#freneticjo

The heart monitor beeped steadily, sounding somewhat distant as though he was experiencing a dream. Seconds passed before he’d drifted closer to sleeping again, but when he’d taken too deep of a breath, the pain along his left side swung the pendulum back toward consciousness, momentarily disrupting the even monitor beeps. At this point, Cole hadn’t yet opened his eyes but his thick brows twitched as he was making his way through the haze brought on by the morphine and abundance of rest. The little movements on his face felt strangely amplified due to the dull ache that accompanied them. He became aware of the mask fitted over his nose and mouth but the realization only fed his growing confusion. Finally, his eyes opened, slowly. It had taken seconds for his vision to clear up slightly, and his eyes hadn’t wanted to stay open, but Cole fought against it, seeing the makings of a familiar face. Recognizing Jo gave him patches of recent recollections: bandages being slowly unwound from his forearms; doctors and nurses coming to his bedside during previous time where he had been awake--whenever that had been--dusting a flashlight across his eyes, asking him rudimentary questions, and repeating gentle orders for him to rest. The final of the three had been effortless to obey and while he didn’t remember what all of the questions were, he was recalling a doctor asking him what his name was, if he knew his own age, and if he could name anyone in his family. Each question had taken Cole a few seconds to respond but he had answered correctly, including the few family members he had managed to name--one of who he was staring at with a weary, unfocused gaze. He started to greet her but his throat was horrendously dry so no sound had come at first. Frustrated, he forced himself to swallow a bit of saliva a few times before finally rasping a soft, “Hey,” to her.

The past week had been a nightmare for Joanna and although a seemingly endless carousel of doctors and nurses reassured her that her brother would wake, eventually, she was doubting their prognosis. For the third day in a row, she found herself at his bedside, wondering if one-sided conversations were the new normal. Most of that time had been spent apologizing. How she could think Cole was behind her firing? In what universe would that ever happen? Because she was so embarrassed about what had transpired- not returning his phone calls and texts, that strongly-worded email and subsequent avoidance of all things Cole- she tried to save face by simply focusing on the job. They kept saying they would talk but the talk never came. She had been too proud to go him and work everything out and now she couldn’t tell him everything she wanted to say. Gaze traveling to the wall on the opposite side, she focused on the chart of yellow faces that measured pain on a scale of one to ten. Infinite, she thought as a fresh set of tears blurred them into a single trail of gold. Temporarily distracted by despair, Joanna didn’t notice the stirring beside her. It wasn’t until she heard the shuffling did she notice he was awake. For the first time since the ordeal began, she witnessed him regain consciousness. Panic seized her and she was a leap away from alerting the nearest staffer when his hoarse greeting halted her movements. If there was a time to be selfish, she reasoned it was now. Standing, she approached Cole with a soft smile. “Hey, welcome back.” Witnessing his discomfort and the confusion etched across his features, Joanna decided to tackle the easier problem first. “Here, let me get you some water.” Reaching for the oft-untouched pink pitcher, she poured him a glass and retrieved a straw from the side table. Holding the cup and the straw, she guided it towards his parched lips.

Although he didn’t have his best vision without his glasses or contacts, Cole knew it was Joanna before she’d spoken back to him. He tried clearing his throat but it did nothing for his dry, dormant vocal cords. As she offered him water, Cole reached up to the mask again and pulled it up over his face, initially intending to leave it on his forehead but the stitches there wouldn’t allow for it. Instead, he pulled it down and rested it below his chin as she held the straw out for him. A few small sips later, he’d cleared his throat again and whispered, “Thanks.” Blinking slowly, he turned his head slightly and took in his surroundings a little more--an ordinary hospital room, machines still beeping away.“How long...have I been here?” His head was pounding and his eyes felt heavy; his back and sides ached, the left side more than the right, and when he looked down at his forearms, red blotches from the days-old burns were patched across his skin. The points of incisions made at it shoulder from surgery and near his left armpit from the chest tube registered with each subtle motion--from head turns to his reach for the oxygen mask. His brows furrowed again from all his body was adorned with and all he was feeling but he forced himself to smooth out his features again to avoid irritating the cuts and burns on his face, and while he tried to recall what caused him to be in his current condition, a large gap was currently missing from his memory. He remembered working, and seemingly all had gone as usual, but he couldn’t pinpoint details that would explain him ending up in the hospital. “Is anyone else here? Hurt...In the hospital..?”

