Chapter 12

"What the hell is are they doing," Cole screamed as she looked out the window in the back seat of Kale's car.

From the car, Kale, Yumi, Kaleb, and Cole saw Liee and Honoo trying to stop something, but they didn't know exactly what IT was.

Liee looked over and saw Kale's car parked in front of the school, so leaving poor Honoo to deal with the crowds, Liee ran over to the car. When Liee reached the car, she saw her cousin looking at her with the weirdest look, so Liee gestured for Cole to roll down the window.

When she did, Cole asked, "Liee, you better tell me what the hell is going on."

Liee nervously bit her lower lip, "They wanna get you out of the school, they know what you've done at the other schools you got kicked out of."

"Yeah, so. Like I'd care what they think, I did what I did so I could get Hiei and Columbia to finally move back here."

Everyone rolled their eyes at Cole.

"What, it's true. you think that I like going to schools where I didn't know anyone, I mean sure, I went to schools around here K through second, but when I moved over to America, I was unhappy and 'sick'."

Everyone looked over at Liee due to the fact that she knew what was going on better than they did.

"She has a shrink and she was in a mental ward for a week, just a week, 'cause she was 'rebeling'."

"What do you mean by 'rebeling'," Kaleb asked, obvioualy still confused.

Liee looked over at Cole, which only made Cole sigh.

"I was always setting things on fire, running around with VERY sharp objects, drawing very graphic pictures, and I always pretended to be possessed, which was a bit odd for me even now."

Kale rolled his eyes, "And we already didn't know that, Cole, you still do that kind of stuff now and no one gets disturbed or anything."

"EXACTLY, so why are they making a big deal," Cole stated while gesturing out the window.

Yumi patted Cole on the head and said, "They just need to get to know you...shorty."

Cole flinched at that name, no one ever dared to call her short, but it was her parents fault, not hers. Hiei and Columbia had always been so short and Cole guessed that it was genetic, which in her case, was a bitch.

"Don't you ever call me shorty again Yumi."

"Or you'll what, make me short too?"

"That's it, you are so dead!"

At that, Yumi flung the passenger side door open and ran out of the car with Cole chasing after her and gaining fast.

"Damn shorty, you're too fast."

Yumi ran down past all the angry crowds and began to run up the stairs. The others weren't exactly watching Yumi, but watching Cole as she skipped over the thought of taking the stairs like a normal person and desided to run up the railing, yes, the railing, which gave Cole an advantage.

When Yumi reached the top of the stairs, Cole was already waiting for her.

"I guess being short isn't that bad, makes me faster 'cause I have less the drag up the stairs."

Yumi still panting looked up and stared at Cole.

'Duh, no kidding shorty.'

"I heard that."

Before Yumi had a chance to comprehend what Cole just said, she was already being drug down the stairs by the "Almighty Short One".

Back at the car, Kale, Kaleb, and Liee stood there laughing as the other students stood in shock at Cole's athleticism. (A/N: Shockingly, athleticism was a word, weird huh? Just when I thought I had made a word up. DAMN!)

As Cole and Yumi came back down the stairs, everyone seemed to back away from Cole which only made her mad.

"WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

Yumi laughed as everyone seemed to either jump or flinch at Cole's question.

"She asked you guys a question."

Everone turn and faced Kale who stood at the edge of the group with his arms crossed.

"Well, if no one's gonna answer, then I advise you all leave, NOW."

That's when the groups scattered leaving only Kale, Cole, Yumi, Liee, Kaleb, and Honoo on the campus. The silence between them was, well, irratating.

Yumi, who was still out of breath managed to get out a little laugh, which made Cole glare at her.

"What Yumi, what's so funny?"

Then Liee started laughing, then the others followed.

"WHAT?"

Kale walked up to Cole and put his arm around Cole.

"Well, when I went here, I did something that, well, was somewhat athletic and after that all the P.E. teachers and sports coaches where coming after me, so I could join certain sport and so I could set an example."

Cole's heart sank, "You mean, they'll be calling me a jock or worse."

Kale nodded.

"I-I need to go sulk now."

The others watched in amusement as Cole walked away, not towards the car or the bathroom like they thought, but up to her first class. Realizing this, Liee, Yumi, Kaleb, and Honoo took off to their classes too.

At lunch, which oddly enough all four of five of them had together, anyway, they watched as Cole continued to sulk and stab her food with a bored look on her face.

Seeing Cole this way pained Yumi a bit, so in her attempt to make Cole feel better, she went to touch Cole's shoulder only to have a SPORK come inches away from her eye.

"Geez Cole, what's wrong with you, stop pulling an attitude with everyone."

