#danny walter

[strawberryforks]

the cole walter effect // cole walter x reader

summary: you fall victim to the cole walter effect, then he, falls for you.

warnings: swearing

word count: 1850

a/n: requests/asks open and encouraged! <3

one look and you were a goner. two, and you were a blushing mess, sitting beside erin, your best friend. desks pushed up against each other, wondering what business letters had in maths class and what business cole walter had being so… so him, you toyed with the mechanical pencil in your hand, pushing the led in and out.

even acting like a jackass, cole had a sweet smile and was the king of gestures—grand or otherwise. hanging around him could light up you day (or darken it substantially depending on his mood) but mostly, cole walter made you feel special for however long you managed to keep his attention.

since he’d hurt his leg and lost his spot on the football team he’d been treating everyone awfully. you, erin, the dozens of other girls he led on, his parents, siblings, himself. it wasn’t like cole but it didn’t seem like there was much anyone could do…

you made a point to cherish the good moments even more.

when someone bumped into you in the hallways he scooped up your books and handed them to you. “sorry about that, y/n, some people don’t pay enough attention to their surroundings,” he watched the perpetrator retreat, glaring at their back all while helping you up.

when you two skipped school together and he brought you to his favourite spot. the sun beat down on the lake and reflected on your faces. “happiness looks good on you, sunshine,” he’d been trying out stupid nicknames all day and none of them stuck, not until then, you scrunched your nose and shook your head, laughing at him and he smiled back. you’d listen to that stupid nickname every day for the rest of your life if that was your reward.

and that time you got stuck walking in the rain. it was storming and you were supposed to be on your way to his house—to hangout with danny, but still. when you were late he cared enough to call your mom and when she said you’d left on foot fifteen minutes ago he was out the door in no time at all. he pulled up alongside you and let you climb into his truck even soaking wet. “sunshine, you’re shaking,” you were, you were drenched and chilled to the bone. “here.” he shrugged off his jacket, gave it to you, and cranked the heat. your teeth chattered while you thanked him and he brushed it off, said: “no worries; it’s nothing.” what he didn’t know is that it was everything.

you felt bad for cole walters and his devilish grin but you felt other things too. in that ooey gooey crush phase where a wink could turn you bright red and you treasured each and every conversation—dissected each word and then talked about it with your best friend.

“he’s pretty, i’ll give him that.” she said, giving you the sense that wasn’t all. “but?” you encouraged.

“but he’s kind of an ass and he stopped treating me right a long time ago. casual hookups are all he can offer, y/n.”

you’d be fine with that and you love erin but you don’t really believe her. no, it’s not that you don’t believe in her it’s just… you believe in cole. believe he can do better, be better, and be more.

still, her tone worries you. you know something’s up so you push a bit. you’ve known her since you were in diapers and cole was her off-and-on-again boyfriend for quite awhile. you have a crush on him but who doesn’t? falling prey to what dozens of your peers have dubbed the cole effect is almost easier than breathing in this tiny town. “are you sure you’re okay with—“ you gesture between you and then point out the window to where the eldest walter boy stands talking to his twin, danny. there’s no other way to explain it, really. there is no you and cole, you’re just hoping that one day there could be. erin looks out the window, “to clarify you’re talking about cole, right?”

you nod quick and when she seems relieved your mouth tumbles open. you gasp and erin’s hand flies to the back of her neck, cheeks turning red, “yeah,” she admits. “i’m suddenly only okay with you going after one of the walter boys.”

“you like danny!” you whisper-shout. “that’s fantastic, that’s just so great! i’ve known him for ages i can totally set you up. would it be okay if i gave him your number?” erin nods, grateful, and you can’t wipe the grin off of your face all day.

you see danny and rush over to him. you pluck his phone out of his hand and he messes up your hair with his hand, “i’m just putting erin’s number in!” you defend, “she’s interested in acting” and you, you omit, “and since you’re the best actor i know, i figured you could help her out!”

danny smiles and stuffs his hands into his pockets and shakes his head. he’s your other best friend, the one you tell all of your walter free drama. to spare his sanity, not once have you mentioned your massive crush or burdened him with your boy-problems. boy-problem, you corrected, seeing as there was only one. “you coming over after school?”

“only if you’ve got room!”

“we do. always. and see if your friend erin wants to come with.”

your excitement is palpable as you nod quickly. Then, you skip off to find erin, plans already forming in your mind.

You’re the first one to the car–you call shotgun and slide into the passenger seat, looking at cole. earlier, you’d slipped issac, lee, and nathan $10 bills to manoeuvre themselves so erin and danny would have to sit next to each other. To add insult to injury, or the cherry to your sundae of a master plan, you slip issac an extra $5. he sits with his legs spread and rests his elbows on his thighs hunched over. he sits his backpack beside him and when erin figured out where she had to sit–having only half a seat’s worth of space, you swear, she had a mini-aneurysm or something. you almost felt bad. erin glared but you played dumb you did feel bad. a little. until cole hit a bump and looking in the mirror you saw them holding hands. a victory, a smile, now it was your turn.

being cole walter’s friend was surprisingly easy. turns out, he just needed someone to really hear him. To really listen. Sure, to get to that point you had to push a little (but two shouting matches later and) “it’s just–there was all this pressure on me to make a comeback. I love footbal, i do, but it doesn’t change the fact that my foot is fucked. mom and dad spent all this money on my rehab and it’s still useless.” you hugged him tight, “but you’re not. Not useless.” he sighed, holding onto you, like the lifeline you allowed yourself to be. he didn’t believe you when you told him he was worthy, that he was good at things other than football, but maybe one day.

winning over cole took more attention to detail and care. care was the big thing–thoughtfulness, kindness, creativeness. cole walter does things for people and he doesn’t have to be asked or begged. you’re certain his love language is acts of service and yours is a combination of several. you like physical touch as much as the next person, gift giving, and quality time. when you combine all three? it’s his turn to blush.

you find field and pick a handful of flowers–all as close to his favourite colour you could find. you arrange them in a tinted and curved glass vase you found at the thrift and you write him a letter. when you deliver your gift, passing it over, your hands touch. “who’s this for?” he asks, confusion present on his face. He’s thinking maybe it’s for his mom, maybe parker?, when you tap your index finger against the envelope and he reads his own name. he’s caught off guard. he takes the gift, thanks you somewhat awkwardly and then walks off. (you think you failed until he returned the sentiment the next day and you found flowers in your locker)

the next thing that you do isn’t even intentional. you don’t do it to make cole like you more, it just happens that way. “Hey!” you shout, walking up to the new quarterback. “taking his number and flaunting it around like that–well that’s a real shit thing to do.” lake houses with colourful chairs aren’t made for confrontations like these. nor are you usually, not in front of your peers at least. but after a cup full of liquid confidence, well, you’re in the middle of a truth or dare game and things are about to get messy. you’re to his left and if he leans in the only kiss he’ll receive is from your knuckles. “i dare you,” he rolls his eyes, “i pick truth.” you scoff and when some of his friends laugh too, one crowing “what are you, scared?” he doesn’t budge. “truth, then. do you think you’re better than cole?” he gulps, “even with an injured leg he’s a better person and player than you could ever dream of being.” cole watches from the sidelines, ready to intervene if necessary but also… he’s thinking. thinking hard and wondering where the hell you came from.

he taught you how to ride horses, you taught him how to paint–painted him, actually, which his mom just thought was the best thing in the entire world. “she’s so sweet, george.” katherine told her husband, “she’s so good to him. just what he needed.”

you take the liberty of walking him to a few of his classes and he pays you back by driving you places–your home, his, issac jokingly called you cole’s passenger princess and the second eldest walter boy didn’t correct him. being cole’s anything gave you butterflies.

but still. the one step you wouldn’t take was the one that took him the longest–it was the label that stopped him, that scared him. the exclusivity (he hadn’t so much as flirted with anyone else since you two started hanging out more) and the fear of error, of messing up. a month later was when he finally asked you to be his girlfriend. the two of you went on a picnic (he cooked all of the food but didn’t tell you in case there was something there that you didn’t like) and brought you flowers and a letter. “who’s this for?” you asked, grinning. it was a full circle–one with a curved line and two dots inside of it. you were beaming and when you finished reading the letter you threw yourself into his arms. your hands found both sides of his face and you pressed your lips against his.

the cole walter effect got you, but you weren’t mad about it.

[fanficwritinggirl]

My Montana (Cole Walter Fanfic)

Chapter 1

“Mom,” a desperate, tiny cry of a voice wailed as she sprinted towards the body. Turning her over onto her side she put her frail hands over the now scarlet top, trying to stop the bleeding. But there was no hope of saving her, she had been gone long before she had been able to get there. An adult has approximately 10 pints of blood pumping throughout their body. You never really realize how much blood that is, until it’s pooled on the floor, painting it a dark crimson color. The bloody handprints smeared on the door, creeping closer and closer to the door handle, never quite reaching it besides one lone maroon fingerprint. Dark chocolate waves of hair lay in the pool, covering her cold, white face, hiding the cuts and bruises on her face. “Mom, please wake up,” she cried again, shaking her. Her hands were covered in crimson blood. “Wake up.” 

“Josie!” a voice said loudly in her ear. Startled, her body shoots up, head turning quickly with her eyes wide, tears threatening to fall. “Hey, it's okay, it's just a nightmare, it's okay.” A warm hand sets itself upon her forearm causing her to turn her head and look at the brunette haired woman sitting on her bed, eyebrows pinched together and the corner of her lips pulled down ever so slightly. 

“You're okay Josie, you're not there anymore, he’s not here,” assurance was present in her voice as she ran her hand up and down the panicked girl's arm, offering comfort. Her fingers comed through her hair as she pulled the few parts out of her face and brought it together on one side of her shoulder.

“Same dream?” the brunette woman asked her as she removed her hand from Josie's arm and grabbed the glass of water that was sitting on the white bedside table. Trembling hands take the glass and bring it to her lips taking a sip. 

“It was the blood, it was everywhere. On her, on me. It's just…” she falters. “It was just everywhere Aunt Hat,” she cried, bringing her shaking hands down into her laps cradling the glass between them. 

“I know honey. But we have to remember that it was a long time ago, no one is going to come and hurt you, okay.” All she could do was nod, barely listening to her aunt and keeping herself focused on the glass.

“How long until school starts,” she asked, changing the subject.

“An hour, but I'm going to call Miss Jacobs and ask her if you can spend some time in her room this morning, just until you are ready to go back into class. That's okay?” Josie nods and lifts her head to give her aunt a small smile. Her aunt sighs, offering her the same expression before leaning forward and giving her a kiss on her forehead. 

“I love you Josie.” 

“I love you too Aunt Hat.” 

Tapping on the keyboard was all that could be heard in the room as Miss Jacobs typed her emails and Josie sat on the couch, a book in hand, losing herself in another world. Sitting in Miss Jacob's room was a normal occurance for her, she was in here most mornings of the week after the nightmares happened. Miss Jacobs never forced her to talk about anything she didn't want to. If she just wanted to sit and read a book then Miss Jacobs was happy to give her the space to do that, as long as she caught up with the classes that she missed, which was never a problem.

“Josie, how are you finding your classes at the minute?” Miss Jacobs asks from her desk. Josie lifts her head up and looks at the woman, her eyebrows coming together in the middle.

“Um fine… i think. I mean I am passing everything at the moment. I'm not making A's or anything but I don't think that's a bad thing.” The counselor laughs, shaking her head, standing up and walking towards her and taking a seat in front of her.

“No, I know that. Your grades are great, but are you having a hard time keeping those grades?Have the nightmares been affecting you in this aspect?” Josie leans back in her seat, crossing her arms and pursing her lips a little.

“I mean not really. Sometimes Chem can be a little hard to keep up with but nothing major, usually I can push through by finding some extra time to study,” her voice was filled with certainty and confusion.

“And the nightmares, do they affect any of this?” Miss Jacobs eyes travel around the young girl's face, taking in the bags under her eyes. Josie shrugs.

“Not really. I’m used to them by now. I just have learned to get along with them. That’s all I can do,” her voice was firm. Miss Jacobs gives a small smile and nods.

“Well that's good. Now if you ever have problems with chem just let me know and i can get some help for you.” Josie offers her a polite smile and nod before grabbing her book and returning to her page. Miss Jacobs, seeing that the conversation is over, stands up and returns to her desk continuing with her emails, hoping that one of these days Josie will open up to her.

Three knocks chimed on the door of Miss Jacobs office before opening, revealing the one and only Danny Walter. Danny though was not the most popular Walter boy was still liked around the school and many of the girls still had a crush on him, which Josie could understand. Danny has been her best friend since she moved here when she was nine and since the day that they got put together for a project, they had been attached at the hip, though over the past few years they do spend a little more time apart, she still loved him very much. Many have assumed over the years that the two are more than friends but that couldn't be further from the truth. Danny was her platonic soulmate, he understood her better than anyone and told him practically everything, she loved him, just not like that. He was the brother that she never had. 

“Oh Danny, lovely to see you again. I can guess why you are here,” Miss Jacob teases and Danny laughs. 

“Lovely to see you too Miss. I am here for Miss Whitlock,” he turns and gives her a goofy grin and she snickers. He struts towards her with one hand behind his back, stopping in front of her and extending his hand to her. “Miss Whitlock, would you do the honor of coming with me to lunch,” to say that his posh accent was terrible would be an understatement. Josie puts her book down and shuffles to the edge, straightening her back and posing her face. 

“I do not know, kind sir. For I find that I actually have some much needed work that must be done and must therefore, with greatest regret, must decline your offer,” with that she leans back into the couch and bites down on her tongue to stop herself from laughing. Miss Jacobs sits in the corner watching the entire interaction with a smirk on her face, chuckling while eating her salad. 

“Oh my fair lady, how you have hurt me so,” Danny gets down on his knees and takes her hands in his. “Please dine with me or I shall die of a broken heart,” his hand touches his heart and Josie cannot do anything but laugh. 

“You are ridiculous,” she tells him before grabbing her bag and putting her book in. “Well i am only ridiculous for my bestest friend in the world, which just so happens to be you, Josie Whitlock,” Danny moves back as Josie stands up and turns to Miss Jacobs. 

“What would you say, Miss. Was our performance to your liking,” Miss Jacobs laughs. “I must say it exceeds it. I hope that it shall be a while until I see your next performance so that you have more time to prepare,” Danny’s face drops a little bit, understanding what she's saying but decides to ignore. “Understood Miss. I will make sure that the next time I see you I will give you that most amazing performance of your life,” Miss Jacob nods, shaking her head with a smile. Josie puts her hand on Danny’s shoulder and turns him. 