Relief washed over Joanna as he sipped the water, eyes tearing up slightly as she watched his movements, still somewhat in shock that he was actually awake and talking. Knowing the questions were coming, she turned away from him, composing herself quickly while setting the cup on the bedside table. Although it was difficult to sum up the hell that had transpired over the past few days, she realized this wasn’t about her. Cole needed to know the truth about what happened to him and, maybe, since the news would be coming from her, it would soften the blow. Deciding she had stalled enough, Joanna turned on her heels, a kind smile softening her features as she retook her seat at his side. Grabbing the armrests, she moved closer to him, silently readying herself for his reaction. She took his hand, a gesture that comforted her and gave her the courage she needed to proceed with the difficult task. “You’ve been here since Friday night. You were in a car accident on the freeway. From what we were told, your car flipped a few times and landed upside down. No one else was injured.” Footage of the scene began to play in her mind and she blinked hard to rid herself of it and the subsequent turmoil thereafter. “No one else was injured, but you have a collapsed lung and a sprained back. The doctors say you’ll make a full recovery and I’m so glad you’re back with us.” Despite her best efforts, the tears she had been holding back finally fell and she quickly wiped them away so she wouldn’t upset him. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Want me to get someone? I guess I should tell someone that you’re…” Realizing she was probably overwhelming him, she squeezed his hand. “Sorry if I’m acting crazy. I’m just so happy!” Her joy gave way to relief and when she cried again, she let the tears fall unimpeded. “I missed you.”

Cole reluctantly pulled the mask back up over his nose and mouth after getting the water and some clearer speech out. He closed his eyes a moment after posing his questions to Joanna and felt himself inching back toward sleep, but he stirred and slowly opened his eyes again when Joanna spoke up again. Nothing about an accident was coming to mind for him at the time but his brows reflexively sloped at the mention of his boat of a Challenger flipping over. His lips fell in an unmistakable grimace, wanting to ask but not really wanting confirmation that his his car was totaled. He’d had the muscle car for over eight years and it was a rare gift from his parents that he genuinely loved and treasured. Now, it was gone and he couldn’t even remember how it happened. He wouldn’t say anything about it now and lacked the stamina to dwell or mourn the loss when his mind was still trying to piece together as many of the missing memories as possible. The mention of his injuries had him moving his left hand, pressing it low on his chest as though that might allow him to know what a collapsed lung felt like. In doing so, he instead became aware of the tube sticking out of the collar of his gown, and the foolish pressure he applied to his chest pinched his entire face. He sighed and lowered his IV-bound hand back to his side. He didn’t see the tears Joanna wiped away, but he’d taken almost all of the time that she’d posed him questions for him to gather the air in his lungs to answer her first one. “I’m tired…” Slow inhale, slow exhale, slow inhale “I ache but…” Slow inhale, slow exhale, slow inhale “I’m foggy….groggy, too... It’s not so bad...if I don’t move...and…” His eyes shut for a long moment, “I fucking...sound like Bane with this mask on.” Mentioning it made him crack a weary smile. He wanted to mimic Tom Hardy’s voice from the movie, but Cole had been too fatigued and cloudy-minded to think of a quote, nevermind the risk of laughing in the process and bringing on more sharp aches. “You don’t… have to... I mean… maybe the… if I stay awake…” Not remembering all that she had asked, he cracked a new, faint smirk, “You’re not crazy...but...y’know I...couldn’t go out like that.” He cleared his throat again and then added, “Not before...we’re old, crotchety...on a porch...judging young people....for shit music.” He opened his eyes again when he heard the soft crying from Joanna and the change in her voice as she did so. While giving her a long, half-lidded stare, his mind fed him a few vague memories of upset and tension between them. The reason why hadn’t yet come to him but it did prompt him to move his right hand--his unbound and triggering far duller aches than his left side--turning his palm up to her. “Hey,” he softly repeated, encouraging her to stay close. Whatever the reason had been behind the tension and upset, he didn’t want to dwell on it, not now. “I...I’ll be okay…” He’d meant to convey reassurance but his voice sounded so tired each time he spoke. Another slow blink later, he asked, “Are we okay?”

Joanna watched expend considerable energy simply breathing, his breaths growing more labored as the realization of his extensive injuries settled in. Seeing him struggle brought back memories of her own trials and her lungs ached out of sympathy. Reaching out to him with a comforting stroke of her hand, she whispered, “If it hurts too much, you don’t have to talk.” A soft smile formed on her lips as she sniffed back her persistent tears. “I can ask you questions and you can blink or side-eye, when appropriate.” His joke lifted the mood and despite her lingering fear, she chuckled. “Don’t make me add that to your ever-growing list of nicknames ‘cause I’ll do it and insist on cosplay.” In spite of her best efforts, she was unable to hide the myriad of emotions flowing through her. His declaration transported her to Friday evening, reliving the moments of numbness and despair. Suddenly she was exhausted and delirious, bursting into tears of relief because her brother was awake and talking. The recovery would take some time, but she had her Cole back. His question hung in the air and an audible reply wouldn’t suffice. It had been the week from hell. A week with of avoidance. A week of denial. A week where she was too proud to acknowledge her best friend. It was time to be selfish in an entirely different way. Although the bed was considerably smaller than the ones they shared in the past, Jo still climbed in beside him, careful to mind the various wires and tubes attached to his weakened form. Brushing back a tuft of his trademark thick hair, she kissed the exposed bruise, pressing her temple against his as she spoke quietly. “We’re better than okay. We’re golden.” A few seconds passed before she added, “Unless you total another car and then I’ll have to kick your ass.”

