VOTE/COMMENT.LIKE/TWEET
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My tears slowly came to halt and now I just sat in the alley with my back against the brick. My head rested on my knees which were drawn to my chest.
This sucked! Everything had fallen apart. I could never do anything without that scholarship!
I could hear the cars driving down the busy street. I could hear people's conversation as they walked down the street to their destination.
Carter kept flickering to my mind. I don't know why, maybe it was because I was head over heels for him or maybe it was because of how I had pushed him away. I was just so mad at him at that point. If I had never met him I would have had this scholarship and there would be no reason for Tammy to dislike me so much. Even if I had met him and we would have only stayed friends this would not be happening right now, but I knew no matter what that we could never be just friends. I guess you could say I blamed him for a minute which was wrong but I did. I had missed the days for him and Tammy and I had gotten into an argument over him. That's why I pushed him away at that point, but now I knew it wasn't him to blame. It was me. I had a choice and I chose to ditch with him. I chose to punch Tammy in the face. I lifted my head up and ran my fingers through my hair. I jumped when I noticed that someone I didn't know was sitting next to me.
"What do you want?" I asked him obviously not in the mood to be bothered.
"To cheer you up. I was just wondering what a gorgeous girl like you was doing here all alone and crying."
I chuckled sarcastically. "Because my life is so fucked up." I told him.
"It can't be that bad."
I looked at him. His dark hair fell into his green sparkling eyes that seemed to drawn me in.
"Why are you being so nice?" I asked him. "This really isn't a nice part of town."
He shrugged "I'm just a nice guy. Is there anything I can do for you? Can I give you a ride anywhere?"
I looked up at him. "It's too far away." I don't even know why I was even considering the idea of getting a ride from him.
"I'm fine with that."
"The aquarium." I said hesitantly.
"That's doable." He got up and extending his hand. "Come on."
I reached out and grabbed it. "Thanks"
"No problem." He held my hand as he led me out of the alley. We reached his car and he opened the door for me like a gentlemen. I knew that this was so dangerous. I had never seen this guy a day before in my life and here I was getting in the car with him but there was just something that made me trust him. Maybe I was just out of it. He closed the door after I got in and then he got in the driver's seat. I pulled my seatbelt on and he began to drive.
"So why do you want to go to the aquarium?" he asked me as we got on the interstate.
"I think it will calm me down and I have friends that work there."
"So what has you crying in an alley or should I say who?"
"Nothing."
"A beautiful girl like you shouldn't be crying." He said making me smile. "Nice smile."
"Thanks."
From then on our conversation ceased and we didn't speak again until we were in the parking lot of the aquarium.
"Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it . . ." I said dragging it on to get his name.
"Trent."
"Thanks Trent."
"You're welcome . . ." He said doing the same thing as me.
"Lizzie." I told him.
"Lizzie," he said. "I like it."
I chuckled and got out. "See you around."
"Hopefully," he replied. I turned away and began walking to the aquarium.
"Who was that?" I heard someone say as I neared the entrance. I jumped and turned. It was Jay.
"Just a friend," I told him. "Do you have to work today?"
"I'm off now. I'm just waiting for Jenny, she takes forever to get dressed. Where's Carter?"
"I don't know," I replied honestly.
"Did you guys get in an argument?"
"Not really."
"So what's up?"
"I really don't want to talk about it. Can I ask you a question though?"
"Sure."
"The last time you saw Carter before our spring break trip was when we double dated for dinner right?"
He thought about it for a minute. "Yea why?" he answered. My heart began to ache.
"No reason," I told him. "I'm going to go find Jenny, okay?"
"Okay. She's in the showers."
I nodded and walked inside. Carter had lied to me. He had told me that he spent the night at Jay's during the time he was mad at me and Carmen, but he wasn't at Jay's, so where was he? I already knew the answer. He was with Tammy of course. There was no other explanation. I was so stupid to trust him. Why did I even let him in to my life? It wouldn't work! I knew that from the beginning. I told myself that one of us was going to get hurt and it just happened to be me. I reached my hand up and wiped the tears that had silently fallen down my cheek.
"Lizzie?"
I turned around. "Hey Jenny, I was looking for you," I said as my voice shook a little.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just c-"
"It doesn't seem like nothing," she told me. "You can talk to me."
The tears swelled back up and ran from my eyes. "Aww Lizzie, it's okay," she said embracing me.
