The Gift

Chapter Twenty-Three-Don't Run Away

I left out the front door, leaving it wide open and running down the steps and running through the pure white snow, which hadn't been stepped on. Freshly laid on the ground, as it still fell. I kept running, trying to run as far as possible before I had to stop and walk.

Finally I stopped, and collapsed onto my hands and knees, wheezing and coughing, breathing in the freezing cold air. Blizzard was right next to me, comforting me. Or at least, attempting to.

 Suddenly someone was sitting next to me. I looked up, fearing it was Eli, but who I saw was much worse than him. 

"Cole?" I choked. Cole rolled his eyes and stood up, dusting the snow off himself. He offered me his hand, and stupidly, I took it. He let go of me and looked at me irritably.

"Where do you think you are going?" He snapped at me.

"Protecting myself," I retorted. 

"You're running. You keep running, from all of your problems. You have to stop." He acted like he was any better.

"You're one to talk," I snapped madly at him. My feet were now numb, and my ankles were freezing from the snow on them, and in my feet. My hands were also pretty cold, seeing as I landed in it. The snow was still falling, and I had no sweatshirt. I was freezing.

"I know I've ran away," he admitted. "But my time is over, Nichole. I wasted my time running when I could have learned things. I could have gone so many different ways, but I chose forward since it seemed safest. You can't run and be safe, Nichole. You will keep meeting more enemies. You may have a fox, but you need more than just an animal. Yes, this fox has to be pretty awesome to have your trust, but still, you need more protection. You need to stand up for yourself. You need to fight, not hide. Please." 

He tore off his sweatshirt, and then put it over my arms. 

"Why do you care?" I looked at him in confusement. He watched me, his expression was mixed with anger and sadness and a little disappointment.

"Because I know what's inside of you. You are better than what everyone thinks. You are capable of great things, and you can do many things a lot of people can't. We just need to try, Nichole. We need to train, and try, and keep together. You need to open up more." Cole told me. He's one to talk, the little asshole...I thought. 

"Like you do?" I mocked. 

"I'm trying to open up right now," he told me. 

"I'm going back. But one question...since when did you care about anyone else? Since when did you care about me?" I frowned at him, before moving. 

"I learned from you." He smiled slightly.

"Me? How did I teach you anything?" I asked in shock.

"You taught me just because I'm different than humans doesn't mean I have to show it off and try and be better. You taught me that just because I've had more training doesn't mean some other person has more strength than I have in my pinky. You also taught me that family will always be important, and that different isn't bad. It's good." Cole grabbed my arms and looked intently into my eyes.

"You teach everyone you are around new things. You somehow get everyone to see the better side of you. The side everyone wants to see, but you keep yourself so tightly locked inside that no one can see. You have such a hard shield around yourself, yet you even taught me that friends are more important than myself and my training. And no one teaches me anything." Cole sighed, and let go of me. "Then again, no one tried. And it hurt. And so I imagined how bad it hurt you. And I came to find you. To tell you I won't leave you again. I believe in you."