“It’s okay,” Cole rasped back from behind the mask. He did end up keeping his responses short or he tried to and when Joanna suggested an alternate form of communicating with her, he breathed a small chuckle, and cast a weak but genuinely amused grin at the thought of earning another nickname for a Bane impression. “Maybe next Halloween,” was his response about the cosplay. He thought he’d said, “But I’m not shaving my head,” aloud but the words were thoughts that never passed through his lips. He wanted to make room for Joanna as she climbed into the bed but the attempt caused tension in his body in places that were quick to tell him to stop, so he listened. She’d managed just fine, and so he shut his eyes and let his head rest in her direction with his chin against his good shoulder, tugging a dull ache along the left side of his neck. He hadn’t opened his eyes again just yet but the corners of his lips lifted slightly at the gentle kiss and the first part of her response. He did lift his lids slightly at what she tacked on and cast the sleepiest side eye. “That’s not… gonna happen.” Of course, Cole had no way of insuring that but he had spoken his thoughts. His mind continued to teeter between rest and consciousness so he couldn’t be sure if the, “Love you, Wonder Woman,” actually left his mouth of if he’d only thought it but within seconds after, his breaths evened out and his eyes remained shut. His bruised hand came to rest across his torso and the steady beeps echoed further and further away as he slid deeper into sleep again.

Obviously a hustle to get you to buy more. Did you not check Yelp?

What is yelp? like a scream of pain?

Tagging: Joanna Cargill & Prof. Ororo Munroe Location: The Xavier Institute counselor’s office; Bedford Hills, NY Time Frame: Afternoon, Thurs. Aug. 6, 2015 General Notes: Death [mention] tw

August already.

↳ INSTAGRAM: cookiecuttercole uploaded a new photo:

For the record, the pole was not mentioned as an amenity when I booked this thing. #queserasera #roadtrip #TheLucky13 #itstoofuckingearly mojojojo firestarta, quickasquicksilver, sassysouthernbelle, rajuncajun

↳ 1,984 LIKES, 126 COMMENTS

raggedyannabel: SOMEONE’s seen Magic Mike XXL, I see #roadtrip yeralizardharry: Exciting! Have fun Cole! deardiedra: Come to Texas! I live 5 mins. from the courthouse<333 lalalandon: For the record, any pole dancing videos of you would be funny as f*** lol. generaleecool: Awww that means no MFW pix of you? :( Booo spicensugarr: Post a selfie so I can MCM you tomorrow! ob100: Jealous of all the fun you’re having this summer.  luv2luvlola: Oooo a road trip! Mad jellie! Why would you leave your wife behind?!! hearteyesmthrefr: Where are you going???? sexybitchh8181: Bachelor party??? ;))) turnitupforwill: Admit it. You have an inner pole dancer just dying to get out. See you soon, bro. therealjmurren: IT’S THE FINALL COUNTDOWWWWWN. :D Have a safe trip C.

Cole normally didn’t mind business attire but after sitting a courtroom for hours again, he was relieved to be on the beach, half-naked and propped up at his elbows. Word hadn’t gotten out that he was back on the west coast yet and given the reason for the journey coupled with the roller coaster weekend he’d had, he was grateful. He’d caught a few waves with Joanna on a rented hybrid board and was now watching others out in the Pacific, falling into the water more than sticking a solid stance on their boards. His head shook as he stared behind his aviators and commented, “You know how they define insanity--doing the same thing and expecting different results?” He didn’t need to finish the thought as one person in particular made their seventh or eighth attempt and, once again, stood too far forward on the board, resulting in another fall forward into the water. He pushed the sunglasses up slightly and shifted off of his elbows to lie flat on his towel, shutting his eyes and asking Joanna, “So do you think this trial will really wrap up tomorrow?”

