Lucas

"Knock."

"No."

"Kno - ck."

"N - o."

"Do it!"

"I don't respond to yelling." I cross my arms over my chest and look away from Julian, faking a hurt expression.

Julian slaps his face, sighs, and knocks his head against the front door. "You promised me a favor. And this is my favor." He looks up at me. "Do it or I'll make you cover my next shift."

"Can you do that?"

"I don't know!" He throws his hands up in the air. "Just do it!"

"Fine!" Exhaling, I let the knuckles of my hand tap against the front door. Every passing second causes a bead of sweat to roll down my neck. I use my sleeve to wipe it down. Disgusted by the puddle on my sleeve, I pull down the sleeve until it is past my hand and crumble it to a ball. Satisfied by the shape, I fist it in my hands.

"Just be normal, man."

"How can I?" I whisper yell. "You're about to make me apologize to Carter!"

"He's our friend." He stabs my side with his elbow.

I hiss, pretending to be hurt. He doesn't look amused.

"Lucas! And Julian! I haven't seen you in forever!" Mrs. Mason claps her hands in excitement. "Please come in!" She opens the door to let us pass through. Once we are inside, she points us toward the stairs. "Carter's in his room, like always." She mutters under her breath.

Julian and I exchange a look, speaking through our eyes.

She's scary.

Carter's relationship with his parents is... tough. Compared to mine, I've had it easy. His parents were strict with him until he snapped. His grades slipped, he focused on soccer, and stopped listening. They tried to force him to focus on school but he refused. Ever since, they've been trying to make a new baby to "replace" Carter.

It sounds harsh but sadly, I was there when they were yelling. I had to pretend to be in a deep sleep for about an hour.

"I'll make you guys some cookies!"

"There's no need, Mrs. Mason." Julian releases his charming smile, "We don't want to bother you."

"Nonsense!" She shoos us. "Now go on ahead! I have work to do." She cracks her knuckles.

I am quick to make my way up the stairs. Not because I want to apologize to Carter, obviously, I'm just scared of Mrs. Mason.

Julian's steps thunder behind me. I pause at the top as nerves flood my body. Noticing my frozen body, Julian twists the knob until it flies open and crashes against a wall.

"Oops." He mutters.

Carter, as if expecting us, stares blankly at the TV while his fingers move across the controller. He sighs when his character falls off the ledge and dies, ending the game.

"Damn it." He throws the controller on his bed. His fingers grab the remote and press the "on" button.

The TV goes dark.

"Carter - "

"Do you think I need a hair cut?" Carter makes a weird expression. "I don't think an Afro suits my face." His fingers pull at sections of his hair.

Uh, what?

"Carter." Julian's tone is impatient.

"Don't start, Kidd." Carter sighs. "I don't need to hear an "apology"." He makes finger quotations.

"Did you just finger quote "apology"?" I mimic while side glancing Julian. His eyes are narrowed into suspicion.

"No, I "didn't"."

"You did it again!"

"It's because of you!" His finger shakily points in my direction.

"Sorry." I mutter sheepishly. My shoulders move up into a weird shrug. Julian pushes them down until I stumble on my knees.

Carter looks down at me with strange, dark eyes. When our eyes meet, he jumps to his feet. His body moves across his room to sit on the window sill. His sigh causes a cloud of fog to appear on the glass. He uses his hand to wipe it.

Is he filming a music video?

"Carter - " Julian pauses. "We are - "

Carter cuts him off. "She rejected me." He sighs.

I try to focus on the sound his finger makes as it moves across the glass.

Squeak. Squeak.

Wait, did he say rejected?

"Carter." Julian's voice is softer now.

"I know, I know." Carter's breath causes another cloud of fog to form a circle on the glass. "You told me she didn't like me." His hands wipe at the glass. "I should have listened."

"I'm..." I trail off. "...confused."

"I meant to say that - " Carter's eyes connect with mine. "I confessed to Nikki."

My stomach falls.

"And she rejected me."

Phew. For a second, I almost stormed out of here.

His bitter laugh bounces off the walls. "She was so nice about it too." His hands ball into fists.

"Sorry, Carter." Julian mumbles.

Carter taps the glass.

"So she "rejected" you?" I can't help but ask again. My brain can't believe Nikki would reject someone as muscular as Carter.

The guy lifts!

"Yes!" Carter stands up to roll his eyes. "Now you know I have no game."

"We've always known." Julian and I communicate silently through our eyes.

"That's not the worst part. She likes someone else."

A feeling of dread grows at the pit of my stomach. It is quick to spread to my limbs as pools of sweat dribble down my face.

"I asked her who it is but all she said was "he is cool"."

I'm cool, aren't I?

"She said that?" Julian's eyes are glued to the side of my face.

