The Start Of Something New.

03.

"I'm home." I announced walking through the front door.
I could smell sizzling meat from the kitchen, as well as playful chatter.
I smiled softly, quietly putting my bag down as I quietly walked down the hall, to only find Noah and Jovi both peering around the corner.
Smiling from ear to ear.

I stood behind Jovi, carefully placing my hand on her back as she looked up at me, bringing her finger to her lips as her hazel eyes fell on our parents.
Who were dancing.

A soft song was playing on the radio, near the end counter as mom kept her back against dad's chest.
The back of her head against his shoulder, as his hands gently held her hips as they swayed to the music.
Both of their eyes closed, ignoring everything and everyone.

"They've been dancing since I got home." Noah informed me now.
I bit my lip smiling softly.
"Well we know what they actually do in their spare time, while the kids are away." I whispered.
Jovi giggled covering her mouth as she did so.

"Do you kids have homework?" Came our dads voice now, as if knowing we had been creeping around the corner.
Jovi jumped out first, placing her hands behind her back.

"No daddy." She told him.
"No sir." Noah said.
I stepped out behind them, smiling softly.
"No, but I do have plans tonight." I told them both now.

Mom's gray eyes opened now, looking at me.
"A date?" She questioned, hope in her voice.
I rolled my eyes.
"No mother, not a date. Bryce invited me to hang with him and our friends, tonight at the Grind House." I said.
Mom looked to dad.
"So, just some friends hanging out?" He asked me.
I nodded.
"Yeah, just some friends hanging out." I confirmed.

He nodded.
"Alright, as long as you're home by eleven, I don't have a problem with it." He said now.
I nodded smiling softly.
"Alright, well I have to get this homework do-"
"I thought you said you didn't have homework?" Mom asked now.
I grinned softly.
"I had to join in the trio of no's. But it's nothing major, just have to study for English and History for this weeks quiz." I said heading towards my room.

I stepped into my room, shutting the door behind me as I walked over to my desk.
The first thing I opened, was my journal.

Diary Entry 27.
Date: September 24th, 2018.

"The day went just how I knew it would, boring. But on the bright side, the day did have its perks, especially with this silent bad boy we have in our school. Carter Jensen, not someone Bryce approves of and I know I need to be careful around guys like that. But I can't help but feel curious about him? He acts like the bad guy he wants you to see, but I can see that soft guy who just wants to be heard, we have Biology together so if he doesn't have a partner for our project. Maybe I could get lucky and ask him.. Who knows? Also, Monty decided to bash his head on the table today during lunch, but that's a story for another time.
Until then.
Lexi."

I sighed shutting the journal, as I took out my books to get ready to study.
I was dreading this part, I already knew what to cover.
Its just the energy that requires.
Not to mention, my attention fell on my phone.
I had four hours before meeting up with Bryce, and the others.
So I guess I could study for an hour or two, then go socialize with my family..
This is why I like having no plans.
So I don't have to think about times.

I laid on my stomach on the bed, reading through the history book.
My eyes scanning what I felt was important, and what wasn't.
Mr.Phillips was pretty laid back when it came to quizzes.
So maybe this wouldn't be too hard?
We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

"So what do you kids all have planned to do at this coffee shop, anyway?" Dad asked sitting in front of the t.v.
I smirked sitting next to him.
"We're just going to hang out, because we clearly don't get enough of each other during the week and weekends." I told him.
Dad arched a brow.
"So I don't need to worry about any of those boys hitting on you?" He asked me.
I rolled my eyes with a grin.
"No, dad. I promise, those guys know you're the sheriff of this town, and won't have any problems scaring them." I said now.

Dad smirked now.
"Damn straight." He said as his eyes fell on the news.

{"Another body found, just outside of Parkside Lane, a local had been jogging when they found the body just inches into the woods, drained of blood."} The woman's voice practically boomed on the screen as my brows furrowed.
Dad's jaw clenched as he changed the channel, to something else.
"Another body? Dad, what's going on?" I asked him.
He looked to me reassuring.
"Nothing, pumpkin. It's just another mess for me to clean up, nothing for you to worry about." He told me now.
I bit my lip but nodded.

"I want you to be careful tonight, do you hear me?" Dad questioned as I walked over to the front door, grabbing my coat as I nodded.
"After hearing that on the news? Yeah dad, trust me I'll be careful." I said with promise, I hugged the other as I headed outside to his truck.
The cafe wasn't far from here, but because of the news like that.
I'd only feel better if I did take a vehicle.

Walking into the cafe, all I could smell was coffee grounds and sweets.
Of course that would be something I'd be after, before the night ends.

