The Teenage Guide To Loneliness [Book 2 in the Teenage Guide Series]

Chapter 6: Weightless

They sat across from each other at a small table in Café Ole, the cute coffee shop just a block away from Newton High. It wasn't late enough for the evening rush, nor early enough for the lunch crowd, so it left them in a rather peaceful scene.

For Carter, the quiet wasn't welcomed. Last year she had dived right into a conversation with Aiden Ryerson, someone she hadn't know before. But now, as she watched Sawyer Devil take a sip of his drink, she had no idea what to say. So she waited for him to start, to give her an opening. Something. But even when they were in his car, he hadn't said much.

She was beginning to think this was a waste of time when he finally spoke, more than two words, "So, tell me, how is it a girl like you doesn't have a boyfriend?"

"A girl like me?"

"Cute. Smart. With a hint of something. Can't really place it. Like you're on your own level."

"Oh... I... I don't really know what you mean by that," she replied, feeling her face blush, her stomach twist, and her toes curl. She didn't know what else to say. It was a strange comment, 'a girl like you', as if there were certain girls that didn't deserve boyfriends. As if having a boyfriend was a prize. She then figured she was looking into it way too much. "And I don't know if I'm smart. Is that something you can even tell just by looking at someone?"

"I can. Didn't I tell you? I can read minds."

"Can you? What am I thinking right now?"

"You're thinking that I'm not funny. Now you're thinking wow, maybe he can read minds. Now you're thinking this is getting repetitive, and you want me to stop." He had on an apologetic half-smile, making her feel a little light-headed.

"That was really good, but totally wrong," she said, smiling back. Oh God, please don't let my face look like a tomato.

He moved a little closer to her, "Was it? Damn. I must be losing focus. I blame you."

It wasn't hard to make Carter blush. All a guy had to do was be good looking. Aiden Ryerson, for instance, had also made her blush like mad, but beneath the surface there had never been anything there for her. Nothing for her to find intriguing. A gorgeous smile and sexy eyes could only take her so far before she got bored. So she had to remind herself that Sawyer was still an unknown to her. She didn't want to let herself get wrapped up in his charm, then find out later that he was a horrible match. Most importantly, she didn't want to drag him along. Damn it, Carter. You're over-analyzing again. "Hey, I did nothing. This is all on you. Wait, what were we talking about? Something about tomatoes?"

He chuckled, "Mind-reading. Obviously I'm no good, or I'd've roasted you about tomatoes."

"Sorry," Carter mumbled, then bit her lower lip, then tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. This action promptly caused Kiran's face to flash across her mind. What would he do if he saw her here with Sawyer? Would he care? Would he attack the guy? Or would he shrug it off and walk away? "I was thinking of something else, and you know how it is with your train of thought. It's like every word is a portal to some random idea. And before you know it you're picturing yourself in a field of tomatoes."

"You're weird." A look of strange curiosity spread across his face, but then he smiled again, "I like that."

"Ew, what's she doing here?" A familiar, biting voice cut through the moment.

Carter faced the doorway almost too quickly, causing her neck to cramp a little. Ashton, Leigh and the other girls, Aiden and a couple of his friends, and a girl Carter didn't recognize had just walked in. How sad was it that Carter used to be part of that crowd? Though if she was being honest with herself, she didn't really miss it. The only person whose absence had broken her heart was Leigh.