❄ Winter Warmth ❄

Carter Jackson

Carter's POV:

I walked along the sidewalk, the ice cold breeze grabbing at the tip of my nose, causing me to absentmindedly raise my oversized sweater sleeves over my face. Normally, I would be in the comfort of my home, buried in my studies but I'll be completely on my own in the world soon and social anxiety is gonna kick my ass if I don't make a change. My parents don't stay around often because they're big on traveling so they've sent me websites after websites for hiring a traveling mentor, that way I'm not forced into attending an actual school district. Being 18, living with my parents is slightly embarrassing but their absence makes it easier to live with. They're pretty much always gone, which would explain why I have the freedom to come and go as I please. There's an office building in town where I can find a mentor so I figured I'd get that out if the way and that's where I'm headed now. As I rounded the corner, I approach the building, noticing the dimly lit windows that feed the winter aesthetic. The woman at the desk looked I'll and bored but told me I'd have to wait for assistance since I hadn't called in. Waiting didn't seem necessary, considering it's a small town and I'm one of very few who decide to go this route with schooling. Before I had the chance to sit down, a tall, thicc, African women entered the room, welcoming me with a warm smile. "You actually won't be waiting long, I'll take you back." she said. As I stood, our eyes stayed locked on each other until she turned to lead me to back through the door she entered from. As we reached her office, she offered me a seat, that I gladly took, and closed the door behind us. I sat awkwardly, my hands fiddling with the collar that seemed to be cutting of air circulation. Noticing my struggle, she chuckled under her breath and glanced up at me while trying to hide the grin on her face. "Wow, maybe I'm just nervous because I'm socially awkward but that's kinda what I'm here for so...-" I trailed off, not knowing how to engage in conversation. "Don't stress! I understand completely. You seem like such a sweetheart so I'll skip all the extra stuff and try to get to know you better." I blushed slightly, trying to look at anything but her. "I'll start. I am Ms. Jeanae, I love theatre and music, I'm a sucker for romance movies, and I just so happen to be a single lesbian." she grinned, searching my expression for a response. "Is that so?" I raised a brow, "That's one thing we have in common as well as the interest in music but I'm too shy to act and horror movies are my excuse for being clingy." Why she was amused by this is beyond me but she had a good laugh while I sat there, in awe of the way the corners of her mouth formed little wrinkles when she smiled. "Quite funny, eh, Ms. Jea-..." "Please. Call me Kaitlyn, if you will." she interrupted as she repositioned herself in her chair. "Sure thing." I responded, followed by a slight nod. "Your name is...?" She questioned, "You never told me." "The names Carter. Carter Jackson." The mention of my name caught her attention, "Beautiful name to match a beautiful girl, I see..." she smiled flirtatiously. "So an introduction is all you needed?" I asked, feeling embarrassed and a bit tired. "Oh, right. I'll be by your place tomorrow so we can go ahead and start lessons, just leave your address with me." she stated, pulling a sticky note and pen out for me to write the information down. About two minutes later, I was exiting the building. I returned to my house and fell asleep immediately after changing out of my tight skinny jeans and removing my chukka boots.