A Secret Service [NOW PUBLISHED]

Chapter 16 - "I prefer a swift punch."

Carter shut her locker and turned away. She stopped when she found a group of girls standing before her, their manicured hands on their accented hips, cool gazes trained on her. They were the same girls who'd been trying to attract Donovan's attention for the last week. Carter stuffed her hands into her pockets and rested back against the hard metal.

"If you're going to induct me into your clique," she said, "you should know I don't do high heels and low self esteem."

A flash of annoyed and stung expressions rippled through the group. The leader of the group, a dark haired girl with red pouty lips, took a step closer, her heels clicking on the floor. She looked Carter up and down, her lips pursed in a patronizing manner. Carter fought back an amused smile. She recognized the group of girls. All of them had been given the brush off by Donovan earlier that week.

"Owens," the girl said in a silky, mocking voice, "do you honestly believe that we would be here to make you one of us?"

"Not even for a second," Carter said. "I have this thing called a brain and I use it. Besides, to be one of you I would have to remove all of my self worth and throw myself at the closest thing resembling a male. I'd rather not."

The girl raised one perfect eyebrow.

"Oh, but isn't that what you are already doing? Why else would Donovan be taking you out?" she asked.

Carter leveled the girl with an impassive gaze.

"If you're here to intimidate me into giving you information you might as well talk to my locker, you'll get a better reaction."

The girl gave a small shrug that highlighted her bony shoulders.

"No point, we have all the information we need," she said.

"Then why are you here? Besides the fact to annoy me," Carter asked.

The girl looked back at the group and gestured to them with a thin hand, a mocking smile on her painted lips.

"We are here to help you realize that this date you have with Donovan, is a pity date," she said. "Nothing else."

Carter nodded slowly, making her features fall into a forlorn expression.

"It's a pity date?" she said.

The girl nodded, her self satisfaction rising at the look on Carter's face as her gaze drifted to the floor.

"That's all. He doesn't actually like you. How could he? You are a poor excuse for a girl."

Carter lifted her head, meeting the girl's gaze with a wide eyed, helpless look.

"And you know that it's a pity date," she said, "because clearly you have been on a real date with him."

The girl stiffened with defensiveness. Carter struggled against the grin that was fighting to break free, instead she forced her features into a mask of confusion.

"You have been on a real date with him, right?" she said, her voice holding an innocent tone.

The girl tilted her chin higher and flipped a strand of hair behind her shoulder. Carter cocked her head and gave her a smug smile.

"That's right, he hasn't asked you out," she said. "I will actually bet he hasn't even said a single word to you." She shrugged, her expression shifting to a careless look. "Interesting how you easily jump to the conclusion that it's a pity date, when you have no information on which to base your conclusion."

The girl's cheeks flamed red and her lips were pinched as she stared at Carter with a fiery look. The bell rang, giving the girl an excuse to spin on her heels and storm off, her entourage quickly following behind. Carter watched them leave, smiling to herself.