SUNSHINE - COLE WALTER

007.

"You think she's pretty?" the first voice asked.

"You don't have to be pretty when you're new. Boys love novelty. But novelty wears off."

"Yeah, well, plus that whole helpless orphan thing. Like, she won the lottery when her parents died," this remark brought tears to Jamie's eyes.

"And they were rich too, weren't they?"

"Yeah."

"So she, like, literally won the lottery." The girls exited the bathroom, leaving Jamie to wipe away the tear that had escaped her eye.

With a heavy heart, Jamie made her way to class as the bell chimed.

"Yo, Sunshine! Hold up," Cole's voice called out as she walked past him and his friends.

"I'm late for class," Jamie replied coldly, still harboring hurt feelings from the comment he had made a few nights ago.

"Hey, wait. Can't really run on this leg yet," Cole pleaded, causing Jamie to stop and turn around.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her concern evident.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" Cole responded, looking into her eyes.

"Me? I'm... fine," Jamie lied.

"You keeping secrets from me, Sunshine?" Cole saw through her facade.

"Today has just been... a lot," Jamie confessed, turning to walk away.

"Uh, do you wanna get out of here?" Cole's voice trailed after her, making her pause.

"With you?" Jamie asked, surprised by the offer.

"Unless you had somebody else in mind," Cole answered, stepping closer to her.

"How about anyone else but you," Jamie retorted, her pain still fueling her resentment.

"Okay, ouch," Cole replied, taken aback, "look, I'm sorry about what I said the other night. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine. I probably shouldn't have said what I said either," Jamie admitted, her heart softening.

"So, do you wanna get out of here? Dylan has a lake house. I mean, it would involve cutting class-," Cole began, trying to convince her.

"You know I can't do that," Jamie cut him off, torn between her responsibilities and her yearning for escape.

"Well, I'm going, and it looks like you're having one of those days where you just kind of need to escape," Cole persisted.

"I have to get to class," Jamie said, turning him down out of habit.

"Come on. It's just one afternoon. You're going to catch up. You need to relax for once. Take your mind off things," Cole urged, his earnestness evident.

Jamie's eyes fell on the girls she had overheard in the bathroom, and she made a decision.

"Okay. Yes. Let's go," she said, a genuine smile breaking through her sadness. Cole's face lit up in response, and together, they walked away from the confines of their troubles, embracing the possibility of freedom and solace, if only for a little while.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

They arrived at the lake house, and Jamie stepped out of the car, taking in the surroundings. As she scanned the area, her eyes landed on Erin, who shot her a disapproving glance. Jamie sighed and leaned towards Danny, whispering, "Guess I should have asked who was coming."

Danny offered reassurance, saying, "It'll be okay."

Feeling a chill in the air, Jamie rubbed her arms to keep warm, regretting not bringing a jacket with her. Just then, she felt something being draped over her shoulders, a rush of warmth instantly comforting her. Turning to see Cole walking past, Jamie realized that he had kindly offered his jacket. Grateful for the gesture, she slipped her arms through the sleeves and embraced the added warmth.