He's Just A Player

Chapter 15: The Warlock, the He-Goat, and Black Magic

Chapter 15: The Warlock, the He-Goat, and Black Magic

Aiden's P.O.V:

      This was like a slap in the face. Something absolutely crazy and unexpected.

      How long had Carter liked me? Since we'd been friends? Did she have a major crush on me, or was it small? Was she close to- to loving me?!

      Millions of questions buzzed in my head, going through different scenarios.

      "Find anything?" Paige asked, creeping behind me.

      I slammed the journal shut, slipping it back under my bed.

      "Nope. Just the normal girly stuff, you know? Anyway, we should probably leave now," I replied, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the door.

      "You found something you didn't like, huh?" Paige whispered, blocking the door.

      I paled.

      "No! Why would I? It's not like she's hiding some major secret," I responded.

      Paige rolled her eyes and backed away from the door.

      "I bet you found out that Carter likes Connor," She said.

      "Why would that affect me?" I asked, crossing my arms.

      "Oh, I don't know. Maybe-"

      "Fern, I really don't understand why we're cleaning Carter's room. It's not like she's done anything spectacular," Carter's dad said.

      I heard several footsteps come up the stairs, as the stopped right outside of Carter's room.

      "Hide!" I hissed, taking a spot under her bed.

      Paige ran into Carter's closet somewhere, as the door opened.

      "Because, Len, she's our daughter and she's finally going out! This is just a nice way of saying we appreciate her," Carter's mom replied.

      I saw them drag in a vacuum, duster, Windex, rags, and a mop.

      "Alright, alright. Let's start with her bathroom. I bet it's filthy in there," Her dad replied.

      I saw their feet shuffle over to the bathroom, as they shut the door behind them.

      As soon as I was sure the door wouldn't open again, I rolled out from under the bed and opened Carter's closet.

      "Let's go," I whispered, dragging Paige out.

      She nodded, careful not to make too much noise.

      Once she was completely out of the closet, we made a run for it back to my house.

      As we entered my home unscathed, I couldn't help but feel extremely strange. Carter had a crush on me. Should I have felt happy? Weirded out? Angry?

      If I was telling the truth, I'd felt none of those things. There was this pit of....feelings in my stomach that just kind of churned a little bit. Like butter.

      I shrugged off my thoughts and smiled at Paige. I'd just play this off as if I'd never seen what was written in Carter's journal.

     I think that was best to do if I wanted to preserve my relationship with Carter.

~

Carter's P.O.V:

      "I hate school," I groaned, sitting next to Katie.

      "Tell me about it. It's bad enough that we have to get up at six to get ready, but now we have a bunch of finals to prepare for too. It's torture," Katie replied, flicking a piece of blond hair from her face.

      This week I had A.P. comprehension, Advanced trig, A.P. Spanish and an anatomy final. It was safe to say I was absolutely screwed.

      "How many tests have you taken so far?" I asked, poking at the slab of "meat" on my lunch tray.

      "Three. I have one more tomorrow, excluding P.E. and drama," She sighed.

      "You're lucky you took drama as an elective. I really don't know why I chose the tech lab as mine," I replied sadly.

      I thought the tech lab would be fun, since you're dealing with computers. Little did I know we did vigorous computer installment and dealt with viruses.

      It was not fun.

      "I tried to tell you, Carter. But you wanted to hang out with the nerds instead," She responded, shrugging.

      I scoffed.

      "Who're you calling a nerd, Miss Underachiever?"

      Katie held up her hands defensively.

      "Sorry. I just call them as I see them."

      "You really don't sugarcoat anything, do you?" I asked.

      She grinned.

      "That's the difference between a friend and a best friend. Friends tell each other the truth."

      "Oh, I see how it is. So you think I'm a nerd?" I questioned.

      "Well, if the advanced trigonometry book fits..."

      "It's not my fault you didn't get into advanced trig! You even admitted that you purposely bombed the admittance test just so you wouldn't be in a harder class!" I said, throwing a piece of "meat" at her.

      "No need to flip out now, Carter. It's perfectly O.K. for you to be a nerd," She said calmly, plucking the meat off of her shirt.

