Fixing You

04. I Don't Like You Either

It could have otherwise been just another normal day for Carter, until he noticed Mia among the many people in campus. Her blonde hair looked gold under the sun while she was seated on the bench by the fountain outside their department building. It was almost as if Mia felt his gaze on her when she looked at him over her shoulder. The frown on her face was soon replaced by a small smirk.

Carter had a lot of questions to ask about the look she gave him, but he was stopped by some juniors asking for his help at the lobby. When he looked at her direction again, Mia was walking away. Carter decided to let it slip until the next time they meet.

"What was that for?" Carter asked barely ten minutes later when he bumped into her at the cafeteria of the building nextdoor.

Mia frowned as she looked at him. He figured that her mind was still on the plot of the book she read. Carter sat down beside her when the familiar smirk appeared on her face again.

"I saw what you did there, the smirk. Why did you do that?"

"It's just my smile. I look like this when I smile," Mia denied as she shrugged.

"No, you don't," Carter shook his head as he gave her a look of doubt.

Mia sighed as she kept her book aside, "I don't know. I think you're being rude to me."

Carter gave her a confused look, "What are you talking about?"

"I found it ironic that you insist that I stop messing with other people's lives while you're messing with mine - probably other girls', too," Mia shrugged, "But it's okay. I won't judge. Sometimes we just hate our own reflections."

Carter gaped at her, "I don't have any idea what you're talking about." He stood up when Mia did, and followed her out of the cafeteria. "Are you still angry for what I said yesterday, about your parents?"

She gave him a piercing gaze. He seriously needed to learn to respect her privacy. Carter raised his hands in surrender and Mia shook her head, "I don't want to talk to you ever again."

"What? Why? At least tell me what I did wrong."

"It wasn't you. It was me. I fell for your tricks," Mia said, "I think, well, thought you're a good guy."

"Huh," Carter hummed. He walked steadily beside her, "How sure are you that I'm a good guy?" Carter questioned, and it instantly buried every assumptions Mia had about him. For a moment, it was just them and her sudden intention to get to know him on her own and not from rumors.

"Well, now I'm not sure because you're literally flirting with everyone." She murmured after stopping her tracks, her feet glued to the ground as he leaned closer.

"Is that what this is all about?" He scoffed, "About me being nice to everyone?"

"Stop, and back off," Mia raised her hand and he stepped back on command, "I know you're not just being nice to everyone. You're nice to girls and that made you nothing different than the guys I've hooked up with."

"So I'm back to being a bad guy, huh?"

"What do you mean 'back to being'...?"

"Let's share a secret. I keep yours, and you keep mine," Carter suggested.

"I'm not trusting you with any secret of mine," Mia declined. She tried to find honesty in his eyes while Carter was probably just trying to read her mind.

"Well, I guess I'll just share mine," Carter told her. "I used to be just like you."

Mia frowned, staring at him while he stared right back into her eyes. She shook her head, "I don't get it...?"