The Eighteenth Birthday

Chapter Five

Mrs. Franklin, Veronica Franklin. Piper’s mom, Veronica Franklin. How could this be? My own girlfriend’s mother?! No. Not possible. It has to be somebody else. Dad’s pulling my leg. But he sighed. He never sighs. Ever. It’s true. I’ve been played. I guess that’s the fact I really didn’t want to face. My wonderful relationship with Piper Franklin, my girlfriend of four years, was a complete lie. I felt broken. Never in my life have I felt this way. Today was going to be the day I told her...that I love her. No, I've never actually told her these past four years. Because of my messed up childhood I've had the hardest time understanding what love even is. But it was never real.

I sat there and stared off into space. Dad just sat there patiently waiting for me to snap out of it. When I didn’t, he put a comforting hand on my leg and then got up. I got up too, except I ran outside. I noticed that with every step I took, it set fire to the grass. At this point I didn’t care. That is, until I heard Dad calling after me. I turned around and saw that the whole lawn was on fire. I’m not sure how I figured this out, but I held my hands out and water sprayed. I put the fire out. I did that. With my body. It’s so weird, but feels so natural. I ran back to the house.

“Veronica has a tracking system to tell her when something happens with our powers. She’ll find you. Get inside.”

“She could have taken me away when she took everybody else. But she didn’t she knows where I live. Yet I’m still here.”

“She may not have known that you necessarily have the gene, Cole. Now get inside.” I obeyed his orders, and followed him in, closing the door behind me. “I’m sorry about Piper. Really, I am, but right now, we need to focus on getting everybody back home safe.”

“Except for mom and Will. Screw them. They aren’t worth my time.”

“Cole, please. You need to forgive and forget. Now that you have developed your powers, and understand the circumstances of the situation, you need to control your anger and hatred.”

“But-”

“No buts, I have done the same, you should be able to as well.”

“How?! Mom cheated on you! How can you forgive her for that?!” I was yelling now, and I heard thunder outside. Cool down, Cole.

“I still love your mother, and that will never change. Whether she cheated on me or not. She gave me everything I could’ve ever wanted, a family. How can I hate her after that?” he said sincerely.

“Fine. I’ll try.”

“Good, now as I was saying, before we plan the rescue mission, we need to track them down. Otherwise, the plan is useless.”

⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡

We spent all day tracking, and I passed out halfway through, so I don’t know how far we got. I was just so freaked out by my dream when I next woke:

I was in a wet, cold, dark room. I think a door was in the corner opposite from the one which I sat. A shadow entered through the opposite corner. Yep, definitely a door.

“Cole Donnelly. Nice to see you again. How have you been? How’s your development? Taking it in nicely?” questioned the cold voice of the shadow. It made me shudder. It sounded like...Veronica.

“Veronica. Let me go! Where’s my family?!”

“Oh, why in such a hurry? Stay awhile, relax. I advise it.”

For the first time, I realized that my wrists were cuffed, and chained to the wall. They tightened.

“At least...let me...see Piper,” I grunted between words. “Please! Just once.”

“Oh, don’t worry Cole, you’ll see Piper in a few hours,” she hissed. “When she disposes of you.” Then Veronica did an evil laugh so similar to that of an animated character, it was scary. She left and everything blurred.

“Cole. Cole! Get up! I found them! Cole! We have to go! Now! Before it’s too late. Let’s go! Get up!”

I finally woke. Dad had really found them. He explained the plan to me, and we would leave in a few hours. But I still couldn’t get over that dream....