Tongue in Cheek

two | b & w

"YOU MAKE ME so angry very quickly, it's remarkable," Carter swells, admonishing Jax as he shuffles his weight on the grassy hill. They sit in the school courtyard, bell shrieking highly to the call of lunch - always, they came late, teetering between detention and warnings. 

"I only said like seven words!" Jax's brow tangles into a knot of confusion, hastily scooping up his rucksack for protection. To be more exact, he said, I told Magnolia to sit with us.

"And yet, here I am, prepared to strangle you." Carter eases, eyebrow propped and arms crossed in such a manner that mirrored annoyance. Okay, so, maybe he wasn't going to actually kill his best friend, but the thought was calming. 

"Listen," Jax begins, shielding himself with the olive green rucksack, edging away slowly. "I understand that there's a degree of difficulty in dealing with me but-"

"Roses or lilies?" Carter interrupts, leaning back into the ground with elbows digging into the freshly trimmed grass. It's an innocent enough question, though odd, Jax supposes, eyeing Carter with that of a suspicious gaze.

Jax shrugs, deciding after a moment, "Lilies, white. Why?"

"For your funeral." 

"You're blowing this out of proportion!" Jax wails, huffing, "It's only for today. Look, there she is with Enrique."

Carter's narrowed eyes follow the prompting voice, swallowing up the vision of Enrique's hand wrapped around Magnolia's wrist; they're both smiling, Magnolia rambling on as Enrique breathes out bubbly laughter. Carter didn't like the way his chest felt pressure, how his stomach churned roughly. If he was any greener, you'd have to water him.

"I just don't understand what you have against her," Jax whispers through a toothy smile, directed towards Magnolia who returns a bigger one. "I mean, I understand wanting to be against her." 

Choosing to ignore this, Carter blows out his cheeks, wreathing the same line upon his lips like every other day. In fact, he looks no different than any other day; dark hair and circles to match under his eyes, freckles splattered like paint and jaw pronounced. 

Magnolia and Enrique stop in front of them, cracking smiles that contain too much teeth for Carter's liking. Enrique's falters a little, quirking an eyebrow, "Easy bruv?"

"Mm," hums Carter, stuck between wooden and surrendering to bottom of the barely kindness. Reluctantly, he waves a hand to the grass beside him. He doesn't know why he just gives up, nor does can he explain his reason for not wanting to be around Magnolia. 

"Sorry to bother," Magnolia says as she and Enrique sit, but she's not that sorry, even though she can clearly see the distaste forming a neat line between the thick brows of Carter. "Did you order this sunshine?"

"I prefer rain." Carter responds curtly, a brief snort of air escaping his nostrils.

There's an odd tension in the air, one that can't be labeled neither hate nor awkwardness . . . Rather, the kerfuffle that was Carter's odd peeve. They all could detect it, but found no reason to why he seemed spelt to be on warpath.

"Well," Magnolia decides, a light smile wreathing itself delicately upon her lips, "There's a beautiful silver lining, there is; With my sunshine and your rain, creates a rainbow."

There's a still in the small group, one that takes place in each mind and the breeze that splashed them. That is, before Enrique nods, "Carter prefers monochrome colours."

Magnolia suddenly is rethinking this whole "get to know" and "befriend" Carter thing. She's considering that, just like the colours Carter likes, they're black and white. Hot and cold. Salt and sugar.

But,
A challenge didn't sound awful.

"Carter." She says.

"Hm?" Comes a lifeless tune, pushing past the joking teases shared between Jax and Enrique.

"What do you think of me? It's not like I'm dodgy or a trollop." There's a slight edge in her voice, one that could slice through the tension like a knife.

Eyes of black meet that of evocative green, shared silence bouncing between them like a game of ping pong until Carter swallows loudly, a period mark at the end of his thoughts. He wonders in the transient moment between the drop of his Adams apple to the gaping of his lips, if she'll hate him for what he says.

Then, he wonders, why does he care?

He wants to not care that he cares, but life comes with a set of rules; no one gets the privilege to break them.

"Come on with it then."

"Fine, hear it carefully, I don't see you as any good." There's not a pause of breath, not a blink of an eye nor a grimace of hesitation that comes from Carter, and somehow, that makes Magnolia prop a sprightly grin.

It's questionable, almost worrying, Carter cringes at the way she doesn't seem to mind his very own insolent words.

"What is it?" Carter breathes, but the breath contains no air - it's as though she's stolen it with the way she's smiles with a little too much teeth, and her eyes sparkle with a little too many stars.

"I'm no good, but you're no better." Magnolia fashions the end of her sentence timely, the bell promptly wailing at the finish.

With the dismissing ring, she jumps to her feet, tossing a charming dimpling smile at the other boys, hand waving in the air like a queen.

(She felt like one).

Carter, on the other hand, felt like a peasant.

(He sort of is one).

Enrique and Jax, of course, threw themselves into bellyaching laughter at the sight of Carter's paling face.

"You're as daft as a bush, aren't you, Carter?" Jax hiccups, delighted, taunting and mischievous.

"She wanted the truth, mate," Carter sighs, what was this feeling in his chest? Regret?

"Lesson number one," Enrique grips Carter's shoulder, a funny smile ringing his mouth. "That's how women destroy you."