Perfect Strangers

10| Friends

Chapter 10: Friends (Alex's POV)

I woke up the next morning more tired than usual. The party went on till three in the morning. After one point, pretty much all the men were drunk and playing poker and all the women were chatting their mouths off. 

Carter and I kept each other company, for the most part, we sat up in his room for a little bit, even managed to sneak out and take a walk and then he walked me back home. 

I groaned, squinting at the sun that peeked through my blinds while pulling a pillow over my head. My phone began ringing so I answered and used it as an excuse to wake myself up. "Hello?" I groaned. 

"We're meeting at noon, right?" Hannah's voice came through. 

"Yeah, why?" I asked. 

"Because that's thirty minutes from now," she said. 

I whined and hung up while standing up and pulling my closet doors open, grabbing the first pair of jeans I spotted and a red tank top. I grabbed my air forces and a pair of black socks before grabbing my undergarments and going into the bathroom where I showered, brushed my teeth, washed my face before coming out. 

I put my hair in double dutch braids after getting dressed before grabbing my phone, shoving it in my back pocket, and taking my keys in the other pocket before running downstairs. 

Two minutes left. 

I grabbed a banana and cut it up and put it on some toast which I ate quickly before heading out. I stepped out and locked the door behind me while unlocking my phone to call Hannah for a ride when a car halted in front of my house. 

I looked up in confusion when the door opened and Carter stepped out. "Need a ride?" he smirked. 

I shook my head and rolled my eyes while smiling before walking down to his car. He opened the passenger door for me before getting in the driver's seat and starting the drive. "Thanks for the ride," I smiled. 

"Well, when you didn't show up at the cafe this morning, I figured you must have slept in because you seemed tired by the end of last night. So I thought instead of meeting you there I would just drive you. Save you some time," he shrugged. 

"Well, that's very generous of you," I retorted. 

He laughed while turning the volume up just a bit, the music humming in the background. Stay by Rihanna was playing on the radio and I found myself humming to it. 

He must have noticed because he turned the volume up. I glanced at him and he was laughing while looking at me. He probably knows the words, most people I know do. 

"Not really sure how to feel about it, something in the way you move," I mumbled with the song. 

"Makes me feel like I can't live without you, it takes me all the way," he sang. "I want you to stay," we laughed. It's a sad song yet here we are laughing to it. 

"Not bad, Reed," I teased, punching his arm, "Who would have thought Carter Reed sings to Rihanna?" I chuckled. 

"You tell nobody," he glared at me. 

"Or what?" I smirked. 

"Alexandria," he said slowly. 

"Why do you always call me that?" I frowned. 

"Isn't that your name?" he questioned. 

"It's Alex. I don't like people calling me Alexandria, especially my friends," I mumbled. 

"Friends?" he asked. 

I bit my tongue, hesitantly looking up at him. "Or strangers doesn't matter," I stammered.