Chapter 2: Golden boy

I didn't know, Carter Smith is a popular one. 

"Wow. So famous" I said. Flatly. My family is having its breakfast together when Harvey started talking about his new friend, our neighbor none other than Carter Smith.

"Yes! He is. I just call Carter earlier and the woman at the convenience store said 'oh, is that the golden boy?' and I was like 'who? golden boy? is that a dog?' I'm so shocked to hear that, Audrey!" Harvey said beaming with joy I almost throw up rainbows. He is talking about Carter non-stop.

"Yay, I'm so happy to hear that..." I spoke. Nonchalant. Harvey makes a face. These past few days, Harvey and Carter became so close to each other you can definitely think they've known each other for years. They are like match made in heaven that no one can tear them apart.

"Oh, fine. Of course, you're not interested" Harvey realized that, just now. I smiled and nod. Of course. I'm not. When did I care about new people. I don't feel like socializing too much. I want some time alone. I want to be alone, as much as possible.

DING DONG!

DING DONG!

DING DONG!

I bet the heaven doesn't hear my rumbling.

"Is that Carter?" Mom asked smiling, she looks excited to meet Harvey's new friend. The golden boy. Eww. Seriously. This past few days I've been bombarded with this Carter this Carter that. Oh my, Carter everywhere.

"Yes!" Harvey jumps out of his seat and opened the door. My mom followed him. Before I even see Carter, I run up the stairs. No. Enough. Enough of the sunshine and rainbows. It's making my stomach churns upside down.

"Audrey!" I heard Carter shouted my name. Wow. I didn't respond to that one. I'll let him lose his voice over nothing. I closed my door slowly.

CLICK

I locked my door. I don't want visitors. I don't like strangers. I don't like people. I opened my window and looked down. I checked the roof. Clear. I picked my earphones and music player, leaving my phone behind and climbed the window. Without hesitation I started to walk slowly on roof. I carefully go down trying not to make any sounds that would catch attention. Exactly after I set my foot on the wet grass after I turned around, I squeaked in shock as I saw Carter smiling ear to ear. My eyes widened in shock. My heart skip a beat. What the heck.

"What are you doing here, Snow white?" He said gigling. To my response, I quickly slaps his broad shoulder. He started laughing after that.

"How did you know?" I asked him, grumpily. He shrugged and smiles like he know everything.

"Your footsteps are heavy, princess" He spoke smiling sheepishly. My forehead knotted. My footsteps? I didn't make a sound for sure. Never did Harvey caught me leaving the house. Not even once. How could this sly man know where I am. When?

"Carter! Sandwich is ready!" Harvey shouted. Like the way Carter did earlier. My forehead knotted. What the hell. Are they brothers now? How could these two dude be closed to each other that fast? Not even a month.

"So, Yes. We could just do car pooling" Carter said as he chew the last part of his sandwich. He has a big appetite. Not shocking. Based on his built he doesn't look like a picky eater. He's a walking good health budy. Carter looks like a guy came out of healthy lifestyle segment in a famous magazine.

"Here's your drink, Carty" Mom spoke and give the ray of sunshine a glass of orange juice. Wow. Now, there's two sunshine in our home. Harvey and Carter. Wow. Didn't know we'd picked friendly neighbor that fast.

"Thank you, Ma'am" Carter politely said and genuinely smiled at my mom. Tsk.

"Do you have a lot of friends here, Carty?" Mom asked as she sat down.

"Yes, Ma'am. We're friends since birth" Carter spoke and chuckled after the last sentence.

"Woah? that long?" Harvey look amazed. And so I am. I've never had a friend that long. I actually never had a childhood friend.

"Yes, we're a pack" Carter said smiling sheepishly. Looks so proud. I bet they are really close. I envy people with closed tie. My throat feels like in fire remembering my father. The kind of betrayal I would never want to feel nor any of my love ones ever again.

"Cool! Can I join?" Harvey asked like a kid. Carter stopped for a moment but then smile at Harvey.

"Let's see" Carter said and acted like he's thinking about something. Touching his chin looking at Harvey.

After the bite talks. Carter offered to tour us around Sta.Ynez. I was about to decline the offer but my mom, agree in my position. Harvey agreed for me. It's two versus one. Yey. So excited. Insert sarcasm here.

Today's weekend and we're going to a sea shore as per Sta.Ynez famous golden boy, Carter. We're driving for almost an hour when we run into a huge mansion, in the middle of forrest like area.

"Woah, looks pricey" Harvey said looking at the mansion.

"I think it is really, expensive. The designs were totally beautiful..." I spoke.

The house has a design like baroque period era. There's a lot of huge tree around the mansion. All trees were massive and the leaves were thick. Too thick that you wouldn't easily notice the mansion if you're too far. We only had few glance since it's been hiding behind those massive trees. Those trees were probably older than us, even by looking at it you can figure that out. The area were surrounded by tall grass. I bet the owners were totally rich to have that kind of property. And to maintain that place is too expensive.