      "Okay, so if I'm a nerd, you're what? A slacker? Lazy? Future McDonald's drive-thru attendant? I-"

      "Okay, okay. I get it. You're butt hurt. The truth can be painful sometimes," She said, cutting me off.

      "Oh my God. How many times do I have to tell you, I-"

      "Hey guys!" Aiden interrupted, plopping in between Katie and I.

      "Aiden? What are you doing here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

      "Oh, you know. Just wanted to hang out with my BEST FRIEND," He replied, yelling "best friend" especially loud.

      A few people sitting around us turned their heads curiously, and then turned back around when they noticed it was Aiden.

      "Okay....what's up with the loud labeling?" I questioned.

      He shrugged.

      "I just want you AND everyone around us to know that you and I are BEST FRIENDS!"

      I covered my ears and cringed.

      "Any louder and you're going to blast out my eardrums," I complained.

      "Sorry BFF! Did I hurt you?" He asked.

      I raised an eyebrow.

      "Okay, seriously. What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked.

      "Can't I be nice to you?" He replied, ruffling my hair.

      I snorted.

      "No."

      "I just think I need to start being a better friend. You know, because you're like my sister!" He said.

      "Okay......cut the crap Miller. Now you're just being weird. Are you high?" I asked.

      "Carter, I'm fine. I just need to start spending more time with you, since we're best friends," He responded, patting my back.

      Katie squinted at Aiden questioningly before widening her eyes.

      "Oh my God!" She screeched, flailing her arms around.

      "What? What's going on?" I asked.

      "Aiden, you didn't!" She yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him.

      His face turned a ghostly pale white as he shrugged.

      "I have no idea what you're talking about, Katherine," He replied.

      She glared at him.

      "Oh, shut up. I know what you did. And I'm SO going to make sure it eats you alive," Katie said menacingly.

      Aiden gulped and stood up quickly.

      "Well, got to go ladies! Bye!" He said, walking off.

      As soon as he was out of earshot, I grabbed Katie by her shirt collar.

      "What did he do? I want to know, and I want to know now," I demanded.

      Katie calmly plucked my hands off of her as she continued eating.

      "First of all, you've got the grip of troll. And second, I have to let Aiden tell you. It's not my place to say anything," She replied.

      My eye twitched.

      "What? So you're going to make me wait until that idiot admits what he did wrong?!" I screeched.

      She shrugged.

      "I wouldn't put it so harshly....."

      "Katie, I swear to the holy gods if you don't tell me right now-"

      "You'll what? Ignore me? Like I said, let Aiden tell you. He'll admit what he did wrong. He's an easy one to crack," She interrupted.

      I couldn't argue with her on that one. He was easy to crack even when we were younger.

      Like this one time when Aiden accidentally broke our neighbor's window with a pole vault. His parents gave him one look, and he was off and admitting everything.

      "True. However, this seems like he did something pretty bad. And I'm not saying breaking a window. This has to be something so awful, he wants to play it cool until he knows for sure I'll forgive him. What could be that terrible?" I asked.

      "Oh, you have no idea," Katie muttered.

      "I heard that," I growled.

      She turned to face me, a large smile plastered onto her face.

      "Let's just say what he did was very, very bad. And let's just say you won't be happy about, okay? So right now I want you let it sink in that you'll be furious. Maybe that way you won't be TOO mad when Aiden tells you."

      I raise an eyebrow, but didn't press the issue any further. Unlike Aiden, Katie was a tough person to crack.

      I thought of everything possible that Aiden could have done to possess him to lie.

      Rip my special unicorn? No. He wouldn't have acted so strangely.

      Argue with my dad? Eh, maybe. My dad didn't really like Aiden.

      Read my journal?

      I snorted with laughter, shaking my head. How could I even have thought of something like that? Not only did I hide the journal in a safe place, but it's not like Aiden would sneak into my house or anything. That was just crazy talk.

      Besides, like Aiden said, we were best friends.

      And best friends just don't do those types of things to each other.

~

      "Do you want to come over to my house later?" Connor asked.

      I looked up from my study guide and raised an eyebrow.

      "To study?" I asked.

      He smirked.

      "You're a nerd, you know that?"

      "Well excuse me for wanting to get a decent grade on my finals," I huffed.

     "Hey, I'm trying here too!" He said defensively.