Joanna stared ahead blankly, not really paying attention to the frequent fails of strangers. Her mind was occupied by the events of the trial, thoughts vacillating between the prosecutors methods and if the jury was buying what the district attorney was selling. After a long day in court, she had looked forward to spending the day at the beach with her friends, but her penchant for worrying about things beyond her control prevented her from fully enjoying the beautiful day. Cole’s words reminded her of her surroundings and for the first time, she recognized the figures in front of her as people. People who had no business surfing. Soon, she was cracking up at a young couple who had insisted that they would master the tricky skill on the first try, but ended up falling flat on their backs before being swept up by a cruel wave. “If only my phone wasn’t dead. That would have made an awesome Vine!” She studied her arms, turning them over and checking to see if her tan was finally evening out when Cole’s question brought her back to what she was attempting to put out of her mind. “I hope so. But judging from the long-winded proceedings, we’ll be lucky if we’re outta here by Friday.”

Giving a hollow chuckle, Cole said, “I can record it if you want me to send it to you to Vine later.” He glanced down where his phone sat in his lazily-folded t-shirt but hadn’t picked it up yet, knowing that there was a high chance he wouldn’t miss the window of opportunity. Her thoughts about the case so far had been his thoughts which made him frown slightly, “Jesus, I hope not. I have another short trip planned on Wednesday.” Of course if the trial extended beyond tomorrow, he would rearrange the plans but the mental drain he was in the midst of experiencing had him hoping that the prosecution and defense would get their shit together and the jury would convict the bastard. As much as the legal jargon droned on, Cole was listening and the verdict seemed pretty clear cut to him, bias opinion aside. Attempting to push retained information from the trial aside--off to the mound in his mind to join the other dense memories--he commented, “At least Pride was fun. Mostly. I still need to figure out a way to get Pietro back for the glitter bombing. And after we sang for him.” His sigh this time was entirely dramatized, evident by the slight smile that accompanied it, but he fully meant his intent to retaliate. “How the hell do you prank someone who can outrun just about any and everything?”

Joanna’s frown flattened, followed by a long sigh that summed up how she felt about the proceedings. “I hope I didn’t just jinx us. I just want it to be over so we all can move on. And you can go on your super secret trip.” Her smirk returned at the mention of the previous weekend’s events. “Pride was amazing! But I might have overdone the sugar. Just a tad.” Rethinking the statement caused a woeful nod of the head. “It’s amazing I haven’t had a cavity since I was eight. You think I should quit my job? I have a problem and, obviously, it won’t be cured working at the shop. At the rate I’m going, I’ll develop diabetes before I’m twenty-five!” She barely had time to grieve over her impending fate before visions of glitter hovering around her popped into her head. “I’m not sure what pissed me off more; the fact that he did that after we gave our all in that performance or the fact he’s still calling me PJ Sparkles. I hate him and will never forgive him.” Adjusting the straps on her bikini, she stared up at the few scant clouds in the sky, reiterating, “Ever. For as long as we live.”

Cole flatly but jokingly said, “If you see me giving you side eye by the end of the day tomorrow, that’s how you’ll know if you jinxed us.” He faintly smiled when adding, “It’s not super secret--not to you at least. I just wasn’t gonna say anything in front of Pietro since he doesn’t know where we’re going.” Letting his head loll to the side, he looked to Joanna and said, “You know he’s never been to the beach before?” Moving his hands, he raised them and rested them behind his head--the bruises from the previous week visible but no longer aching. “Or an airplane. So...since New York’s beaches suck for anything other than walking on them, we’re going down to Myrtle Beach for a few days.” The shift of their talk recalling Pride made Cole chuckle, “I’m gonna laugh when you get your first cavity. It’ll probably be some tiny nothing-sort-of-cavity but all I can imagine is you having to go to some kid’s dentist and them giving you some ridiculous little plastic plane toy or something for being a trooper.” His chuckles grew a little more heartily and turned into a full blown laugh at ‘PJ Sparkles’. “We should have known better. He’s a self-professed prankster and we fell for a really solid bait and switch. I should have just loaned him video of Grease since he just wanted to hear us sing.” Settling down from the bit of laughter, Cole sighed, “The flight attendant hated me yesterday. As if I made it my life mission to shake out glitter in my seat just for her.” Shaking his head, his amusement faltered further, “It was a fun day yesterday though. A nice blip of a break in between all of this…” he wanted to say ‘shit’ but Jubilee getting closure for her parent’s death wasn’t shit, and him unloading on his mother...well it still felt like shit but he was holding out on the possibility that he might feel better about it in time.

