Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Detention

Like I've said before, Carter and Mason are my happy place. This takes place freshman year, only a couple months since Carter transferred to Hamilton.

When you hit the word you might not know look to the comments, I put the definition there.

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Carter sat with her head on her desk and her arms draped over the sides. It was so quiet in the classroom she could hear the clock ticking over the whiteboard. She could hear the shuffling of papers as Ms. Woodson graded tests. She could hear the faint pulsing beat coming from her teacher's headphones. She could hear the breathing of the boy next to her.

"Could you be breathing any louder?" Carter said into the top of her desk.

"I'm breathing normally, Owens," Mason said.

Carter raised her head. "Really because it sounds like you have a lung problem you're so loud."

"Or maybe you're just attuned to my breathing because you want to know if I catch my breath when I look at you."

Propping her elbow on the desk, Carter rested her head in it, regarding Mason.

"I know that you've most likely seen hundreds of therapists, your father's attempts to understand the problem he calls a son, but have they deduced where these delusions stem from? Is there a cure or are you doomed to suffer from them for all your life?"

Mason scoffed. "You think I'm a problem? Owens, you've been at this school for three months and have yet to make a friend. That shows some serious issues."

Carter controlled her expression, keeping it blank, a tactic she'd quickly picked up at this school. She didn't need these self-important elites knowing how their taunts and judging glances got to her. She wouldn't let them get to her.

"Please," Carter mocked. "Do you even understand how obnoxious you all are with your 'I'm important because I simply happen to be related to someone important' act is? Seriously, it makes me so nauseous it's a wonder I manage to eat at all here."

"Ha ha, the girl who has no one important finds us all unimportant, wow never saw that one coming. You understand that's what therapists call a coping mechanism, right?"

"See I was right about the hundreds of therapists." She smiled encouragingly at him. "It's nice to know that some things can make an impact on you. Don't worry, I'm sure they will eventually help you solve your daddy issues."

Mason held her gaze but nothing in his face changed. Why would it, he was raised by a politician after all, hiding the truth was what they did best. But Carter knew this was a sore nerve, just like she knew calling him Mr. President pissed him off.

And it was why she did it whenever they crossed paths. Wasn't there a saying, fight fire with fire? Well, she was at Hamilton Prep now so she brought her flamethrower.

Mason turned his head away and Carter dropped her chin onto her crossed arms, grinning. At least she'd won that round.

"You know this is your fault that we're in detention," Mason said, clearly winding up for round two.

Carter straightened, mentally tugging on her boxing gloves.

"My fault? You were the one who wouldn't read the instructions on the project."

"I knew what I was doing."

"That makes sense, 'cause you were doing it all wrong!"

"No! I wasn't and if you had listened to me in the first place you would have seen that!"