Who Can Really Blame You?
Nine
Carter ditches us at lunch too, but Max sits with us, which goes over surprisingly well.
When the bell rings for class, Max offers to walk with me.
“Okay,” I say, since we’re in the same class. We’re making our way down the hall when he finally speaks.
“You know I still like you, right?” he asks. I know I’m surprised.
“I didn’t know,” I reply, “You know I still only see you as my friend right?”
“Yeah,” he says, “I just wanted you to know.”
“Okay,” I say, telling myself that this won’t be awkward.
“You’re fine, right?” he asks worriedly. I nod.
“Adjusting,” I reply. He smiles, and we go into class.
“Hey,” Carter says catching up to us on our way to get on our bus, “Where are you going?”
“Home,” we all say.
“Need a ride?” he asks. I raise my eyebrows at the twins and Hadley, who stay silent too. “What?” he asks.
“Shouldn’t you give your friends a ride home?” Talia asks.
“You guys are my friends,” he says, still smiling like a blissfully unaware goober. I hold onto my back pack straps.
“Your cool friends,” Tayler corrects his sister.
Carter looks confused, “You guys are cool.”
“Not really,” Hadley says. Carter looks at me and I shrug.
“What’s this about?” he asks slowly.
“We haven’t seen you all day, Carter,” Talia says, looking at Tayler, then back to Carter, “We just kind of assumed.”
“I’m sorry I have other friends,” he says.
“It’s not that,” I say, “It’s just… Your friends are kind of…”
“Assholes,” Hadley says.
“Dicks,” Talia sighs.
“What they said,” Tayler says.
“What?” Carter asks, looking at all of us in turn, “You guys don’t even know them.”
“They totally made fun of Ainsley this morning,” Talia says.
“Who did?” Carter asks, staring at me.
“I don’t know,” I reply, “I was already walking away.”
“What did they say?” he asks me. I bite my lip.
“Loser,” Talia says, “Made fun of his face.”
“Thanks Tal,” I sigh.
“Why would they say that?” he asks me.
“Because they were thinking it?” I ask. He sighs.
“You’re talking about the people sitting with Kate?” he asks. I nod.
“They’re her friends,” he sighs, “Not mine.”
“So you ditched us for non-friends?” Talia asks.
“No,” he replies, “I spent time with my girlfriend which I didn’t know was a crime.”
We all fall silent. Friends always come before romantic interests. Always. It’s a rule, well at least in our group.
“I’m sorry,” he says, “If you really don’t want a ride, fine.”
“No,” Tayler says, “I’m cool with a ride.”
“Me too,” Hadley says.
“But first,” Talia says, opening her arms, “Group hug, to rid us of the bad vibes.”
Hadley goes in for the hug, and pulls me in. Carter joins in, laughing, and pulls Tayler in too.
“Now that all is forgotten and bad vibes are gone, how about that ride?” Talia asks, freeing herself from out arms. I drop my arms to my side.
“Hey,” I say, “Can we make room for one more?”
“Yes, but someone calls lap,” Carter says, as we make our way to his car.
“Okay, wait for me,” I say, and turn to find Max. I find him, standing alone waiting for his bus.
“You aren’t driving?” I ask.
“Not to school,” he says, “I couldn’t get a parking pass.”
“Oh,” I say, “You want a ride? Carter’s driving us home. You can hang out with us if you want to.”
He looks unsure.
“No one’s mad anymore?” he asks.
“Tayler is,” I admit, “but he’s a sore loser. Come on.” I take his hand, and pull him behind me, through the thinning crowd, to the parking lot.
“TNT, sit on each other,” I order the twins when we arrive at the car.
“TNT?” Talia asks, “Oh I get it! Talia and Tayler! T and T. TNT. Clever.”
“Thank you,” I say, “Now sit on your brother.”
“You sit on him, Jacobs,” she says.
I glare at her, and she moves, holding her bag and Tayler’s on her lap. I slide in next, with Hadley already in the front, and scoot to make room for Max, who climbs in and shuts his door.
“Hi, I’m Carter,” Carter says.
“Max,” Max replies.
“Can we go? Talia’s ass bones hurt me,” Tayler whines. Talia wiggles making him whine. “Stop it pokey ass!” he tells her.
“BOOM, I’m explosive!” she screeches, making me jump, and making Carter slam on his breaks.
