Friend is a Four Letter Word

Carter

"Classes?"

Shayna smirks. "I'm a later register so I probably won't get a single class I want this semester, but I got in."

"Got in where?"

Shayna pulls her lips together, trying to conceal the big ass grin that is bursting underneath. "USC."

"What?" I pull her into my chest and squeeze her tiny frame until she's yelping. "That's incredible, doll!"

"Thank you." She lifts her chin and looks proud. Hell, I'm more than proud of her.

"You're doing it, Shayna. You're doing all the things you wanted. On your own. I'm really proud of you."

She picks off a piece of the English muffin and chews thoughtfully for a minute before saying, "And you'll be fine with me moving back in? I'm underemployed. I'm only racking up more and more student loans by the day. I'm really nothing more than a parasite."

"I'll put you to work," I say.

"I bet you will," she laughs.

"Listen, there's one more thing I want to talk to you about."

"I don't do windows. Or toilets. Or cooking, come to think of it."

"Very funny. I want to throw you a party. A birthday party. And I guess a congratulatory party as well."

Shayna swallows hard and crooks and eyebrow. "Yeah?"

I pick up her hand and kiss each of her knuckles before continuing. "I think you've earned a special night."

"Well, I never say no to a party!"

"I'd like to invite your parents." I say it quickly and her reply slips out just as fast.

"No." She tosses the plate into the sink next to her and hops down off of the counter. "You just killed a perfectly good moment, you know that Carter."

I rub the back of my head. "Well, wouldn't be the first one. Just hear me out, though." I grasp onto her forearm and pull her into my chest.

"You've been through a lot. I get it. I'm coming out of something, too. But listen to me when I tell you that once you shed those secrets—your life will change for the better. I promise."

"I don't have any secrets—"

"Really?" I ask, kissing her hand again. "When do you plan on telling them that you know?"

She sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I promised myself I wouldn't invite them out here until I had everything together. Until they could be proud of me."

"You don't think they'd be proud of you? C'mon, Shay. Look at all you've done. You have a job, you're about to be back in school. What more could they want for their kid?"

"Why is this so important to you?"

I answer without hesitation, but filter in a joke just in case my reply scares her off. "Because maybe I'm falling in love with you. And I think it's important that I meet your parents. Maybe."

Shayna's face explodes with a smile that I feel a sense of pride for putting there.

"You're what?"

"You heard me. What do you think? Can I invite them?"

"I'll think about it," she says. Her own hand smacks her forehead. "Oh, shit!"

"What is it, doll?" I search her face in a panic.

"My mom! She sent a gift to me. It's in my car, has been for weeks!"

"A gift? Wait, have you talked to her?"

Shayna shakes her head and looks a little flustered.

"No. I haven't. I've got to go and get it." She runs to grab her keys off of the kitchen counter. "I'll just be a minute."

"Shay," I say. "I'm going to head out for a bit."

Shayna slows her pace and turns to me.

"Where are you going?" She says the words slowly, uneasily, as if she's wondering if it's okay if she asks them.

"There's something I have to do."

"Carter..."

"It's not a bad thing. I won't be long."

"Okay. But you can tell me if you need to go to a meeting."

"It's nothing like that. I'll be back soon."

"Carter—"

"Listen to me," I kiss her again and then say, "I'm going to go next door and talk to Quinn. That way, if you want some privacy after you open your gift... well, you've got it."

She raises a brow and asks, "You're going to talk-to-Quinn, talk-to-Quinn?"

"Yes, warden. I'm gonna take care of it. But you'd better be prepared to earn your keep when I get back."

She laughs and bolts for the door.

 And now I've got to go tell my kid sister I'm an addict.