"Hey, you made it!" I turned to see Bryce walking over to me.
I smiled removing my coat as I hung it up on the rack.
"Yeah, it did a little more convincing after the news tonight." I told him with a troubled expression.
Bryce made a face.
"What news?" He asked.
I bit my lip.
"Something about another body was found, drained of blood?" I told him.
Bryce's brows knitted.
"What?" He looked more concerned now.
"When? Where?" He asked bringing me further into the cafe now.

I just shrugged.
"No idea, and you know my dad won't talk about it." I said as we walked to the group that had been waiting on us.
Bryce frowned.
"Well don't stress, Lexi. I'm sure your dad and the police will handle it, its not something us high school students should even worry about." He told me as I took a seat next to Maggie.

I nodded with a frown.
"How's Monty's head?" Jordan asked me as he took a drink of his coffee.
I shrugged.
"I hadn't heard from him after he went home, I'm guessing he's alright. I never received a phone call from Mrs.Reese freaking out about her son, so I guess nothing happened." I told him.
Maggie rolled her eyes.
"I heard about the uproar he caused in English today as well, Zoey said that Sage nearly killed him." She grinned.

I smirked now.
"You know Monty likes to irritate her." I said.
"They should just date already and be done with it." Tatum said.
I looked to her.
"Kind of hard when Monty sees her as a sister, and her brother Jason being the overprotective brother he is. Would only kick Monty where it matters most, if he tried to hit up Sage." I said now.
Tatum arched a brow.
"Isn't Jason in college, a state from us?" She asked.
"That won't stop Jason from stopping what he's doing, and speeding here." I grinned.

Tatum raised her hands in defense.
"I wish my brother was that protective." She confessed.
I made a face.
"Yeah, I don't think Paul cares enough about what happens to me." I told her now.

"Chai tea?" I heard Bryce offer.
I looked to the football player, who held a tray of drinks.
I grinned.
"Thank you, Bryce." I said taking the chai tea, sipping on it.

"Not to mention, isn't Paul like totally into drugs and is never home?" Maggie questioned.
I made a face.
"He smokes weed, anything else besides that? I'm in the dark about." I told her.
Bryce sat next to me.
"What is this? Talk about our shitty siblings? Well I can proudly say, I'm an only child." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes at him.
"You sure you don't want any siblings? I have three to spare." I told him.
Bryce smirked.
"Nah, you keep them." He said.

My eyes fell on the door as it jingled.
Silent bad boy, Carter Jensen walked inside with Jace Pierce and Amy Lynette at his side as he looked around.
His eyes met mine, but they averted quickly as his trio walked to the opposite side of the room.

"Great, I find an okay place for us to hangout at, and the anti-social freaks have to show up." Jordan hissed.
"Hey." I looked at him disapproving.
Jordan looked to me annoyed.
"I'm just saying, Lexi."
"Grind House is for everyone, Jordan. Freaks or not, but don't be an ass about it." I said.
Jordan rolled his eyes.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he's why people are ending up dead." Maggie said now, her eyes clearly on Carter who ignored the eyes on him.
"Why would you say that?" I asked her.
Maggie looked at me with furrowed brows.
"Are you kidding? Look at him Lexi, plus Bryce filled us in about today's fight. He's a ticking time bomb, of course he's the killer type." She told me.
"Just because you're the violent type, doesn't mean you're the killing type, Maggie." I said now.

Maggie rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her cinnamon bun.
"I think you guys are just judging him too heavily, we don't know his personal life."
"He had no problem calling you stupid or suicidal, today." Tatum said now.
I looked to her frowning.
She shrugged.
"I'm just saying Lexi, you're awfully quick to defend people but what if he's the actual bad guy? What if he did kill those people? We don't know him, and if he can pick fights with Parker or Mason, then you should be careful." She told me.

I frowned looking down at my tea.
Bryce's eyes on me the entire time.
"Don't let it get you down, Lexi. But you should really listen to us, when we tell you to be careful around guys like that, you just never know." He told me.
I bit my lip, but nodded.
"You guys are right." I forced a smile, but my mind was already made.
----
"Hey." I said the next day in Biology.
Carter looked around, to make sure it was him I was talking to.
Now that I was getting a better look at him, he was actually attractive.
Messy black hair, but soft hazel eyes that were a lot nicer to look at, when they didn't look angry all the time.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked me with knitted brows.
I inhaled sharply, but smiled.
"Do you have a partner yet? With Mrs.Lee's assignment she gave us?" I asked him.
Carter studied me for a moment.
"No." He told me.
"Perfect! Do you possibly want to be my partner?" I asked now.

