Your White T-Shirt

Fourty Three.

•Carter's POV•

The morning was much too bright and cheery. I pulled my covers over my head to escape the blue sky.

It had been about 5 days since the night Harry beat Ty. Five long silent days that I laid in my bed.

I didn't want to remember, but the memory flooded back to me everytime.

"Go inside." Harry had said.

I wish I would have listened. My father threatened to call the cops when he saw the blood on my face when I finally came inside that night. It was Ty's blood that had gotten on Harry's hands and ended on my face. I spent the whole night begging my dad to understand.

I told him everything, about how Ty tried to rape me, and Harry was just defending me. He didn't believe me.

"I'm not an idiot, Carter Smith." He yelled. "Ty is a nice boy and Harry was jealous. He's a scumbag." He was angry, but he seemed to want to let it go, because it wasn't my fault.

But the next day when Ty called and told him I'd been lying about work, he was furious.

Today I would be packing, to go home. Home seemed so awful. A taxi would be coming for me at 8 pm. The last few weeks in Hamilton had been the best and worst of my life.

I got dressed, for the first time in days, and walked through town sullenly. I stared at my feet. This was the first time I'd left my house since that day.

Once I reached the boardwalk, I took in the sights of the sky and the smell of the salty water and stale hot dogs.

I entered the Surf Shack. Wade glanced up with Chelsea from the back room.

I think I'd even miss the Surf Shack.

They looked up to me with confused expressions as I walked into the break room.

"I'm going back home today." I said. They were quiet. "I know you hate me." I said to Chelsea. "But I just want you to know you're the best friend I ever had. And you deserve to be happy." I looked down to my feet.

"I guess this is goodbye." I said. I started to turn and walk out but was stopped by Chelsea.

"Carter." She called. I turned to face her before she embraced me in a long hug.

"You're the best friend I've ever had too." She said, a tear falling from her cheek.

The day felt like a funeral. Looking at the remains of a dead summer, before it gets buried forever. A last goodbye to a loved one.

I wanted to say goodbye to Susie and Dave. But it was too difficult. I made it about half way to their house before I turned and just walked home.

I ran into Ben on the way home. I told him I was leaving. He seemed completely stunned.

"Does Harry know?" He asked.

"No." I said.

"When are you leaving?"

"8." I said dully.

"Tell him Carter. He loves you." Ben pleaded. I dismissed it.

"It's all ruined, he hates me. There's no point." I said. "I'll miss you, Ben. Tell Carla I said goodbye." I said hugging him before walking home.

I packed up the rest of my things, the most sour taste in my mouth.

•Harry's POV•

I wished I'd never invited her into my apartment. Everything in here reminded me of her.