The Teenage Guide To Popularity [COMPLETE]

Chapter 30: Don't Speak,

Kiran wasn't at school the next day. Or the day after that.

If circumstances weren't so dramatic, Carter would assume he had a cold or something. It was hard enough trying not to call him, but keeping herself from checking her phone every two seconds was an entirely different story. It was like she was possessed. Like her hand had a mind of its own.

On the bright side, the slut-coughs and other such stupid attempts at secretly insulting her were dying down. Some guy in another grade had impregnated a twenty-year-old, so most people had moved on from Carter's situation. It wasn't enough to soothe her soul though. She barely even noticed when Dawn and Sterling spilt a bottle of Coke down her backpack, or when they put live worms in her sandwich. If Leigh hadn't been around during lunch to point it out, Carter would've bitten right into it.

By Friday afternoon, only Dawn and Sterling were still invested in her presence.

She wondered what those other girls were doing. The popular ones. The beautiful ones. The ones who had welcomed her with open arms a month ago. Tala, who could've been her best friend had they met years ago, hadn't said a word to her in a week. When they passed each other in the hallways, it was like there was an unspoken agreement to avert their eyes. Georgie and Elena still acknowledged her existence, but aside from the casual hellos, there wasn't anything left to their friendship. 

A great part of Carter missed it. The way people looked at her, with awe and even jealousy. The way everyone would hang on to her every word, listen to her, as if she was the most important person in the world. It was almost fantastical how quickly it had come and gone. Maybe she had dreamed it all.

When the last class of the week let out, Carter headed for the front doors with too much speed and not enough composure. She was sure that by Monday everything would go back to exactly how it was a month ago. She would settle into the space she had held before - both mentally and school-wise. 

There was no point in obsessing over any of it anymore. They had all certainly moved on, so she would too. She just had to pull herself together, learn from it all, and maybe become a better person for it. 

"Carter! Hey, Carter!" someone yelled from behind her as she was about to exit the school's outer yard. 

She turned and was surprised to find Georgie running up to her. Had something else happened? Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She mustered up enough energy to smile, "Hi, Georgie. What can I do for you?"

"I meant to tell you before, but I guess with everything that's been going on, I forgot. I'm having a weekend thing at my family's lakehouse. Tell me you'll be there."

"Um... I'm kind of busy this weekend." Doing chores. Drinking poison. The usual. "Besides, I doubt Tala or Ashton would want me there."

"Oh honey, it's cute how clueless you've become lately. I haven't spoken to either of them in a week. It's going to be some other girls, Elena obviously, and Melody... that is, if she's allowed to get away from that leash Ashton has on her. And a couple of the guys from Half Baked."

"What happened between you guys?"

"Well, I'm not much for drama. Seriously, I was over everything before any of it even started. Ashton's being a bitch because I didn't go along with her games. And Tala's too busy trying to save the world, or sucking up to college admins, or something. But it's like, whatever, people grow apart. So, you're coming?"

"I don't know..."

"Bring Leigh along. That's her name, right? And Kiran. Seth'll be there so he'll have someone to talk to. Anyway, I gotta go. I'm driving out there tonight, but everyone else is coming tomorrow. I'll text you the address."