Case Reopened

A Normal Tuesday

Let's face it, it's been way too long since we've seen high school Carter and Mason.

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"Owens. Owens. Owens."

Carter continued to ignore the buzzing of the irritating fly by keeping her eyes closed and her head turned away. But she couldn't when she felt a sharp poke in her side.

"Owens."

Annoyed, Carter lifted her head off the desk, twisted it to the other side, and set it down again on her notebook, glaring up at Mason. She didn't say anything, attention was enough for Mason to respond to.

"Owens, do you ever question our existence and the reason we are here?" he asked.

Carter blinked slowly at Mason and when she didn't instantly respond, he raised his eyebrows in exasperation as if her lack of immediate answer was a nuisance.

"Well?" he asked.

"Mason."

"Yeah."

"It's eight-thirty in the morning. I just finished a pop quiz. I am not dealing with your existential crisis with you."

"So you don't question why you're here?"

"I might but not at eight-thirty in the morning."

"You're telling me I should ask you later then."

"I'm telling you to shove your stupid existential crisis up your-"

"Mr. Douglas," Mrs. Harlow said.

"Yes?" Mason said, giving Carter the opportunity to turn away.

"Please be considerate of the other students who haven't finished their quizzes."

Mason didn't answer but since Carter wasn't looking at him, he figured he'd nodded. When the low hum of scratching pencils on paper lulled Carter back into her light dozing, she received another prod in her side. She ignored it. But when it happened a second time, she snatched Mason's finger and bent it back. He let out a sharp hiss of pain.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay I give in," he whispered.

Carter released his finger and calmly continued to act like nothing happened and she was halfway to sleep.

"Owens," Mason whispered.

"I swear, if you try to talk to me about the reason for life, I will murder you so you no longer have questions."

"Thoughtful of you."

This made Carter turn her head towards him and open her eyes. To her surprise, Mason had his head on his desk like hers and looked at her.

"What do you want?" Carter asked, knowing it was probably a stupid idea to even ask.

"I want to see if you'll go out with me."

Carter blinked once but other than that nothing in her face changed.

"Is there a bet going around or something about me? Since, let me guess, I'm the outcast that is seemingly undateable?"

"No."

His quick response made Carter smile in gratification. Boys were such idiots and easily predictable. She'd sensed something was off since she'd walked into school that morning.

Usually, she was ignored wherever she went but she'd caught a few of the guys in her class giving her looks. Since her appearance was what it always was, she knew that something had to be going on.