Taking Chances, Learning To Love, Chapter Eight
It was the day after Cole's detention, during reading. They were (suppose to be) reading silently. Russ was behind the teacher's desk, enjoying the silence, except for the turning of pages every once in a while, or a chuckle or gasp.
Russ was looking at the next week's plans when he heard an angry shriek. He, reluctantly, peeked over the large folder in front of him that he had propped up and saw Krista wiping at the back of her head.
"Krista? What's the matter?" he asked, knowing that the much-needed break was now gone. "Nothing." she said, not wanting to be the class snitch. She went back to reading and Russ did, too, when he heard another one, this time from someone who wasn't afraid to be the class snitch.
"RUSS! Someone spit on me!" Russ groaned silently and looked at the fuming Lori. "Where'd it come from, Lor?" he asked.
"IN the back, over there," she said, pointing to where Cole sat, reading a book, his head propped up by his hand, trying to look innocent. "Cole!" Russ exclaimed angrily. "Yeah?" Cole asked, pretending to be upset that he was ripped from the book's contents.
"Do you want detention again?" Russ asked, looking for any reaction, but instead just got a grin. "Yes, I mean..No..." Cole said, his grin falling when he realized he answered to fast. "I'm calling your father. Class, time for recess. I'll be there in a second. Krista, tell one of hte teachers what I'm doing." Russ instructed as the class ran out. Cole tried to sneak out but Russ stopped him.
"What's your dads number?" Russ asked, picking up the class phone that had recently been fit for outside calls. "1-800-fuck-off." Cole snapped.
"COLE!" Russ yelled. "Don't call my dad, Russ!" Cole whined, but, although Russ didn't realize it, he was really begging.
"No, I've given you plenty of chances today." Russ snapped and went to find Cole's file on the computer. When he was halfway there, Cole took off. Russ quickly grained on him and grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him but quickly dropped it.
"Cole!" Russ exclaimed, in awe. Cole's back had black and blue slash marks all over it, including recent ones and scars.
"Where'd you get them?" Russ asked softly, holding Cole by his shoulders. "Just let me go, okay?" Cole begged, "I'll be good, I swear, but don't tell him...Please! I'm tired of it...Especially on 'Sabbath'...Don't, Russ!" Cole said, now crying into Russ's chest.
"Cole, is it your father? Does Hailie have them, too?" Russ asked. Cole didn't answer. "Don't tell him, please!" Cole continued to beg through his tears. "Cole, you need to tell me!" Russ exclaimed, pulling Cole apart from him, looking into his tear-streaked face.
"Just make it stop, Russ, if I tell you, will you?"
"Yes, I swear, Cole," Russ said.
**After school**
"It's my dad...And Hailie has them...He says we do bad things in front of God, so we deserved to be punished, but I don't, Russ, I try to be good, I really do.." he cried, "and he gets the belt, and it hurts so bad, and when if I scream he takes my shirt off instead of just my pants, and it hurts! He swings it and swings it, and I can hardly breathe from trying to hold in my screams, and he doesn't stop until he thinks he's beat the devil out of us, and he does it with this church thing on, so when he has it on, he'll start hitting for no reason," Cole said, in the classroom, wiping his tears away. "On Sabbath, he has a specific number, a hundred and fifty, and we get more if we don't say prayer right. We can't wear black or red, or dark blue or any dark colors at the house."
"Cole, why didn't you tell anyone before?"
"I couldn't, Russ."
"I have to tell the police, you know that right?"
"You are the police, though!"
Cole exclaimed. Russ stared at him. "What-what are you talking about?"
"I saw you a few days ago, with some blonde guy in your uniform. THe day before yesterday. I was walking home, and I was late because I had to do something, so I was taking a shortcut." COle explained.
"What hte hell??" Jon screamed from the doorway. Russ turned his head around and saw Jon standing htere, open-mouthed. "What are you doing here, Jon?!" Russ exclaimed. "I forgot my math book...You're a cop??" Jon yelled angrily, and ran. Russ didn't think to run after him, because Cole was still frantic in front of him.
He must've forgot that Jon's dad wasn't to friendly with the police.
