A Very Sprouse Summer

The Pain (Chapter 17)

"I think I'm starting to feel better" Cole answers while looking at his eye through his reflection in the glass table next to the couch.

"Can I touch your pretty purple eye?" Riley asks Cole.

"No Riley"he responds while examining the looks of his eye, and then turns to her, "Do you know how much pain I was in when I touched my own eye?"

"I'm guessing a lot. Maybe the sun at the beach will help it" Riley sweetly smiles.

"Oooh thanks for reminding me Riley, Cole you'll need to put sunscreen around your eye. I don't want it getting an infection" mom says rummaging through her bag.

I feel bad for Cole. He didn't expect to get hurt at the Adventure Park and is now all out of sorts. Is it bad that I also pity myself a bit for not being able to enjoy the adventure park? I feel like that's not what I should be thinking right now, but I kind of can't help it. I was really looking forward to all these games. I try to snap out of it by getting off the couch and looking at the brochures of nearby attractions in the area.

"They have a brochure of the beach we're going to" I say aloud while picking up the brochure.

"Really? I wouldn't think they would" mom replies.

"Yeah, look they even talk about the snack bars and tire swings at the beach" I say walking over to mom with the brochure.

Mom picks up the brochure and begins reading it. She loves reading about things, especially places we are going to visit so she can be extra prepared.

I sit down next to her and look on. That is, until I feel Riley sit on my lap to get a better view of the brochure.

"Riley, there are other brochures on the wall" I laugh.

"Oh." Riley quietly replies whiling her eyes move back and forth reading along too.

I look over at Cole to see how he is doing. His eyes are closed and he is using one hand to keep the ice on his black eye, and the other hand to hold his chin in his palm.

"Do you want help with holding the ice?" I ask him.

He opens his eyes to look at me and then closes his eyes to respond, "No, it's ok... But thanks".

"What hurts you the most?" I question him.

"It's a real tie between the throbbing in my eye and the soreness in my lower back and ribs" he responds while taking in a breath.

"Does it hurt to breath?" Riley asks getting off my lap and sitting down next to Cole.

"A little" he responds staring at the bag full of ice that is now beginning to melt.

Dad walks into the room. "Are we all ready to go to the beach?" he asks smiling at us. He then laughs since we are probably the three most unenthusiastic kids on a summer vacation. This is not typical for us, especially for Riley and I. I think Cole's accident just threw a bit of a damper on the mood. Hopefully the beach will help kick things up a few notches.

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** Cole's POV ** 

Even though my eye hurts a ton, I refuse to hold a bag of ice to my face at the beach. Instead, I put on some dark sunglasses that will hide my face from the world. As for my back, that will have to suffer too.

We get out of the car and begin to grab all our things to take to the beach. Reaching in the trunk to help, mom interrupts. 

"No Cole, you don't need to help. I want you to take it easy" she says concerned.

I can't help but laugh a little while I answer back, "Mom, I'm really not in that bad of shape."

"Just don't. Here [y/n] why don't you grab Cole's towel and beach chair" mom says while walking away to help dad with turning off the GPS inside the car.

[y/n] glances at me while picking up my things.

"While you're at it can you also fetch my water bottle in the car [y/n]?" I tease.

"Get it yourself!" she laughs back.

I laugh back, "I'm only kidding."

"How does your eye feel" [y/n] asks touching it.

I back away, "Ow, why would you touch it?"

"Sorry. Maybe the beach will be good for it" [y/n] replies.

"Yeah, well let's hope so. The day can only go up from here." I respond while readjusting my sunglasses and joining my parents as we walk onto the beach.