Behind the Façade

---------Hunter----------

Even after I hung up with Carson, I knew she was lying. About what, I wasn't completely sure. Maybe I was just overreacting about the entire situation. But still, I heard Carson talking to her someone on the phone, and she sounded so scared...

I just wanted to make sure she was alright. I - I sort of...care about her. Well, as much as a person can care about someone they barely know.

Logan looks over at me on the couch, the light from the TV playing across his face. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Wrong number," I reply, tossing my cell onto the coffee table and walking back into the living room. I didn't want him to know about this 'situation' exactly, he'd get all over-protective about her and try to do something about it.

Logan accepts my lie and looks at me again, "But seriously, dude. I'm still mad at you. It was my date with Carson. Did you really have to ruin that for me?"

Yes, I think. "Well...what if - what if I told you I liked her, too?" I swallow. That was definitely the wrong thing to say.

"Excuse me? I'm the one dating her."

"I wouldn't necessarily call it dating. You went to dinner, and ten minutes of a movie. So you were about to kiss --."

Logan fumes, "We would have if you didn't have to be an ass. God, I wonder about you."

"But back to my original question. What if I like her, too and she likes me..."

"You like her, don't you? You wouldn't be asking this if you didn't." He shakes his head and jabs his finger on the remote multiple times until he found something decent to watch. "You can have any girl, you've [i[had every girl, and the one time I actually find someone awesome, you have to come in and claim her like she's fresh meat."

"But what if she liked me, too?" I press further. I didn't even know why this, why having his permission was so important to me. Carson and him were already practically girlfriend and boyfriend. "Would you let her go?"

He bites the inside of his cheek and takes his sweet time answering. My heart's thudding against my chest. "It's her choice, if she...if she wants to leave me for you, it's not my place to stop her." I sigh in relief but he quickly adds, "But I'd still be mad. Infuriated, even."

I wave a hand at him, "Don't worry about it. I was just talking hypothetically." Not. "It probably won't even happen." But I cross my fingers nonetheless.

<<>>

The doorbell rings and I saunter over to it, drying my still wet hair with a towel. I swing the door open and find Carson standing there, the sun shining behind her.

I sigh contently and smile. But that's before I see the small gash running down her forehead. I point to it, "What happened there?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I thought my bed was a bit bigger than it actually was and I fell off of it this morning...cracking my head on my nightstand."

"Huh," I say, unconvinced before opening the door further and letting her in. It's then I realize a girl, a few years younger than her and wearing big glasses behind her. "And who might this lovely lady be?"

Carson smiles and gestures toward the girl, who's blushing slightly. "This is my sister, Brianna. Lo said it'd be cool for you guys to meet her, since she wants your autograph and whatnot."

Lo? What's up with the pet names? I force a smile nonetheless, "Well, make yourselves at home. Logan's in the shower and then Brian and Mark should be coming over later."

Carson takes Brianna's hand and again, I notice a second later like the oblivious idiot I am, the stick her sister is using to maneuver around. Was she...blind? Carson looks at me, as if reading my thoughts, and nods.

"What - what happened?" I ask, taking a seat on the couch beside the two sisters. Brianna reaches for Carson's hand, tightly so that her knuckles turn white.

"Car accident," Carson replies distantly, "When she was young. The glass from the windshield..."

"I'm sorry," I whisper but Brianna smiles. "It's alright. I can still see the world...it's just not the way you guys do."

Carson smiles down at Brianna and I know she's proud of how fearless - how optimistic - her sister can be. Logan comes out of the shower then and I toss him the towel I used to dry my hair. He catches it swiftly and smiles at Carson. "Hey there," he leans toward her, wet hair brushing her cheek. And then Logan kisses her right then and there. In front of me.

My insides churn. I want to be able to do that.

But I can't. Not when my best friend is dating her.

"Hey," she whispers, a smile playing on her lips. "I hope you didn't miss me too much."

"Oh please," Brianna says from beside her, "Get a room. I can't take all this lovey dovey crap."

I laugh, "I like your sister's thinking."

Logan looks at me, surprised, "You want us to get a room?" He's taunting me. He knew the conversation last night wasn't hypothetical.

I try to keep my eyes from narrowing. I don't succeed. "As long as I don't have to watch you guys suck faces all day."

Carson sighs and pats my arm, "Easy, tiger. No need to get into an argument."

The minute her hand makes contact with me, I reflexively grab her hand. And if looks could kill, Logan would already have me buried in the backyard.

Carson doesn't let go of my hand immediately, instead squeezing it for a second before standing up, her fingers slipping away from mine. I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

"I'll be right back, I need to use the bathroom." Carson stands awkwardly, not knowing where it is.

"I'll show you where ," Logan and I say at the same time.

Carson rolls her eyes, "I'll find it, I don't need someone to hold my hand all the way."

"I do though," Brianna says from the couch, smiling like crazy.

Carson laughs, "You make too many blind jokes..."

"What else am I supposed to do?" Brianna laughs again and stretches out on the couch. "You have to make the best of a situation, 'cause if you don't, you'll drown in your own self-pity."

We all look at her, but I glance away from her and toward Carson. She catches my gaze and sighs, walking out of the room.