Just Friends. (A falling in love with my best friend story)

Chapter 29: Ruining my chances

Genna's POV:

I didn't really know what to expect when Carter forced me into going out and doing stuff with him. Maybe a cliche carnival or a walk through town or even a stupid romantical trip to an amusement park. But what I wasn't expecting was him having a bright blue truck waiting outside my house.

        "You can drive?" I asked, bemused. He smiles at me cheekily, showing a small dimple on his left cheek. Before I stop myself I reach up and poke it, and he just laughs before opening the passenger door for me.

        "Yeah. Just got my license a few months ago. Comes easily to me." He said. I nodded and climbed in, sitting on the hot leather seat. The air inside was thick enough that if I reached my hand out, I could grab it. I fanned myself as small beads of sweat started to form under my hairline.

        "You know, I think I prefer you as a brunette. The red kind of just seemed.....fake." He said. I nodded, checking myself in the mirror and sighing quietly. My eyes couldn't decide in between my mother's silver/brown combination so they were stuck in between that looked really weird. And it didn't help that I was running out of contacts so I could barely see; so I had to use my glasses. They were rectangular framed and black. A little bit like hipster glasses I suppose, but these were in no way, shape or form, cool.

        "Why are you taking me out again?" I ask as I shut the mirror. I turn my head and find him looking at me, as if he was watching me check myself in the mirror. How embarrassing.

        "I.....I don't know. No offense, but hanging out at your....house didn't seem like much fun." He said. I laughed because it was true. I also found it funny how he hesitated before calling it my house. 

        "Oh. I suppose that makes sense. Why did you visit again?" I asked. I was trying to make casual conversation, but it came out accusatory; as if I sounded annoyed or angry with him.

        "To check up on you. I just feel like I sort of have to, since you're missing from school and you're not at your old home. Either of them." He said. I looked over at him, confused.

        "How did you know that?" I asked. He grinned at me sheepishly in the rearview mirror. 

        "I kinda had to check. Just to make sure. Your dad told me he had no clue where you were, and that I was free to snoop around; and as for Parker's parents; they were kind and welcoming, but very sad. When I asked his mom if she knew why you left, all she said was 'she did what she had to do, even if it was stupid and irresponsible'." He said.

I felt a pang in my chest and I looked down at my lap, not even caring that I was wearing a pair of fuzzy pajama shorts. 

        "It was pretty stupid of you to get up and leave like that you know." He said. I nodded.

        "I know. I'm not denying it. I fucked up royally so now I just have to move on. Hakuna Matata." I said.

        "Your problems won't go away if you ignore them. Or did you not get the whole moral of The Lion King? Genna, I wasn't gonna tell you this but the whole reason I'm here is because I want you to go back to your home. Not Parker's but yours. It's where you belong and you won't make it living like you are right now." He said.

I felt a slash of anger run through me as I gasped. So that's why he was here! To pick me up and take me back home; where I've been trying to get away from forever.

        "You jack ass! Take me back now!" I said angrily. He just looked at me sadly.

        "Won't do you any good. I sort of teamed up with all of them. They're probably moving your stuff back to your home right now." He said. I couldn't believe it. All that I worked for was ruined now.

        "Fuck you." I said simply, turning my head away from him. This only got him to laugh. Not the desired effect I was hoping for.

        "You'll thank me later. I know I ruined all my chances to ever be on your good side again, but it was a dumb ass thing just to get up and leave because the life you were living wasn't satisfactory. Sure, you were making them sad, but they wanted to help you. I thought you told me you knew them for pretty much your whole life. Shouldn't that count for something?"

I didn't answer immediately, because I was just plain ashamed. I hated it when people pointed my faults out to me because I'd already heard about them a million times from myself.

Everyone just pity me, huh?

        "Yes, it should. But I don't know what to do when I get back. I can't just say sorry for everything and expect it to all get better. And it's going to be hella embarrassing walking in and expecting things to go back to normal." I said.

        "You brought that on yourself." he said. 

I didn't say anything after that, until he got out of the car and I looked at where we were.