“Enough with the dramatics. Let's go, now that you are talking about lunch I want some,” Danny smirks at her and waves his hand towards Miss Jacobs as he walks out of the door. 

“Bye Miss Jacobs,” Josie says as they leave. Miss Jacob smiles to herself as she eats her salad, feeling the weight lifted ever so slightly, knowing that at least for now, everything was fine again for Josie. 

“So are you coming over tonight, we are having lasagna for dinner” Danny asks as he and Josie stroll towards the cafeteria. Josie smirks looking at him. 

“Danny, do you even have to ask? There is no point in me heading home because no doubt my aunt and your mom are going to end up on a job till late so what is the point of being home on my own.” Danny shrugs at her. 

“Well I don't know. Maybe you could have some friends over… A guy,” Josie turns and hits him on the arm. 

“Danny Walter, how dare you suggest that I would have a guy over. We all know what happens when others are given the opportunity. Trust me I have had to listen to many of our classmates' hookup stories,” she states as they walk into the cafeteria and walk towards the line. 

“Oh trust me, you do not have to have the house to yourself for people to take liberties about inviting ‘guests’ over for… that,” Danny informs her with slight discomfort which Josie can’t help but laugh at. 

“Let me guess Cole has had a ‘guest’ over recently,” grabbing a tray starts putting food on her tray. 

“Oh no, not for a while actually, which i'm confused about. Maybe he has decided to take a break for a while after Jackie sees Olivia sneaking out. Probably just goes to their house now,” Josie lifts her tray and pinches her eyebrows together and shrugs. 

“I don’t know, maybe. I mean it must be hard for Jackie being in a house full of people, not being able to get much privacy and then having to see someone sneaking out, knowing that they have done that, would be pretty awkward,” Josie trudges towards one of the table with Danny behind her with his own filled tray. 

“Oh yeah. And on top of that after the whole hair thing. Maybe he is feeling bad and deciding to stop being such an ass,” Danny concludes, tucking into his sandwich. Josie’s head falls to one side looking at her food and she plays with it with her fork, she shrugs.

“I mean… I don't know. I think after everything that happened with his leg and not being able to play football… really got to him. Ya know,” Danny nods, placing his sandwich down while finishing chewing. 

“I mean, I know he feels guilty after how much money mom and dad spent on his treatment. Sending him away for the summer just for it to come to nothing but he can’t just use that as an excuse,” Danny's voice was serious and Josie couldn't help but sigh. 

“I know. But maybe he is just a bit lost. Wouldn't you be if the one thing that you were good at was taken away from you. I mean what if you were never able to watch all of your movies, or study plays or whatever,” Josie puts a bit of her chicken in her mouth and looks at Danny as he sighs and leans back in his chair. 

“Fair point. It is just when you are dealing with his mood swings all the time you can forget. And I just don't like the way he treats people sometimes. Especially what he's like with girls,” Josie laughs and nods. 

“Trust me i agree but like you said it seems that maybe he is turning over a new leaf,” Danny raises an eyebrow and nods his head towards her. 

“We’ll see,” he concludes and Josie snickers at him. Nathan walks up to them with a tray in his hand and sits down next to them.

“Hey guys,” he greets as he sits, smiling at the pair. 

“Nathan, to what do we owe the pleasure,” Danny asks sarcastically. 

“Ha ha ha,” Nathan counters, causing Josie to snicker at the pair. “So are you coming over tonight Josie, we are having lasagna,” Nathan asks and Danny rolls his eyes. 

“I have already been asked, and as always I would be honored” Josie smiles at him and Nathan shakes his head with a smile on his face. “I don't know why we even bother asking you anymore,” Nathan states and Josie and Danny look at each other and look at each other with a knowing look. 

“Well if you are coming over tonight can you teach me that one song that you do on the guitar that i like. I have been trying to figure out the chords but i can't get it,” Nathan shoves some food in his mouth and Josie nods her head at him. 

“I would love to, but I am going to have to stop at my house on the way to get my guitar,” she tells them and Danny nods his head. 

“I’ll make sure that Cole stops off,” Danny tells her and she nods back at him. Lifting her head up she sees Cole walking in with his hands in his pockets, hair messily laying on top of his head, covering his forehead. Cole looks over towards her direction and sends a small smirk towards her and Josie can't help turning her attention to the food on her tray, a maroon colour decorating her freckled cheeks. When it came to the Cole effect, to say the least she wasn't immune to it, if anything she was very much impacted by it. 

Authors Note- Read on Wattpad to get a playlist and cast list.

Wattpad - Fanfic_writing_girl

Taglist- @lol6sposts

[ember-not-amber]

I just watched the first 6 episodes of “My Life With The Walter Boys” and immediately Cole is a no for me as a love interest for Jackie. 1) He’s an asshole and a fuckboy and I hate him with every fiber of my being and 2) he’s a senior and she’s a sophomore so that is gross, plus, he looks 25 and she actually looks like her age so whether he gets character development or not I will not be rooting them to get together because of their age gap.

Cole also looks like a wannabe Chris Pine and his hair part is so fucking ugly idk why it just does not work on him when it’s flat against his head as if it was gelled down like some 30s-40s hairstyle, maybe a side part would look better.

I stan Nathan bc I have nostalgia for Farkle from Girl Meets World, I really like Danny he seems really nice and I want to see where the story goes with his character. I fucking hate Jordan shoving his stupid camera in everyone’s faces like did anyone consent to being filmed? Wth is he filming everything for?!? It seems like it’s played off as a unique personality trait that he has but it’s really just annoying and invasive. Jackie didn’t consent to being filmed when she came to live with them and he should have gotten everyone’s consent before filming them for whatever reason (I don’t remember if it was ever mentioned why he liked to film stuff happening in the family bc I was too busy shitting on this show during the first 2-3 episodes). I feel like this type of character has been done before in movies or shows but I can’t think of another example bc it’s not that common.

I like Alex, he seems like a green flag but he does look like if Gilbert Blythe got watered down 100x😭

[samsdei]

Connor Stanhope & Noah LaLonde

[sleeplessislandmisfit]

My personal headcanon: Alex Walter not only plays DnD, he is the creator, president, and Dungeon Master of the school’s club.

He once tried to get his brothers/cousins to play with him, but Cole said he wasn’t playing some lame board game, Isaac called him a nerd, and Lee and Jordan couldn’t be bothered to pay attention. Nathan and Danny both tried to play, but Nathan’s ADHD kicked in after a while and Danny…well…you really can’t play with only one person.

Alex still made them all character sheets and still has them and the figurines he made for them tucked away in his closet.

[multifanxtvshows]

okay but has anyone written any stories on my life with the Walter boys yet cuz like I need some Alex ones some cole ones some Danny ones etc 🥰🥰

[puckleberryfinnie]

random idea: isaac walter/garcia x theater!reader

ok so I just finished MLWTWB and I have so many ideas flowing through my head that I want to write down- so here you go! (you’ll find that a lot of my ideas are centered around theater and acting <3)

again, anyone is welcome to use these (and I would be soso honored and happy too!!), just send me a little message or tag me in the post so that I can send some love your way!!

imagine a theater kid reader who’s best friends with Danny- reader hangs around the house ALL the time, so her and Isaac are acquainted at the very least

when everything goes down when Isaac takes the part, reader is super mad, as she knows how much Danny wanted it, especially considering Isaac could care less (though in this case, he was doing it to get closer to reader). she yells at him, and he takes his time to apologize and try to make things right with her and Danny (maybe it ends with a confession🤭)

I know this is kinda small, but I got 17 likes on my last post about finnick- every single like makes my heart so happy, thank you so much!! at this point any interaction at all is a win for me <33

love ya!!

[cherishingstydia]

Danny is the best character on “My Life With The Walter Boys” and that’s a fact

[bbr0wni3]

Yeah idc Cole x Jackie..alex x Jackie it doesn't matter because I only think about danny and isaac 💋💋

[budgiesunset]

I am now writing for:

Cole Walter

Alex Walter

Isaac Garcia

Lee Garcia

Danny Walter

[strawberryforks]

blue walls, blue eyes, and the blue blanket // cole walter x reader

summary: you don’t have a good home life and end up unofficially moving in with the walter boys.

warnings: physical & verbal abuse, underage drinking, counsellors depicted in a negative light, swearing, canon divergence–jackie’s family never passes away, so while katherine and her mother are still good friends, they’ve not met/moved in with the walters.

word count: 5957

there’s a ding, and the principal is speaking over the pa. everyone stops what they’re doing so nothing is missed. after all, this doesn’t happen often.

the teacher freezes, dry erase marker still pressed firmly against the board, the end squishing and ink bleeding atop the letter he was writing and danny, who’s sitting beside you, gives you a look. you know its meaning, recognize the weight behind it, and know this routine. you stand up quickly. the backs of your knees slam into the hard plastic you had been sitting on and the chair goes skittering back, bumping into the pair of desks behind you.

you’re too tired to send that apologetic smile to anyone else. fortunately danny isn’t. making sure you aren’t alone, aren’t the only one being disruptive and making noise in an otherwise silent classroom, he braces a hand on the back of his chair, twisting around, to face your wide-eyed classmates. “sorry about that,” he whispers.

your movements are all harsh. they’re fast and full of annoyance, as you swipe your textbook, pencil kit, and water bottle off your desk and into your awaiting tote bag.

standing up, you make your way to the door. the teacher stares daggers at you the entire way. They go to grab your arm and you flinch away. “don’t touch me,” you grit, hands gripping around the doorknob so tightly it hurts. air is hitting your face, propelled towards you by the door you shoved open, when you hear your dismissal “please send y/n l/n to guidance,” spoken over the announcements. your teacher follows you out into the hallway, shouting instructions that you reluctantly follow, after you.

you count the tiles on your way. nearly running into the blue door, you end at fifty six.

ms jacobs, tara, as she’ll insist you call her, is a nice enough lady. she has curly brown hair, brown eyes, and perfectly painted on lipstick. she looks disarming, as a counsellor with the numbers of everyone that could ruin your life on speed dial, you suppose she has to. still, this isn’t new. she leads you further into the room and gestures to a chair “take a seat.”

when you don't, her smile becomes more strained. “please, y/n. this doesn’t need to be difficult, we just need to have a chat.”

you sigh, shoulders sagging as you plop down into the hundredth blue thing in this office. doors, trim, there’s a ridiculous amount of the colour and you don’t like it. blue, represents sadness. it’s something you’ve had enough of. sure, there’s other colours. posters upon posters–some neon, and green leaves stuck onto a large potted plant. there’s other colours just like there’s other feelings, but the one you’re stuck on, the one you can’t get over is sadness; it's blue.

“i hate the colour blue, Ms. Jacobs.” You tell her.

“why?” she asks, interested in you opening up further. you don’t.

“are you going to give me the run-down? tell me what i can and can’t say?”

her brows furrow. “do i need to? i called you here to talk about your grades but if there’s something else going on–”

“there isn’t ms jacobs. i do appreciate the concern, though. about my grades. they’re passing, i don’t see the problem.” you didn’t have a single grade above fifty five. it was hard to, when all of your teachers assigned heaps and heaps of homework and you would rather take a deep-dive into hellfire, brimstone, and lakes of lava, then return to the place you were expected to complete it at.

“call me tara.” you don’t.

“ms jacobs, if it would make you happy, i’ll try harder.”

“it would, y/n. thank you.”

you gather your things and stand. a glance at your phone lets you know your second class is over, so you plan to head to the cafeteria. “and y/n, just know that whatever you say to me is confidential.” Unless you are or are planning to hurt yourself, someone else, or if someone is hurting you.

“bye ms jacobs.”

walking into the cafeteria was masochistic in a way, when they were serving your favourite food, and you had no lunch or money to buy any with. still, in your hurried text chain with danny, this is where you had decided to meet. If you had to sit with the theatre kids to score some time with your friend, you would, although it would be better if you could grab him and go somewhere that didn’t make your mouth water and stomach ache.

walking over to his table, you noticed alex was there too. Just chatting with his brother. You and alex weren’t the best friends, but he was nice enough, and like issac, lee, nathan, and cole, you had his number written down in your notepad under the ‘just in case’ column. you didn’t mind alex, he was polite and much like his brother, danny, never made you feel less than. alex was always armed with a smile.

“danny!” you called, announcing your presence so you wouldn’t scare anyone. you smiled at Alex who as expected, mirrored your expression. “nice to see you. mind if I cut in and steal your brother?”

alex nods, “be my guest. i’ll see you at the end of the day danny!”

he leaves and then you’re pulling danny up and along with you. he barely has time to grab his lunchbox before the two of you are leaving the cafeteria and heading outside. you slump down against the brick wall and danny takes a seat across from you. cross-legged, he pulls out two sandwiches and hands one to you. you eyes widen.

“i’m pretty observant,” he supplies, shrugging.

“thank you, d” you eat the sandwich, and it’s a good one. “do you have plans after school?” ‘please don’t be busy, please don’t be busy, please don’t be busy’ you repeat in your head over and over again. it’s a mantra, you’re manifesting. hoping, hoping, hoping.

“y/n/n, i’m sorry, i actually do. erin tried out for the school’s production and she wants help going over her lines–i would invite you to tag along but…”

“no, no!” yoy laugh. manifesting doesn’t work, mantras are pointless, and shit, what are you supposed to do about tonight? “no, danny. don’t worry about it. i know you like erin and this is the perfect opportunity! if she’s asking for help with lines–i mean you’re awesome–but let’s be real, you can go over lines with anyone. so, if she’s asking you specifically for help, that's such a good–a really good sign!”

you two talk for a while longer but it’s easy to see your mind is elsewhere.

the bell rings, you head to your last classes, and then home.

you’ve got to go home.

well, to your house. that place, those four walls, they stopped being your home a long time ago. when your dad got drunk and your mom got mean.

cole walter pulls up beside you on your way home. his truck slows down, nearly to a stop, and you keep walking. your headphones are on and you’re pretending you can’t hear him. you can, but, you hope he’ll tire of shouting, slam his food on the gas pedal, and leave you in a cloud of dust. “y/n, hey! l/n, you need a ride or what?”

the truck stops, pulls off the side of the road and then you’re hearing a door slam and cringing, face crinkling as you realise you should’ve just said no. shouted it, even.

cole walter jogs up to you. he knows your house is quite far away. too far away to be walking. he calls to you again but you’re still walking forward. he places his hand on your shoulder. you know he’s there. you know he’s beside him and still you fucking flinch. the second time today and you're feeling pathetic. you shouldn’t be–really shouldn’t be. it’s not your fault that people can’t seem to respect the concept of personal space, not your fault that your trust has been violated, shredded and spat out, so many times that touch makes you jump. makes you want to jump, or crawl, your way out of your own skin. you flip your headphones down, letting them fall around your neck, but turning your music up a few clicks so you can still hear it. music is your vice, but no one’s complaining because it’s better than alcohol or drugs or, i don't know, being an asshole–you do that too. unintentionally sometimes. like now.

