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[ ]Damn it! he thought, as he tried to be as motionless as possible, how did I end up like this again? Hiding from everyone when I didn't even do anything.
[ ]Cole looked up from his hiding place underneath the floor to see if anyone was there. He had run the old, broken down warehouse that had been here since the city was first built. It used to make shoes, or something. I had a whole bunch of tunnels going to everywhere in the Old District and it was the perfect place to hide from just about anything. Or anyone. Sean Park and his gang had only just rode past the warehouse without seeing him. He sat back down in the Tunnels had gave long exhale, which he had been holding for some time now. If they had seen him he would have had no choice but to cut himself. Cole got up and limped though the Tunnels. His foster parents were going to kill him, and he had really gotten to like this pair. Still, a talking to was better than the whole week he had to spend with Cletus, that drunken, womanizing b*****d. He shuddered the thought of him. And at least Tony and Elaine Richard weren't religious like the god damned Preacher. That whole two days was God this and Jesus that. What a sheep. But even he thought Cole has beyond help when he found out about him.
[ ]He got out of the Tunnels at the Bakery in the Old District. It was owned by nice, but sarcastic old man with missing finger. The guy understood how bullies were and always helped him. He trusted the old geezer with everything, well almost. The tunnel led to the back room so no one would see him come in or out, so that was a plus. Cole used most of his free hours running so curfew was getting closer and closer, and the Bakery was eight blocks away from his house.
[ ]"Can't stay and talk today Den," he shouted so the old man would know he was here, "It's almost curfew and I got to run fast."
[ ]"Fine," shouted Denny from the counter,"I don't want to talk to you either. You need a ride."
[ ]"No I'm good." And he was. He walked fast outside and then went to drastic measures. He inhaled and brought all of that oxygen in to his legs and toke off. He reminded himself that he should buy one of those wrist speedometers because he could never tell how fast he was going. Although, he did know that he was passing cars, and could pass trains if he put his mind to it. He could only imagine what this could be doing to his leg but with all that oxygen keeping the pain away he wouldn't feel it until tomorrow. He looked down at his watch, three minutes left and two blocks to go; I can do this, he though and then repeated out loud,"I can do this." 3...2...In! He made it just in time. He was totally exhausted and held on to the door handle so that he wouldn't collapse. He saw Tony in the living room with the phone n his hand, most likely getting ready to call Cole's cellphone when Cole ran in.
[ ]Well, looks like you made...what happened to your eye?!" asked Elaine, walking into the room with a ladle and the beautiful apron she had fashioned herself. No matter how many times he came home with bruises and torn clothes she always looked like it was the first time it had happened. Now he had to calm down his foster mother and stop his foster father from calling the school and telling them to enact some king of anti-bully program. That only made things worse tomorrow.
[ ]"What happened to you?" asked Elaine,"Was it those darn bullies again? I swear I'll have a good talk with their mothers. This going in my book for PTA topics." The best way to calm her down was to change the subject. Elaine was very intelligent, but had the attention span of a puppy.
[ ]Wow, Elaine," he said," What are you making for dinner? It smells heavenly."
[ ]Oh you," she blushed, "were having something new today. Pork tenderloin with a side of rice and those jalapeños you guys like so much." Tony made the Mmmm sound and then then looked at Cole with the 'I deal with you later' eyes. Tony was harder to fool than Elaine. A lot harder.
[ ]"Well, I just be up in my room until dinners ready then," said Cole, backing up to the stairs.
[ ]"All right, sweety," said Elaine, she always treated him like he was her own birth child, and he liked that,"I'll call you down when it's done."