Silence Read Free

Cole. He looked like he was weighing up his options: start a fight, or leave.
    Grabbing my bag, I sprinted towards the school gates. I couldn’t do this; I needed to get away.
    “Oakley?” Cole shouted after me.
    If I turned around, I would probably burst into tears, so I kept running. I ran out of the gates and towards the park. My legs started to burn as I pushed myself faster. I could feel a stitch forming in my side, but I didn’t slow my pace, I pushed harder. Why were things so complicated? If I could go to sleep and wake up as someone else, anyone else, I would do it in a heartbeat.
    “Hey, Oakley, will you stop?” Cole’s hand circled around my wrist, and he pulled me to a stop. We were both out of breath. I rested my hands on my thighs and tried to catch my breath. As I looked down, I felt a warm tear slide down my cheek and drop to the floor. Not again!
    “Don’t cry,” he pleaded softly, and crouched down beside me. His finger brushed my cheek, and without thinking or planning it, I leant my head into his hand and closed my eyes.              
    “He’s not worth it. Just forget about him.” I was suddenly pulled into his strong, safe arms. I breathed him in. His aftershave mixed with his own scent was all I needed to calm down. I regained control over my emotions and smiled against his chest. Being wrapped up in his arms was my favourite place to be.
    Cole didn’t care that I no longer spoke. He just cared about me and over the years. I started to feel more for him.
    Eventually, after what seemed like hours yet still not long enough, I forced my head up to look at him. He grinned sheepishly: “You wanna ditch the rest of the day? We could go eat our own weight in ice cream.”
    That was a tactical move. He knew I loved ice cream and was using it to get himself out of trouble. Well, you know you’re going to give in! I smiled and rolled my eyes.
    “Good. Come on then, little Miss.”
    As we turned and walked through along the path that led into town, Cole grabbed my hand. My heart jumped as his fingers slotted perfectly between mine. The gesture was probably nothing to him, but it made my heart race and made an idiotic smile a permanent feature on my face.
    For the entire fifteen-minute walk, Cole’s hand was wound firmly around mine. I didn’t ever want to let go. I felt safe. Nevertheless, I kept my head down, hiding behind Cole as we walked through the small town. I was in my school uniform and didn’t want anyone my parents knew to see me. Dad wouldn’t like it at all.
    We finally reached the place that had the best ice cream around, Julie’s Café. Cole and I spent so much time there, it was like a home from home. We would chill in one of the booths and eat our fill of ice cream. It looked like your typical diner-style café, with light blue walls and cream booths and tables. The atmosphere was warm, friendly, and welcoming.
    “Oh, there you two are,” Julie yelled across the café. She was in her mid-forties and was one of the sweetest, friendliest, and most caring people I knew. The first thing I noticed about her was her new haircut. It usually fell just below the small of her back but was mostly tied up. Now it sat on her shoulders and flicked under. It made her look younger.
    “Take a seat and I’ll bring over your usual.” She ushered us towards a booth by the window. It was the booth we always chose whenever it was free.
    “Thanks,” Cole said, laughing as she fussed around, swiping up a crumpled napkin from our table. Everything had to be perfect for her customers: that was just how she was. We had barely sat down when one of the waitresses appeared with a chocolate milkshake and chocolate ice cream for Cole, and a strawberry milkshake and cookie dough ice cream for me.
    I was just about to dig into my ice cream when I heard a voice that made me want to throw something: the girl that liked Cole. No-name Meg-lookalike.
    “There you are! You didn’t say where you