The Badass Nerd

Big Hug and Crime Scene

"Hello, I am Olivia Claire. I was called because my friend Mark Reed was in an accident?" I asked the receptionist in panic. As soon as I got the call, I took Carter with me to the hospital. I have already let everyone know so they must be on their way. The receptionist checked her database and every second passed felt way longer. 

"Yes. Mark Reed. He is admitted in room number 204. Go up the stairs and to your right." She said and I practically ran up the stairs Carter following me close by. As I opened the door, I saw Carter lying on those lifeless hospital beds wearing his casual clothes. He had scratches on his forehead and left cheek but nothing deadly though he did have a plaster wrapped around his left leg. When he saw me, he held his hand out for me to hug him and I ran and did the same.

"Hey Liv! I am so sorry I made you worry." He whispered in my ears.
"You should be asshole. Don't do that again!" I said and sighed in relief. I pulled away and he smiled at me.
"What happened?" Carter asked.
"I was on my bike. I was late because of football practice and I had to meet Emma in the library so I was in a hurry. Next thing I know, there was this guy who crossed the road without any signal. I hit brakes and tried to balance the bike with my left foot. I think I made a full 180 degree with my left leg on the ground. I don't remember anything after that. I opened my eyes to find myself here." He said and chuckled humorlessly. I sighed and shook my head. Before I could ask anything else, Ashley, Noah, Sofia, Mia and Emma came rushing in the room. Emma rushed by his side and hugged him.

"You are an asshole Mark." Emma said in croaked voice and he patted her on her back trying to soothe her.
"I am your asshole." He said and she smacked him on his head.
"What happened?" Noah asked and he narrated the whole incident again. They all gasped at the last part and he chuckled.
"Don't worry you guys, I am fine." He said.
"How bad is it?" Emma asked.
"Not much. But, I do have to keep this plaster for at least two weeks."
"But next week is our football match." I said in confusion and he sighed sadly.
"I won't be able to play. I already texted coach about the accident and he wasn't happy but when I gave him my replacement, he seemed convinced."
"Your replacement? Who is he?" I asked and he looked at Carter. When I realized what he was talking about, I glanced at Carter to see his reaction. He froze up and shook his head rigorously. "No no no no no. Not happening. I am not going to be the captain." He said looking dead settled.
"Dude please, you have to. It's not like it will magically happen but you were in the football team in your last school right? I have seen you in PE and you are really good." Mark said with pleading eyes.
"Yeah, I was in the team but I was never a captain dude. That's a big responsibility." Carter said and Mark sighed.
"Carter, just give the trials. Coach will decide whatever happens. It might happen that you will just be a part of the team and not a captain." Mark said and looked at Carter hopefully.
"Carter, come on please. You can save the team." I said with pleading eyes and he sighed.
"Fine, I will give the trails." I gave Mark a hi-five.
"Thanks dude, I really appreciate you helping out." Mark said and I nodded in agreement. He chuckled. We all stayed with him so he doesn't feel lonely. His parents came soon as well and his mom practically choked him to death when she hugged him. We took turns and scribbled in his plaster.

"No, it doesn't hurt now. It just itches." Carter read my message out loud and they all laughed.
"I was actually thinking about buying a t-shirt that says that but this seems more appropriate." He said and chuckled.
"My turn." Ashley said and snatched the marker from me.
"Ad space available for space. Pay 100$ per square itch." Noah read her message out loud and we burst laughing.
"Very clever." Noah said and we agreed.
"Now me." Emma said.
"Here lies the remaining broken IQ of Mark Reed." Sofia read it out loud and Mark pouted.
"I said I am sorry." Mark said and Emma patted his head like he was a small puppy. She gave the marker to Sofia.
"Think of this cast as a perpetual hug for my bone." Sofia wrote and it was really cute.
"I wanted to be Destroyer of the Worlds but I just settled for The destroyer of Bones." Mia wrote.
"It takes a cool person to make a plaster look cool but as you all can see, it doesn't." Noah said and Mark barked at him.
"Hey! I look really cool with this okay?" Mark said and Noah laughed.
"Sure you do." He said and talked about random stuff.
Emma stayed with him the entire day and I and Carter went back to my shop. I decided to bake Mark's favorite mint cookies. I will drop it off to him tomorrow, I thought. Carter stayed with me through the whole process trying to learn how to cook.
"This is flour right?" He said taking some of it out in his hand and inspecting it.
"Yup." I said while whisking eggs.
"Isn't this those make up powders you girls use?" He asked in amusement. I gave him a pointed look.
"No, and I don't use makeup." I said while carefully transferring it to the pan.
"Then, let's see how it will look on you." He said and emptied the entire flour in my head. I had my mouth open in shock and when the powder cleared away from my vision, I saw him laughing clutching his stomach.
"Oh you are so dead." I said and put the remaining whisked egg on his head. I was pretty sure some of it went in his mouth because he was gagging. I laughed when I saw egg yolk running from his hair, between his eyes and inside his shirt. That must have been really uncomfortable but I had an idea on how to make it even more uncomfortable. Before he could recover from the recent shock, I went in my refrigerator and took out six to seven cubes of ice and put it behind his shirt. He jumped up and down and tried to shake off the cubes. When he did, he sighed and then looked at me in amusement and rage.
"Sweetie, I did start the war but you just took it to the next level." He said and came closer to me. I felt myself burning up and I couldn't move. Scratch that, I didn't want to move. I liked the proximity. I saw his hand reaching to a jar of water and before I could stop him, he already dumped all the water in my head. I will leave you guys to understand what happens when flour gets mixed with water. Everything got stuck in my head and my jaw practically touched the ground. I realized he was too busy laughing so I thought if he already has eggs in his head, better make him batter for the French toast. 

