Just_A_Guy

Chapter 5

I have no afternoon classes with Ari or Carter. Carter is even avoiding me in the halls, and Ari is with Sofia and Dylan. I can't tell if Carter is mad at me or afraid of me.

The car ride home is quiet. Chance can tell when I'm upset, and he finds the best way to deal with that is to leave me alone.

We pull into the driveway at the same time Ari runs up the sidewalk. "Ah! Almost beat you!" She smiles and hugs me. "Carter will be over soon, he wanted to change first."

I laugh and roll my eyes. "That sounds like him." We run into the house, up the stairs and into my room. I plop into my computer chair while Ari lays on my bed.

I'm on my computer for a minuet when Ari's head appears over my shoulder. "What's that?" She points to the screen.

I blink at her. "You haven't heard of it?" Ari shakes her head with a blank expression on her face. "It's  called Chatter. Literally everyone at school uses it. You make an anonymous account, and you can share secrets, chat with other people at your school, and see their secrets."

"Gosh Ari, last time I checked you didn't live under a rock." I turn around to find Carter in my doorway, grinning like a fool. He avoids my eyes.

"I'm bad at keeping up with social media." She raises her hands in defense. She bumps her hips against my chair and we switch spots. Ari scrolls through my feed amazed.

Carter takes a couple steps into my room. "Can we talk outside, Everly?" His hands are stuffed into his pockets.

I flick my eyes towards Ari. "You stay up here, okay?" I tap her shoulder to get her attention. I can't keep it for long.

"Gladly." She says, still mesmerized by the computer screen. 

I follow Carter through the house, and out to the driveway. He looks like an old car that's just about to break down. When he looks down at me his feathery blond hair falls into his eyes.

"So... " I say as I slide to the ground and cross my legs.

He drags his hands down his face and turns away from me. "Ah! Don't do that. You're making this really hard." He pivots back to me.

"What? I'm not doing anything!" I put my hands over my mouth, stifling my giggles.

"Your big, brown puppy dog eyes are staring into my soul." He sits down in front of me, mirroring my crossed legs. "Just listen, okay?"

I look away and bob my head.

"I'm sorry I'm a jackass. I was mad at the Musketeers. I shouldn't have challenged your personality like that." He scoots close and presses his knees against mine.

"You were quite jackass ish." My crooked smile pulls at my cheek, eyes fixed on the ground.

Carter's slightly muscular arms shoot out towards me. A grin spreads across his face. I push my body to his, and knock him over in the process.

When we get back to my room Ari still hasn't moved from the screen." Your screen name is SingingPanda32?" Ari is scanning my profile.

"Ha. Yeah." MY face starts to get hot. "I forget how I come up with it." It's been a while since I've looked at my screen name. I guess I was a little young when I made it up.

"It's cute." Ari beams at me.

"Ha!" Carter laughs from the edge of my bed. Ari and I just roll our eyes and continue to mess around.

"I literally know all of these things. I want gossip! Juice!" Ari scrolls through my posts.

"I've told you two all my secrets." I chuckle. "There's nothing on there that you don't know."

"That better be true." Carter grabs the mouse and starts to scroll through the page.