The Moon's - { Skins Gen II }

chapter thirty seven

"Gwen!" Cook yelled through the letterbox. He had his hood up, hands in his pockets, shivering from the cold as he repeatedly scouted the area, hiding within the shadows. "Gwen!" He spoke again.

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming." Gwen whispered angrily as she opened the door yawning. "What the fuck is wrong with you, it's two in the morning and my mums here?" She scowled, arms crossed. Cook said nothing as he hastily pushed her backwards, jumping inside the house.  "Cook! What the fuck?"

"I need to talk to you." Cook trembled, Gwen finally stopping to see the fear in his eyes.

"What's wrong, is everything alright?" Gwen suddenly mumbled soothingly, reaching out to touch Cook's face.

"No. It's - it's not." Cook began to stutter, heading into the kitchen as Gwen panicked behind him. "I-I-I need water." The boy mumbled.

"What? You need what?" Gwen pushed.

"Water! Get me water." Cook instructed, sitting down at the table as the room began to spin. Gwen instantly grabbed a glass from the dishwasher, filling it up with water as she handed it to the boy, taking a seat next to him. Cook began to gag before running to the bin and finally throwing up.

"Cook. You're scaring me. What's happened?" Gwen fretted.

"Freddie." Cook muttered. "He's gone."

"I know that. We've been looking for him. We were in his shed, it's his birthday." Gwen nodded slowly. "Speaking of that, where did you go earlier?"

"It was Effy's therapist." Cook gulped.

Gwen furrowed her eyebrows. "What?" She chuckled awkwardly.

"It was Effy's therapist. He did it!" Cook yelled.

Gwen hushed him. "Alright! Alright. What did he do?" Cook began to cry as tears trickled down his cheeks. He finally looked up to his girlfriend, the panic evident on her features. "What did he do Cook?" Gwen repeated, not sure if she was ready for his answer.

"He killed him. Gwen, he fucking done him in." Cook sobbed, his voice croaking at every word.

Gwen shook her head. "No. Freddie's not dead."

"He is Gwen!" Cook wailed into his hands. Gwen's heart pounded profoundly, her mind feeling a slight head rush as she felt her stomach flip upside down.

"How do you know?" Gwen spoke softly, Cook just about catching the question.

"Earlier on, when we were in the shed. I went for a piss and I saw him." Cook began.

"Who? The therapist?"

Cook nodded. "I thought; hang on a minute, what's this fucker doing here?" Cook inhaled. "So I followed him, all the way home. And I broke into his house. And as I was looking around I saw a box full of clothes. I thought they looked familiar so I opened it and there Fred's shit was." Cook paused, not sure if he was ready to even explain what had happened next but Gwen nodded reassuringly. "When I looked closer there was blood all over his clothes and then he walked in, her therapist, and he tried to do me in with the baseball bat."

"Oh my god. Cook we have to tell the police." Gwen announced.

"Wait." Cook sighed. "I've got to get away from here, for good."

"What? No, you don't." Gwen disagreed.

"I do. This isn't right. You shouldn't be here, you should be off at uni doing whatever it is you want to do. I'm just holding you back." Cook explained.

"Cook, it's not like-"

"I'm never gonna change am I? I'm just a bad luck charm that's been used one too many times. You don't belong in this shitty life anymore." Cook sighed. "Gwen, I've done something terrible, something so bad I don't think I can ever come back from it."

"Cook... how did you escape the therapist?" Gwen reluctantly asked, everything beginning to click in as the conversation progressed further.

"He's dead Gwen. I killed him." Cook admitted. Gwen slightly shivered, unable to form a sentence as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"You see. I'm a liability." Cook exhaled, nervously tapping his leg as he awaited her reply.

"You killed him?" Gwen finally spoke up.

"Yeah." Cook nodded sadly.

"Well, what have you done with the body? We need to get rid of it." Gwen warned as she stood up.

"We are not doing anything. The only thing you're doing is going to London. I don't want your life fucked over because of me." Cook revealed.

"Fuck that we have to-"

"No." Cook blurted. "I've gotta sort out my mess. And you've got to start your new life yeah?" He smiled warmly. "You are the only girl I've properly fell for. But everything has its toll. I'm not right for you, there's so much better out there for you."

Gwen shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "But I don't want anyone else."

Cook smiled sympathetically. "You haven't met anyone else." His hand wiping the fallen tears on her cheeks. "I won't ever forget you." He sadly shook his head.

"So you're breaking up with me?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah. I guess I am." Cook sniffled.

"But Cook," Gwen trembled. "I love you." She began to weep, her body ending up in Cook's arms as he cradled her tightly, the pair embracing the sadness together as they listened to each other's sobs.

Cook's heart broke at the three words he had been dreaming to fall from the girls lips. It took everything in him not to smile and tell her to forget it, to run away with him. But he knew better, he knew Will was right. "I'll always love you." He muttered into her hair.

With a slight draw back, Gwen looked upon the boy in front of her as she slowly leant in, their lips touching as they indulged on a final kiss. With the combination of saliva and salty tears, the relationship was sealed closed with a kiss.

And just like that, they ended how they started: strangers. So as she walked Cook to the door she watched him walk away, leaving her behind. She wanted him to be happy, even if it wasn't with her.