      I scoffed loudly.

      "I can see that as you've been eating my food and messing with my pony-tail holders for the past hour."

      "Why do they even call them pony-tail holders? I mean, you're not a pony," He asked, popping yet another chip into his mouth.

      "Beats me. By the way, how many chips have you eaten by now? I'm guessing more than half the bag is gone now," I replied.

      He guiltily smiled.

      "There's crumbs left....."

      "Thanks for saving me some."

      "I didn't know you wanted any!"

      "Yeah, why would I want my own chips?" I retorted sarcastically.

      "Because you're saving them for me?" He offered.

     "You're lucky my parents over-stock our food each month," I muttered.

      He grinned.

      "It's true."

      I groaned, chucking my Spanish book across the room.

      "I'm so done with studying. Can we do something fun?" I asked hopefully.

      Connor sat thoughtfully before his face lot up.

      "We can go paint-"

      "No. Way. I swear to God if we get into the arena and go against another Conan-Barbarian man I'll faint," I interrupted.

      "Okay, then what do you suggest?" He asked.

      "Why don't we go ice skating?" I asked excitedly.

      Connor grimaced.

      "Why ice skating?"

      "I used to go all the time with Aiden. I mean, he was always better than me, but it was still really fun," I replied.

      "Did you say that you went with Aiden to the ice rink?" He questioned.

      "Yeah. Why?" I asked.

      "I think I saw him there with one of his girlfriends. It was before we met each other, though. I was taking an elderly woman named Mrs. Moore out since she doesn't get into contact with her family too often," He responded.

      I cracked a smile.

      "You're so adorable!"

      Connor make a face.

      "You think THIS is a face of a guy who's.....adorable?"

      I leaned over and pinched his cheek.

      "Of course! You're the only guy I've met who's taken an elderly woman out ice skating!" I replied.

      He swatted my hand away.

      "That doesn't make me adorable. Kit-Kat, you're making me sound like a freakin' puppy," Connor whined.

      "But I like puppies!"

      "I don't."

      "How can you not like those cute little faces?" I asked.

      "The same way I don't like you," He laughed.

      "Ah, but you admit I'm cute," I said.

      "I never once said you were cute!" He replied.

      "Puppies are cute, and you don't like them. So by saying you don't like me, you're comparing me to a puppy. Therefore I am cute," I reasoned.

      "That's Carter logic for you. Honestly, I don't think anyone else would understand you the way I do," Connor said.

      I sat thoughtfully.

      "Aiden does. And Katie."

      "I agree with Katie. But Aiden? Really?" He asked.

      "What's wrong with Aiden?" I asked.

      "Nothing major. It's just.....I feel like he doesn't click with you, you know?"

      Connor chose his words carefully, as if he'd set off some internal bomb I'd been wielding.

      I caught him off guard by smiling.

      "I know."

      "Then why do you put up with his shit?" He asked.

      I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

      "Maybe we don't "click," but I really do believe Aiden's a good person. Sure, he's dated a lot of girls, and maybe broken each of their hearts. But I think he's searching for something he can't have," I replied.

      "Like what? Aiden gets everything handed to him on a silver platter," Connor questioned.

      The corners of my mouth turned up as I shrugged.

      "Love."

      Connor only looked at me as if I was crazy.

      "Aiden? Searching for love? I don't think so," He scoffed.

      "Why is that so weird? Aiden's human like the rest of us. He's not TOO heartless," I said.

      "He doesn't make it seem that way."

      I could tell Connor was far from being convinced. However, I didn't care too much. I'd heard a number of people tell me that Aiden was no good. He was. It was just that he couldn't show it.

      "Well, he's actually great when you get to know him. You've only seen his rude, obnoxious, and idiotic side."

      "And I think that's all I ever need to see," Connor added.

      I sighed.

      "Okay. Why don't we go skating now? I'm tired of studying."

      Connor nodded as we got up and left my home.

~

      "You suck at this," Connor laughed, watching me yet again fall on my butt.

      I frowned.

      "I know. You'd think I'd be a professional by now, noting that I've been here at least thirty times."

      "Thirty times? That's pretty bad," He said.

      "Wow. Thanks for being such a nice friend," I snorted.