"Yeah." Carter watches my expression. "She didn't hesitate." He tilts his head to the side as if to analyze me deeper.

My toes curl at the thought of her possibly liking me.

I must remain calm for Carter's sake.

"I don't know who it could be." Carter's voice is flat, almost sarcastic.

"So you're not angry?" Julian leans back, his body ready to move out the door.

"Nah!" Carter waves him off. "It's not like I can make her like me." His eyes light up. "Unless - "

Julian scolds, "Carter!"

"Right."

Julian's stabs my side, eyes going from Carter to me and from me to Carter. I try to read his lips but fail as my mind fails to concentrate on him. It's still swirling with thoughts about Nikki.

"Say something!" He whisper yells.

"Oh!" Um. "I - I promise to lay off her." Shut it, Lucas! "You - you liked her first so..." I trail off, struggling to breathe through my words.

Besides, with Victoria threatening my life, I can't even glance at her.

Carter's face looks bored and tired. Julian's face is of similar expression.

"I have a girlfriend so... yeah." My face burns. A large tear of sweat rolls down the side of my face.

"Really?" Carter raises an eyebrow. "You won't grab her hand or - or glance at her?"

My legs become wobbly. "Yeah." I've just realized it would be for the best.

Julian and Carter exchange a look.

"Yes." This time my tone is firm.

"Eh, don't bother."

"What?" I look up at him in confusion. "Come again?" Julian asks at the same time.

"Well, I am like ninety-nine percent sure Nikki likes you."

My ears perk up at his comment. My body becomes jello. Giddy feelings and what I can only describe as "butterflies" dance inside me.

"I like her and I think I want to see her happy? I might play a prank on her or steal her pencil pouch though, still on the fence."

"Carter!" Julian snaps.

Carter shrugs, unbothered.

"So... I can like her?" I clear my throat when they give me hints of teasing expressions. "Not that it matters." I speak slowly.

Why am I getting ahead of myself? I don't think it would be right to just date Nikki. Besides the Victoria situation, I'm worried Carter's putting up a front. Also, I've been warned of the dangers by Logan.

He made that mistake once.

Now he has nobody.

Carter nods in my direction. "Date her." He holds up his hand, his fingers pointing toward the sky, and his eyes serious. "Just let me know and maybe hold off on the PDA. I'm worried I might stab you with my fork."

"Ahh..." What do I respond to that?

"That's mature thinking, Carter."

"You know what, Kidd? I don't care if that's sarcastic or not. I'm okay. I'm a guy and I don't care anymore."

"Riiight..." I mutter, trying to act sad with him. The corners of my lips won't cooperate. They keep on lifting by themselves.

"She's not even that hot!"

"Course." I agree.

"Sometimes she dresses like a hobo!"

"Preach!"

"Who wears converse anyway?!"

"Amen!"

"She could use some tips from this man!" His thumbs point at his face.

"Hallelujah!" I raise my hands.

"Enough!" Julian rubs at his temples. "Just tell us what to do!"

"Well, daaang. I don't know." Carter pulls at his hair again. "I might try dating Shelly." His face brightens.

"Shelly?" Julian and I repeat.

"Yeah, she's nice. I don't like that she used to be close with Victoria but - "

"Who the hell is Shelly?"

His chin juts out to judge us. "Shelly? Come on! You know Shelly!"

No, we don't.

"One of the girls who went off on Victoria at the parking lot."

"Uh..." I give Julian a look. He just shrugs. I ask, "The cousin or not cousin?"

"Cousin."

Julian is skeptical, "Really?" He looks like he wants to run. "Isn't that the creepy girl who won't stop sending us finger hearts?"

"Isn't her name Shelby?" That's what I've been calling her.

"I thought the same but she told me it was Shelly."

"And the other girl?"

"I think it starts with an "M"..." Carter taps his chin as if it would help him remember the name.

"How did you guys - " Julian interlocks his fingers together as if to act out a union. "I mean - "

"Is that a good idea?" I finish.

She was as crazy as Victoria. The not cousin too.

"I don't know." Carter chuckles. "But she comforted me after Nikki left. She was hiding behind Nikki's car."

"What - what was she doing there?" Julian asks, eyes widened in my direction.

Carter shrugs a response. "Cute, huh?" He sighs with a smile on his face.

No.

"She patted my hand and it made like twenty fireworks go off inside my pants!"

Oh, Carter.

"Not in a s*x wise but like... you know?"

"I'll say yes, Carter." Julian looks done with him.

"She works at Whole Foods so I will stalk her there."

"Maybe not stalk her."

The question is, did Shelby tell Carter that she works at Whole Foods? Or did Carter finally snap?

Julian laughs as his arm hits mine. I try to smile but I can't help but think about poor Shelby. Carter smirks.

"I guess you are attracted to any girl who pays you attention."

"Seems so!"