I had to squint as I opened my eyes, while bright lights hit my face. I heard a couple of beeping noises, and eventually realized that I was in the hospital. I managed to open my eyes wider and saw all the machines around me, a couple being attached to my arm. Everything seemed bright, white and polished, too perfect.
"Kalani?" I heard someone say.
I blinked and looked over at the person, who was beside me. It was Liv, anxiously biting her nails and staring at me.
"Thank fuck you're awake!" She exclaimed, reaching over me to hug me. I didn't move, completely puzzled.
"Freddie and JJ are outside" She said, before going to open the door and beckoning them inside.
They walked in, looking shaken up.
"Guys?" I hoarsely whispered.
"Kal? You're awake!" Freddie said, also hugging me, along with JJ.
"What happened to me?" I asked, as I looked at the needles that were in my arm.
"We found you passed out in the woods. Your head was pouring with blood" Freddie said.
"You must have tripped onto a rock after... after you ran off" JJ added.
"Oh shit" I replied.
I looked up and saw a bandage hanging just over my eye. My head still felt sore, and everything at Gobblers End felt like years ago. I was miles away, like none of this was real life.
"How long have I been here then?"
"A couple weeks. They put you into a coma" Olivia told me.
My eyes widened in shock.
"I've been in a coma?"
"So they could fix your head, and make sure everything was ok. It was pretty bad" He nodded, pointing at my forehead.
I felt it with my hand, and my fingers were met with soft bandages. I remembered falling, smashing my head, running away from the others...Cook. Everything came flooding back. I put my head in my hands and winced.
"Kal? Should I get a nurse?" Liv asked.
"No, it's just...I remember everything now" I sighed.
"I'm going to get a coffee" Liv said before leaving the room, clearly sensing me and the boys had shit to talk through.
Freddie took her seat and continued.
"Everything kicked off didn't it" Freddie joked. I cracked a smile, before it faded again.
"I'm...i'm really sorry about the whole Cook thing.."
"It's fine" Freddie shrugged.
"Really?"
"It wasn't at first. I was angry, JJ was confused but then we realised we've got bigger fish to fuck" He replied, gesturing at my hospital room.
"Yeah, I-I mean, we'll still hang out right? We'll still be us?" JJ asked, shifting from foot to foot.
"Course" I nodded. "Speaking of Cook, where is he?"
Freddie's smile immediately faded, and JJ gulped. They both suddenly stared down at the floor.
"J?"
JJ shook his head and didn't look up.
"Freddie? Freddie, where the fuck is Cook?" I frowned, sitting up a little more.
"Cooks... he's run away" Freddie sighed.
"What, like on a bender? Well that's fine he fucks off all the time. He'll be back" I shrugged.
"No. He's been gone for ages Kal. Not a couple days like before. I've tried texting him, he's with his dad, he's not coming back"
"His dad?"
My face fell. His Dad was the last person he needed. He's never cared about him. He feeds Cook empty promises and fucks off last minute. This wasn't gonna last.
"Well we need to find him!" I said. My voice wavered a little, as I tried not to worry.
"He doesn't want to be found Kal" Freddie sighed.
"But what if he's in trouble? We need to fucking find him" I frowned. My hands shook a little as I tried not to let any tears escape.
"We cant Kal. We just can't" JJ sighed.
-
"Need a hand?" Liv asked, as I slowly walked up to the house.
"No" I mumbled.
I'd been in a bad mood ever since I found out what Cook had done, and I cant seem to shake it. I need him back. It's even worse now that i've been detached from hospital and thrown back into regular life. I slowly stepped inside the house, my head pounding. I just wanted to get into bed and stay there for the rest of the week. I walked inside my room and suddenly felt choked up. It all reminded me of the morning before we went to Gobblers End, sleeping with Cook, the surprise he was planning...
I flopped myself down on my bed and immediately grabbed some painkillers, swallowed one and laid down, staring at the ceiling.
After a while, I heard someone say my name.
I looked over. It was JJ. I didn't even hear him come in.
"Fucks sake J I was almost asleep" I mumbled.
"Sorry. D'you want me to-"
"No, it's fine. Sorry I snapped at you, my heads killing me" I said. I sat up and nodded towards the bed, indicating for him to sit down.
"What's on your mind J?" I asked.
He sat down and sighed.
"Everything's messed up"
"How?"
