Sitting on the wooden porch, Carter rubbed the ears of a large mutt that had flopped in her lap; she'd recognized the dog as one of the near-distance neighbors, and was happy when he had approached her at her whistle. She smiled hard as his tail thumped on the old timber beneath him, his breath coming out in steamy patches of fog.
The world was bright, Carter noticed, despite the midday sun being guarded by an overcast sky.
"Who's a good boy?" Carter asked the dog several times, he becoming more and more ecstatic at the sound of her upbeat voice.
Carter paused for emphasis. The dog, confused, looked up at Carter and licked his lips with his pink and black-spotted tongue, and Carter grinned wildly at his adorable expressions.
"You are!" She exclaimed loudly, burrying her face into the dogs cold fur and rubbing his belly while he kicked his leg, "Yes, you are!"
The door behind Carter swung open, and heavy footsteps left the house. "It's fucking cold, Carter." Came Jeremy's voice as he shut the door behind him.
Carter didn't respond, she only focused more attention on the dog. Obviously it was cold, she thought. It was winter after all.
Jeremy stood next to Carter- his boots having left prints in the shallow snow that had layered on the porch. "Mason would be pissed if you got sick, you know." Jeremy elaborated.
"I won't." Carter answered simply. Truth be told, she'd lost feeling in her fingers and toes some time ago. But Mason and Mia were out- Mia was working, and Mason said he had something to take care of with the other housemates- she didn't want to be inside without them, and all the animals outside were so nice.
Carter could feel Jeremy's patience slipping, even before he spoke, "Yes you will- your clothes aren't even thick."
Clenching her jaw, Carter pressed her eyes closed, forcing herself to take deep breaths. Why did Jeremy have to get annoyed so easily?
Can't you keep to yourself? Carter wanted to ask. Yes, Jeremy had found her that day in the street- but so could have any number of Mason's friends. They had all been keeping their eyes open for her, she learned. Mason always had the suspicion Carter would run away too, and he had followed the train tracks when he left. Those tracks were the easiest route out of the town, and with Carter's face all over the news Mason was expecting her arrival.
The dog pressed his frigid, wet nose into Carter's palm, and she rubbed the area around his eyes with her skinny fingers in response. Vee had always been afraid of dogs, Carter thought suddenly, but how could she be? They just want to be cuddled, they had nothing but love in their hearts. What happy boys!
Cole once called Carter a cat, she remembered fondly, because she liked her personal space and she was introverted. But even cats like to be close to others sometimes, Carter knew.
"Carter." Came an agitated Jeremy, pulling Carter back into the present.
"My clothes are fine!" Carter said sharply. She always wore jeans and hoodies in the winter- there wasn't even that much snow today. Plus, she had on two long-sleeved shirts, three layers of socks, and a pair of leggings under her pants.
There was a pause, and Carter was quick to realize her mistake: sometime reliving her memory, Jeremy had moved onto a new topic. Carter could feel her cheeks heat in embarrassment. When she did that with Vee, her friend always laughed it off. But Jeremy wasn't Vee.
Her hunch was proven accurate upon Jeremy's next snappy comment of, "Holy fuck, I said if you're going to be outside alone you should have Goddamn mace."
Carter turned her head further from Jeremy's direction, her neck beginning to ache from looking this one way for so long. Why would she need pepper spray? It's not dangerous here! Carter thought angrily at Jeremy, her mind invisioning Mia's favorite show taking place in the South side of Chicago.
Jeremy didn't say anything for several hearbeats, and Carter almost wondered if she could physically hit the tension with her closed fist. Why wasn't Jeremy helping Mason with whatever he took all the other guys for, anyway?
"I brought you hot chocolate." Jeremy stated shortly, setting the mug he had brought out with him on the porch railing. Steam billowed out the top.
Harshly, he shoved his hands into his pockets and spun around. With each step was an echo, as there was nothing beneath the porch, and the wood creaked under his weight. The door all but slammed behind him.
Carter clenched her jaw.
