PART TWO!!
He had a bandage wrapped around his chest, and the sterile whiteness of it contrasted with his darkly tanned skin. I just stared, unable to do more. It was horrible to see, and I turned my head. He slipped his shirt back on, shaking his head. I could still see him from the corner of my eye, see the way his face looked desperate, almost pleading.
"Abrie, it isn't that bad. Please…" He said, using my pleading tactic against me. He pulled my chin up and made me look into his eyes, searching for something. I let a tear slip down my cheek and threw myself at him, burying my head in his chest.
"Colle, why do you have to do this? Abe could do it, or Garett. Why you?" I asked. Colle sighed and continued driving, shaking his head. He and I had gotten into a lot of fights about his 'job'. He put himself in danger, and I hated that.
"Garett doesn't have the right skills, and Abe is too dedicated to his education. He's working on his Master's degree now, and he's only 23." Colle said, and this time it was my turn to sigh. Even though I loved his older brothers dearly, but neither of them were as tough was Colle, and his oldest was more in love with his school work to worry about anything else.
"I know, but what about your father?" I asked. I immediately regretted my words, because his face went blank, and he stepped on the accelerator.
"Yeah, like he'd be any help. He's gone Abrianna, and he's not coming back." Colle said, staring strait ahead, out the windshield. His father, Rick Ozera, had walked out on his family when Colle was 5, not even bothering to say good-bye. He was a touchy subject around Colle, and it showed.
"I know Colle, I'm sorry. Hey, you never told me who the tutor is. Oh, and if it's your brother, I'm going to hurt you." I said, trying to bring the conversation back to easygoing and fun. This dark, sad Colle scared me, just as him using my full name. He never, never used my full name.
"Oh, it's not Abe. He's away in Harvard now anyways and he'll probably not be home until at least next year. Garett isn't home either, he's staying with Ryan." Colle said, a ghost of a smile now on his face. I smiled back, good that the conversation had finally changed to something more up-beat.
"Ryan, huh? His parents actually allowed this?" I asked, surprised. Ryan's parents were really stuck up and hated anything that ruined the 'perfect family' façade they had going on, like Ryan being gay.
Ryan and Garett had been going out for a year now, and I had met Ryan's parents. They almost seemed to disown Ryan because of his gayness, but I thought it was good; at least now Garett was happy, and Ryan didn't have to pretend around him. It was cute to watch them, though sometimes it creeped me out. Like when I caught them making out. Not a pleasant memory.
"Yeah, surprisingly. They seem to be backing off too. Maybe they've come to their senses." Colle said. I shook my head, unsure.
"Or maybe they decided it wasn't worth the fight anymore." I said. It seemed more like the real reason, because I couldn't picture cool, prissy Danielle and cold, unfeeling Kent ever changing their views of open gayness.
"Anyways, we'll have the house to ourselves. That is, if you decide to stay; you don't have to, of course." Colle said. He looked at me sideways and smirked, and I rolled my eyes at him.
"I think I'll stay, my father just got a new computer." I said. My father was horrible with electronics, and every time he bought any new technology he'd just hit it and cuss, trying to install it. Not my favorite thing to be around.
"Oh, I see. And now the conversation's been brought to you, and how you're holding up. Any new concerns for me?" He asked. My father was also a drunk, and was a violent one at that. He sometimes took his rage out at me, and I'd end up having to cover up a few new bruises and scrapes here and there.
"Nope, nothing to report on. Oh wait, my dad actually managed to stay sober on Thursday." I said, turning to look out the window. It wasn't a total lie, because he had been sober. But just that one day, after a heavy drinking on Wednesday. When he had pushed me into the doorway. I just barely had a bruise on my back, stretching from my lower back to my neck. But he didn't need to know that.
"Well, okay then. Oh, and we're here. Time for some Biology help." He said. I opened my door and slid out of the car, which was parked in a cement car garage. Colle and his brother Garett shared an apartment with Abe, when he was home. Which was never.
The apartment was small, but just big enough for three grown boys and the occasional friend brought over. I was the only one to actually spend the night, except for Ryan.
