I can't change who I am...and I don't want to.

Chapter 3 - You could've mentioned that?

Life isn't about how to survive the storm, 

It's about learning how to dance in the rain. 

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I could feel Cole's hands tightening around my waist. 

"Come on Cole spill the beans, what you gonna do with her? Another one of your nighters?" He then turned to me. 

"You're in for a treat babe, but I think you should change your mind and come with me instead, trust me I am way better."

Trust. I can barely trust myself let alone some stranger. 

"Darren, leaver her alone. It's none of your buisness, and don't talk to her like that again."

"Ooh so Cole is Mr loverboy now? Is he?" A green bottle filled with something smelling revolting, was rasied to his mouth. Drunk. 

"You're drunk. I'm going to take her home, and then you can crash at my place. Got it?"

"I've only...got...you babe" Shivering. A hand bolted up my dress caressing my bum. Screaming I jolted backwards. That's when it all started. Cole had pushed Darren down on the grass, soaking his top as he fell. When me and Cole retreated away and out the field, a hand was pulling me back. 

"Come one babe, don't be like that" Before I knew it, a hand dug it's way into his perfect face, causing him to do nothing but blink and look stunned. Cole had hit him. I felt my body being steared  down path as Cole was running pulling me away from the dark body left behind. 

"Cole, I can't breathe we need to stop." My ankle suddenly fell onto it's side causing a ripple of hurt through my body. 

"Erika we can't, if he catches us who knows what he'll do to you. He always get's what he wants."

Our feet were in a syncronzing pattern as we galloped down towards my house. Well I was attempting to. 

"I mean, I punched him. For real. If he remembers that then I doomed for."

"What how?" Breathessly these words escaped my panting lips. But the real question is how do they know each other?

"You don't punch your best friend, a guy that has saved your life so many times. Do you? Not to mention I still owe him." 

"Best friend?" We stood stationary outside my house until my mother pulled me in. 

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick! Why are you panting?" Her eyes averted up and down us. 

"We had to run..." As these words slipped out my mouth, Cole was in the corner of my eye; signalling me to shut up. 

"Run?" Stifly she turned to Cole.

'You know, I was gonna put our past behind us and let you be welcomed into my daugters life. Obviously you can't go a second without causing a racket with your stupid gang! I thought you were the good guy for once?!?" 

"Look mother you don't understand" Or maybe I didn't. Cole was in a gang? Him and my mother had a past?

"Oh I flipping well do! Erika he's going to get you hurt! You're already running from someone who wants to kill him!" 

"But..." Before I knew it I was uncapable of breathing, my legs and arms were shaking. My hands were surfacing my neck trying to relax my airways. It was too late, a panic attack was reaching towards me, swallowing me into pain and hurt. I'm so stupid. Trusting Cole, I had only just started speaking to him. Yet I had told myself I felt safe with him. My thoughts are all lies.