Being Shot

P h o t o #25 - Pink And Blue Pills

For some reason, her swift actions shot pain through me.

"What-" I began, stumbling over myself with sloppy words, "What are those fo-"

"Please don't tell anyone!" She whispered harshly, obviously not seeming to be ready to tell me what the pills were for, or why she was having such a hard time talking about it. She shoved the bag into her pocket, her arms covered in goosebumps against her rolled up sleeves.

There was nothing wrong with taking pills. Sure, I was definitely surprised when I saw little pink and blue dots spewing out of her pockets, but even so, lots of people took medication for tons of different things. I'm sure there's no one out there that would hate a person for taking things that helped them cope with problems they couldn't control.

And yet, when I saw the look on Emma's face, her vulnerability, her disgust, her embarrassment, I knew there was something more to it. I was just too shocked to ask. I had never seen a person act so susceptible in front of me. Whenever I talked to girls, they were all giggles and squeals, and when I talked to guys besides Parker, Cooper, and Jonas, it was usually because of an argument about something I wouldn't be able to recall today. So someone being so open with me, besides my small group of friends, was a whole new concept to me.

I wanted to ask her why she was acting this way. I wanted to, yet my voice was stuck between the large lump that had formed in my throat.

My hesitation must've been read by Emma, because her eyes began to water. A misunderstanding. She thought I was going to tell everyone.

I was an idiot for not speaking up. Because of my silence, Emma couldn't be reassured that I would keep whatever secret she wanted me to keep. And because of that, she took off.

The sound of her feet pattering on the paper white tile as she ran behind me and out the kitchen door into the hallway broke the heavy silence like a glass shattering against the floor.

I fell back into the island stool, returning to my out-of-place state of mind as I sat in the beautifully finished kitchen, in a house that wasn't my own.

But this time, I had a new weight on my shoulders. A black-haired, brown eyed beautiful mystery of a girl who was wishy-washy, timid, and emotional, yet somehow still put my interest at it's peak.

***

~Cooper's POV~

I had gotten six calls in the past hour, from six different girls, all asking if Elliot, Parker, Jonas, and myself would attend the Halloween party they were throwing the next day. Each six girls were all turned down with feigned reluctance.

I say feigned reluctance because it really was feigned. Usually, I would be upset to have to turn down a party, especially a holiday party, which were my favorite out of all parties I attend. But, for some reason, I wasn't upset one bit as I turned down the invitations, or even when I heard the disappointed sigh come from the other end of the line. I was too busy thinking about how tomorrow would be Emma's birthday, and that we'd all be spending it together.

I wondered what I should get her in the short time until tomorrow. I wondered how we'd all celebrate. Heck, I even wondered what flavor cake she wanted to eat on her special day.

The pattering of feet and a wave of black hair caught me off guard, smacking into my chest and sending both of us to the ground. It only took me a mere second before I recognized that the blob of messy hair and pink clothes was Emma.

"Ah, Emmy!" I piped up, "I was wondering, what flavor cake do you li-"

Then I finally registered Emma, sitting before me. She peeked at me through her damp, messy curls, her brown eyes were watery, her hands gripping at her front pockets desperately, her face was as white as snow.