A Year with IM5

Chapter 3

Dana's POV

Cole came into the music room and started crying. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that she had a boyfriend.
All that went through my head was: 'What? Since When? Who? and tonight is gonna be awkward.'
I walked up to her room and knocked on the door. She got up and answered the door. When I looked at her she didn't look well. I came in and closed the door and sat her on the bed. Her eyes were red and puffy and I could tell she had been crying.
"What's wrong," I ask her pulling her into a hug.
"Cole hasn't already told you?" She was still sniffling
"The only thing I heard was you have a boyfriend." I tell her.
She then tells me everything that happened from Cole helping her study to them hugging.
"It is going to be okay," I say as I pull her out of the hug and lay her head in my lap. Then I start playing with her hair. Everything was quiet until I barely touched a strand of hair and she said "Ow!"
I looked at her head and there was a bruise.
"What is this from?"
"Nothing," she mumbled.
"Elizabeth tell me where the bruise is from?" I told her my voice getting sterner. I have always felt like she was a little sister to me, I am very protective of her.
"It's nothing."
"Elizabeth, something happened and I'm not leaving your side until you tell me who did this to you."
"Justin."
"Justin who?"
"Justin Parks." she barely manages to squeak out.
"Is he your boyfriend?"
'Yeah," she says and starts crying.
"How long has he been doing this?"
"About 2 months"
"Elizabeth, why haven't you done anything?"
"I couldn't he said if anyone found out he would only make it worse."
"You are not going anywhere without me or one of the guys with you."
"What about school?"
"I'm sure under the circumstances we can come."
"Okay thank you."
Then we hear running up the stairs. We started laughing as we heard someone fall the I gave her a serious look. She looked at me back and nodded. She knew we had to tell the guys so why not do it now? The guys walked in and saw her crying. Cole had stopped crying and now you couldn't tell he was sad at all but, when he saw Elizabeth crying he asked what was wrong. I told all the guys what happened and then Elizabeth sat up. We discussed how we were going to have one of us near her at all times, including school. After that Cole got up and gave Elizabeth a hug. I could've been imagining things but I thought I saw a brief smile on her face for a second while they hugged. Then Will being his immature self started an all out pillow war. We fought until Elizabeth's dad came in and told us dinner was ready. Elizabeth walked to the door and gave her dad a kiss and told him we'd be down in a second. She turned around and gave us all a smirk then took off down the stairs and into the kitchen. We tried to catch up but only Cole was fast enough to actually do it.

During dinner there was only small talk. After Elizabeth stayed and helped her mom clean up and we went and talked with her dad. After she finished she went upstairs and changed. She came down in sweats a tank top and her hair up in a messy bun. I caught Cole staring and hit him in the arm. She plopped down on the couch in between me and Cole and said "Let's watch a movie." After 10 minutes of arguing she lost and we were watching The Exorcist. She put the movie in then gave me the death glare but, that didn't last long because the next thing I know she is wrapped up in a blank hiding behind my arm. I got bored so I went to sleep, it had been a long day and tomorrow was going to be even longer since I had to go with her to the mall.

Elizabeth's POV

Dana fell asleep, he fell asleep in the middle of the movie. The rest of the guys had already fell asleep so it was just me him and Cole up, then he fell asleep. Things were still a little awkward between Cole and I so I decided to try my hardest to suck it up. I was doing good until the next part of the movie, that was scary! Out of habit with Dana I buried my head into Cole's chest. I didn't even realize it was him until he whispered in my ear "It'll be ok. I'll protect you." After that I felt fine so I snuggled up Close to him and we fell asleep with my head on his chest. I thought to myself 'I must be the luckiest girl in the world right now.'