      He grinned.

      "Friends are supposed to be honest with each other."

      "Well it couldn't hurt to lie to make me feel better," I retorted.

      "Then we'd have a friendship based on lies," He said.

      "You suck," I muttered, not being able to come up with a good come back.

      "Uh-huh. Come here," He said, grabbing my hands.

      "What?" I asked curiously.

      Connor held my hands in a tight grip, guiding me around the rink.

      "The trick is to be relaxed. Step into it. Don't walk," He replied.

      "How can you step without walking?" I questioned.

      He shrugged.

      "How do fish fly?"

      "Well you see, they don't necessarily fly. More like fl-"

      "I didn't ask for a lesson in zoology. Now come on, I'll hold onto you," Connor interrupted, wrapping an arm around my waist.

      We skated around for awhile, with Connor's arm firmly plated around me. I think he was some sort of miracle worker, because I didn't fall once.

      "Okay, what sort of black magic are you using on me?" I asked, as he spun me around.

      Connor smirked.

      "A warlock never shares his secrets," He whispered.

      "So you're a warlock now? Then what does that make me?" I asked.

      "I believe that you'd be.....half-goat half-man," He snickered.

      "Oh, I see how it is. Not only am I half of a goat, but I'm not even a woman. I'm a he-goat," I said, grimacing at the thought.

      "Being a he-goat isn't TOO bad," He replied.

      "Imagine me as a he-goat."

      Connor shuddered beside me.

      "Okay. Never mind about that...."

      "What even is happening right now? Why are we talking about he-goats?!" I asked, shaking my head.

      "Because you asked what sort of black magic I used to make you become a pro-skater," Connor responded.

      "Right. Anyway, how did you do it?" I questioned.

      "Do what?"

      "Do you want me to slap you?" I asked seriously.

      "Hold your slap! All I did was hold you upright the whole time. Nothing out of the norm," He replied.

      I raised an eyebrow.

      "No, really. What did you do?"

      "That's really all I did. I suppose you just do incredibly great when you're in my arms," He said cockily.

      "Careful buddy. You're sounding like Aiden," I warned.

      Connor made a gagging sound.

      "Please never say that."

      "I don't know Connor, you're really starting to act like him," I teased, tapping his nose.

      "Am not!"

      "Are too."

      "No way!"

      "It's okay Con-Con. I know Aiden's pretty irresistible," I shrugged.

      "And what am I? Chopped liver?" He asked.

      "No. You're a chopped large intestine."

      "Yeah, because that make such a difference."

      "Well actually-"

      "As I said before, I really don't need a lesson that involves school. We escaped your house to NOT study," Connor warned.

      "Doesn't hurt to expand your knowledge a little."

      "You know what else doesn't hurt?" He asked.

      "What?"

      "Not studying," He smiled, skating off without me.

      "Hey! Come back here! I need your black magic!" I screeched, causing a few concerned looking people to glance at me.

      "You'll have to come and get me if you want it," He sung, doing multiple jump-twist-things.

      "Are we really going to play this game?" I asked.

      "Yep."

      I groaned, carefully gliding towards Connor. Not once did I fall, stumble, or even move awkwardly.

      "What is this? I'm actually doing well!" I smiled, gliding into Connor's outstretched arms.

      "It's my black magic," He whispered, his eyes boring into mine.

      Between the whole Kinko's Houdini act and Connor's black magic, I began to wonder if he really was magical.

(A/N) Hey everyone! Sorry the update took like, two weeks. Normally it'd be in quite awhile before this, however I had a buttload of finals. *Insert loud King Kong scream* But I finally finished! With two 88/89's though -.- I WAS A POINT AWAY FROM AN A! Ugh. I hate testing.

Anyway, I hope ya'll like this chapter! I hope the Katie guilt trip thing works on Aiden. Dang, I love her character. Tell me what you think!

Song of the Chapter: Trouble by Chris Rene. Such a good song, and describes the story line. It basically says that hanging out with this girl is trouble. However, the roles are reversed in this book. Aiden thinks Connor is trouble. Connor thinks Aiden is trouble. Anyway, take a listen! It's a great song!

Thank you for the reads! ALMOST TO 1K!!!!!! AYEEEEEE LET'S GO!!

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