Colle unlocked the apartment door and motioned for me to go in first, trying to hide a smile. I walked into the dark room suspiciously, not even able to see two feet in front of me. I dropped my backpack just as I heard Colle shut the door behind him, cutting off any source of light possible.
"Abrianna." Colle said, his voice coming from somewhere in front of me. I followed the sound of the voice, trying to feel my way in front of me; I really didn't want to fall.
"Colle, where are you?" I asked, still trying to find him. My hand brushed against a small bit wall and I just stood there, trying to get my bearings. My eyes still hadn't adjusted, so I was still blind.
"Colle, is that you?" I asked, unable to stop my voice from trembling. I was a little scared. Wait, why was I scared? It was Colle, I could trust him.
"Who else, Abrianna? The power shut off, so sorry about the darkness." Colle apologized, but his words didn't seem so sincere. He pulled me around to face him, bringing a hand up from my waist to my cheek, stroking it lightly.
"Colle?" I asked. Colle usually did everything in his power to make sure I was happy, and this was no different. His fingers were feather-light against my jaw bone, like a ghost. Actually, that wasn't a bad analogy.
"Hush Abrie, relax. It's me, you know I'd never do anything to hurt you." He said, his words just like him. I smiled into the darkness and leaned against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart, feeling his chest rise under my cheek.
"Colle, what's going on? You're acting odder than usual." I said. He chuckled and pulled my face to his, and his lips silenced my next question. His lips were soft, warm, and hesitant, but also demanding. It was a nice contradiction, and it was so like Colle, sweet and always wanting to make me happy first before worrying about his own.
He pulled away, and I immediately missed the feeling of his lips moving in synch against mine. It was like a part of me had been ripped away, and I sighed. I was still too lost to say anything though.
"So what's going on with you, besides school?" He asked, and I looked up at him, shrugging. I still couldn't think, despite my best efforts to clear my ever buzzing head. It was a pleasant buzzing though, like butterflies, or when you just got a major sugar rush, not painful in any way.
"Um…nothing much. Why, what do you wanna know?" I asked, trying to stall before I actually had to form a coherent sentence, which seemed to be past my abilities.
I had been kissed before, and by Colle, but they had always been sort pecks, never anything as magical as what we had just shared. The kiss that just happened seemed magical, like all my problems had just floated out the window. It was better than chocolate. Hell, it was better than alcohol, or drugs. Not that I've ever done drugs; I had a friend who told me what it was like.
"Should I be worried about anything in your personal life, like a second boyfriend?" He asked. I shook my head, marveling at how Colle thought I'd be able to cheat on him hen he was probably the only person I knew who could actually make a deep conversation. It was also like he was made for me, which was cool. He understood me completely.
"Nope, no one. You're my one and only, always will be." I said, the same words I used every time he asked me the ridiculous question. It seemed absurd when he had first asked it, and it seemed absurd now.
"Are you sure?" He asked, and I was shocked to actually hear jealousy in his voice, real jealousy. It was not just a joke, he was actually getting like this over a guy who didn't even exist.
"Yes I'm positive. If I were in a relationship, don't you think I'd know about it?" I told him, trying to show him that me dating another person was absolutely never going to happen.
"Who knows, maybe you're lying to me." He said, and I laughed. It was just so crazy.
"Colle, yeah right. You're being silly." I told him, laughing. He laughed too; I had finally convinced him. Hopefully for good this time.
"Abrie, how could I doubt you when you look at me like that?" He asked. I was staring up at him, my eyes wide and my lower lip formed in a pout. I knew he couldn't resist this face, and that was why I was using it now. There was so much better things we could do than argue about my unreal secret boyfriends.
"You can't." I told him, and I lowered my eyes, only to look up at him through my eyelashes. This was almost his undoing, and I saw his eyes momentarily turn black.
"I know I can't, and that's the problem. You have me wrapped around your little finger." He said, taking one of my hands. He brought it to his face and rested his cheek in the palm of my hand, just standing there in the dark. It was very, very romantic.