“what?” you snap. on the defensive.

cole isn’t surprised by your flinching. You were dead to the world, listening to music so loud he could hear it from where he stood paces away from you. if he were you–if it was your hand that had sat down onto his shoulder and surprised him he probably would have shouted. he caught you off guard, he was sorry. both of his hands stuck up in the air. “that’s my bad. sorry for scaring you.”

“sorry for–” you guess he did scare you. in a way. “it’s fine. what are you doing here?” you take your time looking at cole. his sharp jaw, full lips, his blue eyes. usually you hate that colour, but on him? it’s not so bad.

“offering you a ride. youe place is pretty far from here, yeah?”

“it is but i like walking.”

“walking is fine and all, but it’s getting colder and it gets dark around five now. by the time you make it home it’ll be past that. my truck has heat, comfy seats, and i’ll even let you have aux.”

you’re not a stranger to the effect cole walter has on everyone. not at all. when he smiles at you, you feel your cheeks warm. you’re an idiot for not taking him up on that offer. your feet already ache and your legs burn.

some things hurt more, though.

actions, all of them, have consequences.

“i’m fine, cole. but thank you. you’re sweet.”

he shakes his head. you aren’t walking anymore, instead, stopped on the side of the road just waiting. this conversation, it’s going places. places you don’t like. “i can’t let you walk home alone. not in good conscience.”

he’s jogging back to his truck and pulling up beside you. he’s leaning over the centre console and pushing the door open. leaning over further, and helping you up, not starting to drive again until your seatbelt is buckled. if only that was the least of your worries. if. only.

“so what do you want to play?”

you plug in your phone and queue up your playlist. a sad song blasts and you hit skip very quickly, not missing the questioning look cole sends you. you laugh, “don’t tell me you’ve never listened to sad music while you’re reading.”

“i don’t read much, and most of the music i listen to is because of the lyrics. those ones were… dark.”

choosing to disregard most of his statement, you echoed his words back to him. “you don’t read much?”

“alex reads a lot. you two would get along.”

“shared interests aren’t everything. we don’t have much in common but i enjoy your company and danny and i click and we both hate each other's favourite tv show with a passion.”

“what show is that?” you tell him and he grins. “that’s my favourite too–seriously. we should get together and watch it sometime.”

“i’d love that!” so, shared interests aren’t everything, but they’re certainly something. you smile for a couple more kilometres and then it gets harder. when you see the sign with your civic on it, you know that the ride, no matter how awesome it was, and how much fun you had, wasn’t worth it.

you hop out of the truck–cole offered to walk you to the door but you denied, knowing you were already in for it. “thank you, though.”

He nodded. “i can give you a ride tomorrow, too. anytime you need one, really. just ask–or get danny to. I really don’t mind.” you smile. thank him again and climb out of the truck. you walk confidently until he pulls out of the long driveway and onto the road. then you sigh, and it’s because of cole’s conscience that you get home before it’s dark enough for you to slip in unnoticed.

you pause on the porch. you don’t want to go in, but you don’t have a choice. not really. what are your other options? run off into the woods and let yourself be some colorado woodland creature’s lunch? knowing what’s coming, it doesn’t sound too bad. you open the door and nearly sob when the wind slams it shut behind you.

your heart beats hard in your chest like your father’s boots do on the floor. “where the hell have you been! days, gone for days. you couldn’t call, couldn’t fucking text,” with each word, most of them slurred, he storms closer. it’s not even suppertime and his eyes are glassed over with that familiar film, his breath a pungent reminder, as obvious as the one in his hand, of what he’s been drinking all day. your mother is behind him in the hallway, puffing on a cigarette, uninterested. “there’s no respect! ya here the brat? thinking they run the place. comin’ and goin without a care.”

“i don’t–i know i don’t run the place.”

“damn right you don’t!” the half empty–you’ve never been a glass-half-full type of person, not growing up in this–bottle of beer come flying at the wall. it hits just above your head, the liquid and brown pieces of glass falling all over you.

“look what you made me do now! gone and spilled m’drink.”

you had taken your converse off at the door. always being yelled at for trekking in mud and dirtying the floor, the hurried steps you take backwards, hurt. your dad is wearing work boots, steel toe, but the only thing between you and the broken glass is a thin pair of socks. your skin splits. the light blue fabric on your feet turns dark red.

you whimper and each step hurts more than the last. then you bump into the wall. “dad, please.”

“calling me tha’ like you think it’ll make me forgive you. fuck,” he throws a glance over his shoulder. “how’d we make something so… so pathetic?”

your mom shrugs, like she hasn’t a clue, either.

“dad, please. i’m sorry, okay? i’ll call next time.”

“there won’t be a fucking next time! get your shit and get out. all we do for you, all we do and you’re still impossible. keep you fed, clothed, give you a place to sleep and just get attitude, attitude, and disrespect. i’m done being disrespected. done!”

“you can’t just kick me out! i have nowhere to go.” you yell. you yelled. you yelled. oh god. oh hell. oh shit. you see his leg rear back and you go to jump out of the way. you’ve already been kicked out–you just need to get out, and quickly. you jump over his leg but then his fist is wrapped in your hair and you’re falling. then the boot you dodged is slamming into you side. again, again, again. tears are streaming down your face. you’re sobbing.

then he’s picking you up by your shirt. lifting you, dragging you. he opens the door, grabs your bag, your shoes, and throws them outside. then, then he throws you. you land on the porch, body aching and pressing into the hardwood.

the door slams and you’re still sobbing. you’re pretty sure that your new mantra is ‘fuck’. it’s what you repeat over and over again as you drag yourself up and away from the front door. You need to get away, you need to get away. You really need to. creating distance between you and that door, you and those people, is priority.

“fuck, fuck, fuck.”

running isn’t really in the cards for you. you limp away and don’t miss your mother peering out the kitchen window. you guess that from her perspective you do look pathetic. but no more pathetic than your dad, the grown man who had to hurt you to feel powerful and get his point across. your pace is terrible but the darker it gets, the further you get. you’re in the woods now, with no idea where exactly you are and not much supplies. maybe you will end up as woodland creature dinner. there’s not much you can do to help it now. you think about calling someone and then you realise your phone isn’t in your bag. you start to shake. choked laughter bubbles it’s way out of your throat. you’re laughing and then the hysterics shift and you’re sobbing. arms wrapped tightly around yourself you cry for what must be hours.

later, slumped against a tree trunk you decide to tackle your feet. one problem at a time, one shard at a time. you pluck pieces out of your skin and the blood makes you feel nauseous. when the job is done, you slide your socks back on, and walk towards the sound that comforts you most. Rushing water. you find a river, and kneel at its edge. you wash your socks, yourself, and dry on a stone in the sun. you scrub the dirt and grime from your feet. when your socks are mostly dry and the cuts have stopped gushing blood, you put on your shoes and lace them up. then you follow the river. you’ll reach town soon enough. your face isn’t marred, just the rest of you, all hidden beneath layers of clothes–a long sleeve, a flannel, blue jeans.

ideally, you’ll find danny.

you don’t live in an ideal world. the boy you find is not danny but he wants something you can give and has something you need–a place to sleep. you do so without clothes, lying next to him. What you did was in the dark, would stay that way, because before he woke, before you were made to converse with the nameless boy, you dressed and snuck out. the walk of shame was just that, shameful. you felt horrendous. your body still hurt and you found yourself walking into a cafe you knew haley, will’s wife worked at.

asking for handouts made your stomach sour but you couldn’t do much else.

haley was scrubbing down a table when you approached her. “hey, haley.”

“y/n, hey, how’s it going?” then she turned to you and realised, not good. that it was not going good. you shot her a flattened smile. “i really hate to ask. like, i really really do, but i haven’t eaten in a bit and was wondering–”

“yeah, yes. of course. just have a seat, i’ll grab you… do you have any dietary restrictions?” you answer her, and when she comes back, handing you a wrapped meal you thank her profusely. “is there anything you need done around here? i appreciate this so much, but i don’t want to take advantage. i can clean–i’m not a great cook but I can make coffee.”

“you don’t need to do anything. you aren’t taking advantage. not at all. is there anything else i can do for you? anyone i can call? your parents?”

fear fills your eyes and perceptive as ever, she catches it. “not them, please.” is what you whisper. haley nods, disappears behind the counter and makes a phone call. then, she dotes on you for the next ten minutes until wil pulls up outside. he comes in, walks over to your table and sits down across from you.

you’re pretty sure you’ve been caught. the ruse, it’s very much up.

“what’s going on, y/n?”

you shrug and sip at the hot chocolate haley made for you. “well, come on. you don’t have to say anything right now but let’s get you home.” you stand, ready to go anywhere but, and will stops you. “my parent’s home, danny’s. katherine knows you’re coming. come on, kid.”

you follow him to the car. most of the drive is silent, but you thank him when the walter’s house homes into view and katherine is waiting outside on the porch with a smile. up the few stairs, and you head straight for her. you’re grateful for her gentle nature, because as you throw your arms around her and squeeze, she simply rests hers on your back, rubbing soothing circles. “they–they kicked me out.”

she takes a minute to respond, only because she finds this hard to process. you were a good kid, a great one, and she, having so many of her own, couldn’t think of a single thing that would make her abandon or discard one of her own children. “you’ll stay with us then.” it isn’t a question and you’re glad because how would you have answered? your mouth is dry but your eyes aren’t.

you sit in danny’s room. he isn’t home from school yet but he will be soon. katherine and george are upstairs making room for you. you feel like a burden, they assure you that you are not.

you’re waiting for danny, only he isn't who makes it home first. it’s cole. he walks in, tosses his bag down onto the bed, none the wiser that there’s another person in the room. his back faces you and he’s rifling through a drawer when he hears you hiccup. he turns around quickly. Sees you, crying in his brother's bed and immediately his brows are furrowed. “y/n?” he walks closer. the bed is near to the ground so he drops onto his knees. he’s close to you know but he’s made himself less intimidating. “y/n/n? hey.”

“hi Cole.”

“are you okay?”

“i’ve been better.”

cole doesn’t ask, he doesn’t push. instead he opens his laptop, logs into his netflix and puts on the favourite show you both discussed watching together. when the two of you are settled. him on the floor, face resting on the mattress, where you’re curled up in a blanket that belongs to his brother, he breaks the silence. “do you want me to get danny?”

“where is he?”

“he’s with erin at the school. i think they’re going over details for the production. but i can go get him if you need him. do you need him?”

you shake your head. as danny’s best friend you were the biggest ‘derin’ shipper there was. plus, cole was here. he made things okay. “no, no thanks. i don’t really want you to go anywhere if that’s okay?”

“that’s more than okay, but i will say, my bed is comfier.”

you smile for the first time in a bit, looking at the uncomfortable position he has himself in. “yeah? well, we should definitely watch this, over there then.”

“my thoughts exactly.” cole grabs the laptop, grabs you, still wrapped in the blanket he tells himself he’ll replace from the linen closet, and carries both over to his bed. you squeal a bit and bite back a real whimper when his hand touches what you know has to be a massive bruise, sitting you down.

you fall asleep, leaning against him. he pauses the show, closes his laptop, and promises to resume it when you’re awake to watch it with him. then he sends a threatening text to his brother, danny.

COLE: Y/n/n has had a rough day and is sleeping in our room

COLE: Wake her up and you’ll get hit

DANNY: is she okay??? ALSO since when do you call her y/n/n???

COLE: I’ll see you later

COLE: Tell Erin hi for me

DANNY: fuck off

george and katherine didn’t receive that same threatening text but when they peeked into the room to check on you and found you cuddled up against cole, snoring lightly, and looking peaceful they left you be. your room was ready and in the morning you moved into it. your clothes were dirty and katherine washed them for you but in the meantime… well it was her dresses or… or what you went with.

you knocked your fist against the door and cole opened it, shirtless.

“hey cole,” look at his face. just his face. only his face.

“hey y/n. What can i help you with?”

your hand flew to the back of your neck which you rubbed awkwardly. “can i, uh… would you mind if I borrowed a pair of jeans and a belt?” cole chuckled, then realised you were completely serious. then he gave you the jeans. then the belt. “need a shirt too?”

you laughed, cheeks stained pink. “i wouldn’t mind…”

he handed you the plain black one in his hand. “riding with me to school?”

“if i’ve got shotgun.”

“‘course.” he said, grinning.

you headed upstairs and got changed. the pants were big but with the belt, and them cuffed they fit alright. then, came the shirt. it fell mid thigh but once you tucked it in a bit it didn’t look too terrible. you brushed your hair, your teeth, and headed downstairs. george looked at you with wide eyes and you shrugged, “i don’t really like dresses?”

katherine sighed. “we’ll get you some clothes after school.”

“from the thrift store!” you amended.

she rolled her eyes but agreed anyway. then, you were sitting beside cole on the way to school, during the one class you shared, and at lunchtime. you weren’t ditching danny, just his time was split between you and erin now. they started dating. they were sweet, good for and to, each other.

you’d only been living with the walters for two days, but everything was great. until cole invited you to the lake house. two coolers had you feeling buzzed and when it was your first turn, playing ‘truth or dare’, you picked truth and ended up faced with a question you didn’t want to answer. so you turned, and pressed your lips to cole’s. his lips parted in surprise, but then he kissed you back, tongue slipping into your mouth as he deepened the kiss. his hands flew to cup your face, your eyes were shut, and you were feeling things. until someone whistled and another yelled: “get a room!”

next round, you were three coolers in and ballsy enough to pick dare. “i dare you to jump into the lake!”

you rolled your eyes. like that was difficult. sure, it was a bit chilly, but you’d been in the river days ago. rushing water compared to water the sun had beat down on all day was nothing. you grinned, and ran to the edge of the dock, canon-balling and sending water flying everywhere. when you surfaced you saw the asshole who wore cole’s jersey shaking water out of his hair like a dog. you grinned, and started to swim back over when you saw something that caused you to sober up quickly. the foundation and powder you had painted on top of the hand shaped bruise on your arm had worn off. gone. It was gone and fuck. fuck, fuck, fuck.

when you didn’t get out of the water immediately cole was curious. when your face reflected horror, he was concerned.