"I'm sorry. It just hurts so bad and I-I," I sobbed into her shoulder.
"Everything will be okay," she told me as she rubbed my back soothing me.
I sat across from Jenny in the dark hallway. My tears had ceased and we were just talking. She had told Jay to leave so we could stay and talk. I ended up telling her everything. Everything meaning the scholarship, Tammy, Keith, and even the sex for money. I really don't know why, but I did and was surprised when she didn't judge me on it.
"Lizzie, I don't think Carter did it and I'm not just trying to stand up for him, but I think Carter is in love with you and I don't think he would risk it. I mean, after everything that you two have been through ya'll are still together."
"He doesn't love me Jenny and he could have been drunk."
"Well he cares about you a lot," she stated. "Maybe you guys should just talk?"
"I don't want to talk to him right now."
She sighed. "Who brought you her? Jay texted me and said a cute guy dropped you off."
I chuckled. "Jay said he was cute?"
She laughed. "I asked him if he was good looking and he said I guess so. So who was he?"
"He was just a guy."
"A guy that is really cute . . ."
I laughed. She was just telling me to talk it out with Carter but now she was talking about the really cute guy who dropped me off.
"You want to spend the night at my place?" she asked me.
"Yea, that would be nice."
"Come on lets go" She said getting up off the floor.
I got up off the floor also and followed Jenny to her car.
The drive to her house was quick. I got out of the car and followed her inside.
"Mom I'm home," she yelled out as she closed the door behind us. I saw a tall slender woman appear from a room.
"Hey sweetie."
"Mom this is Lizzie, she's spending the night, okay?"
"Yea sure, are you two hungry?"
Jenny looked towards me.
"Oh, no thanks, I'm fine," I told them.
"I'm good too, if you need me we're in my room." Her mom nodded and walked off.
I followed Jenny up a flight of stairs and down a hall. She shut the door after I entered her black and hot pink room.
"So you really think Carter cheated on you?" she asked as she dug through drawers.
"You don't?" I questioned.
"No, not really."
"He left because he was mad at me and his mom and was gone for more than twenty-four hours. He told me he was with Jay, which is a lie because Jay said he wasn't and then there's Tammy who constantly tells me that Carter is seeing her." I sat down on her bed.
"I think you should talk to him."
"I don't want to, at least not at this moment."
"Do you plan on going to school tomorrow?" I shook my head. "Well I guess that means that me and Jay are ditching with you."
I laughed as she handed me some shorts and a t-shirt. "Here, you can sleep in that."
"Thanks."
"So do you still plan on being with him?"
"I don't know. I mean, he's going away for college and I no longer have my scholarship, so we are going to split up anyways, the sooner the better." I said shrugging my shoulders.
I got up and changed into the pajamas she had given me and then I got into the bed.
"Just sleep on it Lizzie."
"I will," I said before falling asleep.
I woke up the next morning. The light behind the blinds were bright telling me that it was more like mid-day instead of morning. I sat up and looked around. Jenny was nowhere inside of the room. I slowly got out of bed and walked over to the door which I presumed was the bathroom. I was correct.
I went inside and freshened up before making my way out of her room.
"Hey sleeping beauty," Jenny said as she came up the stairs. "I thought you were dead for a moment. I was coming up to check on you. Come on, let's get ready. We are about to head to Jay's house."
I nodded and followed her back into the room.
We arrived at Jay's house about an hour later. Yes, it had taken Jenny that long to get ready. She had given me some more of her clothes to borrow for the day since our sleepover was exactly planned.
I got out of the car and followed Jenny up to the house. She knocked on the front door and minutes later Jay answered.
"Carter has been blowing my phone up over you," he said looking towards me.
"Does he know I'm down here?"
"Yea," he replied. "I told him I saw you at the aquarium."
"Jay!"
"What," he asked innocently. Jenny went and flopped down on the couch and I went and sat next to her.
"It's him now" Jay said handing me the phone as it rung.
"I don't want it."
"Just answer the phone," Jay demanded.
"No!"
He answered the phone himself. "Hello? Yea, she's here."
I gave him a look of disbelief. He held out the phone to me once again. "He wants to talk to you."
"I don't care. I don't want to talk to him right now."
He sighed and brought the phone back to his ear.
"Yea, Okay . . . Alright." He hung the phone up.
"What'd he say?" I asked.
