Chapter 7

"Skip school and have fun." Carter said simply as if we are talking about the weather. And for once, I did hope we are really talking about that.

"Excuse me? What exactly do you mean by 'skip school'? No, we are going to knock on the door, shout for someone to open the gates for us and if needed beg them to let us in." I went back to the school gates, but I had to be pulled back by Carter.

As he pulled me onto him, we bumped into each other's chest. He didn't expect it to happen either, I can see it in his eyes, glinting something different, so I quickly pulled away, clearing my throat and taking my phone out. I should text Jenny and Harris that we won't be meeting, or I am skipping school just as he said. As I was about to tap the send button to Harris, Carter pulled the phone out of my hands and took it away from me.

"Stop playing here, I just want to tell my friends I won't be coming." I snapped, trying to take my phone from him. But he put it in his pocket and held on my wrist, stopping my trials to snatch it back, "Come on, I promise I will try to be less rude,"

"How can I believe you? We just met-"

"I know. We met yesterday and you do not trust me, or us for the matter of it. Do not trust me, but I promise you, I would not hurt you."

There it is, this is what I've been waiting for him to lie about. I've already heard him planning on how to 'kill' me, and I don't even know if what I am doing now is right or wrong, but... should I just go with it and trust him for the day?

"Pinky promise?" I asked him, holding out my pinky in front of him. I don't even know if what I'm doing is serious, but he laughed and linked his pinky with mine.

"Whatever says your pretty mind, and may I add, cute thinking of yours," he says and I smiled at him. He has his own time in being, waggish, and this is what I like about it.

"Now get in the fucking car and let us go." he said, making me frown. I take it back, everything good I've said.

"So, where are we going?" I said as I hop in the backseat of the car next to Xavier- Xavier?

I jumped startled that I was about to barge out of the car screaming, "Xavier? How the hell are you even here? You scared the living shit out of me." I breathed, placing my right hand on my chest. I'm surprised my heart did not leap out of my throat.

"Did I scare you? I came by while you two were bickering at the school gates." he replied, putting a hand on my shoulder, "You okay? You seem shaken up."

Oh no, I was just acting it out, I knew you were here anyway, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I replied instead and fixed my posture, leaning my head on the window. Carter started the car and we drove off the parking lot of the school. I am still wondering where the heck these boys would take me to, and mostly, how come Xavier just come here out of nowhere? Did he jump from the wall of the school and come here? But I never saw him here since those four years at me learning at this school, I am totally confused.

"Xavier?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you, you suddenly appear here? Aren't you supposed to be at your school?" I asked. He looked at me, giving me an 'oh, shit' look, "What?"

"You are absolutely right, Kate. Uh... Carter, how come I jumped off your school wall to be here?" he asks Carter, both of them tense. So, my prediction was freaking true... he did come from behind the school walls, oh my days.

"What is going on?" Cole and I asked at the same time. Cole is also confused as I am, thank God I am not left out.

"Xavier, I asked you, not him. And to be honest, it is really fine if you don't tell me, I don't mind at all" I said, which was a big fat lie.

As much as I hate to admit, I am nosey, just as Carter called me, but the real truth is that I am just curious to know stuff; what happened, why did it happen, how can it happen... I know, I am extremely nosey. Even Jenny and Harris would be annoyed at me. The only thing keeping them from shutting my mouth with a tape and throwing me in a river is that I am their best friend.

But surprisingly, I am not curious about this, I guess my nosey instinct is not activated, yet.

Carter sighed and said, "I am sorry, Kate, but this is something you do not need to know."

"Alright, fine." I shrugged and looked out of the window, "That doesn't mean you should shut up the whole ride and make us think we did something wrong." Cole says, in the corner of my eyes, I see Xavier shake his head.

"What could we possibly do? There is nothing we did-"

"Actually, all three of you did something," I cut him off, smiling to myself. Let's lay a bit, that's what they usually do, right?

"And what did we do?" Xavier asks as Cole said, "Told ya!"

I looked at Carter from the rearview mirror, he is already looking at me, "Well, uyou are taking me to a place, right?"

"Right," All three of them replied, which made me giggle.

"And I am pretty sure, that you would be taking me to a place which will not be in my liking at all."

"Well," Cole mimicked me, "First we are going to the mall, I want to eat. I am so hungry that I could eat a whole whale." Cole said, and as if my stomach heard and understood what he said, it rumbled. Loud.

My cheeks flushed and I clutched my stomach as if it will stop the rumbling of it, "The mall it is then," Carter said, but added, "I guess many people are hungry this morning, we do not have to starve them more."

I flushed even more, and reached to hit his arm, which I have been doing so lately, "Are you calling me fat?" I gaped at him, and both Carter and Cole laughed,

"No, he was talking about the people inside your tummy," Xavier mocked, making all of them laugh.

I hid my face in my hands and muttered, "Oh my Lord" for myself. I rested my head on the headrest and stayed silent despite the retorts from Cole until we get to the mall, and eat a whale amount of food.

~°~°~°~°~

"Cole, stop!" Xavier yelled while Carter and I were laughing our guts out, being covered with ketchup.

Cole is squeezing the ketchup bottle, trying to make us in a 'war', he said. Xavier is trying to stop him, saying it is very immature and embarrassing, and Carter and I are hurdled at the corner of the booth, watching both of them fight as they are an entertaining show.

I held in my stomach as I wheezed, I better stop laughing now, my stomach already hurts from all the food we ate. Xavier insisted on ordering literally everything that was on the menu, but I said it would be nothing but waste, so all of us ordered two meals for each and one extra to share, which Cole and Carter ate it all.