“you good?” you weren’t. he walked over to the edge and dipped his hand in. the water was freezing. “come on out, you’ll get sick.”

you shook your head, plastering a clearly fake smile on your face. “my immune system is really strong and i want to swim! i’ll be fine cole, gonna go that way.” you make a gesture with your head and begin to paddle in that general direction. away from the lakehouse, away from the people, away from the party. away from cole—or, you tried to get away from cole. he walked on the bank, steps matching your strokes as he followed you. “get out of the water, y/n.” you were still swimming, and now cole was having to duck under and climb over branches and bushes to continue following. now, you couldn’t even hear the people at the lake house.

“no thank you.”

“don’t be stubborn. this was—it was funny thirty minutes ago! It’s lost the charm. just get out, we’ll go back and…”

“i don’t want to go back.”

“then we’ll go home. would that make you happy? we can leave, we don't have to go back to school, i can take you home.”

“i want to stay in the water, cole.”

“y/n, just get out of the fucking lake. it’s not that hard! i don’t understand why you won’t—“

you’re in waist deep water and all of you is submerged until it isn’t. you stand up quickly. teats sting your eyes and emotion clogs your throat. “you don’t understand, huh?” your voice breaks, shatters, and cracks. “does this help? do you see why when i say i want to keep swimming, i mean it? do you see why i want to stay in the water cole?”

he sees something. he sees bruises on your arms. deep purple handprints put there by too big hands and with too much force—force that never should have been used on you. he’s blinking, his eyes are seeing but his mind isn’t thinking, not fast enough.

“do you see?!” you’re shouting now, sobbing too. “because the makeup washed off and now you can see it. bow everyone can. everyone will see and then they’ll report it and i’ll end up in the system in an equally shitty situation! cole,” another wave of sobs interrupts, “cole don’t make me get out of the water.” he doesn’t, he climbs in with you. water soaks his boots, the bottoms of his jeans, you hear it slosh as he takes large steps and closes the distance between you both. “y/n/n.”

“what?” it’s a sob, a plea.

“we’re going to get out of the lake. i’m going to walk you through the woods, out to the road and then i’m going to go get my truck. i’ll be ten minutes tops. i’ll grab my hoodie too.”

“it’s… it’s back on the chair.”

“the red one, i know.”

“okay…”

cole keeps his word, but after five minutes you hear his truck. it stops, he hops out. he sets the hoodie on top of you and you shimmy into it. “No one will see, no one you don’t want to know, will know. but y/n, you will never go back there, okay? not to that house, not ever, because if you go, i’m following, and the things i do, most authorities will not agree with.”

“i don’t ever want to go back there.”

“you won’t ever have to.”

“thank you.”

“don’t thank me for helping you with something that never should’ve happened. we’ll get you some ice as soon as we’re home.” cole cranks the heat up and angles the fans to point your way.

he opens your door for you and walks closely behind you. no one else is home—katherine and george both working and the others at school. cole raids the freezer for anything remotely icey and heads up to your room. he makes a pit-stop to grab his laptop and some snacks from a drawer none of his brothers would ever know about. he steals the blanket you like off of danny’s bed too—the soft one with the blue plaid.

you both watch the show, he looks concerned when you press the frozen peas to your side too. you lift your shirt, show him the damage and he freezes. “ugly, huh?”

“nothing about you has ever been ugly, y/n/n but jesus, maybe we should go to a hospital.”

“flattery will get you everywhere cole but there’s no denying i looked like van gogh fucked up starry night—and no hospital. they’d like immediately call someone. plus i think they’re just bruised and not broken so that’s good.”

“i’m sorry that this happened to you.”

“oh don’t do that. i hate when people apologise for things that aren’t their fault.”

“can i apologise for danny, then? for him not realising what was happening sooner?” cole asked. people weren’t perfect, you realised that then, cole having said the first thing that genuinely upset you. this was no one’s fault. No one but your scum of the earth parent’s.

“no. danny didn’t do anything wrong. i didn’t want him to know and usually i’m good at hiding these things.” a bitter laugh, and: “usually.”

“i blame the alcohol, but, i guess it’s nice that you know.”

“i’m glad i know.”

and he is. he carries your bag, your books, even goes thrifting with you and katherine. “i like this one,” he’d said, holding up a shirt that barely had any fabric to it. you rolled your eyes for the fiftieth time and picked out a baggy graphic tee shirt instead.

at school he walks you to and from your classes. he sits with you at lunch and helps you come up with excuses—none so awesome that they work without the grin and charm he lays on your pe teacher.

weeks later, your bruises were healed, and to the blind eye, the only indication you’d been abused was the occasional flinching. cole tended to call out his moves before he made them, especially if you weren’t sure exactly where he was. your arguments–few and far between, seriously, the only thing you’d argued about so far was where you went for lunch, were had with calm voices and distance between the two of you. cole was perfect. he never caught you off guard, he was just always there.

wouls see you getting anxious and move closer. “i’m going to hold your hand,” he’d whisper. when you needed someone to talk to it was always him because he was always there.

then, one night, the two of you were sitting on that same blue plaid blanket. the one you loved–the one cole had paid danny $40 for. you were both staring up at the same stars, both wondering the same thing: when had you become so close? you weren’t sure if there was a turning point, a particular defining moment, but cole had taken danny’s place in your heart as ‘best friend’. cole had done that and more. he was more to you than that. he baked your favourite pastry, would go just about anywhere with you, and he made you smile. he made you feel safe. he had told no one your secret–but katherine and george had a clue, enough of one that they welcomed you with open arms and seldomly raised their voices. enough of one, that for that first few weeks, the ice was always restocked in the freezer.

they had an idea.

but cole knew. knew everything. knew and made you feel okay in spite of everything. he knew and still.. still looked at you like… like that. cole, he leaned in closer. you waited and listened. “i’m going to kiss you. because i want to. because i love you how you deserve to be loved. and not because of some truth or dare game.

“it wasn’t bad though, right? because i thought it was a pretty good ki–”

cole walter kept his word. he kissed you, and sure, the kiss at the lake house was good. this one was just better.

[fanficwritinggirl]

My Montana (Cole Walter fanfic)

Chapter 2

"Hey Montana," a voice calls as Josie opens her locker grabbing one of her textbooks. She rolls her eyes knowing exactly who it is. "What do you want Cole?" she asked as she turned and looked up at him. Cole was leaning against one of the lockers beside hers with his blue shirt covered arms crossed in front of his chest, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Well I just wanted to check on my favorite someone," flirtation was clear in his voice. Josie swallows a little before raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm your favorite person, am I? Now how many other girls have you said that to Cole? Because let's see there was Erin, Olivia..." Cole cuts her off by taking a hold of one of her hands, running his fingers over it. His rough skin played against her smooth skin causing her to lose her breath a little. Cole smirks as he sees that and chuckles a little. Josie lifts her eyes and looks into his deep blue eyes.

"I can still take your breath away, can I?" he questions, causing Josie to scoff, pulling her hand away and turning back to her locker.

"None of that," her voice was stern and Cole faltered a little bit, moving back a little and nodding.

"Alright," is all he replies. Josie looks at him from the corner of her eye to see if he was going to anything more but once she sees that he doesn't decide to go back to getting her stuff. Having found the textbook she grabs it and closes her locker, Cole stands watching her the entire time.

"So are you coming over tonight?" Josie laughs at him, pivoting and sauntering towards her class, Cole trailing behind her.

"You know if I had a dollar everytime a Walter boy asked me if I was coming over for dinner, I would have three dollars, I could buy myself... i don't know a jar of peanut butter," Cole chuckles as he watches as she moves her arms and shoulders around as she speaks, taking in the smile that decorates her face.

"Well Montana, I am pretty sure there is a jar of peanut butter at home with your name on it so save your dollars," a giggle leaves Josie lips, turning her head and seeing that Cole's eyes are still firmly set on her, his full attention was hers.

"Well knowing your house is probably all gone, I've never seen food disappear so quickly," Cole shrugs.

"Well we are a big family, if you want something to yourself you are going to have to hide it, and well. And luckily for you Montana, I made sure to get you your own jar of peanut butter, put your name on it and everything and I have it hidden in a safe space just for you," Josie raises her eyebrows.

"Well where is this safe space," curiosity hangs in her voice.

"I'm keeping that a secret. A safe space isn't a safe space if people know about it now," he opens the door for her and leans against the door frame of the classroom, Josie standing across from him.

"But what if I want some? I'm just supposed to ask you for some," she crosses her arms as she asks him. Cole leans forward and lowers his voice. 

"Of course. Give you more reason to talk to me," is all he says before his eyes turn and look at the people sitting waiting for class to start looking at them both.

"And with that, I will see you later Montana," pushing himself off of the doorframe and striding away.

"You have to stop off at my house," Josie calls after him, causing him to turn and raise a knowing look.

"Let me guess, you have to grab your guitar," she knows that he is teasing her, more times than not he has to stop so she can grab her guitar.

"Yes... please" she tells him sweetly. Cole's lip falls between his lips and he bites it slightly, looking her up and down.

"I like it when you say please... should say it more," and then he was off down the hallway and out the door Feeling her cheeks heating up and turning scarlet, Josie turns and walks into class and tries to get her mind off of Cole Walter.

The bell rings, signaling that another school day and all Josie wanted to do was get out of there. Strolling out of the school building is met with the mayhem of the car park where the only thoughts on people's mind was getting home, which she could relate to.

"Josie, hey" Danny shouts from the car to her. Danny gets into the car while she saunters overs towards them. Upon reaching the car she can see that every single one of the Walters boys was there waiting for her. Alex, Isaac, Lee and Nathan sitting in the back. Danny was sitting in the front passenger seat and  Cole was sitting in the driver's seat, his head turned back to her through the window. Walking towards the back door she meets his gaze.

"I'm surprised you didn't leave me behind," she states, causing Cole to smirk at her. "Forget you Montana. Never." Josie shakes her head with her lips pulled in a small smile before climbing into the back next to Alex.

"Hey," he says quietly to her.

"Hey," she replies to him before doing a double take at the car.

"Hey, where is Jackie?" Cole starts the car and reverses. Turning to her, Alex gives her a small smile. "Don't worry she is going with Skylar and Grace to get some ice cream. He didn't leave her behind again. Did you Cole?" Alex pesters him and Cole just shakes his head staying focused on the road, not biting Alex's bait. Soon the car fell into a quiet with the occasional bickering between Isaac and Lee.

The Walter ranch had always been a second home for Josie, having spent most of her time there, more than her actual home. With her Aunt Hattie working with Katherine at the clinic, they had vast working hours which would leave Josie in the house on her own, so it was easier for her to be at the Walter home where she was able to get a well cooked meal and have people surrounding her.

Pulling up to the ranch, it was a scramble to get out of the car with so many teens wanting to get out and do their own thing. Josie to the trunk of the car and opens it grabbing her guitar which they had stopped to get on the way over. "Hey, so I am going to do my homework, so can you teach me that song after dinner," Nathan asks while putting his bag over his left shoulder. Josie nods.

"Yeah that's fine, i have got some homework to do as well," she tells him, he gives her a nod and a smile before walking into the house. Danny leans against the back of the car as Josie grabs her things. "So what homework are we going to start with, i'm thinking english," Josie chuckles.

"Of course you would want to start with English, my best class," she sasses and Danny mouths gaps in pretend offense as they walk up the steps of the house

"Well it is not my fault that you have an understanding of it, and hey music is your best subject and don't argue with me about it Josephine," Josie gasps loudly.

"I cannot believe that you called me by my full name Daniel," opening the front door she walks into the house. "Not my real name," Danny tells her as he closes the door. Walking down the hall, the two enter the kitchen and see George cooking dinner.

"Hey you two, how was school?" he asks the pair, giving Danny a pat on the shoulder and Josie a hug.

"Yeah it was good. Schools, school. Not really that interesting," Josie tells him as she sits down at the small table in the corner. "Yeah well it is very important Jos and you know that, and hey you are doing well aren't you?" he asks as he pours the sauce on top of the uncooked lasagna.

"Of course she is doing well, she's Josie, I don't think you have ever failed at anything," Danny comments while he takes out his text books.

"You are saying that I am getting A's of something. I think the highest grade I have ever got is a B+," she informs them and George shakes his head.

"That's still good honey, don't put pressure on yourself, enjoy it," Josie rolls her eyes and nods.

"Trust me George. I intend to," Josie turns to her bag and pulls out a pen while George picks up the lasagna and places it into the oven. Parker runs into the kitchen with Jordan close on her tail with his camera in hand.

"Jordan, stop chasing me. DAD!!!" Parker shouts as she rounds the table and hides behind her father.

"Jordan, what have I told you about chasing your sister? And put away that camera for five minutes," George's stern voice causes Jordan to turn off the camera and place it at his side.

"I was only having a little fun," he tries to justify and George just simply shakes his head.

"Yeah you might have been, but when your sister tells you to stop, you stop. Got it?"Jordan nodded his head, arguing and that was the end of it.

"Now, you two?" he says pointing at the pair sitting at the table. "Watch the dinner while I work. It shouldn't take me more than half an hour. And Jordan you can come with me to make sure that you don't bother your sister anymore," Jordan groans, putting down his camera and walking with him down out of the house. Parker turns and looks at the teens doing their homework and strolls over.

"What are you doing?" she asks, leaning over slightly to look at the textbooks that are sprawled out across the table.

"We are starting our homework, Park. Got to keep the grade up," Josie tells the younger girl as she lifts her head up to look at the girl, a small smile present on her face.

"What type of homework is it?"

"English."

"What do you have to do?"

"Read this book and write a paper on what we think about this character."

"What is the book?"

"Wuthering Height."

"Who is the character?"

"Heathcliff."

"That's an odd name."

"Parker!!!" Danny snaps looking at his younger sister, his face scrunched up causing wrinkles on his forehead and his mouth to be closer to his mouth. "We are trying to do our homework and we can't get that done when you are here asking us a bunch of questions. I suspect that you will someday read this when you get to high school, maybe before. So until then can you please leave us alone," Danny tells her in as calm of a voice as he can. Parker simply rolls her eyes and puts her head back a little bit to emphasize what she was going to say.

"Fine" she sasses before turning. "I'm going to go out and play," she calls over her shoulder before opening the door and going outside. Josie giggles turning to Danny and seeing him shaking his head, his hand on one side of his face as he leans on it.

"I swear, it is impossible to get anything done here," he says looking at his text book. Josie snickers at him.

"It's always like this, why are you so shocked? And hey, she is just curious and at least she is showing some sort of interest in school," Danny just shakes his head again.

"Yeah, but cant she just wait until later to ask these questions, you know, when we are done." This time it is Josie who shakes her head with a smile on her face.

