The Witness
Chapter 31
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"Cole. Are you awake?" Bosco asked, knocking on the door to Cole's room again.
"Yeah. But I don't really feel like talking," Cole answered. Bosco looked over his shoulder to Katy and shrugged.
"Okay, but I'm here if you want to. I really think that we should talk about this. I know your angry, but it's the best thing," he tried to reason.
"Whatever," Cole responded.
Bosco walked back into the living room and sat down next to Katy. They were eating sandwiches that they picked up on the way home from Court. Cole's sat on the counter, untouched.
"I don't know what to do," Bosco said.
"There's nothing you can do. He's 15. He's a teenager. They brood - A LOT!" Katy told him. "He'll be out soon. The hunger will win over the anger."
They watched the television and talked for about an hour and then heard Cole's door open. Bosco glanced over and saw that he had his coat on.
"Where're you off too?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"I'm just going out for a walk," he said, walking over and unwrapping the sandwich that was on the counter. He took half and started toward the door.
"By yourself? You want company?" Katy offered.
"No. I just want to think about some things," he said, opening the door. He made fleeting eye contact with Bosco who had remained silent until now.
"Why don't you take my cell phone with you in case you get stuck somewhere. You need any money?" Bosco asked, standing up to get his phone out of his coat pocket by the door and reaching into his pocket and handing his $10.
"Thanks," Cole said, taking the phone and shoving it in his own coat pocket. Without saying anything else, he walked out the door and closed it quietly behind him, leaving Bosco at the door.
"You handled that well," Katy observed.
"Not really. I wanted to tell him he couldn't go," Bosco told her as he walked over to the window and watched him walk down the street.
"Yeah, but you showed him that you trust him. That's important," she said.
"Do I? I want to follow him to see where he's going," he confessed, looking at her.
"But you won't," she said, smiling. "Why don't you come over here and we'll see if we can't take your mind off of it for a little while."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Emily's cell phone rang in her room and she answered. "Hello?"
"Hey. It's me. What's going on?"
"Nothing. You okay? I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean for it to upset you," she told Cole.
"Nah. It's not your fault. I know you're all just trying to help. I'm just worried about what happens when Raven finds out what Chenise did."
"You think he'll really do something? He's gotta know that they're watching him," Emily reasoned.
"You don't know Raven. He'll find a way. And it'll be my fault," he said, and Emily could hear traffic in the background.
"Where are you, Cole?" she asked.
"I'm just walking. Trying to think," he told her.
"Want me to come with you?" she offered.
"No. I'm gonna head home anyway. I don't want Bosco to worry. But, thanks," he said, hanging up.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Bosco and Katy were starting to worry. It had been about three hours since Cole had left and it was getting dark. Katy suggested he call Faith to see if he'd gone over to talk to Emily. The two had gotten to be quite good friends.
"Hey, Faith. It's me. Cole isn't there, is he?" Bosco asked Faith when she answered the phone.
"Uh, no he's not," Faith said. "What happened?"
"Nothing. He's worried about this Chenise girl and said he was going to go for a walk. That was like three hours ago. We're starting to get worried," he explained.
"Hang on. I know Emily's phone rang before," Faith said, taking the phone away from her face. Bosco heard her in the background, "Hey, Em! Have you talked to Cole today? What did he say? Okay. Thanks. No, he just hasn't gone home yet," she called to Emily before coming back to the phone.
"Bos? Emily said that he called her like an hour and a half ago. Said he was just walking around thinking and that he was gonna head back home so you didn't worry. He didn't say where he was, but she knew he was outside because she could hear traffic on the phone," she told him.
"Hmmm. Okay. Well, I think I'll try calling my cell phone that he took with him. Thanks and let me know if you guys hear from him, okay?" Bosco said.
"Yeah, Bos. Call me and let me know what happens 'cause now Emily's worried too," Faith said.
"Will do," Bosco said, hanging up.
