Red For Rebellious

True Friends?

I had never in my life seen Colton look so mad. If we were in a cartoon, steam would be pouring out of his ears. Grabbing my arm, he led me to the front of the class and out into the hallway. The teacher didn’t seem to notice our escape as he was engrossed in one of his usual romance books.

Once we were in the hallway, I pulled away from Colton and straightened out my shirt. Before I could process anything, he had me backed up against the closest row of lockers, both of his arms keeping me caged in. I watched him closely, choosing my next word carefully.

“Is it that hard for you to admit?”

It sounded like he swore under his breath as he pushed away from the lockers. Colton brushed a hand through his hair almost as if he were just as frustrated as I was.

Yeah right.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he finally said, pacing back in forth in front of me.

“Oh I don’t?”

“No,” Colton confirmed.

Laughing, I shook my head and took a step towards the classroom door. “A real man would admit what he truly felt.”

Colton’s hand on my arm stopped me from entering the room. I turned around, my eyes connecting with his crystal blue orbs.

“I don’t get romantic feelings for gir—“

“I never said you loved me Colton, I said you had feelings for me. That could me many things. Whether you just like me as a friend, or more, or whatever you want to call it, I know there is some sort of feelings. Otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten so mad after the party.”

My words left Colton looking even more frustrated.

“Is it really that hard admitting you like me as a friend? Everyone needs a friend, even Colton Jones.”

He stepped away from me looking more and more angry.

“Feelings don’t get you anywhere in life.”

I laughed. “So you’re saying feelings are a bad thing?”

“Of course they are Sutton. Feelings are the reason people kill themselves, or kill others. Feelings are the reason people feel empty or broken when they lose a friend, or get dumped. Feelings are what makes you so upset every day; whether it be about your sister or your parents, or even me.”

It was obvious that Colton had once loved someone. He had to of lost something dear to him to feel this way about something a human being can’t help. I understood that the love that I felt towards my sister was the reason I was hurting now, but without love and hurt, what was life? How could Colton tell himself that he could make it through even a day without feeling something towards someone?

It was sad to see him like this; so upset about something that everyone went through. Hurt was a part of life, and Colton’s way of dealing with it meant pushing everyone away so he wouldn’t get hurt. What he didn’t know was that it was the very reason he was hurting now.

“How can you think that Colton? Yeah, losing something or someone you care about sucks, but where would all of us be without the love from our parents, and our friends who make our life so much more enjoyable.”

“We’d be like me,” he stated simply.

I chuckled. “And even though Colton Jones is a great guy, no one wants millions of cocky bad boys driving around on their motorbikes.”

A flicker of a smile made its way to Colton’s face. Even though it wasn’t much, it was better the brooding, cranky side of him.

“I don’t think that would be too bad, I mean at least we’d all be devilishly handsome. It would just be so much perfection…”