Carter licked his lips before shaking his head, as he smiled at me.
"No." He answered.
I blinked with furrowed brows.
"N-No? Oh, um.. I-"
"Why would I be partners with the girl who has friends that all see me as a freak? A murderer to top it off?" He asked me.
I looked at him for the longest time.
"H-How did you hear about that?" I asked him.
Carter rolled his eyes now.
"Word travels fast, are we done here? You have my answer." He told me.

I looked away from him now, my brows knitted as I turned from him with crossed arms.
I turned back to him.
"So my opinion of you doesn't matter to change your mind?" I asked him.
Carter looked interested now.
"Your opinion of me?" He scoffed.
"What is your opinion of me, Ms.Grimes?" He asked, arms crossed as well.

I bit my lip.
"I think you're just misunderstood, Carter. And I want to try and understand that." I said.
Carter turned around in his desk.
"If that's your only opinion, you've wasted both of our time and my answer remains unchanged." He said now.

I frowned deeply at that, before walking over to my desk sitting down next to a gawking Claire.
"Did you really just try to be his partner?" She asked me.
I looked to her frustrated.
"I did? Is that so bad?" I asked trying not to sulk at the disappointed feeling inside of me.
Claire looked to me.
"Normally I'd say yes, but that hasn't kept his eyes from falling off you, since you walked away." She said quietly as Mrs.Lee handed out sheets of paper.

I leaned forward in my desk, to sure enough, find his eyes already locked on me, before he looked down at the paper our teacher handed out.

Claire formed her lips into a thin line, but it didn't stop the smile from seeping through, until she had to use her palm to hide her mouth.
I rolled my eyes, sitting back as I began to work on the worksheet our teacher handed out.

"I think its cute you're trying to reach out." Sage said in gym class.
I looked to her.
"You do?" I asked.
She nodded as we jogged around the lap.
"Of course! Lexi Grimes, the schools social butterfly who wants to make friends with everyone, reaches out to the schools silent bad boy." She smiled.
"That's quite a cover story." I grinned as we stopped at the two jugs, for water.
Sage downed her water as she smiled.
"I just think it would be cool if you broke through his mold, I mean. What are the odds that you two end up together because of it?" She asked me.

I looked to her with an arched brow.
"Alright you romantic best friend of mine, I wouldn't go that far with it." I told her.
She grinned.
"But it could happen! A social butterfly and a bad boy, its so cliche but very cute." She smirked now.
I sighed.
"You're impossible." I said as we began to run again.
"You know I'm right!" She laughed running with me.

After that.
My mind did fall on the what if's.
What if I did break through his mold, and a relationship tried to bloom?
I knew my friends were supportive.
But I didn't see Bryce being okay with it.
Not with Carter's temper, and those oddly convenient murders to fit him.
But something told me.
Carter wasn't the one killing those people.
Something else was.

"How's your head?" I asked Monty inside of his truck, heading home.
Monty sighed.
"Well it left a nasty bruise, but my mom said I'd be fine. I feel kind of stupid, over reacting like that yesterday." He said stopping at the red light.
I grinned.
"At least you agree with everyone, that you were stupid."
"I said I feel it, not that I was." Monty argued now.

I smiled as he parked in my driveway.
"You seem more lively today, did something happen?" He asked me now.
I looked to him.
"I feel good I guess? I know I nailed that quiz in English, and I'm still working on ways to get Carter to be my partner in Biology." I told him.
Monty made a face at that.
"Carter? Who is that?" He asked.

I looked to him.
"He's the silent bad boy everyone talks about, I want to be his partner for class." I told him.
Monty looked unsure about that.
"Uh..huh..? And what exactly do you get out of being his partner?" He asked me.
I bit my lip.
"The proud feeling of getting to tell everyone, I told them so, when they find out he's actually a good guy who's misunderstood." I said.

Monty smiled softly.
"That good heart of yours is going to be your downfall one day, Lexi." He told me.
I rolled my eyes, leaning over and kissing his cheek.
"Shut up, are you staying over for my moms casserole?" I asked.
Monty smiled.
"Not tonight, my mom wants to spend time with me before she has to go back over seas." He told me.

I frowned at that.
"She got the call after all?" I asked him.
He leaned his head against the seat.
"Yup, and my step dad isn't even phased she's leaving for six months." He told me.
I frowned, leaning back over and hugging him this time.
"I'm sorry Monty, but tell your mom I said hi." I told him.
He nodded with a smile.

"See you tomorrow, Lexi." He said pulling out of the driveway.
I waved him off as I headed inside.

Now.
To brainstorm on how I'm going to ask Carter Jensen to be my Biology partner. 
I just hope this works out.
And no other murders interfere with how the world sees him.
..
And for how I see him.