Cole smiled softly to himself before following her, remaining quiet and staring at the tile floor.

Lili walked out of the vet's office and toward the car. Holly wiggled in her grip but she tried to calm her and scratched behind her ears as her and Cole walked to the car.

Mentally fighting with himself, Cole managed a shy "Thank you," but remained entirely silent until having to ask where Lili wanted to be dropped off.

Lili smiles a little, "Of course" She says softly, handing Holly toward him. "You can always come to me for anything, you know that" She says after telling him to go to Zach's house.

"I wish I knew you in my freshman year. That's when everything kind of hit me. Zach's sister included." Cole laughed softly. "Seriously though she literally slapped me in the face and told me I needed to get my shit together because according to her highschool sucked. It does. It really does. But I think the thing that made it worse was that I didn't care in middle school. I didn't care that I was the idiot who could give himself a bloody nose in ten seconds and went from being right to left handed all because he broke the same wrist three times over a span of two years. But that's a completely different hellhole story. By the time I actually hit highschool I stopped opening up to anyone, not that I did it much before, but I full on gave up on thinking anyone would care. I was like, super self conscious. I didn't want to seem self centered, but I knew I had a problem. I just didn't have the money for any sort of therapy shit to get it all out. When I was younger my friends' moms offered to call the police on my dad but I didn't want to be sent off to some foster home a million miles away from the people I could actually trust. And I really regret that, not that I don't like it here but life sucks sometimes, more for me than some people. I'm not sure if I've got any living family left that knows I exist, or cares. It's all very confusing and I really do suck at talking about it too." He sighed, going silent and averting any sort of eye contact with Lili, feeling embarrassed.

Lili's face softened. "Awe Cole..." She murmurs softly. "High school really does suck. You go through so many different changes... And it's truly sad at what us teenager have to go through but we have to and it's normal." She says, lifting his face to meet hers. "Hey.." She whispers. "It'll be okay.. I promise" She says, pulling him into a hug once the car is stopped.

He choked on himself before holding her tightly, "This is why I love you." After letting go, Cole dipped his head down to stare at his lap. "Have fun..or whatever." He smiled half heartedly.

The edges of Lili's mouth twinge upward into a small smile but Cole didn't notice. "I'll try" SHe says softly, gently letting go and getting out of the car. She walked toward the house and opens the door. "Zach..?" She calls out.

Jumping up from his spot on the couch, Zach ran out to greet Lili with a big hug and an even bigger kiss.

"How are you? Is he okay?"

Lili was surprised as Zach quickly wrapped his arms around her. She smiles as he kisses her. "Yes, yes he's okay. Holly's okay, Cole's okay." She says softly, wrapping her arms around his neck.