The Phoenix

Chapter 21 - Don't Start Something You Can't Finish

(Carter's POV)

It's been almost two months since the Masquerade Ball and things were lightening up, with Scar and with everything else. School especially, it is the beginning of December and break was just ahead which meant less homework since the semester was ending and more time that I can spend with my beautiful girlfriend.

Things with us have been going great. She's still living with Lanie and I and we are loving it. I don't see how I can possibly live without her at this point. The need to be around Scarlett has intensified and has gone way beyond how I thought I could ever feel about someone. Lanie loves to through that in my face whenever she gets the chance and I deny it because I love it.

I love Scarlett and there is no denying that I would jump in front of a bullet for her if I had to.

Her and Lanie are the only two people who keep me going day in and day out. I try my hardest to spend time with both of them, sometimes separately. Even though I know it doesn't bother either one if we spend time together, but I just want Lanie to always know that just because I have Scar doesn't mean I'll leave her behind.

But she has her dad now too and I know she doesn't want me to feel like she is leaving me behind. I always have to let her know that it's okay if she loves him too, he is your father. I will always love her and she will always be my little sister. She needs her dad and if she chooses to live with him I would let her go, I'll miss her, but I'd let her go.

"Hey, what's up man?" Kaiser greeted me as he came and took a seat next to me.

Kaiser and I have always had class together one semester or another but this was the semester that we actually talked and got to know each other. He was a cool dude and I'm surprised that we haven't really spoken before.

"What's up, my dude?" I nodded up at him, holding out my hand for him to shake.

Class has just started and the professor was standing in front on the room waiting for the rest of the students to take a seat. I was dreading this class because he always gives us essays to write about shit he goes on about. Half of these students are probably failing because they fall asleep during his boring fucking lectures.

"Alright students, after this class we only have two more classes before the semester is over and I want to switch things up a little bit." The professor told us. "Instead of the twenty page essay that I decided on this morning..." He trailed off, a few students in the class sighed in relief. "I decided to give you all presentations."

"I'd rather have the essay now, please." A guy sitting in front of me expressed.

A few students laughed, agreeing.

The professor smirked, pushing his glasses up on his big nose. "I know. I also took the liberty of pairing you all up with a partner at random." More students groaned. "I didn't mention that this was a partnered project?" He chuckled, walking back and forth in front of the room, hands in his pockets. "The presentation must be twenty minutes long and included twelve slides and two videos. I do not care how long or short your slides or videos are your presentation must reach twenty minutes. If it does not, 10 points will be knocked off of your grade for every minute you go over and under."

Man, this dude is a hard ass. He makes me ask myself why I decided to go to school in the first place, professors are hard asses.