The Phoenix

Chapter 5 - Decided To Take A Different Approach

(Carter's POV)

"You know Carter, when you asked me out on a date," Holly began, turning towards me, "I really didn't think you meant me, you, and your kid sister."

Lanie isn't my real sister, but I didn't correct her.

I just shrugged. "She loves hanging out with me, besides ... " I trailed off. "Who said this was a date?" I chuckled as she looked at me embarrassed.

"Right." She swallowed hard, sitting back in her seat.

"Car-Car?" Lanie called me from the back seat.

I looked up at her through the rearview mirror as she sat in the back seat. "Yeah?"

"Where are we going?" She asked, meeting my eyes in the mirror before looking out the window. Probably not recognizing much around us.

"It's a surprise." I told her making her frown.

I have known Lanie long enough to know that she absolutely hates surprises. In her words, literally, she'd rather get eaten alive by a shark 20 times over than get surprised by something or someone.

I chuckled to myself, I really enjoy torturing her.

We were only 10 minutes away from where I was taking them. Our destination is an ice skating ring. They had a local pond that had frozen up and was now safe to skate on but I didn't trust it one bit. That kind of stuff isn't secure enough for me to believe.

Fuck that frozen pond.

I heard Lanie's cell phone ring from in the backseat. "Hello?" Flipping it open, she spoke into it.

I got her that phone a while back so I was able to get in contact with her when I wanted, or when she wanted. It was a very cheap phone and didn't cost me much, but when she found out that her friends got the new iPhones for Christmas last year, she has been begging me for one.

"Oh, hey Dana." Lanie smiled into the phone, I peeked back into the mirror at her. She waited before speaking again, most likely listening to her friend speak. "No, I can't. My brother is taking me somewhere right now ..." She trailed off.

I smiled proudly to be called her brother.

"Are you talking about the boy in our algebra class?" She giggled. "Yes, he is totally cute."

It was at that moment then that I drowned her out. I rather claw my own eyes out than sit here and listen to her talk about boys.

Ugh. Fucking, ugh.

"Are we almost there?" Holly asked me.

I resisted the urge to roll my damn eyes, that was at least the fifth time she has asked me that in the last 20 minutes. On top of that, she had so much to say about Lanie tagging along with us.

I nodded, my jaw set when I spoke. "Just a few more minutes."

Holly looked at me weirdly. Not really in her preppy mood today. I wonder why? I'm actually paying attention to her today. It's just me, her, and Lanie, she should feel happy about our little outing.

Several moments later, we finally made it to our destination. New York traffic is always kind of bad, but we got here in an efficient amount of time.

Pulling up, I parked pretty quickly.

Lanie gasp behind me as we exited my truck. "We're going ice skating?!" She nearly popped.

I nodded my head with a chuckle. "Yes Lanie, I know you have been wanting to go."