Crazy things when you're in love

[PrincessKaty]

Carter just smiled, listening to Rae. So, maybe the ocean wasn't her favorite place, but he appreciated her trying at least. She acted like she was toughshit sometimes but he saw right through that. She had fears just like everyone else did and he felt like it was his job as her friend to terrify her at least once a year. A little near death experience never killed anyone. Ha. Pun intended..


"Yeah, when Posiden stabs me... That'll be when pigs fly and my fish can talk to me," He teased her playfully, knowing damn well none of those things would ever happen. When she looked up at him with her big eyes, he nearly stopped breathing. Lame, but in the moment it was just way to much for his little boy brain. His eyes flicked to her lips for a second before back to her eyes. Nope. He wouldn't do it. But she looked extremely adorable and kissable. Her lips looked just as soft as her skin. It was torture. Pure fucking torture. He could like, try, right? Nope. No he couldn't.


And then she spoke again and he was snapped out of it all. "Happy," He agreed quietly. He smiled and laughed a little bit, feeling himself suddenly extremely flustered and almost having butterflies at the moment. He began to move away from Rae. "We can head back now. I think solid ground is your type of thing," He told her teasingly as he took her hand instead and began to wade back with her. It was getting pretty dark anyways and he assumed they could find something else to do than sit on the beach in the darkness.


~


Charlotte looked up at Ethan, biting her lip and grinning. Ugh, he was adorable. This was so bad. It was bad to actually want to flirt with him and get to know him. Wasn't it? It was. She wasn't a homewrecker.


She started to laugh when Ethan began to ask for her number and then brought up Frankie. She went to answer but Ethan was suddenly, and rather violently, "bumped" into by one of his friends. At least, she was pretty sure it was his friend. Actually, she was pretty sure it was the guy who had fallen overboard and into the pool with Ethan earlier. She wanted to question it but decided it against it for the time being.


She smiled when he continued and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds really fun. Anything to get me somewhat of a social life," She told him with a little laugh,"And no, to answer your question. Frankie didn't beat you to it. He's cute and all but-" She shrugged, "He invited me to play basketball. He obviously doesn't know a princess when he sees one." She jokingly flipped her hair behind her shoulder and smiled, then took a drink from her Coke. She wasn't being self-conceded or anything. She didn't really think that she was a princess. She was just more of a girly-girl.


The mention of the jacuzzi made her nearly giddy. "Oooh, yes, yes, yes! I love hot tubs," She agreed excitedly. She really did. The hot water and jets were really relaxing. Beyond that though, they'd be alone and have a great view. And it was night time so maybe she'd be able to see the stars. All in all, she didn't see how she could lose in the situation.

 

[Raerae]

Instead of heading back to the motel, Rae suggested they grab drinks and wander around the boardwalk- it was absolutely beautiful at night, with strings of fairy lights over head, little restaurants with exotic themes, and an amusement park about two miles from them that reminded her of Disneyland, minus the awesomeness of Mickey Mouse. Despite how many things were available to them, French cuisine, roller coasters, an open concert attempting Keane renditions, the two always preferred to people watch and walk instead, especially considering crowds just weren't her thing, either.

With a banana colada in one hand and her other gripping her phone, she nudged Carter and urged him to turn around, his background the ocean with rainbow colored, theme park lights reflecting off of it. "Mind taking a picture with me, handsome?" She turned around and leaned against him, holding up her phone and attempting to get them both in the shot, perfectionist style. "I can't believe we don't do this more often, I'm sorry. I haven't had this much genuine fun since we last hung out, basically before Ethan. That's pretty suckish." She planted a playful kiss on his cheek, and then went back to scrolling through their photos. He was the sweetest, wasn't he? Why couldn't Ethan start taking some lessons from Carter, minus the drinking?

---

As the party either filed into the living room out onto the driveway for some brief goodbyes, Ethan led Charlotte away from all of the commotion, up a little incline kd stairs and underneath a sort of canopy of protruding leaves, with a rocky jacuzzi underneath made up to look like a much smaller waterfall- it was like a clip out of a nation geographic magazine, though realistically just someone's extremely envy worthy backyard.