Joanna met Cole’s glare with one of her own. “Fair enough, but if it turns into a staredown, I will win.” When the topic switched to Pietro, Jo couldn’t help but grin at how happy her brother looked when talking about Pietro. Shocked by Pietro’s lack of travel experience, her jaw dropped. “Really? He’s going to lose his mind in Myrtle Beach. I haven’t been but I’ve seen pictures and I’ve heard the food is amazing! It’s on my list, so tell me how it is.” Turning on her side so her back would be exposed to the afternoon’s rays, she faced Cole, playfully pushing him for his wisecracking. “Don’t wish that on me! Besides, you have the wrong friend because you’re describing Bobby. He’d probably try to bargain with the dude for the best toy.” Shaking her head, she pictured her boyfriend’s antics. “I love him, but the boy’s not bright.” Smirking, she propped herself up on her elbow, looking down at him. “And your boy is the worst. Years from now, I’m gonna find glitter behind my ears or somewhere worse. We know how to pick ‘em.” When his words trailed, she picked up on what he didn’t have to say. Although Jo was aware that life wouldn’t always be a bed of roses, she felt that the past few months had been especially difficult for varying reasons. Every person she was close to had been through their own struggles and, unfortunately, it was Jubilee’s turn to get through a particularly rough spot. While Cole was in better spirits, he had recently gone through his own troubles and though he looked happier today, she knew there were issues behind the sly smile he often sported. She had given him space the past few days, letting him escape enough so they could both be supportive of Jubilee. Now they were alone and he was free to share how he was feeling, if he wanted. “How’d it go with your mom?” Posing the question was risky. However, she figured he would appreciate the opportunity to get it off his chest.

Cole shrugged his brows, still donning his slight smile, “If you say so.” He drew a knee up while nodding, “Yeah, I was surprised too--more so about the beaches than the flying, but hopefully he’ll like the trip. I went once for a surfing competition a long time ago so I didn’t get to see much other than the literal beach. Between he and I, we’ll get reviews to you though.” He chuckled at the light shove she’d given him and his lips spread into a lazy grin, “Touché. And you know, I don’t really need to think about what worse places you might find glitter but this is why we should come up with a response prank.” His lips came together but he was still donning a smile at her remark for their choices of boyfriends. The expression on his face only continued to relax and he knew he’d left his last sentence open for her question. He tried to think of how to start but all he could think of was how he’d left the conversation so he started with that. “Well...I told her that I hated her and that if she ever hurt Cotia that I’d ruin her career.” It seemed like a solid summary in his head but he knew it wasn’t the whole story. “We went back and forth. She let me ask her whatever I wanted and all I wanted to know was why she couldn’t ever love Cotia. She said she couldn’t because of Colin. And...I guess I get it but I don’t. I don’t know. I yelled at her for trying to twist my words around. She yelled at me for tearing her a new one.” He paused and forced himself to take a deep breath which was promptly sighed back out, “She claims she did love Cody and me at one point, and basically said that Cot will be fine without her. So...I told her I hated her. The only thing I really agreed with her on was that Cot would eventually be okay without her. I don’t believe Cotia really is right now. I think she wants a mom and this in a lot of ways is worse than if our mom was dead, or just not in our lives at all. But she’s still around at the house from time to time so it makes it difficult for Cot. That’s a huge reason why I can’t wait for her to start at the school.” His head shook as he stared up at the sky but spoke low to Joanna. He wasn’t about to admit that he’d spent half an hour after the talk crying in his car--no one needed to know that--but he concluded by saying, “Anyway...it was a shittier conversation than I was already anticipating. The only thing I know she loves is her career and all the fame and success that’s come with it. I also know that if I wanted to, I could destroy it,” his hand slipped out from behind his head long enough to snap, “Like that with everything I know about her. So I put her on notice that if she hurts Cotia, I will come for her and I won’t lose sleep over it.”

Joanna unscrewed the top on her bottled water then took a quick sip, immediately wincing as the lukewarm liquid swished around in her mouth. After a reluctant gulp, she turned back to Cole, tossing the offending container next to the rest of their trash. “Well, I look forward to your thorough review that will include a sample itinerary and several suggestions on where to eat at three different price points, Zagat.” Despite his quip, she agreed that they needed to come up with a payback plan for Pietro’s cruel prank. “I’m going to have to put on my super thinking cap for this one. We might be in for a long con.” Before Cole began, she didn’t know what to expect and she certainly didn’t expect for him to start with a gut punch. His emotions were raw and honest while shocking, but she hadn’t felt the need to correct them like so many others would have. There were those who firmly believed that your family was your family for life and there was no good excuse to cut certain members out of your life. However, Joanna knew all too well what a crock of utter shit that thinking was and as Cole offered her a slice of his own personal hell, her own demons began calling. Shutting her eyes for a moment, she listened to his pain, feeling the harshness as if Christine was speaking the words to her. Jo’s heart was breaking not only for him, but for Cotia, who was far too young to suffer such a fate. The hard lump forming in her throat made it difficult for her to speak and when her lips finally parted to release the first word, her voice cracked. “I-I’m sorry, Cole. I really am. That’s awful- she’s awful for treating you guys differently after what happened with Colin.” Shaking her head, she tried to wrap her mind around the reasoning and she came up blank. It didn’t make any sense, even as a child who experienced a similar fate. In some ways, not knowing was better because the excuses never brought any peace. “You don’t deserve that. No one does.” Thinking on her own life and the challenges she faced when she was Cotia’s age, her heart broke for the young girl. “Coty’s in a tough spot because, at her age, you really need a mom to help you along and, like you said, your mom’s always around but not available emotionally. I know it’s not the same but she can always talk to me about things.” Her sadness faded somewhat, yielding a soft smile. “You too, of course. And whenever you want to kick Christine’s ass, I’ll hold her down so you can get in the best licks.” Picturing their tag-teaming efforts caused her to laugh so hard that she snorted. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” She was lost to a laughing fit, falling onto her back as the sun beamed down upon them.

