Atuality *editing*

Chapter 6

I woke up to yelling downstairs. It sounded like David and someone else. I couldn't make out their voice.

"You can't just take off whenever you want!" David yelled.

"Why not?!" The voice yelled. "You let Max do it all the time am I right?!"

"That's different!" David said. "Max did it to stay out of trouble, not to get into it!"

"How do you know if I'm getting into it?!" The voice said. "Can't you trust me?!"

"You haven't been here long enough for you to earn my trust!" David said.

"How long did it take for Max to earn it!?"

"Stop bringing her up!" David said. "You're not Max, you're Cole! I don't know what you're doing out there. Everyone that mattered to Max lived in this house! There was no getting into trouble!"

"But you assume I will?!" Cole said. "Why?! Because you blame me for what happened to her?!"

"No!"

"Yeah right, I know you do," Cole said. "You all do."

I heard foot steps coming up the stairs. Cole walked in and layed down on his bed.

"I don't blame you for what happened to her," I said.

"Just shut up," Cole said. "I don't want to hear it."

I got up from my bed and walked over to him.

"Look," I said. "I'm the only one who's going to stick up for you in this house. Maybe you should be a bit nicer."

"I don't need you to stand up for me," he said. "I'm fine by myself."

"You could at least try to get to know this family," I said. "Be a part of it."

"It's hard to be a part of a family that you didn't want to be a part of in the first place," he said.

"Well I bet it's better than that foster home," I said.

He stayed silent.

"Max came here with the same attitude," I said. "Not wanting to be a part of any family. Thought all adults were the same. Abusive, untrustworthy, scary. Any adult that came across us she would flip. Tell them off, threaten them, over all just rude. You should've seen her face when she found out we got adopted. It was like everything just shattered around her. Of course she tried to hide that. As soon as she saw him, she put herself on guard. She saw him as a threat to everyone. And obviously that didn't help when David took her gun and she got kidnapped. But finally after a couple of months she came to me and asked if she should trust him. I told her its up to her, but she should give him a real chance. She did. That was when she actually earned David's trust, the day she trusted him. She was his little girl, whether they both wanted to admit it or not. He came out of the hospital room smiling and crying because that was the first time she called him 'dad'."

"What is the point to this story," Cole said annoyed.

"Let your guard down," I said. "Give us a chance."

"Not a chance," he said.

"Well that's up to you," I said. "But I hope you'll change your mind."

I walked out of the room downstairs to the kitchen.

David was sitting at the table with his head in his hands. I sat down next to him.

"Just give him time, dad," I said. "He'll come around. Max was the same way."

"I know, that's the problem," he said. "He's so much like Max. But there's more anger inside of him. I don't know how long he's going to take to get used to it here."

There was a knock on the door. I got up to answer it.

I opened the door and there were two police men. One I didn't know and the other one who I recognized as Jacob.

"Is Cole here?" The one I didn't know said.

"Yes," I said. "Is there something wrong?"

"Can you call him down for us please?"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," I said.

"We have a warrant for his arrest," he said. "If you don't bring him down here, we'll have to arrest you as well."

"Okay seriously?" I said. "That's all you had to say! There was no reason to threaten me. Cole someone is at the door for you!"

"I don't like your attitude," he said.

"Are you new here?" I asked. "I always have this attitude."

"Yes he is," Jacob said. "He's taking the place of officer Luke. Rick, this is Chris."

"Oh, Chris," Rick said. "I've heard a lot about you. Any trouble from you, I will not hesitate to arrest you."

"Are you actually threatening me right now?!" I said.

"Its not a threat, it's a promise," he said.

"Jacob, you need to control your partner here," I said. "He's tempting me."

"Chris just go back inside," Jacob said.

"This is my house," I said. "He's harassing me. At my house for no reason."

"I think you being on probation is a good enough reason," Rick said.

I started walking towards him. Jacob pushed me back.

"I was helping my sister!" I yelled.

David came outside.

"What's going on?" David asked.

"We just came to get Cole," Jacob said. "We have a warrant for his arrest."

"And his partner is threatening to arrest me as well," I said. "Just because I'm on probation."

"What exactly did Chris do to deserve that threat?" David asked.

"His reputation isn't a good one," Rick said.

"That was in his past!" David yelled. "The next time you talk to my son without my consent, I will report you for harassment! Now get off my property!"

"We still need Cole," Rick said.

"Then Jacob can do it," David said.

Rick got into his car and drove off and David went to get Cole.

"Where's Officer Luke at anyway?" I asked.

"He moved," Jacob said. "Don't expect to be let off easy anymore."

"I'm done with all that stuff," I said.

"Good," he said. "You guys are doing great so far. Keep it up okay."

I nodded.

Cole finally came downstairs.

"Cole, you are under arrest for the murder of your father," Jacob said.