He adjusted the jets and waited as the bubbles expanded along the surface, before he stepped down inside, and then held out a hand for her so she wouldn't slip. The porch lights shone upwards and reflected off her face, revealing her Tinkerbell features (Or at least, that's how he saw her) that actually managed to bring out the rare, bashful side of him; again, it was hard to tell, but he was a little more than flustered, though refreshingly attracted in a way that wasn't entirely physical. Light, soft, colorful and unique- none really did her justice, but then again he wasn't an English major. "The Olsen's- Not the twins, aha, Gary's family- they're pretty much set for life. Dad's a New York times critic, kind of an asshole but he's commented everything, and then his mom's a best selling author- they hit up a New Years Eve party with that Harry potter author, whatever the hell her name is. Not really my kind of life style, but hey, with friends like him, we get Jacuzzis like these," He kind of cracked himself up, and then made that bashful expression again, realizing the last thing she wanted to hear about was Gary, and honestly he didn't know why he was talking about him. Nervous? Maybe, a little. She just seemed too well put together, he kind of felt like a dork for the first time. Was that how Rae felt with him?

"Aaanyways, yeah... The um, the view is great, you can spy on the neighbors with binoculars," He grinned as he recalled himself and those closest doing just that. "I'm not an astronomy nut, so I can't tell you where the constellations are, honestly. I know, I know, minus fifty points," He laughed a little, and the menty cursed as he realized he just opened the door to a million pick up lines, and couldn't use any of them. Damn!​

 

[PrincessKaty]

Carter was sipping on a bottle of Coors Light. He contemplated getting something else but then quickly realized that was a terrible idea after his hardcore binge last night. His body was still trying to recuperate. He didn't feel as bad as he thought he should've though, so that was good. He figured that part of it was the ocean air and being around Rae. Totally lame, but she honestly put him in a way better mood. It was hard to be in a shitty mood when the girl you loved was hanging around.


He turned around when Rae nudged him and chuckled softly at her question. "Sure thing," He agreed to a picture. He slung his free arm around her and smiled pretty for the self portrait. He smiled when she kissed his cheek and then shook his head. It was a real shame that they didn't go out like this more often because they always had a great time. He could count the times on one hand that the two of them had really fought. "Yeah, well. Fuck Ethan. Tonight it's just me and you, love," He told her with a smirk before taking a drink of his beer as they shuffled along down the boardwalk.


His eyes gazed along all the shops signs. The bakery, a few restaurants and shops. He nudged her with a grin and nodded in the direction of the arcade which was lit up in white and blue florescent lights. "Bet I could kick your ass in any game you pick," He challenged her with a smile. Being that the two of them spent the majority of their time together playing video games, he assumed that it'd be a pretty fair match. He started veering off in that direction with out really her accepting it because he knew that she couldn't deny a little friendly competition.


~


The jacuzzi was absolutely lovely. It looked like something that should be in a five-star spa resort in the little of the rain forest or something. When he said jacuzzi, she was thinking like one of those above ground hot tubs that they took the cover off of enough to make sure that it didn't grow mold or house snakes something but this was amazing. Charlotte took his hand willingly and stepped into the jacuzzi. With a happy sigh, she sat down on the stone edge and looked over at Ethan with a smile. "This is beautiful. Thank you for showing it to me," She told him happily before letting her eyes drift along the scene.


She grinned when he talked about Gary because she found it cute that he talked about his friends so fondly. He seemed like a really great guy. In all honesty, she felt kind of bad stealing him away from his girlfriend. She was probably going to be pissed when she heard word that he'd spent his whole day with a girl. She probably would be. He didn't seem to be too worried though and she wasn't looking to ruin an amazing day because this would probably be the last one. "Well. By definition, if I recall correctly, it's only a real friendship if you get a jacuzzi out of the arrangement," She agreed jokingly, looking back at him with her cheeky little smile, scrunching up her nose a little bit.


"Ooh," She sang, turning around when he mentioned spying on the neighbors. "Have you seen anything interesting? Any love affairs, perhaps? Weird fetishes?" She joked with him. She found people watching to be a great and extremely amusing pass time, not stalkerish or creepy at all. It was... Interesting what people choice to do in their free time.


