Dealing with Karter

Chapter 15: Talk

I walked back into my house with the biggest smile on my face.

Karter kissed me.

He didn't hate me.

He liked me.

He like liked me.

I flopped down on to the couch in the family room where both Jared and Manny were staring at me.

"She totally just got kissed," Manny said with a wide grin.

"Dude! Ew!" Jared looked appalled.

Definitely not a conversation to be having in front of my brother, but I didn't care at this moment.

"Was it good?" Manny asked leaning in on his elbows.

"Brother alert!" Jared yelled at him. He looked like he was going to be sick.

I nodded my head feeling like I was in a dream state. "He's really good."

Comparing him to the few kisses I had from dares and games, he really knew what he was doing. How many girls has he kissed before me?

"Nice," Manny smirked.

"No! Not nice! Do you two not see me here?" Jared complained.

So if he liked me... a lot of things were making sense now.

"I think he was jealous of you, he thought we were dating," I told Manny, thinking of all the times he saw us together and the dark looks he would throw him. I used to think it was because he hated my group of friends. I guess not.

"Okay that makes a lot of sense, I thought he was just a homophobe that wanted to kill me," Manny put a hand to his chest as if relieved.

I shook my head. "Apparently his close cousin is gay, that's one less thing I need to worry about."

Manny smirked. "We'll need to ask Karter more about him."

True. What if he was the one?

"Okay, I'm so leaving now," Jared said getting up and leaving looking grouchy.

"You know what else?" I asked feeling excited to be talking about my crush turned more. "He blushes for God's sake. How cute is that?"

Manny threw his head back in laughter. "Scary Karter is not so scary after all."

"At least now I don't have to beg him to pretend to be my boyfriend in front of my parents... do you think he'll ask me out?" I bit my lip nervously.

"Have you looked at yourself babe?" Manny raised a brow. "You're hot, he'd be stupid not to ask you out."

I gushed at that. Going out with Karter... I wonder what that would be like.

"Can we take a moment and talk about how he defended you at school?" Manny said excitedly. "Turn. On."

I fanned myself. Oh yeah. Definitely. It was at that moment I knew he didn't actually hate me. We definitely had a lot to talk about.

Manny and I spent the night imagining different scenarios. I kept checking my phone hoping Karter would call or text me, but he didn't. I didn't lose hope, he might be different in person.

Never in my life had I been excited to go to school like I did now. I waited for Karter at his locker. I saw him coming this way, his head popping over the crowd thanks to his height. He was dressed in his notorious black sweater. His eyes met mine and his cheeks turned pink but he didn't drop his gaze as he reached me.