Silence

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Cole

The summer had passed so bloody quickly, and school started again on Monday. I had just two more days off. At least this was my last year at Sixth Form, and then I could concentrate on University. Now Uni was something I couldn't wait for, I'd be studying for something that interested me – structural engineering. I wanted to be the one figuring out how big, fuck-off buildings wouldn't fall on top of people.

"Cole, will you hurry up! You take longer to get ready than my sister," Jasper screamed. I winced as his high-pitched, pretending-to-be-a-girl voice cut right through me.

"Jesus, Jasper! I'm standing right next to you! I'm ready."

I grabbed my wallet, slipping it into my pocket and sprayed some aftershave on my neck. It was Oakley's favourite, and the one she bought me for Christmas for the last few years.

I loved it.

Tonight, I was going out with Jasper and Ben. Oakley was having a girl's night in with Sarah, Mia, my mum and Kerry. She seemed pretty excited to spend the evening pampering herself with that muddy-looking crap you put on your face. That I had once put on my face.

Never again.

"Cole," Jasper whined. "What's taking you so long?"

"I was in the shower five minutes ago, man, it's not like I've been getting ready for an hour."

"And why were you in the shower just five minutes ago?"

Damn. That'd be because I'd been with Oakley.

He saw my expression and laughed. "You're so whipped. But I'm glad you are. She's going to really need you one day."

"What's that mean?"

He tilted his head, looking at me like I'd just asked something dumb. "You know what that means. Whatever made her quit talkin' to us is bound to catch up with her. I've been prepared to drop everything since it happened, but she won't want me now."

"I'll do anything to help her. You know that."

"I do, bro, and that's why your area is still intact. Now, hurry up, you're wasting valuable drinking time."

I was distracted by his words. He was right. One day she'd have to face whatever went down. I had absolutely no idea what that was, but I knew it terrified me. I also knew there was nothing that could scare me away from her, no matter how hard things got, not matter how much it hurt.

"Cole!"

"Yeah, I'm coming!"

Jasper chuckled. "I thought you looked a bit funny." I shoved past him, rolling my eyes.

Don't stress about what could happen now. Whatever's going on you'll fix it for her.

The past few weeks had been perfect. Oakley's parents were doing their best to accept that we were together and to be happy for us. We weren't allowed to sleep over each other's anymore, as anticipated, but that didn't bother me. It really didn't help that Jasper was always around to offer another teen pregnancy statistic. He knew entirely too much on the subject.

"Alright, man, I'm gonna bet you right now that I get more phone numbers tonight," he said, slapping me on the back as we walked out to wait for the taxi. We already know this.

"I'm not getting any phone numbers tonight. I'm with your sister, remember?"

"So you fold? I win?"

I sighed in defeat. "Yes, Jasper, you win."

The black taxi pulled up outside my house. Jasper stopped and looked at his reflection in the window, messing his hair up. "Do I look okay?"