The Teenage Guide To Popularity [COMPLETE]

Chapter 25: Nothing To Lose,

When Carter stepped into the halls of Newton High on Monday morning, she expected people to ignore her, shun her, glare at her with some form of hilarious contempt. She was ready to sink back into her unpopular state, leave behind every single one of them, including Elena and Georgie. All she really needed were Leigh and Kiran, and probably a few innocent activities to keep her from diving into another dumb project. What she was met with instead were apologetic stares, shameful smiles and some verbal means of amends.

None of it made sense. None of it fit into her expectations of high school hierarchies and social calibrations.

Whatever. Just don't let it go to your head. Focus on your studies, like you're supposed to. She tried to fill her head with school assignments, the idea of looking into colleges, and the thought that high school would soon be over. Important things. Things that actually mattered in this world. 

"Hey Carter," someone said from behind, and it took a moment for her to identify the voice. 

She hadn't seen Aiden in a while, and she had forgotten how good looking he was. "Hi Aiden. How's it going?"

He smiled at her. A few months ago that smile would've probably sent her heart to the moon and back. "Good. Good. You look good."

"Oh... um... "

"Listen, what Tala did to you, the things she said... I want you to know I had nothing to do with it. I didn't make her do any of it."

"She didn't say you did."

"I know, but, like, just because we're friends it doesn't mean she had a right to bring me into it."

Carter thought for a second. Would it be terrible of her to try and cause a rift between Aiden and Tala? Would it be smart to tell Aiden exactly what she thought of her? Or would it only create more friction? "It's fine. It happened, and now it's over. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Right. Sorry."

They stood there in awkward silence, and as she watched him shuffle his feet a little, she realized she never had a thing to say to him, even when they had dated briefly. 

So, you and that guy in the band-"

"I don't want to talk about that either," she interjected before he could finish his sentence.

"But I wanted to know-"

"I said I don't wanna talk about it... and I gotta get to class, so I'll see you around." She gave him a rather regretful look before walking off.

Fortunately, he didn't follow her. Unfortunately, she was filled with a sick, piercing sensation. She had used him, cheated on him, and was now being very rude to him. All things that were expected of someone like Ashton Rhodes. All things that Carter had distanced herself from for many years. So why was it so easy for her to treat him in such a shameful way? Why was she walking off, without any intention of ever apologizing to him for the things she had done?

What made it all that much worse was that, unlike her treatment of the popular girls, she had put Aiden through a mess of tragic circumstances. Like he had been an almost angelic house in her destructive, tornado-like path. Completely faultless yet somehow meant to be destroyed.

***

Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to listen to sappy love songs on repeat for two hours straight, but that's exactly what Leigh had done last night. All it did was make her break out in a chorus of tears.

She had promised herself she would accept the fact that Kiran was probably in love with Carter, that they would be together, maybe even forever. A few days ago, when she had found Carter in the library, she was perfectly set on accepting it and moving on. Now she was back to square-one. Whenever she found herself alone, in her room or waiting on a teacher to walk into a classroom, her mind would drift over to a vision of them.