Prologue: Twelve Years Ago
Eighteen-year-old Phoebe Halliwell sat in front of her vanity, applying her makeup. Her boyfriend, Cole Turner, was about to pick her up, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. Tonight was Baker High School's prom, and she wanted to look her very best for Cole because she had a feeling he would propose.
Grams would be furious of course, but she didn't care. She and Cole had been seeing each other since eighth grade and had never had a fight. Right from the moment Phoebe laid eyes on him, she knew he was the one. Most girls at age fourteen had no clue what love even was, and Phoebe had been no exception. But she found out when Cole had entered the music store on that hot afternoon in May.
Phoebe had been out with her gang, Ramona, Todd, and Rick, looking for good cassette tapes to steal. Phoebe had just picked up a Michael Jackson tape and had been about to walk through the door and make a run for it when he entered.
He had been the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen. His dark brown hair had been spiked up at the time, not enough to make him look like a punk, but sophisticated almost. Cool.
He'd made eye contact with her and gave her a lop-sided grin, almost as if he had known right then and there that they were going to be together for the next four years. Maybe he did. All she knew was that he had made her forget altogether about the tape.
Later that night after dinner Prue and Piper were studying for their high school finals and Paige was helping Grams clean the kitchen. Phoebe had shut herself in her and Paige's room and turned the stereo to its highest volume, her way of saying she wasn't coming down for the rest of the night. Around nine she heard a soft rap on the window.
Thinking it was either Todd or Rick, she opened the window, the night being too dark for her to see who was there.
To her surprise, it had been the spiky-haired boy from the music store.
"Hi there. Hope I didn't scare you," he said smoothly.
"Of course not. I'm just wondering what you're doing sneaking into my house when I don't even know your name," Phoebe replied, her hands on her hips.
The boy laughed. "My name is Cole Turner. And before you ask, your friends back at the store told me which window was yours. I came by to give you something."
He held out a brown paper bag. She took it, eying him suspiciously. She pulled out the content of the bag, and saw that it was the Michael Jackson tape.
"I saw you holding it back there and couldn't resist. They-your friends-were going to steal it for you, but I didn't see any reason for you all to get in trouble because of me. So here. Enjoy," he said, grinning.
"Cool. Thanks," Phoebe replied lamely, tossing the tape on her bed.
After that the two had become inseparable ever since, and Cole had become the fifth member of their little gang.
During their relationship throughout high school Grams, Prue and Piper had made it quite obvious that they disliked Cole. But Phoebe didn't care. Just the fact that her family hated her boyfriend made him that much more cool. Not that that was the only reason she went out with him.
The doorbell rang, breaking Phoebe out of her reverie. Her heart pounded in her chest as Paige called up to her, "I'll get it!"
Phoebe stood up and went into her oldest sister's room, wanting to take a pair of her diamond earrings. They had been given to her by Andy, Prue's old high school sweetheart. Prue never wore them anymore since they brought back memories of him that she said "were too painful to deal with" so she had given Phoebe permission to wear them whenever she wanted.
Phoebe quickly put the earrings on and gave herself one last once-over in the mirror.
She wore a dark green strapless gown that showed off more cleavage than Grams approved of. She wore it with a pair of Prue's stiletto heels and her mother's old gold necklace that their father had given her for their last anniversary before the divorce.
Her long brown hair was done up in a fancy bun. It would've been down as usual, but Cole liked her hair done up, so that was what she had decided on.
She went downstairs once she was satisfied with her appearance, allowing Grams a full view of her in the dress she had deemed inappropriate back at the store.
Grams wouldn't say anything with Cole standing in the entryway, staring at her in awe.
"Phoebe...you look beautiful!" Cole exclaimed, his mouth open in a wide O.
"Close that mouth of yours before I close it for you!" Grams snapped, causing Cole to snap it shut a half a second later.
"Shall we go? The limo's waiting and we're getting charged by the hour," Cole said, putting his arm around Phoebe's shoulders and began to lead her out when Grams stopped them.
"Listen, you two. Phoebe is to be home by three a.m. I'll have none of that staying out all night business..."