"Tsk. Probably because it is for generations..." I heard Carter said. That one moment I saw Carter became serious. I took one glance at Carter. Is he angry? Oh no. I don't think so. I looked back at the mansion. It's really beautiful. Pity we couldn't look at it that long since we're just passing by. So sad.

"Who lives there?" Harvey asked "Is it someone you know? since you said you've been here since birth I bet you know a lot of people who live here, am I right?" He added casually. Carter nod his head and sighed.

"Yes. Unfortunately I know them" He said. He spoke in a I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it tone. Harvey and I exchanged glance. We're like 'okaaay?'.

We stopped asking about the mansion and it's whereabouts since Carter clearly doesn't want to talk about it, or them. Carter returned to be the golden boy again after Harvey started conversations asking about where we're heading. Carter is so enthusiastic about the place. He's beaming with joy again.

"You've got to meet my friends, they're so cool. And I've mentioned both of you before so they're kinda familiar to you.." He said. Harvey laughed at him.

"So you talked about us, huh?" Harvey, teasing Carter who's been started laughing at Harvey.

"Yes? I am, I need to introduce my new friends to my friends" He spoke, explaining to Harvey. He's trying to suppress his laugh. I almost drop my jaw in surprised when I saw the glimpse of sea. It's beautiful even from afar. I can see few houses in the area. Those were wooden made houses that you'd see in the sea side. I closed my eyes and feel the sea ambiance. It's refreshing.

"We're here!" Carter spoke as he slow down the car and started reverse parking. "Okay, take your bags and reminder. No animal cruelty" Carter said smiling "tho I know you're not that kind of person, I just want to remind you that animals here are not timid they'll surely bite you if you hurt them" He said talking like we're kids, and he's more of scaring us than giving us a heads-up.

"Oh, thank you for scaring us but we are not some fucked up person who hurts other living things in this planet" Harvey answered and Carter started laughing.

"I'm kidding..." Carter spoke "Let's go!" We followed Carter. I am about to enter the door when I stopped after seeing a lot of foot prints. Or should I say, paw prints. A lot of paw prints. Couldn't even count how many pairs it is.

"Wow, Carter. You didn't say that they're this... many. Too many. By the way" I spoke. Harvey looked back like Carter did. They walked back and look at the paw prints.

"Hmmm. Yeah. I forgot" Carter said smiling. Harvey widened his eyes after witnessing how many paw prints were at the floor he just walked in. There's a lot of paw prints, probably the animals just got home from the beach side. I looked around after realizing they're probably around inside the house we're in.

"Please tell me, they're not going to bite. One bite is okay but this many, I don't want to die thru rabies" Harvey said. Carter shrugged. Carter made a face.

"They're not rabid. And for Pete's sake, I told them to use the door rug. Fuck" Carter hissed and pick broom stick right behind the door. He sweep the floor before he led us to the back door.

"Kirko!" Carter shouted. Making Harvey and I both flinched "Evan!" His voice were too loud I bet Kirko and Even would hear it wherever the hell they are.

"Is that your pets or your friends?" Harvey asked. I quickly gave him an elbow.

"It would be best not to use that kind of language to my friends, Harvey. They wouldn't like it" Carter said calmly.

"Okay. Sorry" Said Harvey. Sometimes Harvey could be very bad at communicating like, anyone would misinterpret his words because he's talking it like literally. Carter just nod.

"Carty!" We all looked back to where the voice came from. They're running towards the house we're in. I looked back from where they're coming from, they're probably having good time in the shore before we came in. They're all dripping wet. They are all tan and well built. That's all I can say.

"Woof! Woof!" The first guy who is approaching makes sound like a dog. Harvey makes face remembering what Carter told him earlier. I bet he's having a hard time keeping his mouth shut.

"Kirko!" Carter spoke laughing like a ray of sunshine he is. His personality is too bright it hurts my eyes sometimes.

"Oh--who are they?" The second guy asked the moment he stepped in the beachfront.

"Oh, meet my new friends. This is Harvey and Audrey. They're the spencers I'm talking about. They're siblings" Carter introduce us to his friends. They immediately lend their hand for a handshake that we took.

"Kirko" Said the first guy. He's tall, well built if course. Just like Carter and the other guy. Kirko had a scar across his left eyebrow that almost reach his left eye.

"Evan" The second guy. He's with a curly black hair.

Carter introduce us to the other guys who came forward after the two.

"Carter is very popular, very popular indeed" Harvey spoke as we walked towards the bonfire. It took us the whole day to go around their place. It's really nice. They're very warm and welcoming to us. The neighborhood itself is pretty good. I met few kids around. Running and playing. The one kid almost hit me with a stick but the mere sight of Carter he moved away like a wounded puppy. I just noticed that, Carter acts like some superior dude in this group. They listened well, and respect him like a leader.

"A golden boy, indeed" I added. The moment after I said that Carter who are having a good time with the others, meters away from where we are sitting looked back at me and his lips twisted up the corner.