"Okay mister Sas. How about instead of talking about this, we actually do our work. Yeah?" Danny simply nods his head and turns his attention elsewhere. Josie's lips curl into a curve as she chuckles internally. Some things never change.

Disclaimer - I am not following the plotline of my life with the Walter boys as closely and am using the characters and making my own story. I will be taking some plotlines from the series but it won't directly follow the show. Also, this book is not going to focus on the build up to the relationship but the actual relationship.

[introverted-imagineer]

Stages Of Silence

Danny Walter x reader

Premise: Reader has recently moved to Silver Falls after issues at their previous school. Reader suffers from a speech impediment, but that won't stop Danny Walter from trying to make a new friend ❤

Warnings: Swearing.

‘Mr and Mrs Y/L/N, if I understand the notes and transcript from Y/N’s previous school, and from what you’ve told me…Y/N hasn’t spoken in almost two years?’ I hated that…when people spoke as if I wasn’t in the room. My parents anxiously sat in Miss Jacob's office, my Dad anxiously clutching onto my Moms's hand. ‘Y/N has always suffered from a severe stutter, when we moved for my job it got worse which led to bullying, the doctor called it Selective mutism.’ My Dad looked at me, I gave him an approving nod. A small gesture of approval, but I know it reassured my parents, to know that I appreciated their help. 

‘So Y/N, academically your reports and transcripts are competent, your attendance…a little shaky’ she said, her hand rising from her desk giving that so-so gesture. I pressed my lips together tightly, an attempt at a slight smile, although an invisible smile at that. ‘I know this can be a topic of sensitivity, but for purposes so that we may better support you here at Silver Falls y/n we will need to know why your previous school dismissed you’ Her face searched all our faces, clearly feeling awkward about approaching the topic. Mom and Dad’s clutching hands and tense posture offering the poor guidance counsellor no comfort.  ‘Well…we know y/n’s attendance was shaky, but ultimately the school said they weren’t equipped to handle y/n’s…condition they called it’ Mom responded, leaning forward from the back of the chair and shifting herself unnecessarily. ‘Did you feel unsupported at your previous school?’ Miss Jacobs asked curiously. I shrugged my shoulders, raising them slowly as my lips tilted into a diagonal line. She pursed her lips as her eyes darted between my folder on her desk and back to me. ‘What about you Mr and Mrs Y/L/N, did you feel the school was unaccommodating or disengaging?’ She rested her fingertips on her keyboard, ready for any information they might present. ‘Actually, Miss Jacobs, y/n’s dismissal was a shock to us all, y/n had adequate grades as you can see…never got in any fights, and followed the rules for the most part, she’s an exceptional pianist, but we did notice a lack of responsiveness when we tried to address bullying allegations’ My Dads voice quickly retreating into himself as he spoke as I sunk slightly into my seat. Mom and Dad had always been the type of people who hated making a fuss about things, confrontation made us all feel awkward I suppose…

‘Well, y/n we’d be happy to accept you here at Silver Falls High’ Miss Jacobs said, standing from her desk with her hand outstretched. I slipped my hand into hers loosely, a tight-lip smile more directed at the floor than it was at her. I could hear my mom's loud sigh of relief, a breath of air she had held in the whole morning. Their hands stayed tightly clutched as Miss Jacobs walked us down the hallway towards the front entrance, a habit they had adopted since my stutter turned to silence. My chest felt heavy as they walked close, their shoulders pressed together and Miss Jacobs made polite conversation, her questions conveying the essence of community that washed over the small town of Silver Falls to us newbies. ‘Where have you moved to? Oh lovely, the Andersons always enjoyed living there, I’m sure you’ll find it just as homely as they did. If you want to meet some locals Lark After Dark, an event at our local cafe usually draws in most of our town. How old is your youngest? She must be attending Silver Falls Elementary I presume?’ Miss Jacobs had already established that she was a friendly person, but the entire town was more entwined than we had anticipated… I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread, a hefty weight on my chest, wouldn’t be long until everyone knew about the new family on the block with their poor mute child. 

‘Alright, Mr and Mrs y/l/n, thank you for coming in and speaking with me, and I’m confident that Silver Falls High will be the last transfer for y/n’ her gaze directed to me as she gave a confident smile. I looked back at her, making an effort to relax my shoulders as I nodded and smiled back. My parents relieved as they walked out of the school together. ‘Alright y/n, shall we?’ She smiled, her hand gesturing back down the hallway as I tentatively followed, taking one last look out the window as Mom and Dad drove away from Silver Falls High. 

‘Okay y/n, this is where I leave you I’m sorry, I have a meeting with another student, but this is your English class with Mr Choudry, here is your timetable’ she explained, pulling papers from her notebook piling them into my hands. She quickly glanced at her watch, her eyebrows raising in surprise as her relaxed demeanour turned to one of worry. ‘I’m sorry y/n it seems I’m already late, but feel free to come by my office after your class and I can spend a bit more time with you to go over things’ she knocked on the door, opening the door and popping her head in, giving a nod to the teacher as she pointed to a chair at the back of the room. I flicked my head back, my face tense, a tight feeling in my throat releasing a little squeak, seeking any solace only to find she was already 10 paces away from the classroom, back to the direction of her office. Shit. 

‘We’re just about to start’ the teacher smiled grabbing a stack of books from his desk as he passed the stack to the students at the front of the room, passing a copy back. I slumped slightly into my seat, trying to disappear as each pair of eyes looked at me as everyone passed their books back. It’s funny, how we don’t even need to say anything, and yet everyone in the room was already making their mind up about me as I did them. Nosy, curious…almost dumbfounded? From what Miss Jacobs said about Silver Falls, I had likely walked into a room where everyone had known everyone since elementary school; who was this stranger…infiltrator, fresh meat. I could feel my back digging into the back of the chair, picking at the cuticles of my already damaged nail bed. The last book smacked on the desk in front of me as the girl’s eyes flicked up and down my body, before abruptly turning back to the front of the class. William Shakespeare, I read as I glanced down at the old tattered book. 

‘Sorry I’m late Mr Choudry’ The door burst open, and everyone slightly jumped in their seats. A few faces smiled at the arrival of the stranger. ‘No worries Danny, we’re just about to begin’ I couldn’t tell if they were relaxed about attendance here…or if this Danny carried a certain charm that made people who possessed such a gift forgivable in any instance. He looked around the room, his eyes falling on me as I quickly whipped my head back to the book on my desk. Please don’t sit here, please don’t sit here I silently pleaded to myself. Unfortunately, the pleading in my head was interrupted by the scraping of the chair at the table next to fine. Fuck. ‘Oh Danny, I’m so sorry I wasn’t expecting to have this many people in my class this semester, you’ll have to share with our new student for today if that’s cool’ I could see him smiling and nodding at the teacher out my peripheral vision. I could feel the stinging at my fingers as I intensified the picking at my nails. I could feel his gaze glance down to my hands in my lap. He sat up in his chair, slightly pulling back as he pivoted in his chair toward me, holding a hand out. ‘Hey, I’m Danny’ he spoke confidently, a smile spreading wide across his face. I craned my neck slightly, looking at his hand as I gingerly raised my own slipping my slightly sweaty palm into his, returning his shake as he moved his hand with an assertive grip, clearly not worried about the sweat. I slipped my hand out of his, glancing at his face properly for the first time, facing my head back towards the front. ‘Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?’ He politely inquired, slightly dropping his head as he curiously tried to catch my gaze. 

‘Okay everyone attention to the front please’ Ah, a saving grace, as Mr Choudry interrupted Danny’s question. He slipped back into his seat properly, a slight smile on his face as he saw the book in front of us. Never had I ever seen anyone under the age of 50 excited at the prospect of reading Shakespeare. ‘Now as everyone will have noticed, we clearly have a new student with us today, hence the lack of books, sorry Danny’ The class chuckled, I however did not. He didn’t need to even finish his sentence before I could feel my eyes almost popping out of my head. My heartbeat, which had been surprisingly steady all morning, began to pump more ferociously. ‘Would you stand up and introduce yourself please’ He politely requested, gesturing his hand to the back of the room, giving everyone the excuse they needed to properly turn and stare. My breathing began to intensify, I could feel every crevice of my body begin to perspire. I could feel my hands begin to shake. ‘No need to be nervous’ Mr Choudry smiled, still expectantly waiting. I could sense Danny’s energy shift to one of concern as his eyebrows scrunched together, noticing the way the hairs on my arm stood to attention. ‘Cat got your tongue newbie?’ A girl at the front remarked, giggling to herself and her friend. ‘Erin’ Mr Choudry remarked in a strict sharp tone. Not again. I almost pleaded to myself as Erin and her friend silently tried to silence their chuckles. The chair let out an uncomfortable screeching noise as it grated across the floor. I stood up, throwing my backpack over my shoulder as I quickly tracked to the door, not even faltering as Mr Choudry exclaimed for me to wait. I wasn’t a fighter…I needed to fly. As the door creaked shut behind me, a voice carried, escaping the English room as I walked down the empty hallway. It was Danny, his words simple but fiercely sarcastic. ‘Nice one Erin’. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

‘So y/n how was your first day?’ Mom asked curiously as we sat amongst the boxes in the new house, picking at her homemade meatloaf. A food of comfort when Mom suspected the day needed a little more love. I nodded, smiling at her, her cheeks going slightly pink as her smile emitted across her face. I could see Dad out of the corner of my eye, raising his chin slightly, blowing out his mouth with equal comfort. I suppose it wasn’t entirely a lie…first day in Silver Falls maybe, but not school. Silver Falls proved to be an idyllic country town, with everyone waving and passing comments as they saw each other on the streets, greenery as far as the eye could see, animals in every pasture, an elegant stream that glistened all day as the sun shone down. 

‘I liked it, but I sorta miss my old school’ my sister innocently chimed in from the end of the table. I twirled the fork in my hand around the mashed potatoes on my plate, my stomach churning at her comment. I never wanted to move, I never wanted to take her away from her stability and routine. ‘Well did you make any friends?’ Dad asked her, trying to pick up the mood. But I could see him tense again as he watched my fork swirl aimlessly around the plate. ‘I met a girl named Parker, she was really nice’ she said, a small smile on her face as she pierced her fork through the green beans on her plate. I brought a small bite to my mouth. At least something good happened for her. ‘Honey, the movers called, it’s probably not going to be till Friday when they’ll get here, so your piano won’t be here for a few more days’ Dad said, the corner of his lip curling down slightly. Great, another letdown. I simply nodded, forcing a tight-lipped smile. ‘Maybe the school has one? Maybe there might be a club or something?’ Mom enthusiastically tried to offer. I knew it was more than just the piano though…make some friends, meet some people. But based on this morning…I already decided I didn’t want anything to do with them. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

The halls at Silver Falls High were bustling, chatter echoing throughout the hallways, lockers slamming, people tossing footballs to one another, guys in football jackets walking as a herd as girls trailed alongside them. I looked at the timetable Miss Jacobs had given me yesterday. Homeroom, 13B. I trailed down the hall, ignoring the whispers and chatter as people quietly retorted to each other ‘Who’s that?’ ‘Erin said they choked up and walked out of English’ ‘I think they are the newbies that moved onto Charm Street?’ People here really knew too much of one another’s business. Against the lockers, a large group of guys stood conversing with each other, I looked to find the eyes of girls and boys looking at them in slight admiration, carefully trying to keep their composure as they waited for the boys to finish their conversation. Something about meeting at the car after school. ‘Hey’ one of the voices called as I tried to merge my way past the group. I looked up as his tall frame stood there, a friendly smile on his face. The same beanie as yesterday, an almost identical plaid shirt. Danny from English. I gave a simple head nod, raising my eyebrows slightly in his direction. ‘Who’s the new chick?’ The blonde one emitted, his eyes looking me up and down as I managed to squeeze between the group and the people eagerly waiting to talk to them. ‘Don’t know their name yet’ Danny spoke, very much in a happy-go-lucky voice. Interesting that he didn’t seem to care about the events of yesterday…

The bell rang; a small groan of disappointment, particularly from the girls who stood around Danny and his group. The crowd quickly dispersed as groups flocked to their classrooms. I aimlessly walked down the hall until I stood across the hall from the door that read 13B. I glanced inside the window through the door, only to find a pair of eyes glaring back at me. Seriously, what was this girl’s problem? She sat on the desk, running her fingers seductively through the blonde boy’s hair, even though he seemed more interested in talking to Erin’s friend. A deep yawn emitted from the room, the blonde boy chuckling to himself as he gingerly pushed Erin’s hand away. ‘Dude, I love having my own room most of the night, but ya gotta stop staying up to watch movies all night’. ‘Lay off Cole’ Danny’s voice sarcastically remarked back. I looked up and down the corridor, luckily empty of teachers or other students. I slowly walked away from the classroom, and back down the hall. 

 Construction Zone  

Do Not Enter

A sign read on the door. I slowly pushed the door open, poking my head in to see a large vacant auditorium, a weak smell of dried paint and multiple discarded tools. I slipped inside the room, walking down the steps toward the stage. On the right-hand side, a slightly dusty, but gorgeous baby grand piano. The perfect refuge to pass the day. I could feel my cheeks pinch, a genuine smile. A feeling of relief washed over me for the first time since we moved to this town. I placed my backpack on the ground, approaching the stage. 

I could feel the goosebumps on my arms as I gently ran my fingers over the keys. While slightly dusty and with a few scratches here and there, it was otherwise relatively in perfect condition. C D E F G A B. The sound radiated, like an electric shock to my fingers, a spark radiating through my body. Familiarity, sanctuary, comfort. The room had clearly undergone some extensive renovations. The stage floor was polished to perfection, and the seats were not even indented yet, some electrical chords still yet to be tied up. The sound of the piano bench barely made a noise as I slipped myself onto the seat. I closed my eyes, breathing in through my nose, placing my hands on the keys. I began to play. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

The hours seemed to pass so quickly as I occasionally looked up to the clock on the wall, the sound of the piano seemingly not carrying outside the room. It was almost 2 o’clock, and no one had come into the auditorium all day. It was as if the notes were dancing around in my head, pops of silver, midnight blue, and purples dancing around as I lost myself in the music. Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Bach, Debussy…I didn’t stutter when it came to playing. Music spoke to the soul, an international language that didn’t require one to verbalise. It was my language. When my verbalisation began to deplete, music was something that comforted my family. It was a way of communication. If the music was lively, my sister would jump around the room, pulling my parents into the room to twirl her about. If times were stressful, a calming sonata to soothe the soul. When Mom or Dad had a particularly tough day at work, a familiar tune for them to sing along to lift their spirits. There was always an occasion for music. The last few days had been unusually quiet at home with my piano still to come. It felt like missing a part of my body. My piano was just an extension of me, and without it, I had been feeling incomplete. But even in this unfamiliar town, in this alien school with these strangers, the piano was a familiar friend. 

