Alone at Six

I turned towards Cole to try to explain myself and maybe get her to feel a little better. "Cole....." I found myself face-to-face with a row of blue lockers. Looking in the opposite direction of the clattering footsteps made by my band mates, I saw a cape of dark brown hair fly out of the C building door.

I only stood there, immobilized. She had left so quick, so upset. Almost like when I chased her through Ocean City. What do I do this time? If I follow her I might risk scaring her or just making her more upset. But I didn't want to leave her alone and upset, I wanted to make it better. My feet wouldn't move, my mind wouldn't ether, and I finally knew what a statue felt like.

"Andy...." Jake's hand was on my shoulder, patting me like I was some sort of dog or like I was the one that needed comforting. "I'm sure that she'll, um, I'm sure she'll come-" as his pep talk faltered, two hands shoved me forewords and the word "go!" was shouted after me.

It didn't take much to get me going, only the shove really, and I didn't exactly need one that hard. I mean really, I probably have marks now. But there wasn't time to worry or care, I've already figured out that no matter how short her legs were, Cole was faster than me and probably anyone else that felt the undying urge to race her. Usain Bolt would stand no chance.

I wonder what she's thinking. Maybe she finds it creepy that I care so much as to yell at a teenager or go off looking fer her. I am only a member of some band she likes, it's not like there's some meaningful history connecting us. It would only be band and fan to her, nothing more.

I kept looking for her anyway. Just because that may be what she sees it as doesn't change the way it is to me. Plus, that was only a thought, right? There are plenty of other reasons for her running off so fast. But if I was right, then I was only digging myself in deeper by looking for her.

I didn't spot her in any of the breezeways I walked through and all the building I looked in -though the doors were locked so I just peered through the windows- were empty. This school had way more places to hid that others I've seen. The outside campus was a fairly big size for a high school, but not only did it have area around, they also have the quads which made this game of hide and seek a difficult one.

I should probably stop looking for her. If she ran from me then she obviously didn't want to see me. I'm like some creeper stalker guy that you would see on World Dumbest Criminals. The one that follows the girl to a police station and gets arrested for attempted theft......not that that's my goal, theft.

I'll just stop. Yeah. She obviously doesn't want me near her and I'm obviously coming off as a creeper. So I sat down with my back against the side of the gymnasium and looked out at the sunlit tennis court.

I wasn't even there for a full two minutes before I saw the shadow of a short body fall into the spot next to me and sighed. For a second my breathing stopped and I swear I felt my heart hit my ribs. Did Cole find me instead of me finding her? What did she want to talk about, she wanted to talk since she did sit down, didn't she?. Or maybe she didn't want to, she just wanted to sit there because she could.

My mind and heart calmed down and I picked back up on my breathing once I realized it was only Ms.Garrison's slightly similar figure that had sat next to me.

"Hello, Mr.Birdsack." She said.

I was almost too shocked that she didn't yell it at me to correct her. "It's Biersack, actually."

"Ah, right!" Even though she said it with enthusiasm, it still wasn't as bad as earlier. I guess as the days end even the crazies get tired. "Sorry. So whatcha doing out here? Your friends are inside."

Sighing, I decided to tell her the truth, or at least part of it. I mean, it's not like it'll hurt anything but I also don't think she'd appreciate me yelling at one of the students. "I was looking for Cole. I can't find her anywhere."

"Cole?" She asked it like she didn't need a answer. "I saw her headed toward the track a little while ago. She looked upset, what did you do?"

I sighed again. Even the teacher knew I did something, maybe it was a bad idea to go find her. But no matter how bad I wanted to ignore it, my chest did jump the smallest bit at the information. "I didn't do anything." I said, fighting my feet that were itching to get up and search for the track.

To my surprise, she hit me on the back of the head so hard that my forehead almost hit my knees. "Andrew Birdsack, do not tell me nothing. Cole is my favorite student, she is thee student. She may have the mouth of a sailor, can't shoot a basket for anything, and is more hard headed than Aron, but she is my favorite. If I find out you've been screwing with the head of my favorite, I will have to do some very not nice things to you."

"Yes ma'am." I felt like I was back behind a gate and my mom was yelling at me for wetting my pants , saying that if I did it one more time I'd be wearing diapers again. Of course then I cried, now I just shut up, shocked.

"Good." She patted my head, like a dog, but I didn't dare to fight it. "Because that girl will knock you out in a heartbeat!"

I gave a nervous laugh while slowly standing, not really wanting to let go the fact that I already knew and could still feel the bruises on my stomach and chest. "I'll see you later Ms.Garrison."

"Bye Andrew." She said standing up. "Don't screw up again."

"I won't." I laughed a little to cover up the lie.