Part 2

***

Context: You grew up in the South during the 20s, a particularly unkind era. As the daughter of the Mayor, you were expected to act a certain way and hang out with a certain crowd which, unfortunately, excluded your best friend and local troublemaker, Cole. Things have gotten worse, but you had each other until your father put his foot down... and his hand on you. Cole asked you to run away with him years ago, but you've been too hesitant. Perhaps... it's time?

Setting: (1931) A small Southern town/the train station

Tags: [M4F][Friends to Lovers][Southern Bad Boy Speaker][Good Girl Listener][Forbidden Friendship][1930s][Period Piece][Southern Gothic][Runaways][Secret Feelings?][Protective][Possessive][Yandere?][First Kiss][Holding Close][CW: Mentions of Abuse/Violence]

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***

[Time: 1932 - the American South]

[Scene opens up on a dirt path]

[You’re making your way home from a typical day of school when a familiar figure appears before you. You damned near run nose-first into his strong chest]

“Well, if it ain’t my Good Girl.”

[Pause!]

[Cole chuckles, chewing on a toothpick]

“Sweet girl heading home from school all proper, huh? Lost in thought, as always. That’s cute. Look at yer little uniform, all clean-pressed. ‘Fraid your ol’ flame Cole here is wearing the usual…”

[He gestures to himself with a sarcastic grin]

“Oil-stained rags, hehe. Think Daddy Dearest will grab his shotgun again if I walk you home?”

[Pause]

[His smile fades slightly and you can see the hurt in his eyes]

“Right… You were meant to be avoiding me…”

[...]

[You try to hide your pain and step around him, but he stops you]

“... Come with me.”

[Pause]

“No, I don’t mean to your house! I mean come with me when I run away tonight!”

[...?]

“Yes, the plan is still on. I fully intend to hop the train tonight and get the fuck out of this shitty little pocket of the South. When I said I’d take you to the city, I meant it! I… I understand why you’ve been avoiding me… I know it’s not you. I KNOW it’s your old man doing it, and I’ve…”

[He looks away with a low growl]

“...I’ve seen the bruises…”

[...]

“I ain’t going to go pick a fight with him, sweetheart. He’s got a gun and I’ve got a big ol’ body for him to shoot, but…”

[...]

[His eyes are intense, as intense as always]

“...You and I grew up together, darlin’. Ain’t a day I can remember where you and I weren’t holding hands or planning for the future. Planning to run away to a big city where you could go to a nice school and I could get a good job proper. I told you I’d take you somewhere you and I could be happy together…”

[Pause]

“...Let me see that right eye, Good Girl. C’mon…”

[He gently sweeps your hair around your ear and you see his eyes light up with fury]

“...He hit you, didn’t he.”

[...]

[Cole growls under his breath]

“Godamnit, you’d think the authorities would be a little better come 1931 but guess not! All while insisting that I’m a piece of garbage thinking with his lowers rather than his uppers. As if your old man even remembers what working hard even feels like, the fucking bastard!”

[...]

[Cole wraps his arms around you gently]

“Shh… I got you. Oh, baby girl… I’ve missed talking to you, missed seeing you… I’d hoped he’d calm down without me around but nothing calms that monster down… Listen to me, alright? You know me. We’ve been friends since we could stand. Ain’t no living thing on this planet I wouldn’t fight to protect you.”

[Pause!]

“Shh… I’m not saying I’m going to go get my fool self killed by getting in your old man’s face. He’s got a gun, I don’t. Simple as that, but he’s… he’s hurting you, hurting my Good Girl, and that ain’t right.”

[...?]

[He blushes. You’ve never seen him do that before]

“...You know why I call you Good Girl. It’s cause you used to call me ‘Bad Boy’, remember? Hehe. Guess you weren’t too far off. I think I’ve been in more fistfights than anyone else in this town combined. And you’d always bring me out some sweet tea, rolled them pretty eyes, and said, “Cole, yer a bad boy, you know that?”. And I’d usually mumble something dumb on account of the blows to the head, hehe.”

[Pause]

[SFX: His heartbeat thumping under the Listener’s ear]

“...Run away with me.”

[Pause]

“Yes, you can, sweetheart. It’s that simple. You just pack up what you need, meet me at the train station tonight, and we’ll go. My uncle left behind a cabin closer to the mountains. We can fix it up, we can start a new life, and I can show you the kind of treatment my Good Girl deserves.”