I glanced at the clock once more. Only 15 minutes remaining until the final bell and I could go home. ‘Play for you, not for anyone else’ Mrs Luella, my childhood piano teacher had said. One last piece to finish the day, to end on a high, to leave my fingertips satisfied until the next time that my soul could reconnect with the music. Clair de lune. A piece written about and for the soul itself. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach at the thought of the notes dancing around the room, the soul outside one’s own body, Debussy’s piece one in a million. 

A slow, gentle, delicate touch, a build of intensity, slow and steady, paced so beautifully. I could feel as each note emerged from the piano, a steady vibration as the piano shook against the stage floor. Slow tranquillity transpired, swirled in motions like a dry leaf dancing in the wind. As the intensity of the song, like a slowly building hurricane, the notes just become louder and more defined as the story builds. The bursts of colour in my head, dancing around in my brain, just sparking the right senses in my brain, almost like a feeling of ecstasy. And so slowly, yet so quickly, my fingers slowed, my touch more gentle, intensity turning to calmness…the songs end a perfect moment to let the last key ring. Utterly beguiling. 

My body jumped, my fingers still on the keys emitting an unflattering jumble of keys that were quite simply incompatible with one another. From the beautiful final ring of notes, a singular person’s claps cascaded across the room like a pouncing cat. My head shot to the seats to find none other than that familiar plaid-dressed boy sitting up in the back row, perfectly nuzzled into the seat as if he had been resting there for hours. I began to cough as saliva caught in my throat, the goosebumps on my arm no longer one of excitement but of pure shock. Danny stood quickly, profusely apologising as he swung his bag over his shoulder, racing down the stairs as he stepped onto the low stage, his hands out in surrender. I placed a hand out, a signal to stop as I grabbed my water bottle, chugging the unpleasant feeling away. 

‘Gosh, I’m really sorry I didn’t mean to scare you’ Danny pleaded. I simply nodded, my mouth full of water as I took a deep gulp. ‘You’re really good’ he said, almost breathless as he nervously shifted the beanie on his head. ‘Clair de lune?’ He posed as a question, even though his tone indicated that he already knew the answer. I stared at him, almost slightly shocked as he slowly waltzed over confidently to the piano, leaning on the other side as he smiled at me. I could feel my body tense, what did he want? ‘Yeah I’m a bit of a film buff myself, and Clair de Lune is probably one of the most amazing scores to just add that…’ he clicked his fingers, slightly looking up as if there were a lightbulb above his head. ‘That raw emotion it adds to a scene, really powerful on the audience ya know?’. I breathed in slowly, nodding slightly. I couldn’t say I knew what the impact meant in a movie sense…but I suppose if it made others feel the way I felt playing it, maybe there was some credit to his statement. 

*Bbbrrriiinnnggg* 

The final school bell chimed. I quickly rose from the piano stool, walking off the stage to grab my backpack, Danny’s footsteps trailing close behind. ‘Hey, the auditions from the school production are coming up soon, and as part of the drama club too we need talented musicians like you to help bring the magic alive so to speak’ he eagerly suggested. I turned my head slightly, shaking my head. I hated crowds, the only people I played for were my family, and sometimes that was overwhelming enough. I placed my hand on the door, only for Danny to interrupt with yet another statement. ‘Hey, look, is there a reason you won’t talk to me? Have I done something to offend you?’ I could hear him breathe aloud slightly, a slight frustration. I could feel his brain rattling away as he waited for a response. I turned around, facing him as he stood a few steps below me, a look of concern on his face as his eyes sought mine. ‘I don’t even know your name, you didn’t even come to class today’ he noted, a voice of confusion. But all I felt was defeat. A moment of tranquillity and peace ended with yet another frustrating reality of my silence. New school, new people, same situation. I dropped my eyes to the floor, turning quickly, and camouflaging into the crowded hallway, leaving Silver Falls High School, and a puzzled Danny. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

I sat at the table, eating cereal with my sister, the boxes around us slowly beginning to disappear as the items of our home began to slowly find their places in the new home. ‘Oh, y/n I almost forgot’ Mom said, halfway out the door in her scrubs ready for work. ‘Miss Jacobs called, she wants to see you first thing when you get to school okay’ she rushed, a smile on her face as she blew us kisses. ‘Love you guys, y/n please make sure your sister has her bag, I had to leave the hospital yesterday in the middle of my shift just to bring it to her’ she exhaustedly exclaimed as she walked out the door. My sister looked up, smiling at me with pieces of cinnamon toast crunch in her teeth. I smiled back, but inside my stomach felt like it was going to explode. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

I stood down the street from school, waiting to hear the sound of the bell ring before I went in. I didn’t want to accidentally bump into Danny again. I watched as a blue car sped down the road, pulling into the school, The Hives blasting from the stereo. The car parked, like a clown car, teenage boy after teenage boy climbed out. That familiar plaid shirt and beanie climbed out from the front passenger seat. People waving, a few flocking to the car…the boys walking into the school like a tiny parade. 

*Bbbrrriiinnnggg*

The bell chimed, and I slowly walked toward the school, only crossing the threshold when every student was inside. I quietly entered the school, pacing towards Miss Jacobs’ office, eager to get this meeting over with so I could return to the almost private sanctuary of the auditorium. I gently knocked on the door, almost hoping she wouldn’t hear it at all. ‘Y/N come in’. Shit. I cautiously walked into the room, scooting the chair back slightly away from her desk. Miss Jacobs finished her email, twirling in her chair slightly. Her body language said it all. All attention is on you y/n. 

‘Y/N fist of all, I want to formally apologise’ I raised my eyebrow, shocked by her opening statement. ‘I was so busy on Monday, and I forgot to issue an email to your teachers explaining your…well ya know’ Condition, mutism, selective mutism, silence. I’d heard it all before. ‘I am aware of the incident that happened in Mr Choudry’s English class, and it was preventable and I’m sorry that happened.’ It was almost shocking, a teacher apologising. Never had I received anything like this at my previous schools. ‘But please be rest assured, we discussed the practicalities and our requirements to support you at our staff meeting last night.’ Both my eyebrows raised this time…these people were willing to work with me? I could feel my toes curl into themselves, a wave of overwhelming shock washing over me as I gripped the armrest of the chair. ‘I also know that you haven’t been attending your classes the past day and a half, and we can’t let that continue, so if you’re willing to work with me, then I’m willing to work with you.’ She reached into her drawer, pulled out a sheet of paper and surfaced it on the desk in front of me. ‘First of all, it is a requirement that every Silver Falls High student is involved in at least one extra-curricular activity.’ I slowly began to pick at my fingers, looking at the list Miss Jacobs had presented me. Instinctively I shook my head, my eyes pleading as I looked at Miss Jacobs. She took in a breath, looking at another file she pulled from her drawer. ‘Your references from a Mrs Giovanna Luella, she has noted here that you are a very gifted piano player…we do have a piano in our school auditorium?’ Believe me, I know all too well I thought to myself, but the anxiety wasn’t going away. ‘Look, we have our school production coming up, and we need more students who can play percussion instruments. Technically that will make you part of the drama club as that is where you’ll need to be for meetings and practices.’ Fuucckk no no no I internally begged. ‘I already passed it with our drama teacher and he is in full agreement that you only need to participate as the pianist’. It was very clear the decision had been made for me. ‘We also need you to go to your classes y/n.’ A sympathetic smile came to her. ‘Our meeting on Monday with your parents, I could tell that they love you very much, and within that love, I also can see they are worried about you…so if you are willing to join the drama club, then I am willing to let it slide, and we can keep it between us.’ I stopped the picking, meeting her gaze. A compromise. I knew Mom and Dad were worried, but I had also seen how relieved they were even if it was a lie when I expressed that the first day had gone okay. That they were able to sit down at the end of the night, not having to discuss between them as yet school had called them again to talk about my attendance. If not for me, then for them. I looked at her once more, nodding my head in agreement. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

The day had passed slowly. Keep your head down, take notes, and nod occasionally and teachers will be satisfied. At lunch, I sat at the back of the empty auditorium eating my sandwich, headphones in until the bell rang. Finally the last class of the day, and it couldn’t come soon enough. I looked at my timetable, my heart slightly dropping into my stomach. 13B - English. I walked into the classroom, taking that same seat in the back corner, looking out the window as everyone else filed in. My daydreaming was interrupted by Mr Choudry slipping between the tables, and bending down in front of my table. ‘Y/N, I’m so sorry about the incident on Monday, I hadn’t been informed about your speech impediment’. I gave him a nod, I could genuinely see the sincerity. ‘Oh Danny, come sit’ Mr Choudry said, my eyes following his as Danny stood behind his chair, his lips awkwardly shifting as his gaze flickered between myself and Mr Choudry. ‘I can sit somewhere else, this sounds like a…private matter’ he said, looking around the classroom only to find every seat taken. I reached over, slowly pulling the chair next to me out from under the table, patting the seat, and inviting Danny to sit down. He smiled, sitting down as he flung his backpack underneath the desk. ‘Fresh start?’ Mr Choudry said, reaching his hand out. I slipped my hand into his, shaking his hand, and giving a curt nod. ‘Also welcome to the drama society’ he said. I looked curiously at him as he began to walk back to the front of the room. ‘Meetings are Thursdays after school, so we’ll see you tomorrow.’ Of course, he was the drama teacher too…

As Mr Choudry read passages of Shakespeare to the class, pulling apart the meaning of each sentence of ye old English literature, I couldn’t help but notice the way Danny focused so intensely on each word. He didn’t bother to scribble any notes down, he just seemed totally lost in the dialogue. His fingers shifted, reaching into his binder without even looking, his attention still focused on Mr Choudry. He plucked a single sheet of paper from the back of his binder, pulling it out slowly and silently, and slipping it on top of my notebook. I looked down to see a sheet of music. The notes already ringing in my ears as I read the paper. It didn’t seem very Shakespearean, nor classical…My eyes darted to the top of the page, reading the bold heading at the top of the page. 

‘Don’t Be Shy’ 

Cat Stevens

Sheet Music

Mr Choudry’s voice completely disappeared, the sounds of scribbling pens on paper gone, the presence of everyone else obsolete. I dropped my pen, grazing my fingers across the page. My heart fluttered. I tilted my head slightly, looking at Danny with my mouth slightly agape. I could feel my heart slightly pumping as Danny looked back at me, his lips curled into a smile. My lips doing the same. I looked back to my notebook, tearing a piece off the bottom of the page as the bell rang and the sounds of students chattering and chairs scraping began to sound again. I quickly scribbled on the paper as Danny reached for his bag. I slid the note in front of him, walking out of the classroom before he could respond. It read

My name is Y/N

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

When I arrived home, a glorious shine glared through the window. An even bigger smile washed over my face. My piano. I rushed inside, tossing my bag to the floor, walking into the living room, ignoring my Dad’s greeting or my sister’s attempt to play with me. I reached into my pocket, unfolding the new sheet of music and placing it on the music stand. The notes immediately cheerful, the music bouncing and echoing in the still largely unfurnished home, boxes still scattered everywhere. 

‘I like this one’ my sister exclaimed, skipping into the living room with her stuffed monkey, twirling around. ‘Come Daddy’ she squealed, running into the kitchen, grabbing his hand as she pulled him in to dance. The chorus hit and Dad picked her up, spinning her around as she squealed in delight. I barely noticed the front door open as Mom came into the room, her nursing scrubs still on as she delightfully asked ‘What’s going on?’ My Dad grabbed her hand, pulling her into a twirl as he lovingly took her workbag from her shoulder, placing it on the ground as my sister skipped around the piano. By the end of the song, Mom and Dad were slow dancing in a tight embrace, my sister delightfully flinging her monkey about the room. 

‘I’ve missed this’ Mom exclaimed, wrapping her arms around my shoulder, hugging me. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

As students pattered out of school, the busy corridors turned quiet as the day ended. I slowly walked to the auditorium door to find the Do Not Enter sign removed, and instead, a brass plaque that read ‘Silver Falls Auditorium’. I had spent lunch in Miss Jacobs office printing piles of sheet music Mr Choudry had requested. My private sanctuary is now open to all. I couldn’t help but feel my stomach drop slightly. I pushed the door open quietly hoping the room would be vacant. 

I stepped into the room, disappointed to find a row of students filling the front row. I quietly shut the door behind me, finding a seat in the back-row corner, waiting for the meeting to begin. I looked at the back of everyone’s heads, my heart pounding, my stomach in my throat as all the drama club members chatted in delight amongst one another. As my eyes scanned across the row, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. That familiar beanie, that bright smile, Danny sat smiling as he talked to his friends. His eyes wandered amongst the room, leaning forward slightly as he looked over the crowd. His eyebrows scrunched, only relaxing when he turned and saw me. He raised his hand, a friendly wave. I curled my lips up naturally, giving a small wave back. ‘Sorry I’m late everyone’ Mr Choudry announced as he entered the room, walking across the stage, a large stack of paper in his hands. He glanced around the room, taking a mental note of attendance as he smiled at everyone in the front row. It was only when he saw Danny’s head turn slightly that he followed Danny’s gaze, finding me at the back. ‘Alright guys settle in, we have a new member with us today, this is Y/N.’ He said, pointing to the back of the room, everyone shifting in their seats as they cast their eyes upon me. ‘Y/N will be our pianist, not an actor, y/n speaks through the music so just embrace the talent and let’s give y/n a welcoming round of applause’. A gentle clap carried across the room, thankfully everyone was too eager to begin the meeting to care so much. ‘Y/N if you could come down and take your place at the piano thank you very much’ he requested, as he walked toward each member of the group handing them a small booklet. 

‘This semester, we will be working on none other than William Shakespeare���s play ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ which you will all be aware is this year’s school production.’ I slowly took my place behind the piano, grateful that the angle somewhat gave me some privacy from the rest of the room. 

