The Carters | ✓

Chapter One - An Unexpected Meeting Or Two

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Cody's POV

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"He's so hot." My best friend Gia gushes as she stares at Ryan Hastings, the quarterback on our school's varsity football team. After staring at him a moment longer, her green eyes turn back to me and she raises an eyebrow, "Don't you agree?"

I shrug, looking back over at him. He has an athletic body and tanned skin. His hair is blonde and slicked back with a piece hanging over his eyes in a way that seems natural but I can tell it's done on purpose. His eyes are a bright, icy blue and his eyelashes are long, sitting underneath a pair of defined eyebrows.

He is also straight. So that rules him out for me.

"Not really my type." I admit, shutting my locker door and pulling my book closer to my chest. I look down at Gia and am immediately reminded of her shortness. I'm definitely not short at 6'3", but I find myself slouching most of the time in an effort to not seem so obvious in crowds. I tend to be quite self-conscious.

"How can he not be your type?" Gia scoffs, "Just look at him! He's perfection."

I chuckle as we start walking back down the hall. "I'm not denying his good looks. I'm just saying the whole 'golden boy' thing isn't really my type."

Gia rolls her eyes, "Yeah we all know you're into bad boys. And I can't really blame you, honestly. I mean, a boy in a leather jacket?" She licks her lips and wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

I laugh, shaking my head as I feel a familiar blush come to my cheeks. She likes to tease me and I'm very easy to tease. I have to agree with her though. Boys in leather jackets.

Speaking of boys in leather jackets, my eyes cast to my left as we walk past a particularly familiar row of lockers. And they are only familiar because I find myself staring at them longingly each time I walk past. But it is one locker that I stare at in particular, just hoping that one person isn't there. Or maybe I'm hoping he is there. I never can decide.

Mason Reed is the bad boy. Of course, there are others who wear leather jackets and like to act all tough, but none compare to Mason Reed. He is the epitome of bad with the leather jacket, dark hair, and equally dark eyes as well as the infamous smirk. But it isn't necessarily those things that I like about him. It's the fact that despite being a 'bad boy', he doesn't do many of the characteristically 'bad boy' things. He doesn't ride a motorcycle. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't get into fights. The only thing that really classes him as a bad boy is his appearance and the people he associates himself with. The rest of it is just the rumours.

If you can't tell, I have a major crush on him. But he will never ever notice me. Not only am I a sophomore and he a senior, but I'm pretty sure he isn't gay. I'm not totally sure about that and it is that tiny little possibility of him liking guys that keeps my crush on him alive.

He isn't hanging around his locker today and I let out a small sigh of relief when I see that. At least I try to convince myself that it is relief that I feel.

Gia soon splits away from me to head to her first period class, leaving me to fend for myself. I push myself through the bustling crowd of teenagers, already just wanting to find somewhere quiet so I can read my book. I slouch, attempting to hide in the crowd which is easier said than done thanks to my tall frame. I do my best though, keeping my eyes on my feet and dodging everyone else.

Well, almost everyone else.

Suddenly, my head bumps into a chest which is a surprise. Not only have I been trying to keep out of everyone's way, but I'm also taller than most of the school as well. It is very unusual for my head to knock into someone's chest. They must be extremely tall.