The Nice Kind of Bad

8

The last week of September brought about a cold and calculated winter gust with thick jackets and pale scarves in sight everywhere. Dansville High bustled with girls huddling together in warmth and teachers scurrying hurriedly to their offices. However, a different sort of excitement hummed through the air and as Carter rubbed his hands together for friction, he couldn't help but hear the soft gossips of those around him.

Yes. Today was the day Jordan Withers was returning to school from her suspension. Adam Brody had returned a few days before but Jordan's suspension had been longer since, technically, she hit him first. Carter frowned and opened his locker forcefully. Screw technicality. Brody was the son of a bitch who deserved to be expelled. Carter and Brody stopped interacting because that would not end well for either of them.

Carter sighed. He had promised Jordo he wouldn't do anything and even though a part of him screamed otherwise, he knew how much his best friend needed peace. He had seen her chopped off hair and the cuts up her neck and the douche bag boyfriend who still too far away. Carter hated not being able to do anything for Jordan, especially against her mother.

All thinking stopped when the whispering seized and the air shifted immediately. Carter turned. Jordan walked with her head immersed in her own world of music (that he detested, mind you) and thick red scarf wrapped around her neck. It made his muscles tick.

He took in the small girl eaten by the color black except for the red article that brushed her short hair around her neck. Her chocolate gaze ignored everyone, as it usually did, and she walked with confidence that made him proud. Jordan approached him and that pride faltered to give way to concern.

"Jordo," he remarked as he took in the heavy dark circles under her eyes. "Hey," she said, smiling softly and adjusting her scarf. He knew damn well what it was for. "What's wrong?" he probed. Jordan opened her locker but averted his eyes, trying to remain indifferent.

"Should I not be in school or did you miss the memo of my suspension ending?"

"You know what I mean, Jordo," he warned and closed his own locker, leaning against it. Jordan took out her books but still refused to look at him. "Did you stay up all night?" This didn't exactly surprise him as it concerned him because knowing Jordan, she was probably worrying. About what, he had to know.

Finally, Jordan sighed under his steely stare and lifted her head to him. "Not really," she answered, meekly. Then Jordan proceeded to relay the events of the past two days. How Dean had called, what Levi had done and how Dean hadn't answered or picked up his phone ever since. Carter saw the struggle in her and felt more hatred towards Dean Channing than he had before.

They started to walk. "I don't know how to fix this," she admitted, defeated and looked down. "You wanna fix this?" he gaped, "Jordo, come on."

"Not you too, Carter," she groaned but it felt more like she was hurt than exasperated. Carter's mouth dipped down. That had not been his intention at all. "I didn't mean it that way," he said, voice tendering, "what I'm trying to tell you is that you should take a step back and look at it from a third person's view, Jordo. Just once."

"You want me to break up with him, don't you?"

Yes. More than anything. Carter didn't want her to be single so he could swoop in. No. His love for Jordo was strictly brotherly. He just knew all too well that Dean was not the same person who she had started dating. He just wanted her to be burden free from on aspect of her life.

"So, you agree with Levi?" she continued. Carter shifted on his feet. "Not in how he did it, but I know you, Jordo and you wouldn't have listened any other way," he said, carefully, "I love you to bits and I admit, Levi got a bit...forward but I'm not going to lie to you and say that part of me isn't glad he did what I've wanted to do."