Left Behind

CARTER

I ended up wasting nine dollars on a movie ticket plus the price of popcorn and a drink. Bryce ended up staying outside with me because of my stupid emotional breakdown that occurred. I wasn’t too surprised when he told me that he knew. I thought that I was keeping a pretty good secret, but I guess not. I just respect him for not telling anyone, though.

When the movie ended everyone walked out smiling and cuddly. That movie must’ve been pretty great and romantic, and I wish I would’ve have been able to watch it. We all got into our cars and headed to Logan’s. We got a table for seven and they placed us quickly since there was basically no one else there at eleven at night.

The seating was almost exactly like the movies. Paris and Blaine sat next to each other with the guys on the outside. I sat next to Blake and Bryce, who sat next to me and Kristen and so on. I really didn’t know what was going on between the two of them, so I decided not to bud in too much and to give them some space.

“So who wants to start?” Blaine said looking around after the waiter had finished taking our orders. She took a peanut from the tin holder in the middle of the table and began to crack it open.

“How about you?” Kristen said waiting for a response.

“Or you,” Blaine replied back with an attitude.

I rolled my eyes and decided to speak up. “I’ll go.” Blaine nodded giving me the floor and I looked around not sure to say for a while. “Uh, well, first I guess I’ll say thanks for letting me into yall’s group.”

There was a cluster of “your welcomes” and “no problems” spoken throughout the group. “And Kristen,” I said with a smile on my face. “I just want you to know that I don’t have a problem with you. I’m over it. And whatever assumption you had that made you hate me so much, it wasn’t correct. We had nothing going on, and we still don’t.”

She shrugged and grinned at me. “I’m sorry too, because you’re a much better person than I thought that you were. And what you did for me the other day was so sweet. Thanks by the way. And if you want him, go for it.”

“No, really. He’s all yours,” I said laughing.

“I’m… confused.” Bryce looked between the two of us with a surprised expression. Neither of us said anything, so we continued the conversation.

“Kristen, we’ve been friends forever,” Blaine started. “I just got tired of you being such a-”

“Bitch?” Paris flashed a smirk to Kristen who just rubbed her lips together.

Kristen grabbed her straw and began stirring her coke with it. She was obviously trying to keep from saying something that she couldn’t take back. “Yeah, I was,” she said in agreement. “But what are you, Paris? You’re supposed to be friends with Blaine, but she’s obviously unhappy. Good friends don’t control each other.”

Blaine glared at Kristen. “Who says that I’m unhappy?”

“I know you, Blaine, and you haven’t been being yourself lately.”

“Have you ever thought that it could be because of you?” Blaine said loudly as she stared at Kristen with anger filled eyes.

“Blaine, I’m not arguing with you today.”

“That’s not what you said when you were all in my face the other day. Well guess what, Kristen, I’m not Carter. I'm not gonna forgive you that fast.”

“Well what else do you expect me to do?” Kristen asked rolling her eyes. “Do you want me to beg on my knees for you to be my buddy? Because if it is, then we don’t have to be friends, Blaine. I’m trying to apologize, but if you don’t want to accept it because Paris is here, then you were never real from the start. Do you know how many arguments we’ve been in?”

“Like a billion, but that is besides the point.”

“No, Blaine, it’s not. That is the point. Every fight we’ve been in, we’ve made up without anyone to help us, so why is it so different this time?” Kristen asked making more sense than she ever had.

“I don’t know. Maybe I don’t want to make up. Maybe I'm done.”

“Maybe it’s Paris.”

Paris banged her hands against the table rattling the drinks. “Excuse me? You really try to bring me into all of your fucking problems, Kristen. I’ll beat your ass like Carter did.”

“Okaaaaay, awkward. Anybody else have to go to the bathroom?” Laken said humorously. I wanted to laugh so badly, but I didn’t want to be rude. I must say that it hurt to hold it in.

“Paris, chill out,” Blake whispered between clenched teeth.

“No!”

“Yes!” Blaine interfered. “I love you to death, but come on? Too far this time?”

“Ugh, whatever.” Paris got up from the table and walked out of the front door of Logan's. Blaine sighed and followed her out of the door leaving Kristen shaking her head. Blake mouthed a sorry and the rest of us sat there looking around like idiots because we didn’t know what else to do.

***

“That is what I call the perfect dinner.” Bryce looked extremely tired. We were the last ones in the car, and almost to Aliyah’s house to drop me off. Nothing was really resolved and it ended with an awkward silence between Blaine, Kristen, and Paris.

“It was,” I responded tiredly. “We should do it all again next weekend.”

“If I have to do this again next weekend, I’ll have to kill them, cut their limbs off, stuff them, make them onto plaques, and hang them on my wall.”

“That’s sweet.”

“I know,” he laughed.

We arrived at Aliyah’s house and all of the lights were off. I had a key, but I didn’t like the fact that I would be walking into her house at one in the morning, especially being a guest in their home. I called her and she came to the door beckoning me to come in before someone woke up.
“Bye Bryce,” I said giving him a hug before hopping out of his car and shutting the door. I was walking up to the door when I was turned around by Bryce. I hadn’t even noticed that he was following behind me. “What?”

He stood there awkwardly for a minute not sure what to do. “Uh, so… were you doing anything tomorrow?” He had a sneaky grin on his face.

I chuckled, “No. Why?”

“I was just wondering if you wanted to, um, hang out with me?” He batted his long eyelashes at me making a smile break across my face.

“I guess so,” I said quietly. “Because, um, I guess that, um, it will be fun,” I mocked.

“Carter, get your ass in here now!” Aliyah hissed from across the yard.

“I have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Bryce nodded and pulled me into a hug. “At four-ish?” he said looking down at me.

“How about when I’m ready?” I said jokingly. He raised his eyebrows at me. “I’m kidding. Four-ish.”

“Goodnight Carter,” he sang as he walked away with his hands in his pockets.

I shook my head with a smile on my face. “Goodnight.”