Dates With The Carter's

Chapter 1. New Guys In Town

Dates With The Carter's, Chapter 1: New Guys In Town

"Charlie!" Meredith calls out.

She has just arrived at my house and we're about to go meet Zoe at McDonalds. Meredith's brother Max is gonna give us a lift. He's in Beth's year but unlike Beth, he's helpful.

"Coming Merri!" I yell.

Merri is my nickname for Meredith. Kinda 'cause Meredith is so long, but also because she's so merry all the time. Unlike me and Zoe we can be moody when we feel like it.

I bounce down into the hall to find Meredith and Max stood there, grinning at me. Meredith only looks this happy when she has big news to tell me.

"What's the big news?" I ask, grabbing a jacket from the coat cupboard.

"How'd you know there was big news?" she responds automatically.

"I guessed."

Meredith brushes aside my sarcasm and announces, "We've got new neighbours!"

"Oh cool," I say, "Guess someone's finally moving in."

I say finally 'cause that house has been vacant for years. It's at least 15, 'cause the house was empty before I was born.

"Yup, apparently it's four brothers and their mum," Meredith tells me, her eyes widening.

Max snorts. "Meredith, dad told us all about them. It's this doctor lady, Tanya Carter, and her four sons, Mason, Adam, Justin and Owen. They used to live in London."

I exchange a look with Meredith which luckily Max doesn't see. My look says maybe we can date the neighbours. Meredith sends me her own look back, one for me, one for you and one for Zoe! There's even one spare. I'm not a mind reader, but I've known Meredith and Zoe so long I kinda act like I can read there thoughts.

"Bye!" I yell.

Beth slopes into the hall wearing joggers and a sweaty t-shirt. She's grounded so dad's making her clean the house.

"What happened?" I ask sarcastically, "Clean Amanda's bedroom?"

Beth glares at me. "Yes. You better have a tidy room Charlie."

She stalks off and I call after her, "Of course! I wouldn't want your slimey hands touching my stuff anyway!"

Beth goes into the kitchen and I turn to Meredith and Max grinning. "Shall we go to McDonalds then?"

The drive is short, and five minutes later I'm sat next to Meredith, opposite Zoe in a booth eating fries and burgers.

"Really? Boy neighbours!" Zoe exclaims after we've told her the exciting news.

"Yup," I say, "One for me, one for you and one for Merri."

Zoe beams at us, "I'm so glad there's four of them. This way we have a choice! Plus if we all marry them, we'll be sisters!"

Zoe is always planning our future. She says we're going to be friends forever, and I hope she's right. She might be, Zoe is not usually wrong.

"So I was thinking after food, we go back to Charlie's and scope out the house until they arrive, before giving a friendly welcome," Meredith suggests.

I nod, "Yeah, and by that you mean go over and flirt like there's no tomorrow."

Meredith smiles, I always know what she means, something I take pride in when other's don't know what she's on about. Zoe included.

"Well I'm done," Zoe says, chucking her empty packets into the bin.

"Me too," I agree.

Meredith finishes and we chuck our stuff in the bin before Max gives us a lift back to mine. We go up into my bedroom and press our faces against the window.

"When are they moving in Merri?" I ask, "Did your dad tell you that?"

"Sometime this afternoon," she replies.

Just then a movers truck pulls up and four guys spill out. They're drop dead gorgeous and I'm stood there with my mouth dropping open as Zoe and Merri pull me away to go say hi.

"I don't think I can talk to them," I croak, "Seriously, I might faint."

"Oh don't worry Charlie," Zoe replies, "We'll handle the talking. Just stand there and look cute, but speak often. No boy likes a silent girlfriend."

We hurry out of the house and I see Beth pretending the clean the windows, whilst she drools over the boys.

"What are there names again?" I ask as we zip across the road.

"Mason, Adam, Justin and Owen," Meredith recites.

Just then one of the boys turns and looks at us. "Do I know you?" he asks, "Because you certainly seem to know me."

I blush and duck behind my friends. I cannot handle awkward situations, especially with cute guys.

"Er no, but you know my dad!" Meredith says quickly, "Keith Howard. I'm his daughter Meredith and these are my friends Zoe Hutchence and Charlie Birch."

Zoe steps aside, and pulls me round to face him. I can't stand to look at his face, it's so gorgeous that I'm afraid of fainting, so I smile shyly and look at the ground, peeking upwards.

"Oh, my mum told us about you Meredith. You've got a brother right? Well me and Justin are in your year, Owen's in your brothers year and Adam's in the year below," he explains.

"You must be Mason," Zoe realises, and he smiles at her.

"Yeah. Zoe or Charlie?" he asks.

"Zoe, she's Charlie," she points at me.

"Nice to meet you guys, how about I get my brother's to come over and say hi?" he suggests.

Meredith and Zoe nod excitably, so I manage a small nod. I want to bolt and run away but I stay standing as the other three boys approach me. Like Mason, they're beautiful, I don't know how I'm ever going to pick.

"I'm Justin, Mason's fraternal twin," one guy says, he grins at Meredith before backing away.

"I'm Adam," the one next to Mason says. He grins at Zoe and heads off after Justin, whistling.

The final one doesn't smile as he mutters, "Owen."

Owen slouches off and Mason smiles at me again. My stomach flips and I want to fall over and be sick. I'm not used to all eyes being on me. Meredith and Zoe are prettier then me.

"See you in school," he says.

Zoe and Meredith drag me back to the house, 'cause I seem to have lost feeling in my legs. We go up to my room and collapse on my bed.

"Charlie should have Mason!" Zoe declares, "He couldn't keep his eyes off her!"

"Well Adam had all eyes on you!" I blurt, "And Justin was so checking Merri out!"

"That makes Owen the reserve," Meredith says, "I hope they don't get girlfriends before we can make our moves!"

I grin, feeling a teensy bit better. "At least you two knew what to say. I just stood there like an idiot, blushing and hiding!" I cry.

"Don't worry Charlie, we'll help you get over your shyness," Zoe promises, and Meredith nods in agreement.

I grin and hug my friends, I have the bestest friends in the world. And no-one can make me change my mind on that.

What do you think of the couples? Ella x

P.S. When I sort out the pics, to the right will be Katelyn Meher as Amanda even though she wasn't in this chapter.