"I can!" She exclaimed excitedly at the mention of the constellations. She pushed herself off the ledge and stood in the middle of the jacuzzi, then looked up into the starry sky and spun around in a circle until she found the correct angle, pointing north. "Okay, come here," She urged him, waving him over and then grabbing his hand when he didn't move fast enough for her liking with a laugh. She pulled him close to her so he could see as she looked back up and pointed to a big, bright star right above them. "See that?" She asked him,"That's part of the big dipper. If you look close enough, you can see it all. It's like a rectangle, and then those ones over there are like the handle. And thennn, the little dipper is right above it- See? And then super bright star at the top is Polaris, the North Star. Like the one in Peter Pan." She dropped her hand back into the water and smiled as she admired the stars. She found them so beautiful and interesting. She didn't even realize how much of a huge nerd so looked like right now. Nor did she realize how close she was with Ethan.

 

[Raerae]

"Right, keep dreaming hunny, that's my turf," She brushed past him and walked ahead, though she paused for him in the entryway, her arms folded as her big, brown eyes scanned the establishment. Now this was her kind of setting, she just needed to find what game was more her forte. There were machines of all sizes and colors, from dancing mats to first person shooters, tests of skill and luck, and skii ball. "Ooooh, cotton candy, be a doll and buy me one?"


She pranced around the room, peering at screens and scrutinizing concepts. Finally she paused by one arcade game specifically, and pulled two quarters from her wallet, slipped them into the slot and grabbed her silver fire arm. "Aliens!"


---


Damn, and there were the sparks, as soon as their hands touched it was like he'd been jolted awake again. Cliche as it sounded, it was so incredibly real he had to double take the young woman beside him, and he was glad he did. She smelled so sweet and looked like a pixie amidst these lights, and the overwhelming urge to at least to wrap him around her little waist, or take her hand and redirect to ask questions about the starts that didn't really mean much to him. All that mattered was that she was enjoying herself, and for some reason that made him feel like a knight or some kind of hero. And Rae was probably sitting at home, bored and waiting on him, at least he told her not to wait up on him, right?


"No, this neighborhoods too clean for anything exciting. We invaded a few peoples privacy, and know the old man across the street steals the neighborhoods newspapers. That's... About it, and pretty boring."


"Man, I'll never remember all of that, you'll have to show me next time and I'll take notes," He admitted, and folded arms behind his head as he gazed upwards, pretending not to acknowledge the fact they were pressed together a little. Cute, funny, huggable and... Single. He had an opportunity right here to start over, and he... Just... Couldn't...

 

[PrincessKaty]

Carter chuckled and shook his head, trailing behind her as he took a sip of his beer. "Of course," He told her when she requested cotton candy. He walked over to the little snack bar in there and ordered on, a swirled of blue and pink because he knew that was what she liked. He paid for it, then strode over to Rae who he'd found easily because she'd basically screamed at the sight of whatever alien game she'd found.


He laughed and shook his head. "I should've known. Why would I have thought that you'd pick skeeball or something?" He asked with a grin. This was his type of girl. A super hot gamer girl who wasn't super girly. He didn't mix well with the super girly-girls who were all prissy and cared more about messing up their makeup than having fun. He stole a bite from her cotton candy and then held it out so that she could take a bite before she started her game. "I'll beat your score after you," He informed her with a chuckle, as if there was no question about it. He would join her but he knew that someone had to hold all their things.


~


Charlotte giggled and shook her head. She was hoping for something a little bit more juicy than newspaper stealing but she supposed that she couldn't expect much. It was always the old people who lived in the rich places. Young kids were far too broke to live in a cool place like this, unless your parents made bank of course.


"I'll have to teach you a lesson," She remarked seriously and then laughed, realizing how absolutely dirty that could've been taken,"In Astronomy. I like it. Stars and stuff.." She bit down on her lip with her front teeth as she admired the stars, something that she seemed to do often when she was really happy or excited. The moment was just perfect in her eyes. Under the stars in an amazing jacuzzi with a super cute boy. Even though he was totally off limits, the fact that their skin was touching gave her little butterflies and made her feel almost nervous as if he'd make a move or something. Yeah, right. In her dreams.


She looked up at Ethan and grinned a little bit to herself, admiring him as he gazed up at the stars before she moved away from his side and to the other side of the jacuzzi. She cupped her hands together and held them up to the little waterfall just for the hell of it, watching as her hands quickly filled up with the cooler water and then overflowed like the rest of it. There was something relaxing about putting her hand through the steady, thin waterfall that was there. This whole thing was just... Relaxing. And perfect.


