Dealing with Karter

Chapter 8: Phone Call

I followed Karter to the library after school. Let's just say he didn't hide his annoyance. I know I was being clingy, but I only had a week to force a friendship. Time was limited.

"You know friendship does not require you to follow me around everywhere right?" He said in a very irritated tone.

"I am not just following you, I was supposed to fan girl over it yesterday before you broodingly ran away from the caff," I started to explain. "Can we take a moment and discuss 43?"

The book he recommended to me, the first time he was actually not mean for over three seconds. Karter's mood changed, his once irritated expression replaced with an excited one. "Did you like it?"

"Like it? I loved it! I balled my eyes out the whole time!" I threw my hands in the air. "He dies! Why didn't you tell me he dies?!"

The protagonist breaks his wife out but dies after they escape after catching a bullet. I was just waiting for their troubles to be over and then he dies. It was so unfair.

Karter only shrugged his shoulders. "Not all stories have happy endings."

"No, but I think happiness is all about perspective. You can have it all and never truly be happy, or you can have nothing and be the happiest person alive. Do you get me?" I turned my head to look at him. Karter shared a glance with me, the wheels behind his eyes clicking.

"Maybe one day I will," he said, more than one meaning laced into his words. Before I could ask him what he meant, he walked into the library letting the door close on me. I let out a frustrated sigh pushing the door open and running after Karter.

"You know," I huffed in annoyance, finally catching up to him. "It is considered polite to open the door for others."

"Too bad I am not polite," he shrugged his shoulders ever so casually. You can say that again!

"But you are supposed to be nice to your friends," I reminded him.

"We're not--"

"One week!" I interrupted him. "We are friends for one week!"

Karter was tying his hair into a man bun with the black elastic around his wrist. I forgot my anger for a moment being distracted by his very attractive neck and jaw that was being clenched right now. I didn't know whether to be scared or turned on.

He stood behind a counter signing into a book.

I waited for him to finish, but he didn't acknowledge me before going to push his book cart. "You know, other than holding conversation, being polite, and hugging, friends also have fun together. They go out and do fun things, and go to each other's houses, they are open with each other and share feelings and secrets."

"I didn't sign up for a girlfriend," Karter groaned. A girlfriend? My cheeks blushed in embarrassment? Did I really seem that desperate to him?

"A friendship! It's a friendship!" I yelled. "Plus I would make a great girlfriend!"

"Sure," Karter shot me a side glance, he did not sound convinced whatsoever. "That's why no ones asked you out yet."

"Hey! Low blow! That was uncalled for!" I jabbed my finger into his chest. "You hypocrite! You are just as single as I am!"

A librarian popped her head into the aisle we were in. "Is everything okay here?"

Maybe I shouldn't yell so loudly in a library.

"Oh yes," I smiled sweetly. "You have a great worker here, he's a lot of help."

"That's good to hear," smiled the librarian, throwing an approving nod towards Karter.