"If you wanted to know what he was going to say then you should have talked to him. Why are you ignoring him anyway?"
"He cheated on me."
"No he didn't," he replied. "Carter is in love with you."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever," I muttered.
Moments later a knock came from the front door and Jay went to go open it. I didn't even think that It might be Carter but it was. Ugh! This was definitely a conspiracy.
"Lizzie? Why are you ignoring me?" he said walking inside, his expression showed that he was obviously angry.
"I'm not ignoring you," I replied without emotion.
"Oh, really?" he questioned with frustration.
"Really," I replied.
"Let's talk."
"I don't want to."
"That's too bad," he said grabbing my hand and pulling me up from the couch. He led me to a room towards the back of the house. He closed the door behind us and locked it.
"What's your problem?" he asked. "Why did you push me away at school yesterday?"
"I was angry. That wasn't anything personal."
"So why were you crying?"
"Because I lost my scholarship."
"Lizzie, I'm so sorry," he said his face softening. He reached out to grab me.
"Don't!"
"Why are you pushing me away! And what guy dropped you off?" He asked, his expression changing back to angry that quickly.
"Nobody."
"Nobody? Obviously he was somebody because he gave you a ride of about forty-five minutes to an aquarium."
"He was nobody Carter. He just gave me a ride, I didn't even know him."
"You let a stranger give you a ride?"
I ignored him and said nothing. I didn't want to talk right now and I was tired of the yelling.
"Why are you acting like a bitch?" he shouted. He had some nerve. He was making me angry and frustrated. Tears filled my eyes.
"Because you fucked her Carter," I yelled as tears streamed down my eyes.
"What! who?"
"Tammy!" I shouted "And if you would have just told me the truth, that little fight would have never happened and I wouldn't have been left with nothing!"
"I haven't done anything with her since we've been together!"
"You don't have to lie to me Carter," I responded.
"I'm not lying to you," he said raising his voice.
"So where'd you go, huh? When you were mad at me and your mom, because you sure as hell weren't as Jay's. You lied!"
"Okay, I'm sorry I lied," he said shouting back out at me. "But I wasn't at Tammy's. You should know me better than that. I -"
"So where were you then?"
"I was at my dad's grave!" he shouted.
My demeanor softened and my anger was lost. "Carter . . ."
"No! That's what you wanted to hear, right? That I spent the night sleeping on cement crying and talking to my dead dad, right? Because some other guy is trying to take his place, because it seems that nobody but me even thinks about him anymore." His eyes began to swell with tears. "God Lizzie, I wouldn't do that to you. I don't want to lose you."
"I'm sorry," I said. I wiped the tears that had fallen from his eyes. I had never seen him like this, so vulnerable and sad and I never wanted to see him like this again; it broke my heart.
He raised his hands to his face as he sat down on the bed. I sat next to him. He held his face in his hands as I rubbed circles on his back.
"I'm sorry Carter," I whispered into his ear. He lifted his head and looked at me wiping the tears from his face with his hand.
"You want to know something?"
"What?" I answered confusing. He chuckled.
"You want to know something? He repeated.
"Yea sure," I said still confused. He smiled.
"I'm in love with you."
My heart leaped and fell at the same time. I don't know how that was possible but that's what it did. I was happy, God I was so happy, but I also knew that this couldn't work. It was almost graduation, and after graduation came summer and after summer Carter would be leaving to continue his life and I would have to stay behind. I couldn't hold him back like that. I couldn't keep him from having fun during his college years. It just wasn't going to work.
"Carter, you don't mean that."
"Yes I do! I thought you would feel the same way but-"
"I do Carter!" I exclaimed. "But . . ."
"But what?"
"You're leaving soon and I'll be here and I know it won't work out. You should have fun in college, not be tied down to some girl that's three hours away."
"I won't go Lizzie. I'll choose a different -"
"No! I can't let you do that. You've already paid your deposit and . . . No."
"Then we can find a way for you to go."
"No, we can't and it's okay," I told him as tears leaked from my eyes. It was hard telling him this but it was for the best. He connected his lips with mine kissing me hungrily. I wrapped my arms around his neck kissing him back.
"I don't want to leave you," he said in between kissing me.
"And I don't want to hold you back."
He groaned but I ignored him and continued kissing him. I knew that our time was limited so I wasn't going to let any time with him go to waste.