"Thanks a lot for tonight. I had a really amazing time," She told Ethan, turning around to face him again,"I know I've already said it but honestly. I haven't met anyone since I moved here so all of this was really nice. You're really nice and sweet and-" She stopped herself, knowing that complimenting and flirting was a total no-no,"... And your girlfriend is a really lucky girl to have such a great guy." It almost hurt to say because she'd much rather like to pretend that this said girlfriend didn't exist. She was really lucky though. He was like the storybook Prince Charming every girl waited for.

 

[Raerae]

In response, she merely snorted, and held the device, aimed at start, and bounced a little as the game began. Her family used to tease her because of just how focused Rae became when she played- she multitasked and procrastinated with everything, but when it came to her gaming, she completely zoned out, and became a real menace when her activities were interrupted.


"No, no, no! What the hell are you doing? Move!" She cursed and cursed again as she was nearly drained of all her health, sprinting to a medkit, injecting the vial and starting back the way she'd had her map marked. Aliens popped out left and right, tongues and claws bared, reptillian tails swishing in the shadows, but she nailed them with adept accuracy time and time again--


Until her character glitched, got snagged in between a pile of crates and became a vessel for the demon spawns child. "Oh, nononononono-- Damn!"


After a moment of debilitating and downright glaring at the screen, she dropped the gun, wiped her hands on her shorts and then swiped her cotton candy. "Bite me," She murmured, though her lips twitched upwards in a playful way.


---


"You think so?" He leaned back against the cool rock, sitting down on the little ledge obscured by water and sighing rather heavily for someone so was so enticed mere moments ago. After combing his fingers through his damp, blonde hair, his gaze flickered from the teal glow of the water back to Charlotte- And instead of just admiration and such, he felt he could trust her, at least with the hypothetical.


"I'm not gonna lie, things aren't... What they used to be. I don't know if someone changed or we're just burning out, but I haven't spent time or joked with Rae like I did with you today, in months. There's just a lack of... Chemistry now." He huffed and shook his head, and then laughed a little following that, "I feel like she'll always want to skip town on a whim, or battle simulated demons for seven hours straight and she likes to hang out at philosophy cafes. Like, who does that? And don't even get me started on her friend, Carter. He's rooming with us, a total drunk, and he games more than she does. Totally going no where, but she adores him and always wants to include him."


"Everything was just new, and chill, with you today. And you're in college, you're going somewhere, or at least trying. Rae just wants to... Do whatever the fuck she's doing, and isn't really... Listening to me, but she's kind of a perfect girlfriend, we just don't.. Have the same priorities." And that was that, the whole shebang in a nutshell, and God, did it feel good to say it all.


"...I'm sorry, really, but that needed to come out," he shifted a little. "I haven't talked to anyone genuinely for a few months now, but it feels reallllly easy with you."

 

[PrincessKaty]

Carter watched with a little smirk as Rae got all into the game. He found it extremely attractive. That might sound really weird considering she was killing aliens and cussing like a sailor, but it wasn't that. He liked that they had the same things in common and that look she got on her face when she got into something. It was adorable. She was adorable and perfect and dating a total controlling toolbag.


He laughed mockingly as she died in the same and smiled at her as she growled and glared. "Technology. What a bitch," He teased her as she turned to him. He shook his head and smirked,"With pleasure.." He informed her and then winked. He put his beer down on the ground, then slid in some quarters that he pulled from his pocket before picking up the silver gun.


Carter's approach was far more calm and fun that Rae's. Every time he shot something he made sure to make some type of victory noise. The game was rather easy until he got to the fifth level and amo was becoming scarcer while the number of aliens increased. He cleared a room a room and then rounded a corner. Seeing a glowing amo pick-up on the other side of the room, he smirked, knowing he had things in a bag. That was until one of the flesheaters came jumping out of literally no where. "Noooo fuckfuckfuckfuckfuuuuck!" He yelled as he tried to shoot his gun. Nothing happened other than a mocking "game over" in dripping red blood. "That's a total rip off! I totally had at least one more bullet!" He exclaimed with a scrawl on his face. He leaned down and picked up his beer, then looked over at Rae. "I still won though," He informed her with a smirk.


~


Charlotte nodded in response to his question. She didn't see why she wouldn't be lucky. Unless this was all just an act because he was trying to be a good guy or something for his New Years resolution. She couldn't see that happening though. He'd been really giving today and she didn't think that he'd invite her over to his friends house just for the hell of it. It was because he wanted to introduce her to people because he knew that she was knew. It was really sweet.


