Freeing Carter

Chapter Thirteen

"So, do I get to ask if you're dating Kira now or is that not cool for a mom to ask her son?" Mom, Sara, and I are sitting at the table the next morning. She's blowing on her coffee. Sara's making an oatmeal mountain and I'm trying not to look as into this girl as I really am. Mom's cool and all, but yeah—talking about girls with your mom isn't my idea of a good time.

"I guess." I shrug.

"Are you seeing her today?" There's a smile on her lips and it becomes pretty clear to me, she's happy about the idea.

"Mom..."

"Kira's not yucky. She's nice." Sara takes a big bite of her food. I'd have to agree with her on that one. Kira is definitely not yucky.

"She likes you, too, Twig."

Mom leans back in her chair. "I'm going to miss this, talking with you guys. I can't believe you're a senior, Carter. That you'll be going to college soon. Moving on..." Her voice is low, distant, and I wonder if it's my fault. If I'm part of the reason she's getting worse. If it's because she's worried I'll be leaving her like Dad did.

"Ma, I don't even know where I'm going yet. Maybe I'll stay around here." Oh, shit. What if I have to stay around here? If she doesn't get better, I can't leave her or Sara.

"You'll go wherever you want. Scouts are looking at you. You need to start applying though. Time slips away so fast."

"I'm not in a hurry." I try to smile at her and then get up and toss my bowl in the sink. This isn't a conversation I feel like having right now. Back in my room, I screw around with my little basketball hoop and foam ball for a while, before plopping on my bed. There's a pile of wet clothes in the corner of my room from last night that I really need to wash, but I can't stop thinking about that fact they were hugging her body, and lame as it is, I don’t want to wash that way.

My fingers itch to text her, but she's going to be at the store today. I'll see her, so instead I hit up Travis since we haven't really hung out lately. We make plans to do so in a few hours, so I take a quick nap, get dressed and then call Mom to tell her my plans. She and Sara are at the store, then later Kira will fill in and Mom's taking Sara to the fair.

"What's up?" Travis says when he opens his front door so I can go inside.

"Not much." We head upstairs to his room, where we start to play some video games.

"Dude! Did you see that? I'm beating your ass." Travis jumps up onto the couch in his room and does what I guess is his victory dance.

"You're such a dumbass."

"A dumbass who can take you."

"Whatever." I toss the controller to the floor and lean back on the couch. We're both quiet for a few minutes and my head goes back to last night and Kira. I owe Travis a few details because he's my boy and it's like a code or something, but I don't really want to talk about the personal stuff. Nothing private or personal for either of us so it's kind of hard to figure out what to say. Everything between Kira and I seems so much more personal that things are with anyone else.

"So...Kira and I broke into a hot tub together last night." I don't look over at him because it's not like talking about any other girl. It feels like more, and even though I let Kira in last night, it's not something I do often.

Travis lurches forward. "Holy shit! And you're just telling me this now, you lucky bastard." He hits my arm and I laugh. "So?"

"So what?"

"Dude, come on. You are so not leaving it at, 'I snuck into a hot tub with Kira' You have no idea how wild my imagination is going right now thinking about it...except it's me there and not you."

I laugh. "Sucks to be you." But then I lean back into his couch and wonder what to tell him. He's not getting details. That's for sure. "She tastes like mint and that's all I'm saying."

Travis groans. "You're killin' me, Shaw. Seriously. Knife in the back here."

I feel like I owe him a little more. Girls might think differently, but I know they talk to each other about us too. I've heard TMI about Travis from Mel and Trina before. I'd like to scrub it from my brain, but it's not like we've never talked too. But Kira? I want to keep this to myself. "I like her. A lot." It may not seem like a lot, but it's a big admission.

Travis nods. "I hear ya." He gets up and puts his hat on, and then falls down into his computer chair. It's another quiet minute, but I don't try and break it, somehow knowing he's about to. He looks at the ground, digging the toe of his shoe into the carpet. "Dad left Mom. My parents are splitting up."

This time, it's me who lurches forward on the couch. Travis still isn't looking at me and I wonder how long he's been carrying this around with him. What kind of friend I am for not noticing? Well, I noticed something was up, but I didn't ask. Now, the ditching school and partying kind of makes sense. "Wow. I'm sorry. I can't believe that..."

He shakes his head, looking up at me. "You and me both. I never... It's not really about me, right? I mean, I'm out of here in less than a year, but it just sucks."

"Yeah... Damn." Travis's parents always got along. He couldn't have said anything that would have shocked me more. And I know I should reciprocate. Tell him something about myself too. About my mom. I owe it to him. He's been my best friend for most of my life, but I'm such a coward, I can't make myself do it.

Travis pushes to his feet and wipes his eyes. "Okay. Enough about that."

I kind of feel like crap. I should have asked him before what was up. I shouldn't have ditched him so much lately. "Wa

"I'm not go

"Shut up."

He shrugs. "Okay. Sounds cool to me."

While waiting in my truck for Travis to get his crap and come down, I call Kira. She's expecting me today, but I need to hang out with Travis.

Until she picks up the phone, I don't even realize I'm a little nervous.

"Hey, Coach."

"Hey. What’s up?"

"Nothing. Just about to head to your mom's store. What time are you coming in?"

"Ummm." I scratch my head. I'm pretty sure it's not cool to ditch your girlfriend less than twenty-four hours after she gets the title. "I'm with Trav right now. We haven't really hung out that much lately and he just told me his parents are splitting up."

She pauses. "Are you nervous to tell me you're hanging out with your friend? Geez. I like you, Carter, but I think I can handle a night on my own while you hang out with Travis."

Well, when she puts it like that, I sort of feel like an idiot. "You're awesome."

"I know." I hear the laugh in her voice.

"Can I pick you up for school Monday morning?"

"Hmmm, on one condition. After practice you have to meet me at the store. I'm pretty sure I can think of a good bribe to get you to do your English homework."

Just that easily, I'm smiling. "Only if I get to make the terms."

***

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