silver springs ~ c. walter

chapter 7 !

According to Jackie, the pep rally was her time to prove herself on student council. Dorrie thought she was being a little dramatic, but was supportive nonetheless. Erin wasn't going to kill her if it didn't go well, but for Danny's sake she hoped it did. The new auditorium was definitely needed.

"Want to help with the cider cart?" Alex asked when he saw Dorrie walking by.

"Sure," she laughed. "For a few minutes. I promised Skylar that I'd spend some time over at the auction too."

"Thanks," he sighed in relief. "Cole is driving me crazy."

"Cole?" she asked, her eyes widening as Jackie walked back over to the stand with the aforementioned boy.

"What about me?" he asked, eyes flicking from Alex to Dorrie and then staying fixed on the girl.

"Nothing," Alex huffed. "Dorrie's going to watch the stand with you while Jackie and I grab some food from one of the trucks." With that, he grabbed Jackie's hand and pulled her over to the other side of the rally and left the two standing there in silence. They'd never had this problem before; every time they'd been together and they both were quiet, it was comfortable and welcomed. There was never this tension that ran between the two as Cole's stare bore into the side of her head when she moved to serve cider to someone who'd just come by.

After a long moment, Dorrie finally spoke. "You went too far the other day."

There was a pause before Cole responded, "I know."

"You owe me an apology."

"I know."

Dorrie sighed to herself and finally turned to face the boy, who wouldn't quite meet her eyes. "Look, we don't have to be friends if you're already tired of me. But I'm going to be in your life whether you like it or not, so it's better for everyone if we get along. Got it?"

"Got it," Cole gritted out. He'd never tell her, but he felt guilty beyond belief that she thought that he was tired of her. He knew it was his own fault, but it killed him all the same. It was the opposite: he couldn't get enough of her and so he was trying to push her away for the exact reason she wanted them to get along. "I'm sorry for being so rude."

"Got it," Dorrie shot back, turning back to the customers and serving them because Cole was barely moving. "I get that this weekend is rough for you, but that doesn't mean you get to take it out on the people that care about you."

Cole's hands felt clammy. He knew she cared about him, but hearing her say it out loud made his stomach turn. He'd hurt her, and all she'd wanted to do was help. He messed up everything he touched, and he just couldn't bring himself to say anything in response. When Alex and Jackie got back, Dorrie looked as if she'd been saved.

"I'm going to go help Skylar," she said as she all but ran towards the auction tent.

"What did you do to her?" Alex laughed, looking at Cole oddly.

"Have you apologized yet?" Jackie said, eying him expectantly.

"Yes, I just did," he replied, turning away from them and pretending to fix the cider tank again. When he looked over at the tent that Dorrie had run to, he felt his stomach drop. The football players were mingling for a few minutes before the pep rally started, and Dylan had his arm around Dorrie. They were laughing at something Skylar was saying, but Cole could barely hear anything from the roaring inside his ears. He wanted to be the one with his arm around Dorrie. He wanted to spin her around and walk her home every night and kiss her as the sun rose and watch her sleep like he had in those few moments of consciousness he had while holding her that night on the couch. Worst of all, he didn't understand why he was feeling this way. Dylan had everything he wanted, but it wasn't as if he'd stolen Dorrie. She wasn't his to lose in the first place. And so he turned back to Jackie and Alex, and focused his attention on the girl living at his home.