She raised an eyebrow when he started to explain about how things were going with his girlfriend, Rae, and then frowned. This was another reason why she'd been so hesitant with relationships. One minute you're in love and the next minute... Nothing.


She shook her head when he apologized and scooted closer to him. "Don't," She assured him before taking in a breath,"I hope you don't get super offended or anything with me saying this but... Why are you with her? I mean, you want to settle down. Have something stable and a plan, right? And she doesn't. She's wants to be able to do whatever she wants and not be told no. That alone would be a real breaker for me... I think that couples should have at least a few common goals for where they want things to go..."


She honestly wasn't trying to medal or encourage him to break up with her, but she was just trying to get a better understanding of it all. He seemed stressed out just talking about it.


"And this Carter dude. How did that happen?" She asked him with a little laugh. She couldn't imagine living with her friend and her boyfriend. One, she honestly probably wouldn't be able to trust her best friend around any guy of her own. Two, she felt like she'd have to divvy up her time between the two of them so one of them didn't feel left out. It seemed like a big pain in the ass in her opinion.

 

[Raerae]

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in Charming, and don't forget to take your tickets." Although her defeat was bruising, and he had forty more stubs than she did, she managed to find solace in the swirl of fluff in her hand. "I get nervous half way in. Alien Isolation was a killer!"


She yawned lightly, blinking heavily once, twice, three times before she leaned against the machine and sighed. "That colada has me foggy now," though that confession didn't stop her from casting a glance in the direction of a rather large, annoying group of kids; children, she disliked most greatly, but the machine they were flocking to like moths and a bright like caught her interest. Flamin finger, Pac-Man, and...


"Ohhh, a claaaaaw machineeee and there's a Pikachu inside!" As if to confirm, she pranced over to the machine, and saq her childhood idol nestled mid row, gazing at her with those lovable cheeks bright red and velvety. Although sleepy, she was determined, and wasted a dollar fifty with that rigged and clusmy claw before she beckoned Carter with a pout, "Pleeeease? I'll love you foreeeever."


---


"Because I do love her, though it's kind of... Have you seen How I Met Your Mother? God, she had me watch the whole series, but if I can relate it to us... She's kind of my Robin, I guess?" He felt satisfied and stupid at the same time, though there actually wasn't a more accurate reference in the world for them. "I absolutely love her, just... Not like I did about a year ago. And she swore we wouldn't be a pressured couple, but it's just different trying to be with her and feeling like I have to be affectionate, especially in public."


"I thought her unpredictability was the most charming thing, but now that I have my shit together and a solid idea of what I want to do... I can't say she wouldn't get bored with how stable I am and just book it. I have a scholarship for the big leagues, Charlotte, I can't turn down what I've been working for since fifth grade. I've got a scout that wants to watch me play once I enroll," He was as excited as a child, his eyes alit and his hand gestures vivid. "And I'm stoked, and I know she'd be thrilled-- But I can't even tell her the good news 'cause I'm seriously thinking about just... Breaking it off. Relationship wise- I legitimately want to stay friends, and not just the Facebook kind."


"Oh, I let happen. I don't care who you are, when Rae starts genuinely crying you'll do just about anything to make it stop, I swear it's like kicking puppies," He combed his hair again and shook his head. "I thought, at least it was a break in rent, y'know? And that part's convenient, but he's just..."


"I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this, you'll just stress with me. All in all, I'm scared to hurt her by breaking up with her, but I'm... Hurting her worse by staying? And it sounds like a really bad sitcom but it's my life," he glanced at her, looking more relieved than ever. "What would you do if you were me? Other than brag about perfection?" He laughed jokingly afterwards.

 

[PrincessKaty]

Carter smiled in victory and leaned down to rip the strand of tickets from the machine. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Rae," He teased her when she said that she got nervous. He knew she was a sore loser and usually liked to play Devil's Advocate and rub salt in the wound. It was only to mess with her of course. That was what best friends did, right?


"Lightweight," He remarked with a little smirk before taking another sip of his beer. Beer was basically like water to him. He could probably drink a whole 30 pack all by himself. He built up his tolerance all through high school and now that he tended to binge drink it only built it up more. He'd have a shit ton of beers and mix that with something hard like gin or vodka and it would still take him a while to feel it. He didn't even feel like he got "drunk" anymore. He went from tipsy to blackout in a matter of seconds it seemed. He usually didn't remember his nights at all other than arriving.