Joanna leaned back against the bow, draping a tanned leg over the side casually as she and Cole drifted slowly across Big Bear Lake. The change of pace was exactly what she needed after the previous night's adventure in the woods. It would take her quite some time to get over the look on Professor Summers face once she, Jubilee and Remy were discovered. Certain there'd be some form of punishment, likely in the form of community service, she was glad to be spending a chill day with one of her best friends. Watching the ripples dance around her turquoise-painted toes, Joanna hummed mindlessly, content with the companionable silence. The peace didn't last long, however. A loud scream interrupted the calm, prompting Jo to sit up in the boat. Propping her shades on top of her head, she glanced in the direction of the cry for help, worried that someone was hurt. Once she realized one of the sophomore boys was pushing several girls off the pier, she turned to Cole, eyes narrowing at the display of immaturity. "Another reason this trip should have been for seniors only."

Cole was slightly hunched forward, rifling through the backpack he’d brought with them. He’d already acquired two more mosquito bites despite his efforts to lather up in repellant every chance he got, and the constant itching and scratching served as a reminder of why he wasn’t eager to sleep out in the wilderness again. Thankful that Professor Sydney had come overly prepared, Cole found the small tube of anti-itch cream and started re-applying it on his bites. He hadn’t exactly been aware of what his face was doing at the moment--glaring profusely at the red bumps--but he was snapped out of his scornful gaze when he heard the shrill screams followed by a series of splashes. His head snapped up in the direction of the noise, only for him to roll his eyes at the culprits, “Yeah...probably would’ve been a hulluva lot quieter. But at least it meant some of our other friends got to be here too.” His eyes were back down at the bag while trading the tube for a medium-sized bag of Doritos. Leaning back to relax, Cole pulled the bag open and stuck a whole triangle in his mouth. His head was resting against the opposite end of the small boat, closed eyes cast up toward the clear sky. As he licked the cheesy remnants from his lips, he sighed through his nose, enjoying the returning silence as the girls who’d been pushed finished their fussing and giggling. “I don’t think I ever asked...are you much of a camper, or outdoorsy person?”

Despite her annoyance, Joanna could concede that Cole had a fair point. "True..." She couldn't imagine if Jubilee, Remy, Marie or any of their other non-graduating friends were unable to attend. The rustling of the chips reminded her of her own stash. Picking a random pocket on her life vest, she retrieved a sleeve of shelled pistachios, tilting her head back to dump a considerable amount into her waiting mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, she considered Cole's question. "I've always loved the beach and surfing. I remember taking the ferry to San Marino when I was younger. I've just always felt at home near the water, but my asthma kind of hindered my enjoyment of the great outdoors." Her voice trailed and she was lost in memories from before her powers manifested. It didn't seem real that there was ever a time she couldn't be out in the elements like she was now. In her short life, she'd missed out on a lot and this was why she was so insistent on taking advantage of every opportunity. "Now, I'm skiing and snowboarding and getting lost in the woods!" Her arms lifted to cap off the exclamation, but as she peeked over to him, she took in the several angry welts scattered across his exposed skin. The sight reminded her to reapply her insect repellant. Retrieving the travel-sized bottle from her jacket, she spritzed herself liberally. "I take it this isn't your forte, Harris."

