Life After Claire

She's stuck in my Mind

Cole

I should be happy. I just came back from a terrific family dinner, I'm with my best friend and little sister, watching one of my favorite movies. But instead all I can think about is Noah. As much as the words hurt to hear them, I honestly don't think she meant them. It's like they weren't really her words. Something else is going on and I can't put it together.

"Earth to Cole!" My little sister calls out and Logan looks over at me concered.

"What?" I mumble out

"What's wrong with you? I asked you three times to pass over the popcorn and you just looked at tv blankly.

"Yeah man, What's  up?"

"Nothing, just tired." I lie and hand Courtney the popcorn like she asked.

A little while later Shane comes out wear pajama pants and sits down on the couch. I look over at Logan who's already looking at me, " Five minutes." I mouth and put up five fingers signaling that Shane would probably fall asleep within five minutes.

Sure enough, I was right. Shane was out cold and the rest of us were up watching Spider -Man when we hear someone's phone going off. "Logan, you going to get that?" I ask and he tels me it isn't his.

"Hello?" Shane says into his phone and I pause the movie so he can hear.

"Hi Robert." Shane says dryly. Robert only calls you when he's mad. When I lived in the house he use to call me...all the time.

"Because he's my brother and I am happy for him." Shane starts to raise his voice into the phone. If he get's any louder he'll wake up Claire.

"Since you married my mother that makes him my brother. I'll be damned if you think that I wouldn't think of him as family."

"Shane, calm down." I say and he glances over at me and hands me the phone.

"He is my son!  And I do not approve of him being gay. It will not be happening in this family!" Robert yells thinking that I'm Shane.

"Since when do you even care? You are barley in either of the kids life's anymore!" I yell at him

"How dare you say that! I don't want my children fucking their lifes like you did, and you are dragging your brother down with you!

"Shane didn't fuck his life up! Claire is the best thing that ever happened to our family! Robert, Shane saved me from having to live with you! I hated my life when I lived there! You took my wonderful mother and she isn't the same person! I hate you and I always will!" After I say that I hung up the phone and hand it back to Shane.

Everyone is looking at me in awe. I can't believe I said what I just said, but I needed to be said. I'm not actually sure that I hate Robert, I think I might have said it to hurt him. But I can't stand here and listen to him tell me that Claire is the result of a screw up. I love her more then I've ever loved anything else. And she isn't even my daughter.

"I'm going to bed." I say and stand up and walk to Shane's room because I gave mine up for my little sister again. I get blankets out of the closet and lay them on the floor and I lay down.

"Cole." Shane says walking into his room and sitting at the computer chair.

"I'm sleeping." I say and turn over the other way so I don't face him.

"Really Cole, are you going to be like that?" He asks me annoyed.

I pull my blanket over my head and then Shane gets on top of me try to pin me to the ground. Which is pretty easy because I wasn't excepting that and I'm already on the ground. "Forget that I was in wrestling little brother?"