memories.

“I’m sad, and I don’t know why.” The whispered sentence is enough to shake all remains of sleep from Cole.

“Oh, Sunshine.” She lays down beside him on the bed and gazes into his eyes. There’s nothing sexual about it - it’s just pure friendship.

It’s silent for a countless amount of time. The two of them just stare at each other, soaking in every detail of their best friend. Cole eventually gets out of the warm bed and pulls Dakota with him.

“Come on. I want to show you something.” Their feet slap against the hardwood floor as they move towards the living room. Cole grabs an acoustic guitar and looks back at her with a small smile before opening the front door and exiting. She follows with a mind full of questions but decides to ask none of them.

He leads her up a stairwell and when they reach the top he flings open a door. They step outside onto the roof and her breath leaves her in a gasp.

“It’s so beautiful.” She comments as she spins in a slow circle, arms outstretched towards the sky.

He nods and smiles slightly as he goes towards the edge, guitar still in hand.

She sits beside him, her eyes trying to memorize every part of the lit skyline.

Cole starts strumming the guitar, a serene look on his face.

“Your true colors are starting to get loud.
Have fun praying to your gray god now.”

His voice is so sorrowful that it brings chill bumps to her arms.

“All that you taught me to be
Was a moper a dreamer that only refused to dream.
Oh, save it please.
My voice is peaking through your speakers
And I'm speaking just to show you the way.
How could you shelter me out? I'm much older now.
You shatter like a beaker when I only wanna show you the way.”

Tears are slowly filling her eyes and when he sings the last line her cheeks are slowly lined with salted water.

It’s silent for a while after he finishes. It’s so peaceful that neither of them can bare to break the silence, nor do they feel the need to.

She falls asleep leaning against Cole’s shoulder with nothing but the thoughts of how different it felt to be in Cole’s arms rather than Alan.

“Dammit, Cole!” She squeals, chunking the paper ball back at her technical boss. Right now it seemed more like she was the boss.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes to her current customer.
Her customer, Autumn, was a fiery red head. She was a regular and this was Dakota’s fourth time tattooing her.

“You’re fine,” Autumn soothes, giggling. “All boys are idiots.” What was meant to be a joke just brings back thoughts of Alan to Dakota’s mind.

So she just nods noncommittally and continues inking the portrayal of a blue jay onto Autumn’s left hip.

“Bye, Aut!” She calls out around an hour later, trying to keep a smile on her face.

She turns to walk back to her work area but a concerned Cole catches her wrist. She flinches and Cole’s face turns harsher as he realizes how Alan just screwed her up further.

“I know something is wrong, Sunshine.”

She just shrugs, rubbing her arms.

“I just-” The bell above the shop door interrupts her.

She just freezes.

Cole steps forward, an enraged look on his face.

“If you don’t get the fuck out of my shop right now, I swear to God I will kill you.”

“I just want to talk to-”

“I don’t give a shit. Get out.”

‘Please, Cole. Let me-” She doesn’t hear the rest of what Alan says, just runs to the bathroom and locks herself inside.

Notes

Um can i just remind you guys that Cole is her best frond. Neither of them like each other, I promise.