The Call to Rise

Dancing to the Beat of My Own Drum Part 5: This Life is Mine

Not much to say except Merry(belated) Christmas and a Happy(early) New Year!

Also, prepare your tissue and/or weapons, but please do not hurt any of the characters in this story in your comments. Here *holds up a dummy* you can take out your anger on this.

Now then, let me shut my mouth and let you read

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Cole was here.

Cole was here.

That was all Lou could think about as he stared at the stage below him. Stared at his son, who had pulled his wayward hood back over his head and was now standing among the other members of his group--no doubt the "friends" that Cole had mentioned meeting in his letter.

But Cole was here, in Jamanakai Village, competing in the talent show...

...he was here, as if he had never run away in the first place.

Anger slowly but surely replaced the shock that the middle-aged gentleman was feeling and he gripped his cane tightly.

How dare his son show up here, of all places, without telling him?! How dare Cole enter the prestigious Jamanakai Talent Show, only to try and use that....that uncouth style of "dancing" that he had somehow grown fond of?!

Lou wasn't just angry.

He was furious.

He had half a mind to stomp down to the stage and drag his son away by his ear, and had even began to stand up, but a hand on his shoulder made him pause for a few brief seconds.

"Whoa, whoa, hey," Anthony said, his voice impossibly calm. "Bring it down a notch, Lou. I know you're angry, but marching out there on stage right now is just going to make matters worse."

"And what do you suggest that I do, Anthony?!" Lou demanded. "You know as well as I do that if I just wait, then Cole will disappear again!"

"Then we'll just catch him before he does," Caspian said, giving Lou a smile full of confidence and determination. "You head to the main entrance while we head backstage and get Cole."

Lou frowned. "Will you be able to get to him?"

Cass waved a hand flippantly. "Pfft, please. Cole's just a teenager, Lou. This'll be a piece of cake."

"Don't jinx it," Anthony muttered.

"Fear not, noble Lou!" Brendon declared dramatically, planting a hand over his heart. "On my honor, we shall reunite you and your beloved son or my name isn't--!"

"Oh for the love of--let's just go!" Cass growled, grabbing his twin by the collar and dragging him off. Anthony followed close behind, though he turned back and quietly said, "Don't worry, Lou. We'll get Cole, just meet us by the main entrance."

Several people looked at Lou as he made his way out of the main stage area, no doubt wondering why he was leaving before the announcer finished telling them who made it to the finals. Lou didn't care, he just focused on making his way to the entrance as fast as he could--which was pretty decently fast, especially given how his foot was broken.

As he did, he mulled over what he was going to do when he finally saw Cole again. A part of him wanted to hug his son--after all, it had been months since he had last seen him and he had been worried about him for just as long. Maybe he would do that...but after that, Cole was going to get the lecture of a lifetime! Starting with how it was most certainly not okay to disappear for months on end, especially when he was missing months of school and valuable teachings--