Awkward *old version*

Chapter Six: Awkwardly Getting Too Close

Carter's eyes went wide and his mouth gaped open.

"Don't call me that?!?! What did you hear?!?!" he sounded more angry than scared. His blue eyes were filled with worry and frustration.

"Relax. I only heard her calling you MarioCart. What were you talking about that made you so angry anyway?"

"Nothing," Carter said calming down, "nothing at all. Hey, what are your plans for this summer?"

"Why do you care?" I asked.

"I'm nosy."

"I agree. I'm working part-time at my aunt's gift shop. So it's not my aunt's gift shop. It's Ringling's gift shop. And I'll be a cashier there. Part-time."

"I got it," Carter said, holding up his hands defensively. I high-fived his hands an quickly walked away from him and back into the living room.

"Guys!!! I done on the potty!!" Ben ran out of the bathroom and charged at Carter's legs. Ben either had more momentum than I thought or Carter had the balance of a grease bouncy ball on a tightrope, because he went down quickly. I'm guessing the latter one.

"Alright you little rascal," Carter playfully laughed.

Kassandra came out of the little girl's bedroom and plopped beside me.

"He's nothing but a little kid at heart." I smiled

"That's what I like about him, Kassi. How'd Jamie go down?" I asked, watching Carter and Ben play-wrestle. It was adorable.

"Pretty easily, considering she was asleep. You seem pretty enthralled with Carter. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just thought he hated kids." I thought I played that off pretty cooly.

"No, he loves kids."

"Then why did he call Zoe a monster?"

"Who knows? He's Carter for God's sake!"

"I'll agree with that statement."

"Soooo..." Kassi winked at me, "you like Carter?"

"Yeah," I said simply, like I didn't know what she was talking about, "he's a good friend."

"Not THAT way. But like, "like" like. Do you "like" like my little MarioCart?"

"Don't call me that!!!" Carter exclaimed.

"Alright! Calm thy breasts!" Kassandra held out her arms and lowered them all the way down. "But anyway, do you like him?" She moved her eyebrows up and down multiple times.

"Let's talk about this another time, Kassi."

"That's not a nooooo," she sang.

"That's not a yes, either," I muttered, breaking her spirits.

"I'm tired," Ben said pushing up off of Carter's stomach. "Night night." With that, Ben left the room.

"Not without brushing your teeth!" I shouted.

"I already did, Jane," he poked his head around the comer.

"Okay, then go to bed. Goodnight."

"Jane?" Ben asked, not moving.

"Yes?"

"Are you and Carter in love?" I was taken aback, and my first instinct was to say maybe, but I fought that back.

"What makes you ask, buddy?" I responded. Carter was just in shock.

"He was saying stuff. You look at him. Are you in love?"