Mr Choudry experimented with the music as much as he did with his directing. The notes intertwined with the scenes, as Danny and the rest of the students took turns reading characters, emitting emotions from the pages in front of them, turning words into something living and breathing. Shakespeare, famous for the iambic pentameter, verses so soft and strong, rhythmic yet no rhyme, a heartbeat to each word. Mr Choudry would round to the piano, requesting notes and pieces that exerted feelings of power, sadness, love, and deception. It was a challenge…but a welcome one to a part of myself I had become too familiar with. Music to dialogue offering a new thought-provoking provocation. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as terrible as I expected… 

…After Drama Club…

The sky turned orange through the large glass windows. The drama students quickly, petered out as Mr Choudry dismissed the meeting, their scripts tightly within their clutches. I quietly packed the music in my backpack and walked across the stage. Danny stood his, back turned as he packed his backpack. I stopped in my tracks, my heartbeat slightly skipping. Should I just go? Should I tap his shoulder? Should I wait for him to leave first? Before I could decide, Danny turned around, his smile infectious as the corners of my own lips curled up slightly. ‘Hey, how did you find it?’ I shrugged, smiling as I tugged on my fingers nervously. Danny chuckled ‘Well you sounded great, seriously the music adds feeling to the scenes…makes it easier to get into it ya know?’ I held my hands out, gesturing to Danny, returning his question. ‘Yeah, I mean I’m really happy with the play for the production this year, and Mr Choudry I think is going to be a great mentor for the play being an English teacher too’. He opened the door as I followed him up the steps and out of the auditorium. ‘Anyway, I am glad you joined, you have added a touch of magic to it’ he said. I could feel my cheeks turn red, I stopped in my tracks, taken aback. Danny stopped, pointing to the door ‘You coming?’ He asked. I could feel my heart beating a little faster, a sudden feeling of urgency. I nervously shook my head, looking around, and pointing at the bathroom. He smiled, nodding. ‘Well, I’ll see you tomorrow y/n’. Y/N. It felt nice hearing Danny say that.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

As the semester went on, every week before the drama club meeting, the nerves and adrenaline in my stomach grew each week. I almost wanted to quit, to stop showing up altogether, but those few minutes after practice, when it was just Danny and I…it was like a drug. A hit, a sweet tenderness, a wash of excitement when Danny waited for me to pack my things, and walk out of the auditorium with me. It was an intoxicating, yet scary feeling. What was I expecting? I couldn’t tell, but the fear was beginning to outweigh the warmth. Don’t kid yourself y/n, you can’t even speak to him, he would never. The doubt was exhausting, but still, something in me made me keep going to the drama meets. 

Another afternoon the drama club meeting commenced, the auditions for the school production were upcoming, and more people joined. I sat in the corner on the piano stool, headphones in as students desperately asked Mr Choudry for notes, direction and advice. The more people, the busier the meetings became, the less need for music. I would glance up occasionally, looking as Danny sat, pure wonder on his face as he watched the scenes unravel before him, miming the script as his friends rehearsed on stage. It was an interesting sight to watch, to see someone so enamoured and swept up in the art of performance and acting. Truly studying the performance, took notes down on his script when Mr Choudry gave his critique on other students. I’d watch as Danny rehearsed Benedick’s lines, the music slowly dancing in my head, what would make this scene more dramatic? What would make these characters seem more scary? What would make Benedick seem more romantic?

I scrolled through my playlist, adding songs, piano pieces, and movie scores, slowly building the much ‘ado-about-nothing’ playlist, I hadn’t heard Mr Choudry dismiss the meeting. It was only when a shadow slightly blocked the light shining down on the piano that I finally looked up. Danny stood there, leaning on the piano, his familiar smile. I took my headphones out, smiling back as I began to collect my belongings. A wave of nerves washed over me, tingling rushing from my heart to my fingertips. ’I miss hearing you play’ he said as I rose from the piano stool. I could feel my cheeks begin to burn slightly, the corners of my lips pinching my cheeks. ‘y/n, I know it’s a bit late, but I was wondering if I could ask you to stand in while I rehearse lines? With so many brothers, a sister and my cousins, our house is a bit hectic to rehearse?’ He stood with his script, nervously looking to the ground as the paper slightly crumpled in his hand. ‘And I have the car, so I can drive you home after…’ I hadn’t seen a nervous side to Danny. I could feel my stomach churning, on the other hand, my heart felt a little bit fuller. I nodded, Danny, smiling in relief. ‘Okay, if you just stand here’ he said, walking to the middle of the stage. ‘I just want to rehearse some of these scenes with Benedick and Beatrice’ I swear, even beneath my thick sweater, it was obvious my chest was heavy as my breathing intensified. I slowly put down my backpack, cautiously walking to where Danny stood. He could clearly sense my nerves ‘Don’t worry, we won’t do the kiss scene or anything’ he laughed, flicking through his script. My heart cracked slightly, a feeling of despair…of course, someone like Danny Walter would never want to kiss someone like me…not even if it were pretend. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

For a moment, it felt like I wasn’t me, like I wasn’t that person with the stutter or that family that moved around a lot. The way Danny embodied Benedick was captivating, the way he moved across the stage, the way his arms gestured in ways to add liveliness to the scene. The way he created something from nothing. Danny had always been so chipper and nice, it was almost bewitching, the way he embraced the character so flawlessly. It was almost agonising when it ended, when Benedick and Beatrice went back to the page, and Danny and y/n came back. 

‘I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this y/n, having 5 brothers and a sister, as well as my cousins and Jackie at home, the only peace I get is at night when everyone is in bed and I have the TV all to myself’. No wonder he was always yawning during class, I looked at him, slightly embracing the wit of Beatrice, mimicking his constant yawning. He laughed nodding ‘Yeah I know, it’s a terrible habit but sometimes it’s the only solace.’ Boy, I knew that feeling all too well, when I played the piano it was almost as if I was someone else. He glanced down at his phone, the time 6:00 pm. ‘Hey, my house is pretty hectic around this time, I don’t know about you but I could use a bite to eat, do you wanna stop and get something on the way home?’ I wanted to tell my heart to stop, for my head to stop running away with the fairies. He’s not into you, he’s just being nice. I couldn’t even bring myself to call him a friend…I hadn’t had a friend in a long time. ‘y/n?’ He quipped. I nodded my head, looking at Danny to find my bag in his hand, his eyes looking into mine as he had bent down slightly. ‘The Lark, is that okay?’ I nodded in agreement, following Danny out of the auditorium to his car. 

The entire drive, Danny spoke of his favourite movies, always making sure to ask if I had seen certain films or if I liked them. He spoke of New York, his desire to go to Juilliard to pursue drama and his dream of being an actor. He spoke of growing up in Silver Falls, and how everyone knew everyone. ‘I have to say it’s nice to finally have a new friend’. I looked out the window, pulling at my fingers. I could feel my tear ducts beginning to well up…a friend. But a little piece of my heart felt slightly disappointed, but the overall feeling was overwhelming. A friend. 

The Lark was relatively busy on a Thursday night. As we walked in, a man behind the counter looked at us with a beaming smile, waving in our direction. I looked behind us, expecting to see someone else, but yet Danny was full of surprises. Danny was already waving back at the man behind the counter, gesturing with his hands to him, the man gesturing something back, and pointing to a table in the corner, a reserved sign on the tabletop. I looked at Danny, a stunned look on my face. ‘My brother Will’ he said, pointing nonchalantly as Will rounded the counter, walking to his brother and pulling him into an embrace. I couldn’t help but notice Will wore hearing aids. Will turned to me, Danny smiling ‘Will this is my friend y/n, y/n this is my older brother Will’. Will reached his hand out, I slipped my hand into his returning his shake. ‘Hi y/n, it’s so nice to finally meet you’ he said, his hands gesturing signs as fluently as the words came out of his mouth. Sign language. ‘Danny has told me so much about you, it’s nice to finally put a face to the name’ his hands dancing with each word. My cheeks pinched, my teeth gleaming as the smile spread across my face. 

Will walked us to the table in the corner, conversing with Danny about the play and the rest of their brothers at home. As we approached the table, Danny quickly rounded, carefully pulling the chair out for me, his brother smiling in approval as he gave his brother an approving wink. I untucked the hair from behind my ear, trying to hide the colour of my cheeks slightly. ‘Lucky you messaged me last night, would have been awkward to have turned my brother away, it’s so busy tonight’ Will said, placing the menus in front of us. Danny quickly looked to Will, signing something, his glare piercing as Will patted his shoulder walking back to the counter. ‘Sorry about him, siblings ya know?’ I nodded, I knew exactly what he meant. My own sister certainly had her moments. ‘You have siblings?’ He asked. I nodded, holding up a single finger. ‘Her name doesn’t happen to be y/s/n?’ He asked curiously. My eyebrows knotted together as I suspiciously met Danny’s gaze. I nodded. ‘My sister Parker has been talking about a new friend she’s made at school’. Goodness…this town really was tiny. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Danny’s conversation was as cozy and warm as the soup we ate. He talked about his family, the ranch he grew up on, the animals on his farm. It was a nice change, to listen to someone talk about stability, it was something foreign to me, having moved around so much. The way Danny talked about it, it seemed the Walter house was non-stop. No wonder he stayed up during the night to watch movies. In return, I showed him pictures of my own family, my little sister, and my beloved piano. By the time most of the crowd had cleared out from The Lark, it was as if no time had passed at all, I could have sat there all night listening to Danny talk about his dreams of Juilliard, his aspirations of being an actor. It was only when Will approached us, with four mugs and a coffee pot that I looked around to realise everyone had gone, the open sign switched to shut. Will pulled some chairs, and the other waitress sat down too. ‘Y/N, this is Haley, my fiancé.’ I nodded in hello as she did too. Will and Haley poured the coffee, diving into a conversation about their upcoming wedding, Will’s new job here at the cafe, and conversations about their siblings. Danny told them about the play, my piano playing, and the upcoming auditions on Monday. We laughed, we smiled, I listened. Will even opened up about growing up with a hearing impediment. I hadn’t felt so included by people outside my own house in a lifetime. ‘Hey, we should give y/n a sign name’ Haley chimed. I looked at her, my eyes softening. I felt taken aback, that these people who had scarcely met me were already willing to include me in such a precious way. I looked at Danny, his gaze looking back at me with pure heartfelt kindness. Danny lifted his hand, shifting from left to right, as he delicately placed his fingers on the table like a piano. At that moment, it was as if Danny Walter had played the keys of my heart. 

Only when I looked behind Danny and saw the clock did I realise the time. Danny sat up, clearly worried as my face turned from solum comfort to one of panic. He followed my gaze, looking at the clock. I quickly gathered my bag, the chair scraping across the floor as I stood up, realising I hadn’t texted Mom or Dad to let them know where I was. I grabbed my wallet out of my bag, my hands shaking as I dug out a $20 bill placing it on the table for the meal. Haley tried to protest, but I was already rushing out the door, Danny closely in tow. He rushed ahead, unlocking the car and opening the passenger door for me. I climbed in, already bringing up the GPS on my phone. Danny climbed in glancing at my phone as I showed him the map. ‘Don’t worry, I know where the old Anderson’s place is, I have a shortcut.’ This town was too tiny for its own good. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

When Danny pulled into the driveway, I was surprised to see my parents sitting so calmly, reading their books on the couch through the window. They didn’t even look up at the sound of Danny’s car pulling up. I took a deep breath, leaning back into the seat, unsure of what was happening. I almost expected to return home to a cop car in the driveway. I unzipped my backpack, digging into the bottom to find my phone. 1 text from Mom.

‘Will from the Lark Cafe called to let us know you were there. Enjoy x’

I showed Danny the text, slightly confused. He smiled ‘That’s Will…always thinking ahead, plus he used to hang out with the Andersons kids so I’m not surprised he still remembers the phone number’. I was beginning to get the impression that the Walters were the pillar of the Silver Falls community. I looked back to the window, my Mom giving a small wave as she got up from her spot on the couch, and walked toward the kitchen. I looked at Danny, smiling as I reached for the door handle. It was totally stiff, I jiggled the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. ‘Oh yeah, there’s a trick to it’ Danny said, taking off his seatbelt and sliding across the seat, reaching his arm across my body as he un-clicked the door. 

I glanced down, Danny’s gaze looking up at mine. He slowly rose, our eyes locked. Our faces were so close, I could feel his breath on my face. My eyes glanced down to his lips, his lips were slightly parted. I looked up, his eyes were on my lips. I moved forward slightly, the tip of my nose touching his, prompting him to move forward. Our noses slid, tucking into one another. 

*BANG*

Our foreheads banged against one another, I pulled back pressing my hand up against the throbbing pain. ‘Y/N’S HOME’ My sister shouted, her stuffed monkey in hand, her hair slightly dishevelled as she stood in her pyjamas at the living room window banging away. I quickly grabbed my bag, and getting out of the car, in pure embarrassment, I ran straight into the house. 

‘Hey, how was your evening?’ My Mom asked, her voice getting quieter as I walked down the hallway, straight to my bedroom. I leaned against the back of the door, sliding down to the ground, cradling my knees in my chest. I know I should be happy, and I was. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all too good to be true. That Danny was too good to be true. That it would all come crumbling down around me. That all things too good meant that something bad was coming. The only way to stop the bad thing from coming was to stop the happiness from becoming. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

I hadn’t been back at school since the last drama meet. On Monday morning as I approached school, Danny stood there across the road, his eyes searching until his eyes landed. His cheeks were pink, he was clearly waiting for me. It was all too overwhelming. It’s amazing how all the signs are there, and yet my brain could find all the reasons to not let it happen, to not let it be possible. The only way to protect myself, to protect him, was to ignore Danny Walter. 

Fear had always been something greater than happiness. Even when I felt happy, like that night at the Lark Cafe, it was the retrospect of it all that made it so frightening. The fantasy was becoming all too real, the feelings were overpowering. Danny Walter was destined for greatness, he would go to Juilliard, and he would meet someone equally as passionate, as dedicated and as confident as him. It wouldn’t have worked I repeated to myself over and over. But it didn’t ease the heartache. Sometimes silence was easier than facing words. 

I stared back at him for a moment. Contemplating crossing the road. But I couldn’t. I turned away, walking away from school, leaving Danny standing there. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Sunday Night

‘Y/N would you come here please?’ My Mom’s voice called from the kitchen. Mom and Dad stood at the kitchen island, another figure with them. The person turned around slowly to face me too. Shit. 