He chuckled to himself and trailed behind Rae. As she attempted to get the beloved yellow creature out of the machine, he leaned on the side of it and peered through the glass. "This things are a total rip-off you know," He informed her. It was smart of them though. They probably made bank off little kids. You could spend fifteen dollars trying to get a stuffed animal or you could go by it online for like two. He supposed it was just the feeling of victory of actually winning that kept people going. So when Rae asked him to try, he laughed and rolled his eyes. "Love? That's all I get?" He asked with a little smirk as he moved to take her place.


He slid in the 50 cents that it took and attempted to get the little stuffed animal. He got so close. He couldn't just give up now. Damn machine. Five dollars later and a whole lot of cussing out the machine and glaring from mothers at his profanity, the Pikachu came falling out of the little push door. "Stupid game," He mumbled turning to watch Rae as she spent down to get it with a little grin.


~


Charlotte nodded. "Like you're Ted and she's Robin? Or you're Barney? Because those are two different stories," She pointed out. She was an avid Netflix watcher so of course she'd seen the whole show. She felt bad for Ted really. She felt like Robin should've ended up with him. Not because Barney wasn't a great guy but because Ted loved her more. She thought anyways. He did a lot for her that she didn't even know about and he stuck around for the ride just because he thought maybe, just maybe.





"Congratulations," She told Ethan with a big smile when he said that he got a spot in the big leagues for baseball and nudged him a little bit with her shoulder.


She grinned a little bit at his conclusion and then she took in a deep breath and sighed. "Well. Initially, I want to tell you to just break it off with her and save the heartbreak. But, I know it's not that easy. You can't just end it with someone that you've been with for a while... Or ask strangers to give you relationship advice," She added the last part in jokingly with a smile,"You know what you want to do and she doesn't. You want to play baseball and follow your dream and be stable. But does she want that? What happens when she wants to run off and travel but you've got practice seven nights a week? If you're both holding each other back..." She shrugged a little bit, not sure what else to say. It seemed, in her eyes, that Ethan already had his mind made up but he was just delaying the inevitable.


"But you know what they say. If there's a will, there's a way. If you really want to be with her for the rest of her life, you could make it work.." She told him. It'd meant making sacrifices though and he seemed far too dedicated to do that. She couldn't blame him. The girlfriend seemed like a free spirit too so asking her to give up her freedom probably wouldn't bode well. But then again, she didn't know either of them that well at all.

 

[Raerae]

My love is enough! She wanted to respond with, but there was a tiny voice amidst all the distractions that snickered and reminded her that it, so very obviously, wasn't. Considering her boyfriend was with someone else tonight, she just knew it.


"Thaaaank you Cawrtaaa," She held up its furry paws as if it make it say that, but felt herself sway a little, then leaned on the machine for a bit of stability. Unlike Carter, Rae never drank, and when she did, it was something light and fruity, the occasional red wine- beers, vodka, rum, it was disgusting to her, that, and her stomach was weak, though she's never had enough to learn that the hard way, she just knows.


With another, longer yawn she gazed sleepily at the door. "Warm blankets and Netflix sound good? I'm kind of shutting down, and I need to wash the sand off of me," She blinked a few times and held out her hand for him to hold, though she didn't have a sensible reason other than she just freaking wanted him to. "And I bet your exhausted since I dragged you everywhere..."


---


"Believe me, the only advice I could get that wouldn't be biased is yours. And... You're right, about Barney and what I should do," With a laugh, he extended a had and brushed some of her hair back, an affectionate gesture than gave him a justified second to really lock gazes with her. "You're really sweet, you know that? If there wasn't all this drama, the three of us would be tight. Maybe we can be, actually."


"But I think that... Tonight's the night. I should just, go in there, and tell her we can't date anymore. And then... Down a few shots before she starts crying," his grimace indicated just how much of an effect it had on him when she did. Not because she was annoying or dramatic, no, no, when Rae cried, it was slow, and sniffly, just heartbreaking.


He whistled lowly as something she said earlier came to mind, "Pracrise seven nights a week?! Damn! I might break up with myself too if that's what the schedules going to be," With a friendly grin cast her way, he folded his arms behind his head, casting a bright blue gaze to the sky and looking a little like Simba waiting for a sign.


