GOLD RUSH , [ cole walter ]

five

( nineteen )

What do you do when someone knocks over your dead sister's teapot on her birthday and now your twin sister wants to cut class to go with Cole Walter to a lake house? I don't know, but she was begging me to go.

"You promised, Char," Jackie looked at me with her eyes red from crying. Lucy would go. "You said you'd be there for me."

I pursed my lips and looked at Cole who was watching me expectantly. Then I looked back at Jackie who was pleading with me with her eyes, so I sighed and nodded. "Fine." Cole was smiling at me like a little kid, but I just focused on Jackie.

Thankfully, Danny was going so I sat in the back with Jackie instead of shotgun. When we got out of the car, I grabbed Jackie's sweater and handed it to her.

"It's gonna be cold," I said and she smiled while putting it on. I, on the other hand, had left my sweater in my locker. Great, I saw Erin and Olivia and groaned internally.

"You should've asked who was on the guest list," I told Jackie.

Danny told us we'd be fine, but I wasn't so sure. I just walked ahead with my arms around me. It was way colder here since we were near the water. That's when I felt a pair of arms go over my shoulders and I turn to see Cole putting his varsity jacket on me.

"Thanks," I whisper and he smiles. I see Olivia looking at me in shock and just keep walking as Cole goes over to the guys.

Erin suddenly says, "Didn't realize I was gonna be having such a Charlotte centered day. Lucky me."

"I haven't even spoken to you, what's your deal?"

Erin scoffs, "Why do you want my life?"

I sigh, "Just stay away from me and I'll stay away from you. Does that work?"

She huffs and walks ahead with her friends. She got Cole, what more does she want?

She clearly didn't hear me either because when I sit down, she sits right next to me. I try to ignore the tension by looking out at the water.

"Shots?" Olivia asks.

Erin looks at me and says, "Oh, come on, Olivia. She'd never."

I raise a brow then take a shot glass with a slice of lime. At least New York taught me something. I down the shot--it wasn't my first--and bite into the lime.

"Your turn," I smile innocently.

To my surprise, Erin actually laughs. Like, a genuine laugh. She says, "Don't think you're a big deal. But that was cool."

"Oh, I do not think I'm a big deal," I laugh. "You're literally talking to the chronically ill twin."

She nods, "Yeah, Jackie beat me today in practice. I'm still the better runner though."

I look to see Jackie and Danny talking, but turn back to Erin, "It's just a hard day for her. She runs to get things off her mind so she probably needed it."

Erin smiles sympathetically, "Well, I'll be back in first soon enough."

"I have no doubt."

She then gets up to sit by Cole and Dylan asks who's going skinny dipping with him. I laugh at how crazy that sounds and Danny tells him someone'll have to build a fire so he doesn't get hypothermia. Ruby said she's down if he goes first, but when Dylan takes off his hoodie to reveal a new jersey, everyone goes quiet. I recognize the 19 off the peewee football jersey Parker had.