Attention

4

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I was in lunch, sitting at a table where everyone did their own thing. No one talked to each other. We just sat here, letting the conversations around us fill the silence between us.

I looked across the cafeteria at Joey. I really wanted to go up to him and ask him about yesterday. Ask him about how Carter was because he wasn't here again and I'm pretty sure I know why.

The bell rings, startling me out of my thoughts of Carter's well-being. I rush to empty my tray and put on my backpack so, I could catch up with Joey in the halls. I walk out of the cafeteria doors and see him walking with a few of his other friends.

I slow down my pace. My nerves became more on edge at the thought of approaching him with a bunch of his friends around. I didn't know how they would react to me.

Screw it. This was for Carter.

I walked up to their group and stood behind Joey and then I tapped him.

He turned around in confusion but when he saw me he smiled. "Hey, Ava, what's up?"

I noticed that a few of his friends looked at me when they noticed that Joey's attention got averted from the group. They weren't looks of judgement, mostly curiosity. Which, I was surprised by. But I was still nervous.

I smiled back, fiddling with my fingers. "Hey, uh, can we talk?"

He nods and turns to his friends to tell them he'll be back. We walk a few feet away from them before I ask. "How's Carter?"

He talks lowly. "He's doing better than yesterday. I made sure that he was actually home and he's just resting because he has a massive hangover."

I nod. "Okay, that's good, I guess." I sigh, shaking my head while looking down.

"What? What's wrong?" Joey asks.

I look up at him. "It's just...I don't even know what's going on and I became apart of this situation. I just wish that I knew what was happening to at least feel better about all of this. And I know this is wierd, you guys don't even know me and I kind of feel like I'm intruding. But I really care about Carter and I want to know if he's really okay like, what started this in the first place?"

He gives me a long stare before he says, "I like that you care about him so much and I think he would like it too." He pauses. "You know what, how about I give you his address and you can check up on him yourself."

My breath gets stuck in my throat and I do a double take. "Really? Would that not be too wierd?"

He shakes his head. "No, you're the one that found him in the park when he could've easily gotten hurt or put into jail for underage drinking so, you deserve to know how he's really doing."

A slow smile stretches onto my face. "Thank you."

He places his hand on my shoulder and gives it a small squeeze. "No, thank you. I'll text you his address, okay? See you."

I give him a small wave as he walks away and I walk away too in the opposite direction.

He was giving me Carter's address.

I honestly didn't expect that but to say I was happy was an understatement. I was ecstatic. It was crazy how much I could care for a person I didn't even really know. And thinking back to when I found him at the park was scary. Not that I was scared of him but I was scared of what made him get to that point. Drunk. Skipping school. Not eating.

What did his mom do?

The day started to move a little too fast for me. As the minutes ticked by, I became more and more anxious about just showing up at Carter's house. He was so drunk yesterday he probably doesn't even remember who it was that helped him get into Joey's car without tumbling over. This was starting to sound like a bad idea.

I stood still on the corner of a sidewalk as I stared at the address Joey sent me. I was having a battle with myself if whether I should head in the direction of his house. I could walk left or right. Left was the direction of my house and right was the way to his.

With a long mental debate, I walk right.

I follow the directions that I put into my phone to get there which, wasn't that far from my house. I ended up in front an average size pale yellow house. I could feel my nerves working up, making me think about turning back around. But no, I walked all this way, I'm not turning back now.

I walk up the driveway and then walk up the stairs. I take a breath in and then breathe out before I raise my fist to the door, knocking on it.

I stand there for a few moments before the door is opened by a drowsy looking Carter.

He rubs his face before his eyebrows raise at my presence. "Ava? Hi, what are you doing here?"

A/N:

Cliffhanger...I'm so cruel sorryyy ;))