teen romance. ( richard gecko )

I. MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP

Carter Stinson didn't know what love meant until she met Richard Gecko. She just turned fifteen and loved mint chocolate chip ice cream, Richard was almost sixteen and had a bike. He would pick her up, ride her to the ice cream shop, and she'd get mint chocolate chip, every time.

Richard was waiting outside Carter's house with his bike, coins dangling in his pocket for Carter's ice cream scoop, (he stole it from Seth, just for her,) when it finally hit him how drop dead gorgeous Carter was. She had the prettiest brown hair, actually, better than pretty he just can't seem to think of the right adjective for it.

Lovely. Yeah, that's it.

"Cody! I'm getting ice cream with Richie!" She shouted, half her body hanging out of the house on one foot. She slams the door before he can answer, and soon she's bounding down her steps and jumping onto the back of Richard's bike.

He begins pedaling, struggling at first then quickening his pace. When he turns, Carter would lean with him, helping. After five minutes of biking, Richie breaks the silence by saying, "You getting mint again?"

"Like always," she replies. She goes quiet again, her chin resting on the top of Richie's head. He thinks it'll mess up his hair, but who cares, he doesn't. "Do you think Ryan Edwards will break up with Madison?"

Richard rolled his eyes, Carter was always talking about Ryan Edwards. Apparently he had eyes like chocolate bars and hair styled by angels. Richard always thought his blue eyes beat Ryan's, but it's whatever.

He huffs, pressing the brake on his bike he says, "I don't know, Carter. Why do you worry about it so much?" Richie doesn't think Carter notices the frown on his face, but what Richie doesn't understand is that she notices everything about him. Especially when he frowns.

She stares at him, them both standing in front of the ice cream shop she says, "I don't." Softly, almost a whisper. Because she notices Richie's eyebrows furrow angrily, and it hurts her seeing him getting so riled up.

Richard bought her the ice cream, she kissed him on the cheek, like she always did. (If Richie's being honest, that's one of the many reasons he does things for her. Because the way her lips feel on his cheek, it's like the first day of his life.)

They rode silently back, the whole way Carter thought of ways she could say sorry to Richie for bringing up Ryan without actually saying sorry. Jumping off the bike she turns to him before asking, "Thanks for the cone, Richie. Wanna come inside? I think Cody's with Seth so he won't bother us."

And it's not that Richard doesn't like Cody, he does. Sometimes. Okay well, he doesn't love Cody. And it's really not fair for him to not, the reason is stupid anyway. Because him and Seth fought all the time, whether it be verbal or physical, so it shouldn't bother him much when he sees Cody call Carter a bitch or push her, (which in Richie's opinion, was always a bit aggressive.) But it does, he goes crazy. His brain goes fuzzy and all he sees is red.

Carter will calm him down, she'll tell him it's just sibling drama. He still gets mad though. She'll put her hands on his face, softening it with her thumb, and then all he sees is her. No longer red.

She says Cody's just jealous because she's a minute older than him, Richie says it's because he can't get any besides his right hand. Carter grimaces.

Richie doesn't know what love is, but he thinks it's a girl with brown hair and eyes to match. He thinks it's a name that starts with a C, who likes mint chocolate chip ice cream on a Sunday afternoon.

Carter thinks it's when you're fifteen and you ride on the back of your best friend's bike.