[SFX: The Listener’s heart going crazy]

[You look up at him, heart pounding]

“I know yer scared… but I swear, I’ll take care of you. You’ll get the life you want, so long as you stick by me. The idea of you getting hurt again or… or being married off to one of these boneheaded idiots drives me up the damned wall!”

[Pause]

[He exhales and pulls you back against him]

“...Please run away with me. Meet me at the train station tonight, at 7 PM. Bring only what you absolutely need. I don’t want you to suffer anymore, and… and I don’t think I can stomach life without you in it anymore, my sweet girl. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you so terribly… Makes me shake not knowing if you’re alright or not, and I can’t exactly peer into the schoolhouse, can I?”

[Pause]

[The tension is immense, but you’re not sure it’s from fear]

[...?]

“Pfft, Molly? Yeah, I know she’s sweet on me, but I’m not interested, no matter how hard her parents are pushing for us to get together. I don’t have an interest in anything besides my plans for the future…”

[His voice softens]

“...and my Good Girl.”

[Your heart flutters as he leans down and kisses you gently]

“Mmh… Gimme those lips, pretty girl… Just for a second…”

[SFX: Kissy kissy, mwah mwah mwah]

[When Cole pulls away, his face is flushed and his eyes are ravenous]

“...I need you, sweet girl. I ain’t leaving until I know that, whatever you decide, you’ll be happy with it.”

[...]

“... Listen. I’ll talk to your old man on neutral ground. Make things right. But, even if I do, it won’t stop him from finding comfort in the shine and taking it out on you. You know that, right?”

[...]

[He lets go of you with a sigh]

“...I’ll talk to him. If you want to run away with me, 7 PM. Platform 2. Alright?”

[...]

“...You’re strong, Sweet Girl. I know you can do this. I’d best get heading before your schoolmates meander this way and see the local trash putting his hands on the Mayor’s daughter.”

[Pause!]

[He smiles, sad and a bit bitter]

“I know how you see me… but the rest of them just see me as some working-class delinquent trying to cozy up to someone out of my class. But you know me better than anyone, maybe even better than God himself… I made you a promise when we were eight that I’d take you anywhere you wanted to go if you’d let me. So…”

[He offers his hand, callused but steady]

“Will you let me?”

[...]

[He beams that crooked grin]

“That’s my Good Girl! I’ll catch you tonight. Don’t worry, I’ll handle your old man.”

[With that, he gives you that odd little two-fingered salute and jogs off]

[SFX: Cole jogging off and the cicadas piping up]

[Scene transitions to the Listener’s house]

[SFX: Crickets chirping and the Listener’s heart pounding]

[Your heart is pounding as you lug one lone bag out into the cover of night]

[SFX: The Listener hurrying down a dirt path as fast as they can, followed by faint train whistles]

“Hey!”

[Cole leans out from one of the train cars, hand outstretched]

“C’mon, Good Girl! I gotcha!”

[SFX: Cole hefting the Listener into the train car]

“You made it just in time, you mad woman! What kept you?”

[Pause!]

[Something in his expression darkens]

“You weren’t sure when yer old man was gonna come home since he didn’t come home at his normal time?”

[SFX: The two of them getting settled]

[Pause?]

“Mmh, yeah, I talked to him like I promised. He broke my nose, I broke his… didn’t go well.”

[You notice something’s off with his shirt]

[Pause]

“Hmm? Yeah, the blood on my shirt is from my nose. I’ll get it cleaned up when I can, sweetheart. Now, sit between my legs and get snuggled up under this blanket. It’s gonna get cold the further North we get.”

[You curl up in his strong arms, frightened but safe]

[Pause?]

[His smile softens]

“I’m fine. Just relieved to be getting the Hell out of here with my Good Girl… Yer gonna stay my Good Girl, right? Heh… don’t want to have to keep fighting people for you, fun as it is.”

[Pause]

[His lips caress your crown]

“...Good. I’d do damned near anything to keep you safe. Even…”

[He trails off, eyes on the blood stains pressed into his shirt]

“...We’ll keep it at anything. Now, get some rest, alright?”

[Pause]

[SFX: The train kicking into gear and wind whipping up]

[The train lurches off and your old life quickly fades behind you as Cole keeps watch. You aren’t sure, but you think he whispers a very quiet:]

“I love you…”

[To be continued]