The Streets Higher Stakes

21. Communication Cut Off

Cole would be coming back to school today. It would be his first time back to school since he had been shot. Everyone had found out why he had been hospitalized and they all turned to us. People said Thayer had shot Cole because he had feelings for me and wanted Cole out of the way. People said that Cole had shot himself while target practicing for a top secret mission we were supposed to go on.

These rumors made us all laugh.

"Look." A girl who sat at the next lunch table said as she looked towards the cafe entrances. Cole had just walked through the door with Theo. He said something to Cole and he grinned at Theo before he looked up at me. His grinned facial expression fell as they approached and sat down with Dakota and I. Cole sat beside me and wrapped his arm around my tense shoulders.

"I'm sorry about what happened the other day," I looked at him seeing he was looking at me guilty. "I shouldn't have pushed you."

I pressed my lips together still a bit ticked off. But with all the planning and stressing out about what to do, I didn't need Cole and I fighting. "Don't push me again," I said. He nodded and pressed his lips to my temple.

"So Thayer's still pissed," Paul commented as he stole some of Dakotas lunch. I groaned. Thayer wasn't acting like himself and was distant with us. I would have to talk to him.

"He'll calm down." Theo said as he popped a pill in his mouth. "What we need to do is focus on everything that's going on."

"We're going after Zeke first. He made a threat, we should screw with him so his plan isn't the best." I knew how I was going to get back at him.

"Do you have a plan?" Dakota asked.

"Yes. He has a girlfriend so I'm going to talk to her and scare her away from him." I felt a sour taste in my mouth at the thought of him with someone else. She didn't know about what he did or how bad of a person he truly is. But she would.

"Seems fair to me," Cole replied as they all eyed me. I hadn't included them on how I had come up with my plan and I want going to. That was unlike me. But if I told them I would have revealed my secret. They already knew my messed up past and I didn't want them to know what else had occurred.

"Don't worry. You'll all thank me later." I answered the unasked questions. They looked at each other before they decided that was all that they were going to get.

"We should party after we go after him. We all need it." Dakota said as the conversation had changed.

"Agreed," I sighed. The bell rang and Cole kissed me goodbye as we made our separate ways to our classes. The rest of the day went by fast enough and I found myself staring up at the bottom of Dakotas bunk bed.

"Hey," Cole murmured as he sat on the end of the bed. "I wanted to ask you to come out with me next week."

I shifted my head to look at him. There was apart of me that wanted to go and a part of me that didn't want to go. I had to prepare myself for what I was about to do tomorrow and the emotional impact it would have on me. But I wanted to go because our last date was me crying most of the time and him comforting me.

"Okay," I sighed. He gave me a tight smile before he laid down beside me. He toyed with the ends of my hair before he spoke. "What are you thinking about?" He asked quietly. I could hear the others in the background as they chatted.

"I'm just thinking about how to calm Thayer down." I lied. I was surprised how easily it came off my tongue.

"He'll come around," he Theo's words from this afternoon. I nodded my head as we became silent again.

I could feel my walls building up as he laid beside me. I could hear the unasked questions he wanted to ask in his head as clearly as my own thoughts. I didn't know if I would feel more irritated if he asked them or left them unasked. But before I snapped at him, Thayer came up the stairs. He looked tired with darkened circles under his eyes. He didn't say anything to any of us but walked to his bunk bed and collapsed on top. I glanced at my phone to see the time as I heard his snores.

It was only 5:00. Why would he be so tired this early? He didn't go to school today and had been off on his own all day. I sighed not wanting to overthink anything. I laid there beside Cole the rest of the night before I fell asleep.