Song One Shots

A Match Into Water {Hallows}

The day I met Cole Shadows was a day I'll never forget. It was a Tuesday in May at the university of Manchester, and I was scrambling across campus to my prison like dorm room when a girl knocked me over in her hurry to get to class. She was still in pyjamas, her neon pink hair in a messy bun and glasses perched precariously on her nose as she made a mad scramble to pick up the books she'd dropped, muttering curses and apologies as she did so.

"I'm so fricking sorry, I'm so late for class and ugh. I hate moving." She rambled, and I couldn't help but chuckle as I helped her pick up some of her books, handing them to her. She looked at me gratefully and I was shocked to see she had dark grey eyes, a bright blue surrounding her pupil like a ring. "It's alright." I heard myself say, and she smiled. "Thank you so much. I'm Cole. Cole Shadows." She grinned and extended her pale hand to me. "Dan Howell." I said, taking her hand in mine, for the first of many times to come.

-time skip a year-

"Dan! Hey! Dan have you seen my tea mug?" My girlfriend Cole yelled from the kitchen, and I let out a sigh, getting up and plucking it from he shelf, which was a full foot taller than her. "Why yes I have. It's right here" I chuckled and she pouted, pushing her black hair out of her face. "That's not fair I'm short." "Yep." I leaned down, kissing her pout and handing her the cup, going back into the living room just as her sister and best friend walked in the door, laughing uncontrollably. "Kellin is here!" I called, and Cole poked her head out of the kitchen with a grin, grey eyes alight with happiness. "By Kelly! Hey Lee!" The two nodded to her, Kellin running into the kitchen while Lee sat next to me. "You know about her scars yeah?" She asked, and I nodded. "Yeah."

I kissed the scars on her skin
I still think your beautiful
And I don't ever wanna
Lose my best friend

Cole had thick deep and jagged scars covering her upper arms, thighs, sides and some thin light ones behind her ears and on her forearms, and she hated them. She always wore jeans and hoodies, because she felt so insecure about them and herself. I saw them when I accidentally walked in on her getting dressed, and froze in the doorway at the sight of them. "D-Dan. Please d-don't freak out. D-don't leave." She begged, her voice shaking as tears flooded from her eyes. "Cole...." I whispered and walked over to her, crushing her in a hug. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Just. Please don't do this to yourself. Please."
"You probably think I'm a freak." She laughed dryly, and I pulled away from her, lifting her right wrist up to my lips and kissing the jagged line that lay there. "I still think your beautiful."

Lee smiled at me as I recounted the story in a low whisper, stopping once Cole came and sat next to me, lacing her fingers through mine for one of the last times.

-time skip six months-
This is the part in the story where the cute music stops, and a sorrowful soundtrack begins to play. This is also Lee and Kellin's part of the story, so I'll let them tell it.

Kellin's P.O.V.

"Lee! Lee! Jacqueline Lee Shadows!" I screamed, and the red haired girl poked her head into my room, taking in its disorganised appearance and my puffy eyes. "Kells?" She asked, and i held out my phone to her, a voicemail from my best friend Cole on the screen. "I didn't answer...I was with Vic..." I whispered and she held up a hand, pressing play and holding the phone to her ear. I knew the message by heart after hearing it just one time, and I doubt I'll ever forget it.

"Kells..I am so sorry for this. We've been through a lot together in the past 8 years, from bullying to getting arrested for vadalism, to depression and saying disorders. But we finally made it. You found Vic, and I've never seen you as happy as you ere with him. I found my Dan...and I was happier. Lee got her Austin...and she practically glows. But my story is ending. I can't...deal with any of this. Chris found me a few weeks ago, and. The way he acted and talked made my skin crawl. When he touched me...I wanted to scream. But I couldn't let him hurt you. Or Lee. Or Dan. It's been eating at me, and I can't fucking do it. So Kelly, I love you. I love you for everything you've dealt with. All the smiles and laughs, the memories...and most of all for convincing me to move to Manchester with you. Lee...i know your going to hear this as well. And  I'm...sorry. That doesn't seem to be enough but it has to be. I'll never be able to express how thankful I am for you, and to our parents for taking me in. Please...tell mom this is not her fault. It's not yours or Kellin's either. Or Dans. It's my own. And to Dan...because I know he'll hear this too...I love you. I have since the day I dropped all my books running across campus for my stupid physiology course. I always will. But Bear, I couldn't keep lying to you. I couldn't keep holding your hand, kissing your cheek, and letting myself be so foolishly in love when that man had done the things he did to me. I love you Bear, and I'm so so sorry. Thank you Dan, for everything. For loving me when I didn't deserve to be loved, for needing me when no one else did, for holding me though nightmares, for buying me stupid gifts, sharing your Malteasers and your cereal, for making me feel beautiful inside and out. For accepting me, despite the scars, which only made me love you that much harder. Thank you for all the memories  of you and me. Take care of them...goodbye. I love you Bear."

