Secret Paradise

Chapter Two

5 years later

"If I win I want a big bag of candy Cole!" I yelled as we played Pokemon. I knew I was gonna win no matter what.

He bumps my hand "Nope you have to buy me candy." When he does that he cause me to hit the wrong button."HA!"

"Not ha."I end up winning any ways."So where's my candy?"

"You cheated!"He yelled.

"Did not.You bumped me."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Dylan you mom is on the phone."Cole's mom hands me the phone.

"Hello mom?"

"Hey sweetheart."She only called me sweetheart when something was wrong. My mom hated me."Look your dad is getting worse. I need you to come home so we can go see him."

I couldn't believe it my best friend was dieing. That's what my mom was telling me."Okay I'm coming right now."I go white and Cole sees.

"What's wrong Dylan?" He asks worried.

"Cole I think my dad is about to die."I try not to cry. I never cry, but now I am. Cole doesn't know what to do. We've been friend since we were 8 and he's never seen me cry.

"I'm sorry"He just sits there.

"I have to go home to say good bye."

"I'll walk you."Our house is less than a minute away from each other.

We go to the hospital and go in to my dads room. I see all the tubes in him and start to tear up. I can't believe he's in here like that.

"Hey butterfly!" He say. I hear the pain in his voice and I start to cry."Aw baby girl don't cry it's all gonna be okay." I can't say anything."Come here."He pats to the spot on his bed.

I walk ove slowly. Now the tears are just coming and they can't stop."I need to look after you mom and sister when I'm gone okay."I nod. "I need you to be strong for me and for you."

"Daddy please don't go!"I manage to say through the tears.

"I'm sorry."He kisses my forehead."I love you butterfly." The last thing I hear him say. The monitors so flat. I scream and cry hysterically.

"Some one help him please." I scream. My mom and the nurse come in."Help him please don't just stand there. Help him."

The room becomes crowded with people running back and forth say things I don't understand. My mom takes me out of the room. They close the door. It seems likes we wait for hours for them to come out.

They come out slowly like in the movies when something bad has happened. I grab Lilly and hold her tight. My mom starts to cry and I just wanna fade in to nothing. I want this to all go away. This is just a dream. I will wake up and It will all be fine. But it's not.

I wake up in my room. The last hing I remember is my mom crying and me just trying to forget everything. Was it just a dream? I hoped it was. I hear something at my window. I get up and feel sick. I have to sit back down. I stand up again and walk to the window and open it.

"Hey you okay?"It''s Cole.

"What are you doing out here?"I whisper yell at him.

"I'm here to check on my best friend."He smiles"Let me in!"

"Fine go to the front door." I walk down stairs. All the lights are out but you can hear my mom crying. I sneak to the front door and open it to find a little Cole waiting for me.

"God what took you so long I'm freezing."

"Sorry it's dark and my mom is still up. Come on lets go to my room." We go to my room and sit on the floor.

"So how are you?"He asked and that's when it hits me. My dad is gone. I lost him forever.

I start to cry. "I don't know how I am he died when I was right there."I start to fade as a lump grows in my throat. "They did nothing to help him. They just let him die right there" I'm crying a river.Cole comes over and hugs me.

"What are you doing?"I asked surprised.

He pulls away "My dad always does this when my mom cry and it makes her stop.I don't like you crying."

"Oh okay" then I grab him and we sit on my floor the whole night. I just cried in his arms. When I finally come to I look at the time. It's 4am. I get up and turn on the lights on.

"Ah it burns." he yells

"Shh. No one knows you're here."I remind him.

"Oh yeah huh!" he runs his fingers through his hair and that's when I see it.

"Cole what's that?"I point to his wrist. He pulls his sleeve down and tries to hide it but I've already seen it."Cole what's that?"I ask again

"Nothing I just ran in to the door." say like it's routine. But I know better.

"No you can't just run your whole wrist in to a door."I go up to him and pull his sleeve down. There are more bruises.

"I ran in to the door."He says again and this time I know he's lying.

"Bull I know when you're lieing. Who did this."I start to get mad. No one messes with my best friend. No one.

"No one did this."I give him a look that says it all."My dad okay."

"Ohmigosh! Cole what happen?"

"After you left I took Christy's markers to make you a card and she told on me for going in her room. My dad got carried a way and this happen."He's not telling me everything. These more to this.

"Cole how long has your dad been doing this ? and don't lie"

"Since I was 6."I couldn't believe what I heard. My best friend has been getting abused his whole life and I never noticed.

"I'm so sorry." I reach out to hug him and comfort him like he did me earlier but he pushes me away.

"Don't be. I don't need people feeling sorry for me."

"I don't feel sorry for you. I wish I could help you."

"Why help me you are living in your own hell. Your mom hates you and your dad just died."he was yelling at me. I start to cry again. I've been crying a lot today."I'm sorry I didn't meen it like that"

"Don't be sorry. My mom does hate me because I'm not her perfect little Lilly." I saw as I walk to turn off the lights. The sun is coming up so there is no need for it.

I walk over to my bed and look at a photo of all of us. It was the summer before my dad got sick we went to Cole's beach house. We all were so happy in this picture. Even Cole's family.

I feel someone sit next to me on my bed. I look up to see Cole. He's saying something."Did you hear me. I wish I could take us away from this place. I wish I could give us Paradise. Just for you and me."

I look at Cole and realized he's not that like 8 year old I use to beat up. He's starting to look cute. He's 13 and so am I. I don't know what happen but we were both leaning in and then our lips met. I pulled away quickly and got off the bed.

"Did I do something?"He asked puzzled. He got up and was next to me again. I turned towards him and our eyes meet again. He leaned in again. I was still trying to process the first kiss and now he's going in for another one.

His lips found mine and this time I didn't pull away. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. This was like a movie the sunrise. He pulls away.

I giggle."What?" he asks.

"You wanted Paradise for us well this feels like it. The sun rise. The kiss the only thing we need is theme music." We both laugh.

"I guess you're right."He admits.

"Oh I know I'm right." Go back to my bed and lay down. Thank god it was Saturday. Cole called and told his mom he was at my house in the morning so they wouldn't freak out.