A Girl Like Me

20. The Final Chapter

It was that time of the day when day was fading to dusk, the sky a soft mercurial colour with swirls of orange sunshine being pulled beneath the horizon. California was beautiful at sunset, and it made me feel pleased to be home again, as we bumped along the road in the old bus towards the school.

I seemed to be the only person awake, and looking around I could see all the people who I'd grown close to over the past few months of my new school, albeit some of them I didn't get along with anymore. Nikki was beside me, snoring softly and the others: Cole, Finn, Ethan, Amy and Amanda were dotted around behind and to the side of us. I had never been friends with Amanda, after the cafeteria incident, but I liked to think that I didn't hate anyone.

I turned back around just as the engine died down and all around me, people were yawning and getting up and chattering quietly. Someone nudged Nikki awake and she shimmied out of our seat to grab the bags from the overhead compartment. After grabbing hers, she left the bus and I stood to the side letting everyone else pass before I got my bag. Everyone except Cole.

My mind went back to the time on the bus when we were going to Boston and Cole had to help me get my bag out. I realised that that was the start of our relationship, and I turned around to remind him but he was coming towards me with his signature cheeky smile and the words left me.

Instead, I went on tiptoes to grab my bag before turning around and kissing him on the lips quickly. He pushed me towards him, wanting more, breathing softly against my neck but I laughed and turned away.

"Hey, you know what I was thinking?" I said, letting Cole follow me off the bus.

We stepped into the evening air and we shrugged. "I know what I was thinking, though," he said easily, snaking his arm around my waist.

"Cole, focus!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face and we walked to the concrete plaza where people were huddled waiting for their parents to collect them. "It's end of semester, so we should have a small party to celebrate," I said. "I mean, only a few people who we know well."

"Where would we have the party?" He asked.

"My house," I said. "And I don't know if this is a bad idea but maybe we could invite the people who I, eh, fell out with. Amy, Ethan, Amanda? I don't want to fight with people anymore..."

He nodded slowly. "That could work."

I leaned my back against the wall, scanning the parking lot for one of my parents, but they weren't there yet. Cole stepped in front of me, placing both hands on the wall on either side of me. I bit my lip, knowing very well that he loved it and let him scoop up my chin as he kissed me. Cole's tender lips could make me forget anything, and focus on him only. I couldn't hear anyone or anything, I could just feel him and my hands as they subconsciously wandered through his dark hair. My cheeks were warming up as our tongues moved in a fiery rhythm with each other, dancing and twisting and turning swiftly...

Beeeeeeep!!!

It was absolutely deafening, the car horn that blasted no more than a metre away from our steamy kiss. I jumped away from Cole with fright, my heart racing until I saw that it was my Dad, and then it raced even more because my Dad had just seen me making out with Cole.

"Shit!" I hissed under my breath, the colour draining from my cheeks as I glanced at Cole. I hurried over to the car just as he rolled down the window. I could see his face, red and angry. Cole's steps fell into line with mine and he leaned on the open window, obviously wanting to explain himself. Cole had 'Love Life' tattooed on his knuckles, and my father was eyeing this up uncertainly.

"Hi Mr Evans," said Cole, his accent changing from his usual husky, rough one into a polite one. "I'm Cole Ryan." Dad shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr Ryan," said Dad. "If you don't mind now, Bianca and I will be on our way." Cole looked as if he wanted to say something to explain what happened, but couldn't find the words. He opened his mouth just as my Dad said "get in the car," in a stern tone that I wasn't used to from my fairly easygoing father.