"You love Cook, but Cooks ran off because he thinks you don't love him anymore, so now you're upset, which makes Freddie and I upset, meaning he won't talk to Effy, so he worries that she doesn't love him-"
"Alright J" I sighed. "When you put it like that, everything really is fucked".
He nodded.
"We need Cook back, that'll fix everything"
"But what if he doesn't want to come back? You and Freds said it won't work"
"I've changed my mind. He will come back, he has to"
"...Ok" I sighed. It was a good idea, but I was unsure if it would work.
"Ok?"
"Yeah, let's go and get Freddie, and fucking find Cook" I smiled.
JJ mirrored my smile and nodded, before I took his hand and led him out of the house, all the way to Freddie's.
-
We walked into Freddie's shed. He was already in there, smoking. He was twiddling a picture of Effy between his fingers, staring down at it.
"Freds, we need to talk" I said, sitting down in the armchair.
"Yeah?" He answered.
"We need Cook back" JJ sighed.
"Guys, I told you-"
"We know he doesn't want to be found, but that's bullshit, we need him and he needs us, right?" I said.
Freddie thought about it for a second.
"So how do we find him? I've got fuck-all clue where his dad lives" He said.
"JJ, you can find area codes right?"
"Yeah, from calls and stuff" He nodded.
"Perfect, pass your phone Fred"
He tossed me his phone, and I scrolled down to Cooks messages. He'd sent one message a few weeks back, saying he was with his dad, and he isn't coming back.
"Can you find the area code of that?" I asked JJ.
"Should be able to" He replied.
"Sound" I nodded, and smiled.
I was getting my boy back.
-
The next day we set off to some shabby town: this was where Cook was meant to be. The entire train ride we were silent- each of us were worrying that Cook really wouldn't want to come back, and somehow he'd be happy where he was.
The town was quiet, boring and dull, like it was permanently shaded grey. Matched Cooks dad, at least. I met him once, when Cook and I were kids. He was pretty creepy, always baring his teeth into a forced smile, like he was about to bite.
"Seems a bit dodgy" I muttered, as I looked around.
"You can say that again" JJ replied.
We made it to a run-down pub that had chipped paint all over, and the front step had been worn in.
"Looks like everyone spends their time here then" I said.
"Let's wait here" Freddie suggested, and pointed to a small wall that was right next to the pub.
"How d'you know he'll be here?" I asked.
"He'll come, he has to"
We waited for a while, getting very bored and tired.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Cook suddenly said. He startled us a little. We all looked at each other blankly, suddenly tongue-tied.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?" He repeated.
"Cook, we thought you might be in trouble-" I tried to say.
"Do I look like i'm in trouble?" He interrupted.
We all looked him up and down. He looked upset and angry, definitely not in a good place. His face was all bruised up too.
"I'm fucking ten times better then you've ever been you miserable boring shites" He cursed.
"Cook, just come home with us" I asked.
"Everything's messed up without you" JJ sighed.
Cooks face relaxed for a moment, before turning into a frown once again.
"I don't fucking care. I'm with my Dad now and everything's good, I don't need you guys anymore" He shrugged.
We all frowned at him. That's something I thought i'd never hear him say.
"You don't mean that.." I trailed off.
"Nah I do. Like my dad says, nothing is more important than blood" He shrugged.
I wasn't buying any of this.
"If nothing is more important than blood then why did he leave when you were a kid?" I said.
He was silent for a second, staring into my eyes.
"Fuck all of yous" He said, before walking away.
"Great. What do we do now?" Freddie asked.
"Fuck it, i'm going after him" I replied.
"Kal what if- Kal!" Freddie called, but I had already walked off.
I silently followed Cook to his dads boat, that was even duller than the town. I think Cook knew I was behind him, but he didn't protest, almost like he wanted me there. The boat sat at the side of the canal, but the engine was on, and there was a person standing by the controls. It was Cooks dad.
"Dad? Where are you going?" Cook asked, as he hopped onto the boat.
Cooks dad looked round, and rolled his eyes when he saw Cook. He didn't even acknowledge that I was there.
"Away" He said.
"I thought we were gonna take this town by storm? Can't I just come with you?" Cook asked.
"No! Look, I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask you to turn up here there's no..fucking space!" His dad replied.
I knew this was going to happen. We'd arrived just in time. Cook frowned as his dad went into the lower section of the boat. I couldn't bear to see his face drop like that. Something clicked in my brain, and I quickly climbed on and grabbed the keys out of the ignition.