I grabbed the milk carton I had on the platform and soaked him wet with it. He somehow shrugged it off and wiped the milk from his face to look at me. He put his hand out to reach for anything that he can spill on me and his hand landed on a ketchup bottle. My eyes widened when he pointed the nozzle to me and squeezed. I got covered in ketchup from head to tow. I ran out of the kitchen but he followed me closely.
"Carter stop! I look like a dead body." I said while laughing and he laughed with me as well. Then a devious idea stuck me.
"Who needs a big huge hug?" I said and ran towards him hugging him tightly. He tried to push me away but I was slippery from the sauce and he was laughing way too much to put actual efforts to end the hug. When I finally pulled away, I pushed him on the ground and he lost his balance because of the water he spilled on me and the milk I soaked him with. He made an oomph sound when he fell on the ground, butt first and I laughed while pointing at him. He took that as an opportunity. He held my wrist and pulled me on the ground. I fell on the ground right beside him and he laughed as well. We both looked at each other and adored the mess we made. His shirt was covered in red sauce with tiny traces of egg and milk here and there. His face was dripping wet with milk and his head was practically golden. His hand came close to my face and he put the lose strand of my hair behind my ear. I looked at his lips and bit mine in anticipation. My mind stopped working and I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't want us to kiss, I didn't want anything to happen between us but at that moment I couldn't hear anything. It was just us. No past, no future, no present; just us in that moment. I didn't even hear the doorbell chime. 

"What the hell happened here !?" Emma's voice took me out of my stupid trance and my head whipped in her direction. Carter did the same. We both looked at each other as if we were just caught doing something illegal. 
"Well?" She asked when we didn't reply her anything for a few minutes.
"Food Fight?" I said; more like asked. 
"Dude, it will take hours to clean everything up." She said and looked around the kitchen as if it was a messy crime scene.
"I know. I will close up for today and clean all the mess. What can I do for you though?" I asked her. She kept looking around for a while not believing a thing. She is the Monica Geller in our group so it must be understandable that she had a mini heart attack because of the sight in front of her.
"Just pack me muffins and brownies. I am taking them for Mark." She said and I did as she instructed.
"How is Mark?" I asked her while placing the last muffin.
"He is fine. It's just one day, it will take him time to recover completely." She said in a sad tone.
"I would have hugged you right now but I think that will just make you more miserable." I said apologetically and she chuckled.
"You know me well." She said and turned around to leave. I looked at Carter and he was staring at me with so many emotions tangled together. A flash blinded me and we heard a click. I looked at Emma who was clearly taking our picture.
"This is cheer up Mark more than these muffins." She said and went out without a second glance. I sighed and went to fetch a mop.

"Well, we better clear this up." I said and handed him the mop. He grabbed the handle of the mop and my hand with which I was offering it to him and pulled me close to him. He cupped my cheeks and leaned towards me, his eyes closed. I felt his breath on my face and I couldn't think anything. My mind went blank again but I got my senses back before he could kiss me. I can't do this. It's clear that I didn't want to have any serious relationship with him and I am not a one night stand girl. I like him a lot but that's just not enough. I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away gently. He opened his eyes, confusion clear in them. I sighed.

"I can't Carter, I am sorry."