"Thanks, Charlotte. I really, genuinely appreciate you hearing me out." It wasn't like him to be quite so genuine and open with others, unless it was the usual gang. "You fit right in, I don't know which role you've got, but you're definitely in. I know, I know, sounds pretentious, but we're just a close bunch."


"Are you tired? Did you want to head back? It's... Gah, I don't have a watch," He rolled his eyes. "But assumedly late. Whoever's still here is probably playing Gary's clean up crew, or filtering Instagram pictures," he knew them all waaaay too well.

 

[PrincessKaty]

Carter chuckled softly and shook his head, watching Rae. She really couldn't hold her alcohol and it was pretty cute. He felt like he didn't look this cute though. He probably looked stupid as shit, falling over the place and slurring. Attractive..


"Yeah, that sounds great," He agreed. He was ready to go just lay down and hang out. He was still tired from his night. He didn't really sleep. He just passed out after drinking too much. It wasn't much of a sleep though. Instead of taking her hand though, he put his arm around her shoulders thinking that he'd be easier to keep her balanced. "Let's go, tipsy," He teased playfully as he began to walk with her.


He sipped on his beer as they made their way out of the arcade and then up the boardwalk. They grabbed a room one block away from the boardwalk although they had to share a bed because the place was pretty packed. Apparently it was a holiday or something and a bunch of kids were on vacation. He used the key that was attached to a keychain that had the motel's name printed on it, as if it would stop people from stealing keys or something, and pushed open their door.


"Home sweet home," He chimed jokingly, removing his arm from her shoulder as she walked in. He closed and locked the door behind him, then walked into the room. He tossed his empty beer bottle into the tiny black trashcan that was in there and then looked over at Rae. "Try and not take like ten years in the shower, yeah? I've got sand in places you wouldn't even believe," He informed her with a smirk. He was so ready to get out of his swim trunks and rinse off though.


~


Charlotte grinned at Ethan when he moved her hair away and nodded a little bit. She didn't want to say it, but she could hardly see the two of them being friends after they broke up. She felt like the only way that two people could work through that was if they never really had feelings for each other. Like if they were just two friends who were trying it and ended up going against it, you know? She could already imagine the tension being in a room with three of them. Ethan, the ex, and the new girl. Woo!


She put her hand on his shoulder when he said that he'd just have to break it off with her and gave him a little grin. "Gotta do what you gotta do, right?" She told him softly. Breakups were never easy, no matter what. Unless it was for the best but even then, sometimes getting out of relationships was a pain in the ass.


She moved her hand and crossed her arms, looking up at the sky with him as she listened to him speak, laughing a little. "Fuck that. Sports are cool and all but that's way too much," She told him with the shake of her head. She bit her lip and smiled. It was nice to hear that he thought that she fit right in. It meant a lot because she didn't have anyone out here. Maybe this was the start of something great. The fresh start she'd been looking for all along. "It means a lot," She told him softly.


She nodded a little bit. "Yeah, we probably should get going," She agreed with a little bit of a sigh. She didn't want to overstay her welcome, even though she was sure Ethan would come up with an excuse if she asked to stay longer. Reluctantly, she got up and made he way out of the jacuzzi, crossing her arms over herself when she got out because it was actually kind of chilly. Sweatpants sounded hella great right now.

 

[Raerae]

Rae giggled lightly and nodded, "Cause I needed to know that. Have fun."


She started rummaging through her bag, though her mind was kind of swimming and it'd taken her way longer than it should have to find her change of clothing. She rubbed her eyes, and smiled as she set her outfit aside, pulled out her phone and flicked through the pictures she and Carter took. Man, she loved him, he's so sweet and handsome, and for a moment she started at the bathroom door, already feeling lonely. She set the one they'd recently taken as her background, and then sent the same pictures to her mom, titling it how cute he was.


Looking at their pictures made her feel warm and fuzzy, and she kind of just wished he'd come out of there now. Her head swam a little at how impulsive she felt, but if he were to step out right now she just felt like flinging her arms around his neck and...


And... What?


---


"I feel like an ass, I don't have a jacket to offer," He swiped a towel though and draped it over her arms, ignoring the goosebumps that dotted his arms from the sudden chilly breeze. He switched the jacuzzi off, and helped her down the steps, walking along side her and thinking about what else he could say when he suddenly stopped, crouched down and pulled Charlotte down with him. "No. Fucking. Way. Hold on, I've got to... Damn, where's my phone?"