Cole sat there looking at her lap for minute as the others waited for her to answer, but instead of giving them the answer they wanted, Cole grabbed her bag and walked around the school and off the campus. She then started walking down the street, but in the mood she was in, she didn't want to walk, so she pulled out her cell phone, which she happened to find under a pile of junk some time ago.

The first person she called was Kale, but all she got was his voice mail, then she sadly made an attempt to call her parents, but no answer there either. In her last attempt to find a ride, she called over to Kaira's house.

She waited a minute until she finally heard someone pick up, "Hello?"

An uneasiness climbed over Cole as she heard Yukina's voice and her mind kept going back to the slap.

"Hello?"

Cole hesitated.

"Cole, is that you?"

'Damn,' Cole thought to herself, stupid caller ID.

"Yeah...I was looking for Kaira."

"She's not here at the moment Cole. What's the matter?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"You can't lie Cole, neither could your mom or Kurama, he can't lie to save his life."

"Really, it's nothing."

"Is it about this morning 'cause we've heard about it from Kale already."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Where are you, outside the school?"

"No, I think at least a block away, something like that, I think."

"I'll come and get you in a couple of minutes."

"Fine, if it doesn't bother ya."

"Five minutes then."

"Yeah, whatever."

Click.

So Cole sat and waited, and in five minutes, as said, Yukina showed up in her car.

Cole reluctantly got up and slid into the car and after only two minutes Cole had yet to say anything.

"Where you at lunch?"

Cole just nodded.

"Did you eat anything?"

Cole shook her head.

"I'll get you something."

Cole shook her head again.

"You sure you don't want anything?"

Cole nodded.

"You must not be in a good mood."

"YA THINK, GEEZ!"

Yukina was startled by her neices outburst, she had never really seen Cole this, in her opinion, hurt before.

"I'm sorry."

Yukina looked over at Cole, "What?"

"I said that I'm sorry, must be PMS or something, I think."

"That was your mom's excuse for everything, PMS, must run in the family or something."

"I doubt it, I'm just more hurt than anything."

"Hurt how, physically, emotionally, what kind?"

"More emotional than anything."

"They called you short, didn't they?"

That caught Cole's attention.

"How'd you know?"

"Hiei had the same problem through grade school, it hurt him and made him the 'shell' he is today."

"I guess everything does run in the family."

Yukina just laughed.

"So, you just want to go home?"

"Yeah, maybe, then I might walk over and see Kale."

Yukina suddenly hit the brakes.

"Whoa, what was that all about?"

"I don't think you should go over there right now."

"Why?"

"Just don't, not right now."

"Okay then."

When they pulled up to the house, Cole got out and just waved to Yukina, then walked inside the house.

"Hey Columbia, ya here?"

Silence.

'So, no one's home and I've got free run of this place, HUZZAH, my dream has come true...note to self: stop talking to self.'

As Cole walked into the kitchen to go out to the pool, she stopped by the phone. What could it hurt to at least try and call Kale? So she pick up the phone and before dialing Kale's number, she hit star 67 so her phone number wouldn't pop up.

The phone rang for the longest time, longer than she's ever had to wait, and before she went to hang up, someone answered, not just anyone, but Kaira of all people.

"Hello? Hello, is anyone there."

On the other side of the phone Cole heard Kale talking to Kaira, but she couldn't understand, she didn't want to understand, so she slammed the phone down.

Cole then slid down the wall and crumpled to the ground. So that's what Yukina didn't want Cole to know, that's why neither Kale nor Kaira picked up their phones.

She felt betrayed, hurt, alone...all those things she never wanted to feel like this again, but it happened, she was in the Dark Place.

"What did I so wrong?"


I personally love the Dark Place, it's comforting especially when all the people you called best friends admit to you that you're useless and a last resort to hang out with. So, yeah, I've gone through alot this weekend and I'm lucky I didn't kill anyone. The only people that I can really talk to and trust is Miranda and Andi, oh and obviously those of you who read my little ramblings, so I thank you for that.

Hmm...yeah, lots of fun, lots of storms up here, or down here in Illinois. For some odd reason, that storm Arlene is gonna make it's way up to my part of Illinois by tomorrow or something, so more storms to make me pee my pants. Oh, if you haven't noticed, I hate really bad storms, especially when they have thunder, or just some kind of warning, so yeah, more stress, hehe.

Oh yeah, I've been sick every once in a while and I found out why. For a while now I've been drinking nothing but water and one day I had not even half a cup of coffee and I felt sick all day, so I went back to water. Then on another day, I had a Coke and felt sick, so I went back to water. So yeah, guess who can't exactly have caffine anymore, ME! I can only have water and then any kind of beverage without any caffine. Why me, I like caffine.

Is that it for now, why yes I think it is, so until the next time.

Jen