Behind Your Walls

bonus • 02 [CARTER'S POV]

The bell rings and the period ends, ending school for today. I put my books inside my bag while Cherry gets out of her seat. As I finished zipping my bag, I grab her by her wrist before she can walk past me. She looks startled but stops.

"Hey, Cherry...say when is Brandon planning to ask her out?" I ask her, maintaining a casual face and pretending to just be interested in her gossip.

Nothing makes Cherry Mariana happier than someone being interested in her news.

She looks at me, nodding thoughtfully. "He's still in the planning to breakup with his current girlfriend stage. So, it might take another month or so?"

One month, one month...

"Okay, thanks."

I give her a two-finger wave and she rolls her eyes at me before strutting away in her high heels.

One month. I still have one month.

I get up from my seat and sling my bag over my shoulder, striding slowly out of the class as I think over what Cherry said.

***

When I reach home, Melody updates me on Dad's health status while we have lunch. Dad sits on the head chair, slowly eating his porridge as I tell him about my day, leaving the details about Amaya and Kyle Dickson.

Dad nods slowly, pretending to be interested in my stories. It doesn't affect me at all even though I know he isn't. I pretend that I am interested in telling him about my day too just to have somebody to talk to.

After putting Dad to bed and asking Melody to give me the list of the medicines which need a refill, I head into my little room and shut the door.

It feels lonely in this house. Three people are living in it but I am still alone with no one to talk to or ask me if I am alright. I plop myself down on the bed, face first, as I think about my day. Sleep takes over my eyes, forcing me to keep them open because I have to leave soon.

Mark will be furious if I don't arrive in time for today's match. He won't care that my body is still aching from last week's match and whether I have the energy to fight today. For him, I just have to lose so that he gets his money and I get my share to buy Dad's medicines.

I clench and unclench my hands, staring at the blue-black knuckles. They are still hurting and yet, I no longer feel the pain that I used to feel months ago. The pain has become a part of me, a part that I can't escape.

I drift to the thoughts of what Amaya will think if she sees me like this.

Will she feel sorry? Will she hold me as I rest in her arms?

Her hands are so soft, so different from my rugged ones. I close my eyes and imagine her running those hands through my hair, soothing me, drawing patterns. The imagination gets wilder the more I keep my eyes closed but I let it.

I imagine her leaning in, her plump lips pressing to mine as she kisses me. I see her sitting on my lap as I play with her hair, while we watch some stupid Hallmark romance. I see myself asking her out on a date, to an amusement park. I see us making out in the empty classrooms, my lips moving wildly against hers.

The thoughts start lulling me to sleep but a beep of my phone makes me yank my eyes open. I gather my wits, brushing away Amaya's thoughts as I reach for my phone and open the message.

Mark: Get here soon, kid.

I shut my eyes, letting out an audible groan as I get up from the bed and head towards my wardrobe.

I change into the usual clothes paired with a leather jacket and then grab my bag. I get out of my house, not bothering to tell Melody where I am going because I know she doesn't care. I put on my helmet after climbing over my motorcycle and hit the engine, driving out of our little house.

The first drops of rain hit me halfway and soon, it starts pouring faster, drenching me completely. The visor of my helmet gets filled with trailing drops of water, making my vision blurry.

I speed up through 2nd Lane, taking a right turn, drifting past a row of parked cars. The empty road looks clear, devoid of any living beings so I speed up even further until the sight of someone right in front of my vehicle makes me hit the brakes with all my strength and as quickly as possible.

Dread fills me as my motorcycle skids through the rest of the way as I turn it around and manage to stop it just in time, an inch from the person's feet.

I quickly grab my helmet, pulling it off my head, and am left speechless when I see Amaya Sommers standing in front of me.

She is dressed in a black hoodie and her wet hair sticks to her face, framing it as her grief-stricken eyes look at me. She carries a huge backpack and her body is shivering as the rain wets her.

"Are you crazy?" I let out, my lips dry and my throat hurting as I take in her sudden appearance.

Her lips shake, voice mixing with the sound of the rain as she exhales. "I don't know where to go."