Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Carter and The Boy

Some of you wanted to know if there was a boy in Carter's life before she met Donovan. Now you have your answer.

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The school was a flurry of motion and chatter that Carter paid no attention to. She stood before a row of lockers, arms crossed, staring at the ceiling and chewing gum. Only one thing sat on her mind today: Tyler Hayes. A trio of girls rushed up to her side, all wearing matching eager expressions.

"So are you going to do it?" Eva asked, her wild brown curls framing her dark face.

"I don't think you can," Courtney said, leaning against the locker near Carter, playing with the edge of her honey-blonde braid. "I mean this is Tyler Hayes after all! The guy doesn't speak to anyone! He's the hottest recluse there is."

"Carter said she could get Tyler to talk to her," Jaya said, caramel eyes alight with confidence. "So I believe she can get him to talk to her." She leaned in. "What's the plan?"

Carter pulled out a pocket mirror, pressed the chewing gum to the back of it, and pressed it against the locker.

"I know his class schedule, the book he's currently reading, and what subjects he's best in. Knowing that I'll use it to my advantage."

Eva eyed her friend. "Do we even want to know how you got that information?"

Carter threw them a mischievous grin. "You can't call it stalking if it's all posted on social media."

"He doesn't have any accounts," Courtney said.

Smiling with pride, Carter stepped out the view of the mirror so she could see the hallway behind without having to look back.

"No, he doesn't but do you know how many people in this school post constantly? I knew his first period, it just took time scrolling through other people's accounts to see where I caught glimpses of him in other students' photos and put it all together. Only a few hours of work."

To her delight, her friends stared at her like she knew the answer to life.

"So the next step?" Jaya asked, excitedly.

Carter peered at the mirror and grinned as a glasses-wearing, cute boy walking and reading a book appeared in flashes among the thinning crowd of students.

"Now," she said. "You watch and learn." 

Carter collected a mass of textbooks, notebooks, papers, and books. She crossed the hallway and leaned against the wall, staring at her mirror situated high enough she could see over the heads of her fellow peers to down the hall to her left.

As Tyler hit the halfway mark on the hallway, Carter bounced up and down getting her breathing ramped up, her actions causing her friends to stifle laughter. When Tyler was a few feet away from the end of the hall, Carter sprinted around the corner and collided with him.

In a perfectly orchestrated act, Carter lost hold of her belongings and they went crashing to the floor along with the book Tyler had had. The pair stumbled away from each other.

Carter sighed, staring down at the mess around her feet.

"This is delightful."

Without saying anything, Tyler pushed up his glasses and squinted at the carnage, searching. Spotting his book, he moved. Knowing his intent, Carter acted, bending down at the same time, aligning their paths. Even knowing what it was going to happen, it hurt when their heads knocked together. Carter staggered back, clutching her bruised forehead.

"Seriously Hayes how hard is your head?" she asked.

Tyler rubbed his forehead, frowning at her.

"I don't see how this is my fault, you're the one who is supposed to be graceful?"