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TBC...
Chapter 31
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"Cole. Are you awake?" Bosco asked, knocking on the door to Cole's room again.
"Yeah. But I don't really feel like talking," Cole answered. Bosco looked over his shoulder to Katy and shrugged.
"Okay, but I'm here if you want to. I really think that we should talk about this. I know your angry, but it's the best thing," he tried to reason.
"Whatever," Cole responded.
Bosco walked back into the living room and sat down next to Katy. They were eating sandwiches that they picked up on the way home from Court. Cole's sat on the counter, untouched.
"I don't know what to do," Bosco said.
"There's nothing you can do. He's 15. He's a teenager. They brood - A LOT!" Katy told him. "He'll be out soon. The hunger will win over the anger."
They watched the television and talked for about an hour and then heard Cole's door open. Bosco glanced over and saw that he had his coat on.
"Where're you off too?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"I'm just going out for a walk," he said, walking over and unwrapping the sandwich that was on the counter. He took half and started toward the door.
"By yourself? You want company?" Katy offered.
"No. I just want to think about some things," he said, opening the door. He made fleeting eye contact with Bosco who had remained silent until now.
"Why don't you take my cell phone with you in case you get stuck somewhere. You need any money?" Bosco asked, standing up to get his phone out of his coat pocket by the door and reaching into his pocket and handing his $10.
"Thanks," Cole said, taking the phone and shoving it in his own coat pocket. Without saying anything else, he walked out the door and closed it quietly behind him, leaving Bosco at the door.
"You handled that well," Katy observed.
"Not really. I wanted to tell him he couldn't go," Bosco told her as he walked over to the window and watched him walk down the street.
"Yeah, but you showed him that you trust him. That's important," she said.
"Do I? I want to follow him to see where he's going," he confessed, looking at her.
"But you won't," she said, smiling. "Why don't you come over here and we'll see if we can't take your mind off of it for a little while."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Emily's cell phone rang in her room and she answered. "Hello?"
"Hey. It's me. What's going on?"
"Nothing. You okay? I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean for it to upset you," she told Cole.
"Nah. It's not your fault. I know you're all just trying to help. I'm just worried about what happens when Raven finds out what Chenise did."
"You think he'll really do something? He's gotta know that they're watching him," Emily reasoned.
"You don't know Raven. He'll find a way. And it'll be my fault," he said, and Emily could hear traffic in the background.
"Where are you, Cole?" she asked.
"I'm just walking. Trying to think," he told her.
"Want me to come with you?" she offered.
"No. I'm gonna head home anyway. I don't want Bosco to worry. But, thanks," he said, hanging up.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Bosco and Katy were starting to worry. It had been about three hours since Cole had left and it was getting dark. Katy suggested he call Faith to see if he'd gone over to talk to Emily. The two had gotten to be quite good friends.
"Hey, Faith. It's me. Cole isn't there, is he?" Bosco asked Faith when she answered the phone.
"Uh, no he's not," Faith said. "What happened?"
"Nothing. He's worried about this Chenise girl and said he was going to go for a walk. That was like three hours ago. We're starting to get worried," he explained.
"Hang on. I know Emily's phone rang before," Faith said, taking the phone away from her face. Bosco heard her in the background, "Hey, Em! Have you talked to Cole today? What did he say? Okay. Thanks. No, he just hasn't gone home yet," she called to Emily before coming back to the phone.
"Bos? Emily said that he called her like an hour and a half ago. Said he was just walking around thinking and that he was gonna head back home so you didn't worry. He didn't say where he was, but she knew he was outside because she could hear traffic on the phone," she told him.
"Hmmm. Okay. Well, I think I'll try calling my cell phone that he took with him. Thanks and let me know if you guys hear from him, okay?" Bosco said.
"Yeah, Bos. Call me and let me know what happens 'cause now Emily's worried too," Faith said.
"Will do," Bosco said, hanging up.
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TBC...