The message cut off,and Lee looked at me horror in her eyes. "We need to get to her flat. Now." She whispered and I nodded, jumping up and running across the campus to her dorm, praying it wasn't to late.

I screamed out God you
Vulture
Bring her back or take me
With her.

We burst I to her apartment and instantly I could smell a cloying sickly sweet smell, almost like the honeysuckles in the small southern town I met her in. We ran through to the bedroom on instinct, and I felt tears leak down my cheeks like a waterfall, my throat closing up, the only sounds escaping raspy chokes. "Cole..." Lee whimpered, turning away as I knelt beside the bed. There was a bottle of sleeping pills beside her limp hand. A razor clutched in her other. Blood was still leaking out of her wrists, and she had a smile on her face, dried tears streaking down. I began gagging, then ran into the hallway, dialling the police. Once on their way, I called Dan, barely able to hold myself up.

"Yeah?"
"It's Cole oh god Dan."
"Kellin? Breathe calm down. What's happened?" He asked, an I could hear him walking out of his dorm.
"She's...oh god Dan she's dead."
"What?"

I collapsed on the floor in sobs, my heart aching and my throat tight. A few moments later the door slammed open and Dan stood there, his dark brown eyes wild and terrified. "Kells! Kellin what happened?" He demanded and I pointed to Coles room unable to speak.

I heard him begin crying, his sobs rivalling the pounding the pounding in my  head."Wake up! I know you can hear me!" He screamed at her, then collapsed on the floor "she promised." Was the only thing that he could say as EMT and police came in, taking photos and bringing her out of the flat. They questioned us, but of course none of could form coherent repsonses.

Soon enough, Austin and Vic showed up running to us. Austin held Lee as Vic rubbed circles into my back, talking to Dan in a low voice. At that moment, it didn't seem as if there would ever be sunshine again.

Dans P.O.V.

It's been two years since that day. Two tears since I saw Cole smile, heard her laugh, or felt her touch. All of her things are at the flat me and Lee share with Austin, locked into the attic. I can still hear her voice and on a rainy day it's like I can feel her, bringing light into the gloom that surrounds us.

Dreamless in early graves
Never wanted to be this way

"Dan? Dude, Kellin is here." Austin's voice boomed, and I let myself smile, Kellin's presence a way to buffer the pain since he and Cole were as close as they were. I had just sat up when Kellin barrelled into my room, bouncing in excitement. "Dan! Dan! It's a girl!" He squealed, and I hugged him in excitement. Kellin and Vic had been pregnant for a few months, and today they found out what Kellin was carrying, a little girl. "What are you gonna call her?" I asked, and his face sobered up, his eyes saddening. "Vivian Cole Fuentes-Quinn"  "Beautiful. Can't wait to meet her Kells." I whispered and smiled sadly, looking at my bedside table where I kept a framed photo of Cole and I that Vic had taken on our first date. She had her arms around my neck and her head in my chest, my arms round her waist as I kissed her hair. We were at the Eye Of London on holiday, and it was one of the clearest memories of her I had. "I wish we had known."
"It wouldn't have been easier."
"I know. But we could've helped."
"Yeah. We would've fought back."
Kellin left, and I went into the attic going through her things one last time. I took the photos of us, her favourite hats and books, some movies, and the hoodie she had stolen from me, then locked the door once again.

No one opened it again as long as we all lived in that flat, and once we opened it, most of it was donated to Goodwill. Kellin and Vic's daughter has black hair, and Vic's brown eyes, blue around the pupils like Coles grey ones. I've moved on by now, with a guy named Phil. He knows about Cole, and actually helps me make time to visit her grave, as well as Kellin, Vic, and Lee. Vic and Kellin call their daughter Cole, and no one would have it any other way.

When it's sudden death
We fight back