmer frame.

Putting his phone down, he looked at himself in the mirror. Letting out a defeated sigh, he threw on some joggers and a hoodie, tossing his silver chains unceremoniously on the floor.

Sleep found him easily that night.