prince ♛ cole mackenzie

24 | go to hell, billy andrews

Silas trudged to school through the snow. On his way, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He had been too captivated by a strangely pelted fox in the bushes to realise Cole had been trying to catch up to him.

"Good morning. Where's your book bag?" Silas queried with a smile.

"Come with me, I'm not going to school today."

Cole seemed excited. Silas didn't want to ruin his mood; and what was there to lose if they missed one day of Mr Phillips's monotonous   —and not to mention torturous— lessons?

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"The stream. I've got an idea. The lady, or man, I'm not quite sure, suggested I try clay. It was brilliant! I don't need to create much detail on clay figures. I've already half-sculpted a face and it hardly hurts my wrist at all!" Cole explained.

"I'm so happy for you. You deserve this, Cole."

Inside the den, Cole showed Silas his bucket of water and clay mixed together into a paste. He stirred it with a thick wooden stick lying on the ground beside them.

Cole scooped some clay out and carefully smoothed it over the to-be neck.

"It's wonderful," breathed Silas.

"It'll take some time; I'll get better, I hope. But for now, I'll just keep practising until I've got it right. I don't mind if you'd rather go to class, I don't want you to be missing out."

"Cole, you're doing great and I'm staying right here with you."

Cole stopped his work in the moment and grinned at Silas. He looked truly happy. Silas wrapped his arms around Cole's neck, avoiding the sculpture as best he could. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered.

* * * * *

Silas and Cole spent the day in the den again. Cole had finished his portrait sculpture and made an additional three human figures.

Now, Silas was approaching the schoolyard. Jane walked some paces in front of him, so he hurried to reach her.

"Good morning, Jane," he said.

"Oh, hello, Silas. Good morning," Jane replied. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Wha— pardon?"

"You weren't in yesterday. Neither was Cole."

"Oh, yeah, we're fine. Cole's wrist, uh, it was hurting. I didn't want him to . . . er— be alone."

"Uh-huh," she gave a slight giggle.

"Isn't Prissy with you?" Silas asked.

"Oh, she left early to see Mr. Phillips."

"You don't like him?"

"Does anyone? Except my idiotic sister. Don't tell her I said that."

They hung their coats and bags on their pegs. Jane hurried to greet her friends, leaving Silas by his own.

Cole appeared just in time, carrying a bundle of firewood for the stove. "Hi," he spoke, kneeling to open the hatch.

"Hello—"

Silas's reply was interrupted by Billy shoving Cole, hard. "You need to be more careful, bud."

Cole's surprised gasp was enough to make Silas want to strangle Billy.

"Go to hell, Billy Andrews," he snarled instead.

He gave Cole a hand up and ignored the rest of the class, watching intently, eagerly waiting.

"What did you say?" Billy came closer, smirking.

"I think you heard me."

Mr. Phillips came from the little room he and Prissy sometimes conversed quietly, causing Billy to rethink what he would do. The students' staring also stopped and they returned to their own gossip.

"You shouldn't make such bad choices, Arroway. You could get yourself into trouble," Billy held his stare, looked at Cole and returned to Silas's flaming green gaze.

"Leave him out of this."

Billy retreated to his friends at their desks without a word.

Gilbert Blythe was already checking on Cole when he turned around. "Is it healing alright?"

"It's getting there. Thanks." Cole took a small lump of clay out of his pocket and began to squeeze it therapeutically. Gilbert nodded to Silas in greeting.

"You're going to be sent back to the city if you speak like that here," Cole joked after standing to meet Silas.

His mind raced at that sentence. does he know? i haven't told him yet. has someone else told him?

"You okay?" he asked Silas, looking slightly worried.

he doesn't know.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I'll see you after, okay?"

Cole smiled. "See you."

♛ ✧ *✭˚･ﾟ✧*.

𝓥: season 3 just got announced!! time to set a countdown for summer(?) 2019