Cole listened while eating a little more of his chips but his chewing slowed at the mention of how her asthma came into play. Internally, he’d felt incredibly foolish in that moment, having forgotten that it was prevalent in Jo’s health. Almost immediately after, however, he thought twice, noting that it was a good thing--it meant that things were better and she was less prone to repeats of last December. As though on the same thinking pattern, he heard her voice pick up, and he chuckled. “Good times with that last one, I’m sure,” Cole lightly teased. He lifted his head slightly as the boat shifted slightly and when he realized what Joanna was doing, he settled back, appearing as if he were sunbathing. “Mm...no. I’m way, way out of my element here.” He clenched his jaw a moment and sighed it out harshly as the very memory came to mind and out of his mouth, “The last time I went camping, I was about..seven years old. It was me, my Uncle Will, and my cousins, Nolan and Lydia. The mosquitoes already turned me into their breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet so this,” he gestured to the four bites dotted on his arms, “is nothing compared to that. I was itching like crazy and really knew nothing about camping other than what my uncle was trying to teach me during the trip. But my fucktwat of a cousin, Nolan, thought it’d be a good idea to tell me that if I took this leaf and rubbed it all over myself that it’d make the itching stop. Well the leaf was poison oak. So...the only satisfaction I got from that trip was my uncle tearing Nolan a new one. Other than that, no...I’m not an outdoorsman by any stretch of the imagination.” Shaking his head, Cole sat up again to put what was left of his Doritos away, going for something sweet this time, rather than salty. His constant go-to, gummy worms, were close to the top of his backpack’s content so he snagged the already opened bag and resumed lounging. “This trip hasn’t been so bad though. So bad. Not sure that any trip I might take will be as bad as that one though.”

Joanna chuckled at the confirmation, stuffing the empty wrapper into the designated trash pocket. Noting the hour and the height of the sun towering over their heads, she figured it'd be best to tackle the solid white chocolate bar in the top pocket. Upon opening the now flattened package, she knew she'd have to get creative in devouring the melted goodness. Careful to keep the hole small, she brought it to her mouth and squeezed from the bottom, slurping up the sweet nectar while still managing to pay attention to Cole's tale. Her enjoyment was halted when she learned of the cruel prank Nolan played on him. "Tell me he's out of the will for such a dick move." It was easy to see how an incident like that could sour anyone on wanting to experience anything dealing with the outdoors. But Jo was glad that, in spite of what happened, Cole was still able to enjoy the graduation trip and she was proud of him for making the most of the experience. "I totally get why it's not your thing, but, look at you now. Chillin' on the lake with your girl. Proud of ya, man!" She reached over to give him a well-deserved pat on the back, not noticing a nearby paddleboat that was approaching swiftly. Joanna leaned over to retrieve a bottle of water from the cooler that sat between them but it was just out of her reach forcing her to stand. The moment she did, the paddleboat slammed into the side of the row boat, the impact causing her to land directly on Cole. The loss of balance made her scream and she scrambled to right herself so she wouldn't crush her friend.

Cole chuckled mirthlessly, “I doubt it. He’s such a goddamn suck up to my uncle and our grandpa, I’m fairly sure that if Harris Corp continues having Harris CEO’s that he’ll be the next one after my uncle. God knows I don’t want it, and Cody’s on a nosedive down the Psych path so…” His shoulders rose and fell, “I’m just glad my uncle doesn’t eat up all his ass-kissing like my aunt does.” Sticking another gummy worm in his mouth, an appreciative smile came to his face at Joanna’s props to him. “Thanks, Wonder Woman. So far so good,” he replied, grinning softly by the time he finished. His eyes were falling shut again behind his sunglasses and he felt the boat teeter slightly from her movement but hadn’t reacted to it like he had when they first got settled in the middle of the water. It was the sound of the paddleboat approaching that made him crack an eye open and slide his gaze to his left. His furrowed brows became more intense, wondering why the drivers were coming straight at them and when they hit the row boat, Cole’s gaze snapped in the direction of a falling Joanna. He gasped from the impact, reflexively moved his hands to brace her but soon let go as she wriggled away with ease. His sunglasses dug into the bridge of his nose and his chest was still feeling a bit of where her slender but hard body collided with his. “Goddammit,” he spat, pulling his sunglasses off so the paddleboaters could experience the full effects of his glower. “All this lake space and you crash into us? The hell’s your problem?” he demanded to which one of the two raised their hand in surrender while the other chuckled nervously and uttered a half-hearted, “Sorry!” Hardly amused, Cole firmly sat up while willing one of his clones out. To his surprise though, it hadn’t been himself to emerge from his body but a silvery form that was slimming out and quickly taking on an umber skintone. Shock broke through his blatant irritation as a perfect replica of Jo appeared between himself and the real Jo. His clone squared its shoulder before lifting a foot over the edge of the rowboat and bringing it down on the edge of the paddleboat. Cole was too engrossed in what was happening to stop his clone from pumping its foot down once, hard on the edge of the paddleboat. Their rowboat teetered a little but it was nothing compared to the seemingly effortless force applied to the now capsized paddleboat. The occupant’s eyes went wide and shrill screams were cut off as they both plunged into the water. Cole’s own eyes went wide but he relaxed his expression when two heads quickly surfaced on either side of the overturned boat. Stunned, he looked from them to his clone, to Jo, back to his clone who gave a very apathetic, very Jo-like shrug before creating some distance between their boat and the overturned one. Cole’s concentration became completely lost in the roar of laughter that erupted from him; his clone vanished from the broken focus and his head was quickly beginning to feel hollowed out but he continued to laugh himself dizzy, bowing his head to his chest while the floundering students spouted threats to tell Logan and Professor Summers.

