"When are you going to introduce us to Cole?" my mom flips the grilled cheese sandwich I asked her to make and barrages me with questions.

"I have introduced you to Cole." I remind her, sipping on a tall glass of mango OJ.

She brings the sandwich to me, cut in half with powdered sugar sprinkled on it. Just how I like it. "You know what I mean, Christina." Uh oh, she used my full name. She is serious. "I mean, formally. Bring him to dinner tonight."

"I don't know about...tonight, mom," I mutter. I take a huge bite of my sandwich and with my mouth full of warm cheese, toasted bread, and the sweet taste of powdered sugar, I fend off thoughts about yesterday.

"Why not?" Tom looks over his newspaper. "I kinda want to meet him, too. I heard from the old lady, Mrs Butterdan, that he is a handsome young fella. Her words exactly."

Butt out, Tom!

"Cole...is busy." I eat faster when I look at the clock and see it is past six thirty. Cole will be here any minute actually. "Look, it's not important, you guys don't need to meet him and he doesn't need to meet you. Just forget about it."

"Can't wait to tell him that you're embarrassed of him," Jeremiah mutters.

Please don't.

"Shut up, Jer Bear." I say absentmindedly. My phone rings and I snatch it up. "Hello?"

My mom stares as if she is trying to hear who it is on the other line and what they are saying. It's Cole, but I'm sure she understands that by now.

"Hey, honey bunch," he says. "Come on outside, I'm parked out front."

"Yeah, okay, I'm coming." I jump up and pull my backpack on. The abrupt motion hurt and I wince. "Ouch."

"You okay?" Cole asks from the other line in a concerned tone.

No, I am not okay, and it's your fault!

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be right out." I gather my bearings and drink the last of my juice. "Bye."

I hang up.

"Guess you don't want this." Jeremiah pulls the plate with the other half of my sandwich. "See you at school."

"Chris, you should eat the rest of your breakfast." my mom says, taking it from Jeremiah.

I don't want to waste time going back and forth with her. "Okay, fine." I kiss her cheek. "Will you be home when I get home?"

She gives me a shrug. "I don't know. I have a long commute back and forth." she sighs. "I'm just glad I only have to work four days out of the week."

"I am, too." I smile, wrap my sandwich in a paper towel, and rush out. "Bye, everyone." I'm going to be royally upset if this paper towel takes off all my powdered sugar.

Outside in front of the house, Cole is sitting on his truck checking his watch. No way am I taking that long to come, but I just smile rather than scowl when he looks at me. Walking as normally as possible, I make my way to his truck.

"Gas ain't cheap, Chris." he tells me the moment I get in. He taps the gas meter.

Good morning to you, too.

"Sorry, my mom was talking to me about something," I reply.

"About what?" he asks.

I look directly at him. "It was nothing, just silly banter." my lie isn't perfect but it works.

"What's that smell?" he sniffs the air a bit.

"It's a sandwich," I answer hastily trying to wrap it up tighter. "My mom made me bring it."

He snatches it from my hand and throws it in the trash bin he keeps in the backseat. I jump when he reaches out just as fast to grab my thigh. A bit of relief envelopes me as all he does is rub it.

"Let's not eat stuff like that anymore," he suggests without looking at me.

Is this his way of telling me I'm getting fat?

"Why is that?" I ask swallowing the words I really wanted to say.

He gives me a you-know-why, look.

Before I can respond with anything, his eyes change focus from me to something behind me.

"Is that your mama?" he raises his eyebrows. My heart stops as I turn to look out the window, praying all the while, that it's not my mother walking towards us.

It is and my heart sinks.

She smiles and waves. I don't reach to let down the window, but Cole leans over me and does it himself.

"Hey there, Cole." she smiles widely. "How are you?"

"I'm just great, Mrs Selvey. And how are you?" he smiles back.

Selvey was my dad's last name and she changed hers when she married Tom, but she doesn't correct him.

"I'm superb," she replies. "My husband and I were just talking about how good the weather is today and that it should be impossible for anyone to be upset about anything."

You're so wrong, mom.

"Did you have something to tell me, mom?" I ask, restraining myself from frowning.

She nods. "Actually, I wanted to ask Cole here if he wanted to join our family for dinner tonight," she says exactly what I feared she would say. "I know you said he is too busy, but I took the chance to come out here and ask him personally since I saw you both were still out here. How about it, Cole?"

He smiles kindly at her. "I'm sure I can clear up my schedule," his voice is like honey. "Just for a pretty lady like you, Mrs Selvey."

She smiles broadly. "Perfect. Be here at six o' clock. Anyway, I've gotta go, have a good day at school you two."

"Thanks, mom," I say that for a short list of reasons. "Have a good day at work."

She blows a kiss and the moment she goes into the house. My eyes close slowly.

Here it comes.

"You just keep on....!" Cole hits the gas and I'm pushed back into my seat as he drives fast down the street. When we are down at the less populated part of town, down the street from my own house, he stops. "You know I can't trust you now."

"What, why?" I brace myself just in case he decides to throw something other than words at me.

"Why did you tell your mama I couldn't come to dinner with y'all?" he glares at me angrily. "You hate me all of a sudden, you don't want me to come in your house and embarrass you?!"

His hand flies up and hits the back of my head.

A scream escapes. "Cole, please stop it!" I buckle up.

"Stop what?!" he hits me again. "Givin' you more reasons to hate me?!"

Another swing and it hurts more than the first ones. I just know my hair is ruined now.

"Cole, I just want to go to school." I squeeze out between a sob. "Please." my voice lighter than a mouse's, I plead with him. "Please. I'm so sorry if I upset you, I just didn't want to invite you to dinner and be barred by tonnes of questions."

"That's not your call, Chris." he drives again, but it's still not towards the school. It's toward the creek.

He pulls up alongside some thick brush and large trees. I already feel terrified and almost reach to lock my door, before he goes around the front of the truck. He hits the hood and signals for me to get out.

Defiantly, I shake my head slowly as heavy tears cloud my vision.

Impatiently, he storms over to my door and swings it open. Reaching to undo my seatbelt.

"No, Cole, stop!" I try to wrench his hands away from the buckle. "What did I do?"

My fingers claw at his.

"Dammit, Chris!" he backhands my chin. "Get out of the fuckin' truck!"

The click of the belt releasing fills the air and I let out a loud sob as he proceeds to drag me out of the truck cab by my right wrist. My left hand desperately attempts to grab the door handle, but it doesn't help as he drags me roughly.

More than a few times, I almost trip. My private is still very sore, he is dragging me too fast, and my body is still fighting him. I really don't want to go with him. I'm frightened as he pulls me deeper into the woods.

"I'm sorry, Cole." I wipe a few tears away with my free hand. "But, please tell me what I did wrong!"