It was the day after Cole's detention, during reading. They were (suppose to be) reading silently. Russ was behind the teacher's desk, enjoying the silence, except for the turning of pages every once in a while, or a chuckle or gasp.
Russ was looking at the next week's plans when he heard an angry shriek. He, reluctantly, peeked over the large folder in front of him that he had propped up and saw Krista wiping at the back of her head.
"Krista? What's the matter?" he asked, knowing that the much-needed break was now gone. "Nothing." she said, not wanting to be the class snitch. She went back to reading and Russ did, too, when he heard another one, this time from someone who wasn't afraid to be the class snitch.
"RUSS! Someone spit on me!" Russ groaned silently and looked at the fuming Lori. "Where'd it come from, Lor?" he asked.
"IN the back, over there," she said, pointing to where Cole sat, reading a book, his head propped up by his hand, trying to look innocent. "Cole!" Russ exclaimed angrily. "Yeah?" Cole asked, pretending to be upset that he was ripped from the book's contents.
"Do you want detention again?" Russ asked, looking for any reaction, but instead just got a grin. "Yes, I mean..No..." Cole said, his grin falling when he realized he answered to fast. "I'm calling your father. Class, time for recess. I'll be there in a second. Krista, tell one of hte teachers what I'm doing." Russ instructed as the class ran out. Cole tried to sneak out but Russ stopped him.
"What's your dads number?" Russ asked, picking up the class phone that had recently been fit for outside calls. "1-800-fuck-off." Cole snapped.
"COLE!" Russ yelled. "Don't call my dad, Russ!" Cole whined, but, although Russ didn't realize it, he was really begging.
"No, I've given you plenty of chances today." Russ snapped and went to find Cole's file on the computer. When he was halfway there, Cole took off. Russ quickly grained on him and grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him but quickly dropped it.
"Cole!" Russ exclaimed, in awe. Cole's back had black and blue slash marks all over it, including recent ones and scars.
"Where'd you get them?" Russ asked softly, holding Cole by his shoulders. "Just let me go, okay?" Cole begged, "I'll be good, I swear, but don't tell him...Please! I'm tired of it...Especially on 'Sabbath'...Don't, Russ!" Cole said, now crying into Russ's chest.
"Cole, is it your father? Does Hailie have them, too?" Russ asked. Cole didn't answer. "Don't tell him, please!" Cole continued to beg through his tears. "Cole, you need to tell me!" Russ exclaimed, pulling Cole apart from him, looking into his tear-streaked face.
"Just make it stop, Russ, if I tell you, will you?"
"Yes, I swear, Cole," Russ said.
**After school**
"It's my dad...And Hailie has them...He says we do bad things in front of God, so we deserved to be punished, but I don't, Russ, I try to be good, I really do.." he cried, "and he gets the belt, and it hurts so bad, and when if I scream he takes my shirt off instead of just my pants, and it hurts! He swings it and swings it, and I can hardly breathe from trying to hold in my screams, and he doesn't stop until he thinks he's beat the devil out of us, and he does it with this church thing on, so when he has it on, he'll start hitting for no reason," Cole said, in the classroom, wiping his tears away. "On Sabbath, he has a specific number, a hundred and fifty, and we get more if we don't say prayer right. We can't wear black or red, or dark blue or any dark colors at the house."
"Cole, why didn't you tell anyone before?"
"I couldn't, Russ."
"I have to tell the police, you know that right?"
"You are the police, though!"
Cole exclaimed. Russ stared at him. "What-what are you talking about?"
"I saw you a few days ago, with some blonde guy in your uniform. THe day before yesterday. I was walking home, and I was late because I had to do something, so I was taking a shortcut." COle explained.
"What hte hell??" Jon screamed from the doorway. Russ turned his head around and saw Jon standing htere, open-mouthed. "What are you doing here, Jon?!" Russ exclaimed. "I forgot my math book...You're a cop??" Jon yelled angrily, and ran. Russ didn't think to run after him, because Cole was still frantic in front of him.
He must've forgot that Jon's dad wasn't to friendly with the police.