Carter has his arms on the booth behind me, he is close to me that I can smell his cinnamon, warm vanilla, and aftershave scent, I love it. I can't believe that he is a great company and a fun person to be around, except, he is tense and so cautious all the time unless he decides to be as carefree as I am. It is really funny how Carter and I are different, but still we hang out, even if it is for one day though.

But thinking of it, this is wrong. I feel uncomfortable lying on Carter and his arms draped on me like we are close friends catching up. As if he was thinking what I am thinking, he quickly pulls his arm away and scoots a little far from me. I looked at him to see his reaction, he already looks tense. He never seems to relax, does he?

I stood up from my place and slung my backpack on, as I did so, I sensed three pairs of eyes watching what I am doing, "And where do you think you are going?" Cole asked, I shrugged at them.

"Just a little walk around here, I feel bloated," I said and left the food court.

I decided to look at a couple of clothes, and just see what's new. It's much better than just walking past the same strangers again and again, it would be too awkward for me.

I entered a random shop and started looking through the racks of hanging dresses. I didn't see who was in front of me because I was too engrossed in the new arrivals, and that led to bumping into someone, so hard that I made them stumble.

"Oh shit, I am so sorry." I apologized trying to help them up, and to my horror, it was an old lady struggling to compose her posture. I quickly linked my arms with hers and steadied her, but she pulled away, glaring at me. Her face is scrunched up in a deep frown that made her wrinkles more visible, "You kids these days have no respect for your eldest at all? What kind of a very spoiled generation are you?!" she starts to yell, and I felt my face heating up in embarrassment. No, I don't need this right now.

"I said I am sorry, ma'am," I said softly trying to calm her, but damn this lady is fuming, "No! This is the third time a child like you pushed me, trying to make me fall! I won't let you go this easily," she says and started to back away, what?

Thankfully, no one circled us or gave us attention. She looked around, and when she sees that no one is giving two shits, she did the most ridiculous thing I ever witnessed,

"Help! You kids these days! Anyone!" I got startled and looked at her wide-eyed with my mouth hung open, what the actual fuck?

"Madam, I said I am-"

"Is there a problem here?" a security guard came up to us. My whole body froze in fear. No, this can't be happening. Is he going to arrest me? Am I going to prison? What will everyone say when they find out I'm in jail? Oh lord, please save me.

"No, actually-"

"Yes, this girl tripped me, and I know she did it on purpose to make me fall and get hurt."

"What?? N-no I didn't! We just bumped into each other, and it was by accident! I swear I never meant for any harm!"

"Wait a minute, weren't you supposed to be in school?" the security guard asked me. Oh...

"Yeah, I actually-"

"We are on a morning date." someone said cutting me off. I turned around to see Carter, who is looking at the security guard, then casually looked at the old lady.

"And there are many of you! That is why this whole world is polluted, because of you!"

"Ma'am, you need to calm down." the security guard said to the old lady. She huffed and looked away, acting like a child.

I looked at Carter not saying anything, what is he doing here? How did he know I was here?

"But you should be at school at this time," The security guard repeated what he said to me, "I told you, we are having a morning date, and now we were about to leave," he said.

"But-"

"Babe, let's go?" second time, my body froze in the same spot spot, stunned. I looked at him, he casually pointed his head to the door.

"Oh no, you two are not going anywhere. Come with me and we will call your parents." the security guard says, reaching to grab my arm.

"But we didn't do anything! I am sorry, Mrs, but-" Carter cut me off and with no warning, quickly pulled me to the exit.

"Hey!" I hear the security guard behind calling us, "Stop them!"

"Carter!" I called him, but he doesn't stop running and pulling me along with him, making me run as well. Both of us ran passing and knocking people on the way, and when we reached the elevator, he pulled me to the other way, "But the elevator is that way,"

"Do you want to reach down with that guy and his friends waiting for us? We are taking the stairs!" he replies shutting me up. Oh man, I am not, by any means, an athletic person. The highest mark I got was always a 'C' or maybe a 'D' because I always excuse myself from running. This will be very excruciating, I know it.

We took two steps at a time, flying down the stairs and gracefully land on the basement floor without stumbling or falling down, "Where are we going?" I asked him, still running and almost out of breath. Again, with no warning, he abruptly stopped, making me crash onto his back, "Stop torturing me! Agh!" I hit on his arm. I put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath and slow my racing heart.

He glanced at me, "I have a friend who has a place here, we should go there." he spoke looking away and starting to walk to the other side of the mall. I nodded, even if he is not aware of my gesture.

After a couple of seconds, I caught up and followed him. We walked to the very back of the mall, getting darker and darker with every step we took, so, for the sake of my life and beating heart out of being frightened, I held on to Carter's hand just in case somebody came behind me and blindfolds or attacks me, I hear him chuckle.

We kept walking until we took a right turn, and with unintentional shock, I stopped, leaving Carter's hand. My mouth hung open, what I am looking at right now is just... oh wow, I can't find the words to describe my shock and happiness. It radiates its light, brightening the least part of this side of the mall, and the best thing? It is a pet store, eek!!

"So this is the place?" I asked excitedly, he smiled at me shaking his head, "Now, do not get excited much, Ben does not give anything for free, even for a beautiful girl... like you." he said and went ahead of me to the pet store. Ha, is he seriously flirting? He has to be kidding me right now, Carter thinks I am beautiful... well that was a compliment, in a way.

I entered the pet store skipping, excited to meet those cute and adorable animals. As I got in the pet store, the first thing I saw is.... snakes, oh God...

Why are things that I am not expecting and do not like are coming right at my face lately?