Alone at Six

We spent the first half of the day searching classes for Cole. This time I have may phone on me so when one of us found her they could call, but no one ever did. We kept getting caught up in explaining about the event in three days and the assembly tomorrow that Mrs. Garrison had apparently informed us about yesterday. A hundred percent ready to sit through the class I saw her come out of yesterday, I was disappointed when I was pulled into another room, in another building, by a fan.

"Jinxx!" I shouted once I saw his face. Hanging up the phone I was about to call him on, I ran to him, taking his shoulders and slamming him against the lockers. "Where's Cole's fourth period!?"

"D building." He told me as he gave me a look. "The class with the old guy about your size."

Grabbing his head, I pulled him closer so I could kiss his nose but he took his hand and pushed my face back.

"Don't fight it!" I shouted. Wrestling him to the ground -in the middle of the hallway, between classes, and with everyone looking- I finally kissed the tip of his nose, making it extra wet for the struggle, and pushed off the ground to run to D building.

"Thanks Jinxx!" I yelled back before the doors closed.

After running into three different walls of plexiglass, I eventually made it to D building. Finding the teacher described with more ease than walking -which seems not to be too easy today- I walked up to him to see if Cole really was in the class.

"Hi." I smiled at him not only to be polite, but because I was pleased to be talking to someone eye level. Mr. Wood was a older man, probably in his late sixties, with a hunch, long skinny limbs, and a nose that stretched out and down.

Before I could say anything more, he smiled at me and said "You're the young man that my kids have been talking about? Andy Pitts? I can hardly get my girls to look at the board!"

"It's Andy six." I smiled. "Sorry for the disruption. You can call my mother and blame her if you want."

He furrowed his eye brows. "I can't imagine why I'd do that."

"Well, someone had to give me these good looks." Succeeding in making him laugh I asked what I was really here for. "Do you happen to have Cole Tello in your class?"

"That young lady!" He exclaimed. "Yes! Right now, in fact. Why do you ask?"

"Yes!" After doing a congratulatory min-dance, I turned back to the amused old mam. "Do you mind if I sit through your class?"

"Not at all!" Pulling up his pants, he gestured for me to follow him through the door. "Sit right in the back, right there. That's where Cole sits, right next to that seat. She's usually a few minutes late, I let it slide. She's not missing anything." As the bell rang, he pointed a finger at me with a semi-serious look on his face. "Don't distracts my girls."

Nodding, I leaned back and kept a eye on the door, glad the seat was close to it. The feeling of eyes looking at me was blunt, but they were easy to ignore knowing Cole would walk through any moment to the seat next to me.

When the door slowly opened, I smiled at the panting Cole in white. She quietly sat down, not realizing all the eyes looking in her direction. Once she had pulled out a binder and pencil, she looked up and froze in what I assume was shock. As cautiously as possible, she looked at me then back at the eyes staring at us.

"Hi." She said slowly and silently. "I'm Cole."

My smile dropped. "I'm sorry, I have to ask. Do you have short term memory loss or am I really that unmemorable to you?" Before she had a chance to answer, I put up a finger. "Hi, I'm Andrew Beirsack. I met you at a concert Saturday night, took you home Sunday morning, Chased you and had the crap beat out of me by you Sunday, had no lunch with you Monday, Drove you home Monday, got these" I pulled down my lip like I had that morning. "from your head Monday, Had you run away from me Tuesday morning, and spent the rest of my whole. day looking for you. And I think I know your name, Cole Tello."

She stared at me wide eyed, mouth gaping, same as the people closest to us that were gawking. Her mouth closed and opened multiple times, little noises coming from her throat.

"Hey everyone!" Mr Wood spoke up. "The board is up here!"

Everyone looked forward, including Cole, a silent layer of mixed emotions hovering over the room.

God, Andrew. Nice fucking job. Nice. Fucking. Job.