Kat253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNAPuIvm9d
September 1, 2005
253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgUh7n9mSD
*
One month later
*
Cole: He's going home today.
It's been almost two months since I saw him. I've tried to ignore all the calls and texts from Cole, Ben and even a few from Nate, although I suspect those weren't really him.
I've been able to block most of them out so far, but it's hard to ignore this one.
He's getting out.
He'll be free to do what he wants now. Everything could change today. I'm not sure I'm prepared.
Does he even care about me anymore?253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63ejiiXmVl
Will he try to talk to me? 253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztP2GC28d2
Will he try to become friends again?253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoZQpVncwg
Why do I even care?
He wants to be with Samantha. He made that pretty clear.
She won.
What's the point in even trying to be his friend? She would make my life miserable, if it's possible to get any worse than it already is.
I miss him so much it hurts, but I don't know if I can see him without it killing me inside.
I would be lying if I said I didn't love him, but I can't cling to false hope.
Getting over him will be tough, but I have no choice.
Staring at my phone, I contemplate texting Cole back, but what's the point?
Well, being a decent human being, for one. Cole's a good guy, he doesn't deserve to be ignored.
Or at least that's what I convince myself of as I hit send, before my brain can catch up to my fingers.
Me: Good for him.
I know it's not the best response, but in my head it was a lot less rude. When you text, things get lost in translation. There's no tone or body language to read. Everything can be so easily misunderstood.
Cole: It is. You should be here.
Uh, what? No freaking way. Why on earth would I do that?
Me: I don't think that would be a good idea.
I barely resist adding 'idiot' to the end. He doesn't deserve my bad mood. It wasn't Cole who broke my heart.
Cole: Probably not. I'm not sure he would want to see you anyway.
Ouch. I know it's true, but that stings. He probably wouldn't want me there while he's making out with Samantha. That would be awkward. Mostly for me.
Me: True. I'd just be in the way anyway.
I sigh. Flopping down on my bed. I'm sick of thinking about him being with her.
Cole: In the way of what?
Seriously. He can't be that clueless, can he?
Me: You know, him and Samantha.
Uh, duh. I shouldn't have to say it.
Cole: What are you talking about?
Before I can even begin typing, my phone dings.
Cole: I'll be right there.
He's coming here?
Me: What? Why?
As soon as I hit send, I get another message.
Cole: Are you in your room?
And another.
Cole: Don't leave.
And another.
Cole: Please.
I type the only thing I can think of.
Me: Okay.
Eloquent, I know, but hey, in my defense I am totally lost and confused about what is happening.
I barely manage to hide all our unmentionables and dirty dishes before there's a knock on the door.
I suck in a breath that does absolutely nothing to calm my nerves.
Why did he rush over here? What the heck is going on?
I swing open the door, unsure of what to expect. What I see is 100% the opposite of anything I ever imagined.
Ben.
The first thing I notice is his hair. It's so short you can no longer tell it was ever curly. I miss it, it added to his boyish charm, but at the same time I like what I see.
It's strange to see him looking so different, but it isn't bad. He looks more grown up, more mature. Like he's somehow years older. His white sleeveless shirt shows off his muscles and recently healed scars.
I wish he would smile, that's all I've wanted to see for months and yet, here he is, staring at me. His face is stern and unyielding.
Is he waiting for me to say something?
Cole appears behind him, shoving him into my room without warning.
"Okay. Let's sort this out, shall we?" He pushes Ben until he sits down on my bed. "Come on, bro. Stop being so menacing."
"Uhhh..." I want to address this wierd situation, but no words will come out. I just stand here, with my mouth hanging open, waiting for one of them to explain.
Ben just crosses his arms and continues to stare.
Cole moves next to me, startling me enough that my mouth clamps shut, finally. He gently directs me to sit on the other end of my bed. Somehow my legs cooperate long enough to get me there. The rest of my body, on the other hand, seems to be rebelling against me.
So I sit, waiting. 253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesx2slgvTM
Waiting. 253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jLsEOHfGQ
Waiting.
Cole clears his throat as he sits on Ness' bed but nobody speaks. Ben looks everywhere but at me while all I can do is stare at him.
More waiting. 253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZIRpC0LzM
Waiting. 253Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxz39lH4jv
Waiting.
Cole jumps up, drawing both of our attention. "Okay. Let's do this. Ben, why don't you tell us what happened to make you so grumpy?"
Ben's steely gaze turns on me. "Her."
"O-kay. Super talkative, I see." He begins pacing in front of us, like a layer presenting his case to the jury. "Well, what specifically do you think she did?"
Ben scoffs. "You know."
"Yes, of course I know, but Kat might not. " Cole points to me, as though Ben might not know who I am by name.
"She knows." Ben stands up, grunting. "This is stupid. I'm leaving."
Cole steps up, directly in his face, whispering loudly. I catch a few pieces of it, but not enough to make any sense of it. I managed to make out "...not going anywhere", "what you did" and "...deserves a chance."
It must have worked since, despite his clenched fists, he sits back down.
"Okay, where we're we?" Cole sits back down across the room. "Ah, yes. Ben, why don't you tell us what Kat did to break your heart."
I can feel my eyes bulging out of my head. I broke his heart?
Wait. What on earth is happening? Is this a joke? Because this is not funny.
He broke my heart. I didn't do anything to him.
Ben gives a humorless chuckle. "Same thing she always does."
"And what's that?" Cole leans forward, but I barely notice as my brain tries to comprehend what is happening.
I turn to face Ben, anxious and incredibly nervous to hear the next words that come out of his mouth.
"She ran."
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