Joanna attempted once then twice to stand up and was finally successful on the last try, quickly shifting back to her side of the boat. Shooting daggers at the two unphased perpetrators, she briefly thought about retaliating, but quickly changed her mind, knowing that with their luck, she and Cole would get caught and punished far more harshly. Cole, on the other hand, wasn't content to let bygones be bygones. It'd been awhile since she'd witnessed his ability so watched as a metallic blob split from his form. The solid mass eventually formed limbs and grew into what resembled a human. After all this time, it was still amazing that he could make a copy of himself by merely concentrating and she waited for silvery shell to fill in with Cole's features. Only it didn't. The first thing she noticed was the slender waist, wider hips and jutting breasts, followed by long, naturally curly hair. The figure was still void of discernable color, but the clone still held a familiarity to it and she didn't know why. Slowly, but surely, the outer skin was revealed as the same shade as her own and as the facial features filled in, Jo's eyes enlarged and her jaw fell open at the sight of herself emerging from Cole's body. She'd heard of out of body experiences, but this was ridiculous! Unable to speak, she watched as Jo The II promptly stopped on the paddleboat, making it sink instantly. Seeing the unremorseful idiots scramble would have brought a smile to her face had she been capable of making any other expression. It was as if her thoughts had brought her very own puppet to life and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Jo The II clearly gave zero fucks, standing proudly like any child of two folks who unapologetically kept it real would. Cole, obviously delighted by the turn of events, caused her to chuckle lightly, at first. But when Jo The II began rowing them away from the still cursing victims who couldn't swim. In awe of this angel who looked exactly like her, Jo asked Cole, "Can we keep her?"

Cole had to force himself to calm down so that he could recover from the dizziness as the clone was forced to be withdrawn. He was reeling in more ways than one--the success of creating a functioning clone for the first time, added with the fact that he’d retained Jo’s mutant ability within the clone forced him to hold his head in his hand while he grinned. There was, of course, the typical effect of cloning someone else that had taken its toll on his body but he was too proud to be upset about it. Mild ringing started in his ears but he heard Jo’s response before seeing it and gave a tired laugh. “If only….I can’t believe it!” Cole wasn’t one to exclaim his words, save when he yelled and even that wasn’t common for him. But it spoke volumes on his blended happiness and surprise. “Jo...Jo, I’ve never done that before,” he told her, reaching slowly for his bag to grab his water bottle and gummy worms. “I didn’t know that I could...I had your strength in my clone and I could use it…” Cole hadn’t been envious of others’ abilities, ever. He admired what several people could do, but he was always happy with his own powers. Learning more about cloning others when he first got to the institute last year wasn’t necessarily new for him but it wasn’t easy. It only progressed after being bitten by Bliss last fall--her inadvertent help propelling him to try harder and push his abilities more. And here he was, in the middle of the lake with one of his closest friends, stumbling into another discovery of something he once assumed couldn't be done. He finally felt comfortable enough to lift his head, slowly, so that he could take a drink and when he finished, he glanced over to Jo. “I can’t believe it.”

Joanna shook her head in disbelief, still shaken by the manifestation of herself. "Dude! That was fucking incredible! I don't know what happened but I will gladly collide into you again, trust. Just give me a time and a place!" Finding it hard to focus on much else than Cole's brilliance, she eased back onto the thwart, automatically reaching into her front right pocket to retrieve something sweet to tame her wiry nerves. "Really?" she spurted in between chews of the remaining bars of white chocolate. "That was the first time?" A warm grin, small at first then progressively wider spanned her face until her trademark dimples popped, revealing her utter delight at the news. "Should I feel honored because I totally do!" Seeing how flustered her friend was, Jo leaned towards him, concern flitting across her soft features. "But you're okay, right? I don't need to get anyone..." She glanced around for the nearest professor just in case. "Because I will. I will tote you over my shoulder and swim back to shore!" Realizing she was probably overreacting, Joanna backed up from his space. "You know...only if you need it."