"Grams! Come on, everyone's going to be out all night! It's what you do on prom night!" Phoebe interjected, whining loudly.
"Precisely. I know what goes on during proms. Everyone gets drunk and wild, then they drive around, getting into accidents. I forbid you to get in the middle of that. Your mother was home at three, and so were Prue and Piper. You are no exception," Grams went on.
Phoebe and Cole exchanged knowing looks, and Phoebe hid a smile. "Okay, Grams. Whatever you say."
"Phoebe Halliwell, I mean it! You will be home by three, and I'll be waiting up for you."
"Okay, Grams. Home by three. Promise," Phoebe said, holding up her right arm in the Scout's honor position. Behind her back, she crossed the fingers of her left.
Grams studied the two of them, probably flashing back to all the trouble they had caused together, but finally sighed and nodded.
"Okay, then. C'mon Paige. Why don't we make some brownies?" She put her arm around Paige, who rolled her eyes in annoyance, but complying nonetheless. Once they were in the kitchen, Phoebe and Cole went outside, shutting the door behind them.
They didn't dare say anything until they got into the limo. Once inside, they burst out laughing.
"Home by three? Who does she think she's talking to?" Cole asked.
"She knows that once I graduate I'm as far away from here as possible, so she tries to exert as much authority over me as she can before I leave," Phoebe explained.
"Is that it? She sounded pretty serious about you having a curfew," Cole pressed, wrapping his arms protectively around Phoebe and kissing her cheek.
"No, that has more to do with Prue. When she was seventeen she got into some trouble with this guy. Ever since she's been wanting to keep us under her nose for as long as she can." "What about your mother? Why did she make her come home?" Cole continued, working his way down to Phoebe's neck.
"Because my mother was her daughter, end of story. Why are you so interested?" Phoebe asked, worming her way out of Cole's grasp and bearing her gaze into his.
Cole shrugged. "No real reason. Just interested in my girl's family is all."
Phoebe smiled at the words and rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Well aren't you sweet."
They reached the school gym in ten minutes. Everyone turned to look at Cole and Phoebe when they entered, either looking surprised that the two had shown up, or impressed.
They were greeted by Ramona and Todd. "Hey, guys! Glad you made it. Phoebe, I love your dress!" Ramona exclaimed, embracing Phoebe in a hug.
"Thanks, Mone. You look good, too," Phoebe said loudly against the music.
Ramona had on a short sky blue dress that went to her knees, showing off her long legs and white pumps.
"Where's Rick?" Phoebe asked Todd as the four walked onto the dance floor.
"I don't know. Off somewhere trying to find a girl, probably," Todd replied as he began to do slow dance with Ramona.
Phoebe nodded, giving Todd a knowing look. Everyone knew Rick was the school badass. Sure, when the five of them were together they could do some damage, but when Rick was by himself, he was just downright scary.
Phoebe didn't want to think about him. She was wanted Cole to dance with her, hold her, and maybe even...
But did she? That was the real question. The two of them were madly in love. What other reason did they need? Cole knew how much Phoebe wanted to get out of San Francisco. He knew how suffocated she felt by her sisters, and how tight Grams held onto her. He knew all about her past and what happened to her parents. Boyfriends were supposed to rescue their girlfriends when they needed it.
Not surprisingly, prom king was Todd and prom queen was the school bitch Paula Sands. Paula had the entire school too scared to vote for anyone but her, so it wasn't like the announcement came as a surprise, but Paula still had the audacity to act surprised and honored.
Phoebe wanted to throw up.
After the crowning of the king and queen, Cole led her outside by the tennis courts.
"I figured you would want to get out of there for a bit. The entire senior class inside that stuffy old gym can be just that. Stuffy," Cole said as he led her to the school gate.
"I appreciate it," Phoebe said, smiling seductively up at him. Her heart was pounding in anticipation of what she suspected he was going to do, but she didn't lead him on about it. She wanted to act surprised when and if he popped the question.
They stayed silent for a while, listening to the faded music coming from the gym, and the silence from the outside world. Looking out into the mountains in the distance and the stars in the sky made Phoebe realize that in just a few weeks time, she would be out in the world on her own, finally away from her overbearing older sisters, who she would never be able to compare to, and her annoying younger half-sister who tried to imitate everything Phoebe did.
