WHERE WE ARE ; COLE WALTER

022

ONLY WHEN THE SUN ROSE,  did the pair return back to reality, the little bubble that had built itself around them bursting once again as their situation came crashing back down onto them.

"I should probably go to the hospital and see what's going on," Cole said as he got up, picking up the blankets and cushion, while Veronica gathered the chips and wiggled with her arms to get some feeling back into them.

"You really should do that, but first, let's stop by the Lark, I'm sure Katherine and George would love some real coffee and not the potion that you get in the hospital," Veronica suggested, "But wait, let me just get changed real quick."

Walking over to Cole who had just opened the trunk, Veronica took out a bag she had stored in there and told Cole not to look while she hid behind a tree to change into her outfit for the coming day. Once again Veronica was thankful for being so smart and having some back up clothes in her car.

Emerging in a pair of trousers and a comfortable sweatshirt thrown over her top, Veronica noticed Cole leaning on the car, shaking his head, while looking down at his phone, though as soon as she walked up, he put it away, looking at her in disbelief. "You know what? I won't even say anything about you and your car. Let's just get going."

Veronica nodded, walking over to the driver's side, while Cole had to sit in the passenger's seat. "So to the Lark?" she asked, turning over to him, "Oh, and now you can choose the music."

"Yeah, we both need coffee and like you said, mom and dad will need some too," Cole answered, while scrolling through his playlist to choose which song he would play. Settling on 'Something in the orange' by Zach Bryan, both of them hummed along as Veronica drove back into the small city.

Something coming to mind, Cole stopped the music and asked Veronica, "Hey, what did you tell your dad? He's probably not okay with you sneaking out at night and not returning home, right?"

Her eyes widening, Veronica realized that throughout the whole night she had forgotten one thing: her dad and brother. "Oh no, I totally forgot to call him. What will I do now? I'll probably get grounded until I die," Veronica began to ramble, her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel as she realized her mistake.

Realizing that this was his fault, Cole wanted to help her in some way, "And if we tell him that you were being a good friend when I needed you? Will he buy that?"

Veronica shook her head silently, remembering the night she had come home crying and she knew that her father suspected Cole to be the reason for it, especially since she hadn't been going to the Walters' as often as she used to.

"Well, it's already too late anyway," Veronica mumbled, more to herself than to Cole. "Let's just get coffee and when I drop you off I'll go home and handle the situation . . . somehow."

Cole wanted to help her out, he really did, after all he knew how Mato Summerhill could get when it came to his children and them disobeying the few rules he had set out for them, but he didn't know how.

Once again, for the nth time Cole felt useless, he really was good for nothing other than playing football and repairing cars.

In a heavy silence, that was only filled by the soft country music Cole was playing, the two drove to the Lark.

"Hey, what are you all doing here?" Veronica asked once the pair had entered the cafè and she spotted her brother and his whole clique sitting on one of the couches.

The group which consisted of Skylar, Grace,Kiley, Alex and Jackie, all looked shocked that someone else had come to the cafè at such an early hour. While Alex's and Jackie's expression darkened by the sight of Cole, Skylar happily jumped up to hug his sister, having been somewhat worried about what she had been doing the whole night.