Saving Carter

Chapter 26 - Every Which Way

“Your father and I are coming to visit you in New York” she said, making him almost drop his phone. Nick gave him a questioning look and he mouthed ‘later’.

“Why?” he asked, trying to keep up the polite tone.

“To take you back to Washington” she said. His eyes widened and he thought about how when he left he didn’t even want to come but now he never wants to leave. He shook his head several times but she kept talking. “I called Uncle Sid and he said you’re doing much better now so I guess you’re ready.”

He had neglected to tell his parents that he was on a class trip to Washington.

“Mom, I want to stay” he said but he knew it wouldn’t be so easy.

“It wasn’t a request Carter” she said coldly before the line went dead.

~~~~

“What do you mean you’re leaving” Nick asked, grabbing Carter’s hand as he threw another shirt into his suitcase. It had been three weeks since they had returned from their class trip to Washington and three weeks since he had snapped at Lucky and accidentally called her Sarah in the process. None of that was supposed to happen. Lucky had told him once that she loved going to Washington because it felt like her ‘good luck’ state. Her parents had fallen in love there and her parents’ story was unlike any other.

“My mom called the same day Lucky broke up with me and said that since I’m ready, they’re taking me back to Washington to live” Carter said, breaking free from Nick’s grip and throwing the shirt into his suitcase.

“Ready for what?” Nick asked, cocking one eyebrow. His eyes were full of hurt and Carter was sure he looked the same way. In the nine months he had been in New York, Nick had become his best friend, along with Daniel, Maria and Lucky but Nick was almost like a brother to him.

“They sent me here to get over Sarah because I was moping around too much. They figured being out of the State where she’s buried, where we met and where her family lived and where she died would get me better. They were right, I moved on but I don’t want to leave” he answered Nick with a sigh before shoving his football uniform into a duffel bag. He was about to throw his football into the bag as well before Nick stopped him, a fierce determination in his eyes.

“You’re not leaving Carter” he said, grabbing the ball and tucking it safely under his arm. “You’re my co-captain and my best friend and therefore you can’t leave.”

“I appreciate that but what am I supposed to do when my parents show up in three days?” he asked, slightly amused at his friend’s speech.

“What does Coach always tell us when we lose a match?” Nick asked. Carter slumped down onto his bed, next to Nick, not knowing where this was going. He shrugged, indicating for Nick to continue. “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to things the change I can and wisdom to know the difference.”

Carter thought over Nick’s words. Coach always recited the Serenity Prayer for them but in this case what was the thing that could not change? Sarah’s death? He already accepted her death so that’s one part down. But did he have the courage to stand up to his parents and stay in New York? Did he have the courage to get back together with Lucky?

“You’re right” Carter murmured. “The only question is, who am I ready to deal with first?”

'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'

“What do you want, Nichols?” Mikael, Lucky’s  older brother, asked. Carter had decided to go to Lucky’s house to apologize and try to work things out with her but he began to regret his decision as soon as her older brother answered the door instead of her or at least her sister. He ignored his sweaty palms and the beads of sweat that dotted his forehead at the sight of her intimidating brother.