A Year with IM5

Chapter 17

Cole’s POV

Elizabeth was being really distant. I think it might have something to do with whoever she was FaceTiming but I don’t know. I just need some time and space. I put on my shirt and sunglasses and started walking out of Waterville. Luckily no one noticed me so I wasn’t mobbed by fans. I didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was I needed time to think.

I remembered the pier Elizabeth took me (and Will as a third wheel) to and I decided to go there. It only took 10 minutes to walk there and once I got there I just laid down. I heard a truck pull up so I sat up, only to be greeted by the one face I really didn’t want to see right now, Justin. 

“Well, well. Look who’s here,” Daniel said.

“Didn’t think we’d see you here Pendery.” Justin said with a small grin on his face. 

“What do you want Justin?” I asked him through gritted teeth.

“I want my Elizabeth back, and the only way I’m going to do that is to get rid of you.” he said stepping onto the pier and walking closer to me.

“She’s not going to go back to you. Dana isn’t going to let her.” I tell him. By now my fists were starting to clench up and I was standing up.

“We’ll worry about Dana later,” he said “but right now. There’s 3 of us and only 1 of you.”

Next thing I know Justin punched me in the stomach and started punching my face until everything around me went completely black. For a moment I thought I heard Dana’s voice but then I fell back into the dark. 

When I woke up I was in a bright room and it was really quiet. Elizabeth was talking to a nurse and she looked pretty upset.

“He’s awake.” Gabe said.

Elizabeth immediately turned around. She had tears down here face and her eyes were red from where she had been crying earlier. I wanted to talk to her but I had a breathing tube down my throat.The doctor came in and started talking to Elizabeth and then he left. The guys had left when the doctor walked in. Elizabeth walked over to me and started talking.

“I love you,” she said holding my hand. I gently squeezed back so she knew I was listening. “The doctor said he was going to keep you overnight tonight and make sure everything is okay. If every thing is okay he is going to send you home in the morning.”

Then the doctor walked in with the nurse and they took out my breathing tube. They told me everything Elizabeth had just told me and then they left again. Elizabeth gets one of the guys to go get some of my clothes. She climbed into the hospital bed with me being careful not to touch my ribs or the side of my face. 

“What happened? Do you remember?”

“After I left Waterville I went to the pier because I needed to think-”

“About what?”

‘It’s nothing. So anyways I was laying on the pier and Justin pulled up and then he said he was going to get you back and then started attacking me.”

“So it’s all my fault.” She said with her face growing sadder by the second.

“No baby, it’s not your fault it’s mine, I should’ve just talked to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well I heard you FaceTiming someone and you sounded really excited when you were talking to him and then I heard he was coming and you said it was a secret and then you called him baby.”

“Cole, that was my cousin. Why didn’t you just ask me?”

“I don’t know. I just thought that-”

“You thought I was cheating on you?” She said her voice getting dry. Before I could answer she started talking “I can’t believe you would think that. You know I love you Cole.”

“I know.”

She laid next to me until I fell asleep. When I woke up she was in the room talking with the doctor about medical school. That’s one thing I love about her, she could start a conversation with anyone about almost anything. 

“It’s about time you woke up.” she said walking over towards the bed.

“Everything is fine Mr. Pendery, you are free to go and you have an excellent girl here, you’d better keep her around.” the doctor told me.

I chuckled as Elizabeth was blushing. She never liked attention being brought to her, especially about her intelligence.

“I intend to. Thank you for everything.” I told the doctor as he left the room. 

“Gabe is on his way to pick us up.” Elizabeth told me as she gathered some of my stuff.

I just realized what she was wearing. Black pants, that fit her quite well if I may add, a white button up top and a black jacket.

“Where are you going?” I asked her.

“Online college interview today.”

“Already but you are going to be a senior next year.”

“I only have to go one semester until I can go to college.”

“Where are you interviewing at?” I asked her scared she would go to Harvard School of Medicine in Boston which would make us farther away from each other.

“That is for me to know and you,” she put her finger on my nose “to find out”

“But baby...” I whined.

“You will find out when I go.”

“Fine.” I gave in.

Gabe showed up at the hospital and we left. I had to hold onto Elizabeth as I was walking. We got home and then Elizabeth left to go to the school to do her online interview. 

“Hey guys, did y’all know anything about Elizabeth’s interview.”

“Yeah.” David said.

“What college is it?” I asked them. I was getting really nervous about where she had chosen.

“Sorry bro, can’t tell.” Dana said. 

“What dude! Why not?!” I can’t believe she told them and not me.

“It’s a secret.”

“Apparently not a good one.” I huffed.

“Well, you don’t know so we are doing a good job.” Will said.

“I’m going to the pool.” I say and start walking to the room to change.

I went to the pool and it felt really good to just be alone and have time to think. Then, Elizabeth came out the doors. She was being carried by a pretty muscular guy and they were laughing. Then he threw her into the pool. 

“Dustin, you idiot!” she yelled at him and then swam over to me. Dustin got in and started heading towards us.

“Dustin, this is Cole. Cole this is Dustin.” she introduced us. 

“Nice to meet you.”