Miss Jacobs’ sat at the table with my parents, a folder containing my attendance records in front of her. ‘You haven’t been at school all week?’ My Dad stated more than asked, his voice slightly raised as my Mom sat with her fingers tightly interlaced. I shook my head. ‘You’ve been sneaking off with that boy who dropped you home that night after Thursday’s drama meet?’ Dad questioned. My eyes widened. I shook my head, looking straight into his eyes with a pleading look. ‘Danny Walter?’ Miss Jacobs questioned. I looked at her, a look of pure confusion on my face. ‘Danny actually came by my office on Friday, he asked after you’. My Mom and Dad looked at each other in surprise. ‘Mr and Mrs y/l/n, I can assure you that y/n has been the only student absent from school this week consistently, I know that y/n has had issues at past schools with attendance. But before this, y/n’s attendance has been extremely satisfactory.’ My mom reached across the table, interlacing her fingers with dads. ‘Y/N I know you’ve had issues with bullying at your past schools, but you seemed to be doing so well at Silver Falls, is there anyone or anything we need to address?’ I shook my head solemnly. The truth was, Silver Falls had been all too good. ‘You’re a great student y/n, your grades have been satisfactory, you’ve made an excellent addition to the drama club as a pianist, you’ve got a friend who clearly cares about you…what are we missing?’ Miss Jacobs asked. It was only when she mentioned a friend who cares did the tears started to fall. I got up from the table, running to the solitude of my room…

*knock knock knock*

I wiped my eyes, turning over as my Mom slowly opened the door. She closed it behind her, shuffling under the bed's covers with me, as she lovingly brought me into her embrace. ‘Am I right in thinking this friend of yours is a bit special?’ She asked, her cheek leaning on the top of my head. My throat squeaked involuntarily as I cried a bit harder. ‘Oh, sweetheart, did he hurt you?’ I shook my head against her chest. ‘Did you hurt him?’ She whispered. I took in a deep breath, wanting to shake my head, but I knew that would be a lie. I nodded my head slowly. ‘Did you want to hurt his feelings?’ I shook my head. She let out a big sigh, her heartbeat calming down as she began to understand the situation. Many times in the past, conversations like this were always due to bullying, unsupportive school environments…ones that had resulted in moving schools, sometimes towns. I could tell she was relieved, but I certainly was not. ‘Sweetheart, some choices are scary, but sometimes they are worth making…’

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

My mom’s words rang through my head. Sometimes choices are scary, but sometimes they are worth making. I walked into homeroom quickly, I wasn’t going to allow the fear to take control. I opened the door slipping into the classroom. I took a deep breath, looking around the room to find Danny Walter was not there. I looked around, only to find a similar pair of eyes on me. Cole’s gaze was hard as a rock, yet narrow with suspicion. He looked me up and down, slightly rolling his eyes as he pursed his lips and turned his attention back to the girls fighting for his attention. 

Deep breath. Sometimes choices are scary, but sometimes they are worth making. I walked straight up to Cole, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around slowly, making it very clear he didn’t have any interest in engaging with me. Danny I signed, his sign name similar to the movement of a director’s clapperboard. He shifted his head to the other side, pursing his lips again. ‘Why do you care?’ He asked, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Erin and Olivia’s glares also fixated on me. I could feel my insides quivering. ‘Don’t let the fear take over, don’t let the fear take over’ I repeated in my head. I signed his name again. Danny. He sat up, leaning back into his chair, crossing his arms. ‘Someone he cared about hurt him, and he didn’t feel like coming in today.’ It was like a heavy weight had dropped on my chest like someone was playing all the bad keys in my head. ‘Probably because of you, he didn’t get the part in the play either’ Olivia remarked in a snarky voice. Danny and Erin both turned around, glaring at Olivia as she looked back at them slightly confused. My heart cracked again…how did he not get the part of Benedick? By the time Cole had started his next sentence, I was already out of the room. 

I ran down the hallway, my shoes skidding beneath me as I halted outside the auditorium door. The audition results were listed on the bulletin board. It was true, that Danny had not gotten the role of Benedick. I began to pick at my fingers. I looked up and down the empty hallway. I could go back to class…or I could make this right. 

I need to make this right.  

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

I was breathless by the time I got to the Lark. The place was empty, everyone likely at school and work, the morning rush past as the tables were littered with empty mugs and dirty plates. I looked through the window, Haley was busy collecting plates from the tables. Luckily, she was alone. I slowly opened the door, the bell ringing. ‘y/n?’ Haley asked, clearly confused as I should be at school. ‘Are you okay? Danny came in practically like every day last week asking if you had been in.’ I stood there, my mouth dropping slightly, the picking at my nail beds increasing. ‘You okay?’ She asked again, putting the plates in her hand down as she walked toward me, gently placing her hands on my wrists, and pulling my hands apart. She looked down at my fingers. ‘Will used to chew his nails when things got overwhelming, I’d notice that sort of stress anywhere’ she sympathetically noted, brushing her thumbs back and forth over my skin. I could feel my eyes begin to tear slightly. I shakily reached into my pocket, bringing up the GPS app, and giving it to Haley. She looked at me, confused. Danny I signed. ‘He’s not at school?’ She asked curiously. I shook my head, my eyes pleading as I signed again. Danny. I didn’t know what it was about Haley…it just felt like she understood. She took my phone, typing on the screen before giving it back. ‘The Walter’s ranch isn’t far, but their driveway is rather long, do you have a car?’ She asked, her eyebrows knotted together in concern. I shook my head, but I didn’t care. I quickly gripped onto her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, before tapping Go on the GPS, heading back out the door, toward Walter’s farm. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Knock, knock*

I tentatively stepped back from the door. Looking around cautiously, I gripped the envelope in my hand, likely crushing the contents inside. I could feel my heart beating so loudly in my ears, I didn’t hear the door click open. ‘Y/N?’ I looked up. It was the first time I had seen Danny without his beanie on, his hair slightly scruffy. His face seemed one of relief as I looked at him. But the relief turned to one of hurt, the corners of his eyes slightly dropping. I lifted the envelope, holding it out…but he only stared. ‘What do you want?’ He asked, his voice clearly tired. I shook the envelope, begging him to take it. He stared at it, finally cautiously taking it. He opened it, reading the contents of the page intently. ‘This is a Juilliard application?’ He asked confused, crumpling the page tightly in his hand. I pointed to the top of the page. ‘You wrote my name on this?’ He asked again. I nodded, reaching into my pocket and handing him a pen. He looked at the application, his eyes glancing over the contents. ‘I didn’t get the part’ he said, trying to hand the pages back. I looked at him, shrugging my shoulders, as if to say ‘So what’. I held the pen out, taking a step forward, pleading with him to take it. ‘I Didn’t Get The Part.’ He stated. I took another step forward, still holding the pen out. ‘I don’t know why you even care’ he said, beginning to rip the pages in half right in front of me. ‘You knew I was waiting for you on Monday, you saw me and you just walked away’ tearing another page. ‘You stopped showing up to school, you didn’t show up to the drama meet, you even just left the car without even looking back after we almost…’ another rip. 

‘I….I thought you liked me back’ he whispered, his head dropping to the ground as he dropped the torn pieces of paper on the ground. I took a deep breath, my throat catching, the pen dropping as my arm dropped back to my side like a floppy noodle. I could feel a single tear slowly shed down my cheek, the salty taste wetting my lip. ‘Besides, Juilliard won’t accept students who can’t even get a lead role in a crappy high school production, so quite honestly, Fuck your application.’ 

My sadness quickly turned to confusion as I finally looked back up from the torn pieces of paper back to Danny’s face. Confusion turning to anger. How could he think so little of himself? How could he not see how hard he’s worked? How could someone as passionate as him turn so sour and discouraged so quickly? How could he just give up?

I don’t know what came over me. I placed my hands on his chest, slightly pushing him back. He looked at me shocked. Again, I pushed my hands against his chest, the tears blurring my eyes. I dropped to my knees in front of him, falling onto the porch as I began to cry. ‘This was all my fault, this was all fault, this was all my fault’ I repeated in my head. I could feel my heartbeat rising fast, it felt like the blood had drained to my feet. I padded my hands around, my hands shaking as I tried to pick up the pieces of the mess I had caused. I felt a hand gently slip into mine. I looked up to find Danny kneeling on the ground in front of me. His eyes slightly teary as he looked at me. I could feel the ringing in my ears, a feeling of anger, frustration, and sadness was an exhausting feeling all at once. I had finally made a friend, and I blew it. I had finally met someone who didn’t seem deterred by my speech impediment, and I blew it. But what hurt the most, was that my actions, the hurt I had caused, had truly made someone just give up. I was used to disappointing people, myself, and my family. Disappointment had always been a constant, but to choose failure and defeat was to let it win. Even in all our moving, in all my silence, in all the changes, we were determined to never let the failure win. But in this moment, in Danny Walter, it seemed like it finally had. It felt like my brain was going to burst, like every inch of my body was pressing against my soul, like everything needed to get out. 

‘….Y….yy….y…ou….h..h…h…aaa…a..ve….a….v….o…..o..oic…e….u…u…u…use….i….t’ 

His mouth dropped, a tear falling down his own cheek. I didn’t wait for his response, I didn’t wait for the shock, the adrenaline was too powerful. 

I pulled myself from the patio, dragged myself down the stairs, and walked away. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

I wasn’t technically breaking the rules. I was at school…I just wasn’t in class. It had been two days and I had secluded myself to the solitude of the auditorium. I didn’t have the energy or the confidence to risk facing Danny Walter again. I had ruined it all…all because I was too scared to take a chance. Up until Danny, avoiding my problems, and risking too many good things happening had always seemed to work out. But this time, it was even more scary…like something was still to come. I couldn’t avoid Danny Walter forever, but maybe if I avoided him just enough things would be okay. 

My eyes were too dry to cry anymore, my chest felt sore, and the cuticles from my nails were all picked off. I spent the day flicking through the folder of music Mr Choudry had me print off. If I just kept playing, time would pass faster. Isolation was something I had become accustomed to. But it felt different this time, the thought that down the hall, in another classroom, the person whose company I still couldn’t help but desire, that if I hadn’t ruined it, I didn’t have to settle for isolation anymore…something I never thought would happen. 

I slipped another page off the music stand, the last piece of crumpled sheet music in the pile. My heart dropped. 

‘Don’t Be Shy’ 

Cat Stevens

Sheet Music

I stared at the sheet, it was as if all the happy notes had fallen off the page. Like the song was scrambled, like the lyrics, the words had lost all meaning behind them. I lifted my hands, gently bringing the fallboard down over the keys, leaning on it, my head resting on my arms. I closed my eyes, exhausted by it all, silently begging for the day to be over. 

‘Damn, I’ve sat through the entire show waiting for this song.’ I slightly jumped as that familiar voice sounded behind me. I sat up slowly, refusing to turn around, convincing myself it was all in my head. But I couldn’t deny his presence as the stage beneath me slowly vibrated as he stepped forward slowly from the stage wing. I turned around slightly, his figure standing underneath the stage light, his frame glowing like an apparition. 

He walked forward, cautiously sitting down on the piano stool. His body brushed against mine, our thighs pressed against one another. I could feel his body slightly shake as he reached into his backpack, pulling out a sheet of paper and placing it on the music stand. What had been twenty pieces of ripped paper on his porch two days ago sat in front of me, every piece taped together again. It was as if all my natural instincts had suddenly stopped working…I didn’t blink, I didn’t move, I didn’t breathe. I simply stared at the tattered page, inspecting every crevice where he had so carefully tried to fit every fraction, every rip, every wobbly bit back together. Not only that, his scruffy handwriting had filled out every section of the application. 

So gently, his arm reached up, his fingers gently slipped the hair on the side of my face, blocking my view of him, tucking it sweetly behind my ear. ‘There’s nothing I can say y/n, other than I’m sorry’ his voice slightly faltered. I turned to him, shaking my head. This was my opportunity, I needed to say it, no matter how hard it was. ‘…..I….I….I’m..mm….s..s..sor…r…r…y….D….a….nn…y…’ I said, a single tear slipping down my cheek. Danny’s warm hands cupped my cheeks. He smirked gently, pulling my face to his, our foreheads resting against one another. His thumb gently rubbed over the single tear on my cheek. I couldn’t help but close my eyes, smiling at the sensation of his skin touching mine. He gently pulled away, his lips brushing, pressing a gentle kiss on the spot where he had just wiped the tear away. 

He leaned his forehead back against mine, our faces an inch closer, like that night in the car, our noses pressed into one another’s, like a puzzle that fit perfectly. His palms still cupped my cheeks sweetly. “Tell me for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?” Danny whispered. I couldn’t help but giggle. Benedick truly engrained in his soul. I gently brought my hands up, sliding them up Danny’s arms, nervously wrapping my hands around the back of his neck. 

Our lips finally touched. It was like a gentle electric shock. Our mouths fit together so perfectly. His lips were tender and soft, his hands on my cheek guiding me. I couldn’t help but feel a little grateful he didn’t have to pretend to be Benedick for anyone else. I smiled into the kiss, prompting him to slip his tongue gently, brushing against mine. One of his hands slipped down, tracing gently over my throat, moving to my shoulder, down to my hip pulling me slightly closer, our chests pressed against one another. It felt like a film, like when Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh finally kiss at the end of Much Ado About Nothing when everyone cheers and claps. His hand trailed along my thigh, gripping at it and bringing it over his lap so swiftly. I gripped onto him for life, his arms wrapping around me as the kiss deepened. 

‘Oi, Romeo!’ Our lips jumped apart, but our hold on each other was still tight. Cole stood at the top of the auditorium. I slipped my face into Danny’s neck, my cheeks red as Danny turned slightly, facing his brother. ‘Miss Jacobs is heading this way, we gotta get to class.’ I looked up, my eyes peeping over Danny’s shoulder. Cole stood there, a large smile on his face, clearly trying to stifle a laugh at the scene he caught his brother in. ‘Bring Juliet with you’ he said, laughing as he turned around, poking his head out the door. I looked at Danny, our cheeks pink. He quickly looked to his brother again, swiftly stealing one last kiss. 

As we stood, collecting our backpacks, Danny stood. ‘Oh, I almost forgot’ he said, reaching into his bag, taking out a piece of paper, and handing it to me with a beaming smile. I took the paper cautiously, looking at the paper. ‘Juilliard Music Program Application’ was written across the top. His scribbly handwriting had already written my name on the top of the page. I looked up, his hand already outstretched like a gentleman. I slipped my hand into his and walked out of the auditorium together. 

[fr0ggys]

binge watched it earlier(been meaning to watch for a while) but I now cant wait for the next season but its in 2025 soo

repost with your favourite ship from the series

not including the younger ones because they be innocent and young(I know jordan is like 12 but he not a teenager so)

[itsjayro]

Home girl Jackie is so savage!!!! Like she kissed one brother while dating little brother & then the next morning upping leaves for New York with a different BROTHER ! ! ☠️

You know the accusations are FLYING at the Walter house rn!!!!!!

[imjustladyd]

Hello! People probably won't see this but I'm only posting it to use it on Ao3, I don't usually post here but when you're in need you do strange things...

This is from my ongoing fanfic called "Your Freckles Lead the way" about Alex Walter, I created the cover for Wattpad but I'm more active on Ao3 so I asked myself why don't I use it there instead? Anyway, I'm so glad we already have a season 2 on the making!

Happy Hollidays for everyone!