“Please be careful,” Carter says calmly as we pull out and head to his house.
When the bell rings for class, Max offers to walk with me.
“Okay,” I say, since we’re in the same class. We’re making our way down the hall when he finally speaks.
“You know I still like you, right?” he asks. I know I’m surprised.
“I didn’t know,” I reply, “You know I still only see you as my friend right?”
“Yeah,” he says, “I just wanted you to know.”
“Okay,” I say, telling myself that this won’t be awkward.
“You’re fine, right?” he asks worriedly. I nod.
“Adjusting,” I reply. He smiles, and we go into class.
“Hey,” Carter says catching up to us on our way to get on our bus, “Where are you going?”
“Home,” we all say.
“Need a ride?” he asks. I raise my eyebrows at the twins and Hadley, who stay silent too. “What?” he asks.
“Shouldn’t you give your friends a ride home?” Talia asks.
“You guys are my friends,” he says, still smiling like a blissfully unaware goober. I hold onto my back pack straps.
“Your cool friends,” Tayler corrects his sister.
Carter looks confused, “You guys are cool.”
“Not really,” Hadley says. Carter looks at me and I shrug.
“What’s this about?” he asks slowly.
“We haven’t seen you all day, Carter,” Talia says, looking at Tayler, then back to Carter, “We just kind of assumed.”
“I’m sorry I have other friends,” he says.
“It’s not that,” I say, “It’s just… Your friends are kind of…”
“Assholes,” Hadley says.
“Dicks,” Talia sighs.
“What they said,” Tayler says.
“What?” Carter asks, looking at all of us in turn, “You guys don’t even know them.”
“They totally made fun of Ainsley this morning,” Talia says.
“Who did?” Carter asks, staring at me.
“I don’t know,” I reply, “I was already walking away.”
“What did they say?” he asks me. I bite my lip.
“Loser,” Talia says, “Made fun of his face.”
“Thanks Tal,” I sigh.
“Why would they say that?” he asks me.
“Because they were thinking it?” I ask. He sighs.
“You’re talking about the people sitting with Kate?” he asks. I nod.
“They’re her friends,” he sighs, “Not mine.”
“So you ditched us for non-friends?” Talia asks.
“No,” he replies, “I spent time with my girlfriend which I didn’t know was a crime.”
We all fall silent. Friends always come before romantic interests. Always. It’s a rule, well at least in our group.
“I’m sorry,” he says, “If you really don’t want a ride, fine.”
“No,” Tayler says, “I’m cool with a ride.”
“Me too,” Hadley says.
“But first,” Talia says, opening her arms, “Group hug, to rid us of the bad vibes.”
Hadley goes in for the hug, and pulls me in. Carter joins in, laughing, and pulls Tayler in too.
“Now that all is forgotten and bad vibes are gone, how about that ride?” Talia asks, freeing herself from out arms. I drop my arms to my side.
“Hey,” I say, “Can we make room for one more?”
“Yes, but someone calls lap,” Carter says, as we make our way to his car.
“Okay, wait for me,” I say, and turn to find Max. I find him, standing alone waiting for his bus.
“You aren’t driving?” I ask.
“Not to school,” he says, “I couldn’t get a parking pass.”
“Oh,” I say, “You want a ride? Carter’s driving us home. You can hang out with us if you want to.”
He looks unsure.
“No one’s mad anymore?” he asks.
“Tayler is,” I admit, “but he’s a sore loser. Come on.” I take his hand, and pull him behind me, through the thinning crowd, to the parking lot.
“TNT, sit on each other,” I order the twins when we arrive at the car.
“TNT?” Talia asks, “Oh I get it! Talia and Tayler! T and T. TNT. Clever.”
“Thank you,” I say, “Now sit on your brother.”
“You sit on him, Jacobs,” she says.
I glare at her, and she moves, holding her bag and Tayler’s on her lap. I slide in next, with Hadley already in the front, and scoot to make room for Max, who climbs in and shuts his door.
“Hi, I’m Carter,” Carter says.
“Max,” Max replies.
“Can we go? Talia’s ass bones hurt me,” Tayler whines. Talia wiggles making him whine. “Stop it pokey ass!” he tells her.
“BOOM, I’m explosive!” she screeches, making me jump, and making Carter slam on his breaks.
“Please be careful,” Carter says calmly as we pull out and head to his house.