But what she wanted even more than to be out in the real world was to be out in the world with Cole.
"Phoebe...." Cole trailed off, suddenly sounding nervous.
A sharp pang in her chest pierced her heart, but Phoebe ignored it, knowing what Cole was about to do.
"Phoebe, I love you so much. We've been together for four years, but it feels like much longer. You know I've been accepted at UCLA," he said, pausing. Phoebe lowered her head and stared at her feet.
She hated it when he started talking about college. She had no intention of going; at least not right away. Cole was the one who wanted to go and become a lawyer. It was the part of him she had never understood but supported. His father had been a lawyer before him, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps.
"I've been accepted to UCLA, but I also got accepted to New York State," he continued.
Phoebe raised her head. "New York State? I thought you wanted to stay in-state to get residency."
Cole shrugged. "I thought I did. I almost threw away the acceptance letter to New York, convinced I wanted to stay here where my family and friends are. But I realized something when I was dancing in there with you just now. I realized that I want to be with you more."
"That doesn't mean you have to go to New York State. We could go anywhere. I'd go with you to LA if you went to UCLA."
"But I know that isn't what you really want. You want to leave California. You didn't have to say so; I can see it in your eyes."
Phoebe looked down again.
"New York State is just as good as UCLA. And it's far away from here. We could run away together and not tell anyone. Not my parents, not your grandmother or sisters. Not even Ramona, Todd, and Rick. Just you and me and New York. Right after graduation. What do you say?" Cole asked, looking into her eyes hopefully.
Phoebe didn't know what to say. It wasn't exactly the proposal she had been expecting, but so what? Running away with him to New York was just as exciting. Maybe even more romantic. Definitely smarter. And she would be far away from her so-called family.
"Will you come with me? I'm only going to New York if you go with me," Cole told her.
Phoebe hesitated for only a second more. She met his gaze and flashed him her wide smile. "Yes. I'll go to New York with you!"
She threw herself at him and they toppled over onto the concrete, laughing hysterically. Phoebe couldn't remember ever feeling this happy. She and Cole were on their way to spending the rest of their lives together.
Of course fate had to throw them a curveball. And it came only an hour later once they were back in the limo.
"Take us back to my place, please," Cole told the driver, giving him the address. The plan was to ditch the limo, pay the driver, and get Cole's car.
But the other limo driving the opposite way had other plans. They crashed into Cole and Phoebe's limo on Cole's side at full force.
Phoebe screamed as the two cars made impact, which was the last thing she remembered.
When she woke up she was lying in a hospital bed with her right arm in a sling and her neck in a cast. Grams was sleeping in the chair beside her, still in the clothes she had been wearing when Phoebe and Cole left for the prom.
Cole! What had happened to him?
"Oh my god, she's awake!" Piper's voice exclaimed. Phoebe tried to look around to find her sister, but found she couldn't move at all.
"Pi-Piper?" Phoebe stammered.
"I'm here, Pheebs." Piper entered the room, followed by Prue and Paige. Prue looked concerned and Paige was in tears. Piper's eyes were red, as though she hadn't slept all night.
"Grams, she's awake," Prue nudged their grandmother, who was up in an instant.
"Thank God. Paige, go get a doctor. They'll want to know," Grams said. She sat down on Phoebe's bed.
"Darling, do you remember what happened?" Grams asked, moving a strand of Phoebe's hair behind her ear.
"Um...sorta. Cole and I were in the limo...t-talking. Then another l-limo slammed into us. I blacked out." Phoebe tried to sit up straighter, her neck and arm arguing against it.
"Where's Cole? What happened? Is he okay?" Phoebe asked, looking from Grams to Prue and Piper.
Her older sisters looked down, suddenly interested in the floor. Grams sighed, taking her time in answering.
"Phoebe, darling. You must understand that the other limo was going ridiculously fast. And from what I heard, it slammed into Cole's side."
"What. Happened?" Phoebe demanded slowly, glaring daggers at her grandmother.
Grams hesitated then answered. "Phoebe, there is no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it. Cole is dead. He died from the impact."