See Me

42

"You can't blame them." Zane said, surprising me. "We've both acted like strangers since I got here, and now we're together... a lot."

"I guess." I shrugged as I slid into my seat in our classroom, Zane taking the one next to me. "They could just mind their own business though."

"I don't think high school students know how to do that." Zane laughed.

I watched the students coming through the doors. My stomach bloomed with a tinge of awkwardness as Carter walked in. He had been avoiding me like the plague. I felt bad about what happened. The tinge of awkwardness increased tenfold as I watched Carter look up, locking our eyes together. I expected him to look away, but instead he abruptly changed directions and walked directly for me. I felt my heartbeat increase as I wondered what he was going to say to me, because whatever it was, I'm sure it wouldn't be anything nice.

Carter didn't say anything, though, as he approached my desk. Instead, he wordlessly sat down in the seat next to mine.

The class went by quickly. No doubt due to the fact I was painfully aware of Carter's presence beside me. Zane had picked up on my energy shift, I'm sure, by the way he had shifted sideways, casting his eyes between Carter and me. As the bell rang, I quickly gathered my things, and was about to leave when I felt Carter's hand on my arm.

"Can we talk?" Carter asked.

Carter was always asking me to talk.

He didn't look annoyed in the same way he had during our last conversation. He didn't look mad, or frustrated. I glanced up to Zane, who was peering down at me in curiosity.

"You good?" Zane asked me, his eyes boring into mine.

I nodded. "I'll be fine. I'll see you at my locker."

Zane nodded, before hesitantly walking away.

I sat back down in my chair, glancing back at Carter. I waited for him to speak, since clearly he had something on his mind.

"So... you and Zane?" Carter asked me, he seemed to be having a hard time looking at me in the eyes.

"We're just friends." I told him, because what else was I supposed to say? I don't think there was a word to describe what Zane was to me.

"Right." Carter nodded his head. "Listen... I wanted to say that I'm sorry. For calling you a tease and leaving you at the school. That was wrong of me."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine. I get it." I did after all, I saw how my actions would have seemed to him.

"It's not. My feelings were just hurt, you know. I really liked you." Carter said, he sounded sincere.

I bobbed my head, turning his words around in my mind. "You don't really know me, Carter. You don't know anything about me."

Carter looked shocked at my words. I couldn't blame him, I was a little shocked at them too.

"I could have." Carter said. "Known things about you, Seren. You never really gave me the chance to."

I titled my head at him, my mouth slightly opened. "I guess I didn't."

"I'm sorry if that's the impression I gave you though, that I didn't want to know things about you. Maybe I should have gone about it differently." Carter said as he rubbed his chin.

"Maybe." I agreed.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, too. You've been missing a lot of school." Carter added.

"I'm okay." I said quickly enough that Carter's eyebrows raised. "I've just been, uh, going through some things."

"Okay. Well, if you ever need a friend. I'm here for you. I can be your friend." Carter said as he placed his hand on my shoulder.