"Kal? What the fuck?" He said. I ignored him and clutched the keys tighter in my hand, making my palms go red.
"What-...What the fuck are you doing kid give me the keys" His dad said, as he came back onto the top part of the boat.
I shook my head, and stared him down, refusing to crack.
"Don't talk to her like that" Cook warned. He sat beside me and placed his hands over mine, shielding the keys. His teeth were clenched, as he tried not to cry.
"Lemme tell you something, James" His dad hissed, coming closer to our faces. "I never fucking wanted you in the first place! So gimme the keys and get off the fucking boat"
I winced at his words, but didn't break eye contact.
"No" Cook said.
"GIVE ME THE FUCKING KEYS"
"No" Cook repeated. He suddenly broke down, begging to cry. I felt my heart crumple.
Cooks dad suddenly grabbed a fire cracker, lit it and waved it dangerously close to our faces.
I froze up, unable to move.
"Now give Daddy the keys, or i'm gonna melt both your fucking faces off! Be sensible kids i'll fucking do it. I'll fucking do it! I don't give a fuck!"
"I don't either" Cook sobbed.
Suddenly, Freddie ran up behind Cooks dad, and hit him over the head with something, knocking him unconscious, before dragging him to the bottom of the boat. I dropped the keys and put my arms around Cook, allowing him to cry onto my shoulder. It was so comforting, feeling his embrace after all these weeks.
"This is bad. Fuck! Cook are you alright?" Freddie asked. Cook kept his head buried in my shoulder.
"Fred, give us a minute" I said.
Freddie nodded and walked away.
"Cook? Are you ok?"
He was silent for a moment, before pulling away so he could look at me.
"I didn't mean it, Kal. What I said to you guys. What's the fucking difference? Nothing good ever stays with me, absolutely nothing" He shrugged, tears still in his eyes.
"You've got me! And JJ, and Freds"
He wiped his face and went to sit down.
"I had it all planned out man. The day you went to Gobblers End? Thought i'd take you up the green, get food, smoke and stuff. And then i'd tell you how I really felt. But you don't love me anymore"
"I do Cook, you know I do"
"But how? I've been a dick to everyone all year"
"You're lucky I can look past all that" I smiled.
He looked over and laughed a little.
"I know you find it hard to control your emotions and shit. But we can work on that right?"
"Kal?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. Like, really love you"
"..I love you too" I replied.
He leaned in a kissed me, before pulling away and looking at my forehead.
"What happened here by the way?" He asked, lightly touching the plaster above my eye.
"Tripped and smashed my head off a rock after you broadcasted what we'd been doing"
"Fucking hell! Really?"
"Yeah. I've been in a coma all these weeks Cook. Hence why I didn't come looking for you earlier"
"Shit" He said, suddenly looking guilty.
"But it's fine. All that's behind us now"
And I leant in to kiss him again.
"Guys?" JJ called, from the top of the boat.
"Coming" We called back, and joined him and Freds by the controls.
"What are you doing J?" I asked.
"We are going home" He smiled.
"What, in the boat? We can't take it!" I said.
"We can. I'd say this was about 17 years worth of birthday and Christmas presents" JJ replied.
He handed us some giant coats,as we prepared the boat and got it started in no time. Cooks dad suddenly stumbled up from below, holding his head.
"Alright, you little fucks" He mumbled. We held our breath, as he looked around and realized we were moving.
"What the fuck- Why are yous driving my boat?" He frowned. "You fucking-"
He suddenly lunged at Cook, before I shoved him, sending him stumbling off the boat into the water below.
"Fuck you!" I yelled, flipping him off as he struggled to stay above the water.
"Yeah! I'm Cook! Fuck you!" Cook laughed, before pulling me into a hug.
We accelerated away, leaving Cooks dad flailing around in the water.
After a while, I went and joined JJ by the controls.
"You ok J?"
"Yes. For once, yes" He smiled. "Everything's good isn't it Kal?"
I looked over at Freddie and Cook who were drinking beers and chatting, getting along for the first time in ages. I turned back to JJ, who had a huge smile beaming on his face.
"Yeah. Everything's good" I smiled.
AUTHORS NOTE:
I hope you liked S3
I'm gonna do some short filler chapters for summer, and then write S4
edited ✅