Freeing Carter

"She's the girl you're going to be with tonight?" Mel's voice is harsh which, honestly, kind of pisses me off.

"Yeah? So?"

"Why did your mom suddenly decide to hire someone?"

"Because she needs the help? Should I have had her ask your permission before she hired someone? You were the one who wanted me to spend less time at the shop, so isn't this a good thing?" I'm starting to sweat a little, tired of going rounds with her.

"Whatever, Carter. It just would have been nice if you told me."

"Umm, told you what?" I'm thinking it would have been nice if she told me she was a nutcase.

"That you were going to be with someone hot and not someone old, which is what I assumed."

Ah, so that's what this is about. Mel always gets harsher when she's jealous, which I used to kind of like...but now? Not so much.

Willing to do anything to end this conversation and have five freaking minutes of peace, I don't say what I'm really thinking. What comes out instead is, "You're hot, Mel. Come on. She works for my mom. It's not a big deal. I invited you to come. It's not like I'm trying to hide anything."

Her frown flips up into a smile. "Thanks, baby."

Crisis averted! Even more so when the bell rings. We say our goodbyes, Trina and Mel going one way, and Travis and I another. Once they're out of ear shot, I groan. What the hell has happened to my life lately? My calm place has suddenly grown two heads and an extra set of claws and I'm not in the mood to deal with it.

"Why is she freaking out? Next time I say we get pissed when they go to Sam's. She has a brother. Same thing. " Travis shrugs when he says this, but I stop walking.

"They went to Sam's last night?" Devin's sister? She ditched me to go to Devin's house?

"Umm, yeah. Is that bad?"

My heart pounds, muscles tightening. She was flirting with him, went to his house without telling me, and then she freaks out because Mom hired Kira?

"Nothing. I just..." Is she cheating on me? Does she like him? Am I freaking out over nothing? Wait. Do I care? I don't know. I should know that much, right?

"I'm thinking of breaking up with Trina." Travis starts walking again. His words make me forget everything else. It's always been the four of us. We hang out and have fun together. "What? Why?"

He looks at me like it's the stupidest question in the world. "Have you been paying attention? It's just not the same. Plus, it happens, ya know? You think people are going to stay together forever, but they don't. Why prolong it?"

Travis's voice sounds strange. And I don't know about the forever part, but I at least figured we'd stay together through high school. "Huh? You've never said that before."

"It's just... My..." He shakes his head like he just changed his mind about something. "This is our last year in high school. Do we really want to spend it getting bitched at for everything? I mean, it'd be different if I, like...but it's not like that. I just want to have fun, ya know?"

I have no idea what he's not telling me, but I totally get what he is saying. It's not like I thought we'd be one of those go-off-to-college-together couples.  Or that we'd  get married one day. Have the 2.2 kids or however the saying goes.  Don't ask me how you can have .2 kids, but whatever.

Still, we have fun. At least, we used to. When I pictured my senior year, I pictured the four of us. We've been a constant for a year now.

"I'm not saying you should do the same," he says. "But I just wanted you to know. Didn't want it to come out of nowhere."

This shouldn't come from nowhere, because we've both been fighting with the girls a lot recently, but it does. It does because as weak as it makes me sound, even though I'm jealous as hell he's going to do this, I don't know if I can do the same. Mel will freak and as hard as she is to handle lately, I can only imagine how much hell it would be to deal with a broken-up-with Melanie. All I want is one piece of my life that has no drama and I can’t even get that.

Before I can reply, the second bell rings, making us late for English. We make a run for it, my mind tangled with thoughts of Mel, Mom, English, and Kira.

Chapter Five

Practice is ruined by Mrs. Z's voice in my head; every play I want to call out is overpowered by her lecture because I didn't turn in anymore late assignments. Unfortunately, she's not the only person copping a squat in my head. I have Mom on one shoulder, needing my help at the store. Getting upset when I question her about her douchebag dad. Even if she weren't whispering in my ear, I'd be worried about her. It's never a good day when she has to go see him, but knowing Sara will be home takes some of the worry away.

The crappy part is, it doesn't stop there. Mel's sitting on the other shoulder, alternating between being the calm Mel who helps make me forget, and then images of her with Devin keep popping up behind my eyes. The fact is, I realize I'd be pissed, but I wouldn't be hurt. I'd almost be relieved. It'd be one less direction to be pulled. One less person who wants something out of me.

Right now, I could do with a little less "Carter, I need you to" and a little more, "Carter, do what you need to do." Hell, maybe even a little, "Carter, do you need help?"

By the time I rush to the shop after practice, I'm in an even worse mood. Yanking my backpack out of the truck, I slam the door and head inside. There are a couple customers, but Mom's still here so I sit at the little round table by the front counter, where Sara does her coloring and Mom eats her meals. It's kind of hidden because it's shorter than the counter the register sits on and it's on the opposite side as the door.

The only problem is on the other side of it is a spi

Luckily, no one is standing at it today.

Even though I'd really like to put my head down and take a nap, I pull out Mrs. Z's English stuff. It's numero uno on 'Carter's list of crap to do'.'

Without paying attention to anything else, I try to make myself concentrate enough to figure out what happened in the play we've been reading. All the 'twas's,' 'eth's' and rearranged words (I see, not see I) make no sense to me. Why the hell can't the guy just say what he means? It's like he writes in code so you have to try to decipher ever little word. Me and deciphering Shakespeare don't mix.

"Oh! Carter, I didn't see you come in." Mom steps up beside me. "I'm heading out. Bill has Sara, but I'm picking her up after I go see Dad. We'll probably be home around the same time as you." Her voice sounds light, but I hear the stress behind it. Hear her nerves at going to see her dad, who's only going to give her crap for trying to help him.

"I still don't get why you're going." Even though it will upset her, I can't stop myself from saying it.

Mom sighs. "Because that's what you do, Carter. You take care of your family. Like it or not, he's my dad."

My eyes snap toward her. Take care of your family? Yeah, I get that, but at least Mom deserves what I do for her...right? "Whatever."

She presses a quick kiss to my forehead. "Thanks for helping, kid. See ya tonight." And then she's gone.

Yeah, my day was great. Thanks for asking.