From across the way, at the other end of the pool that stretched across the yard, was Frankie and Joss, hugged up, intertwined, clinging to each other and full on making out. Aggressively so, if he might add.


"I hope Gary's recording this, otherwise we're not worthy of the title friends." He gently tugged at her arm, "Let's take the side door. It'd be a crime if we interrupted years of work."


He led her to the backdoor, on the side of the house that led into the kitchen. "Grab your things, okay? There's a bathroom just underneath the stairs if you need it Hey! Grandmaster!"


Coming down the stairs to heed that title wasn't just a pair of footsteps, but the sound of four, excited legs bolting down the staircase, and immediately an extremely tall boxer dog appeared, excitedly greeting Charlotte by jumping up and down and licking her skin- until Gary slid in and grabbed him by the collar, "Charlotte, Fluffy. Fluffy, Charlotte.".


"Are you filming them?"


"I've had my camcorder going for about twenty minutes, I think they're drunk," Gary responded like he'd been observing wild animals, and then he looked to Charlotte. "We've been trying to get them together since middle school."


"But they're stubborn and always fight instead," Ethan added, snagging a KitKat from one of the many polished counter tops before crouching down and affectionately greeting Fluffy. "Hey boy! How've you been?"


"Are you two leaving?"


"Yeah, it's only midnight," he snorted, and then rose back up.


"Well, Charlotte, it was a pleasure having you over. Hopefully we can do it again next time, under better circumstances," he started to extend a hand to shake hers when something upstairs sounded off, and he muttered goodbye to them over his shoulder and bolted upstairs, Fluffy in tow.

 

[PrincessKaty]

Carter just laughed and shook his head as he made his way to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and turned on the hot water. While he waited for it to heat him, looked at himself in the mirror, like most guys did. Turning to see his muscles gleam in different light. He wasn't half bad looking. He leaned forward on the counter and examined the dark freckles and his dark green eyes and smirked a little bit to himself. He was pretty adorable, as some girls had told him.


He moved to the shower when it was ready and took his swim trucks off there where he rinsed the sand out of them before hanging up the on the shower rod to chill. He took a somewhat quick shower although trying to get all the sand out was a real pain in the ass. Ha! Get it... Mental high five for that one..


Once he was done washing his hair and body, he got out and used one of the towel that was sitting on top of the toilet to dry off. He towel dried his hair really quickly then put the towel around his waist and opened the door to the bedroom. "Totally forgot my clothes," He told Rae as he strode over to her bag that was sitting beside her. "Do you reacall? Not long ago? We would walk on the sidewalk," He sang somewhat decently as he sorted through her bag for the clothes he'd brought. The damn



had been stuck in his head for a week straight it.
~


Charlotte giggled a little bit and shook her head. "Don't worry about. We've been swimming all day. Quite frankly I'd find it weird if you just whipped out a jacket," She told him teasingly as he draped the towel over her. Close enough. She was in the middle of squeezing out her hair when Ethan quickly pulled her down and she nearly squealed at the suddenness of it all. She confused at what the hell was happening, she followed his gaze and raised her eyebrows, watching as Frankie went at it with some other girl that she hadn't known the name of. She wasn't sure if they were trying to eat each other or make out. She started to giggle but Ethan quickly pulled her arm and got the two of them inside.


She nodded a little bit at him and walked over to the counter where she'd put her big purse which was stuffed with just about everything that she would need. She hauled it over her shoulder and then walked back towards Ethan, opening her mouth to say something but she was quickly distracted by the dog that was hauling ass towards her from the stairs. "Aw!" She cooed as it started jumping and lapping at her,"He's so cute! Hi baby. You're so cute, aren't you? Yes you areeee," She sang to the dog and then laughed when Gary came strolling down and pulled him away. Quite the meet and greet.


"Ah, it all makes sense now," She told them when Gary informed her about the two mauling in the backyard. Damn. Middle school. That was a long time to try and get people together. She wondered if it really was the alcohol or if they both just finally cracked under all that sexual tension. Romantic, wasn't it?


Charlotte called after Gary, thanking him and saying goodbye before looking over to Ethan. "So, where's that bathroom again?" She asked him. Since he'd driven her, she didn't want to sit soaking wet in his pretty silver car. Once he redirected her, she made her way down the hallway and probably spent five minutes in the bathroom trying to dry off completely and get changed so that all her clothes wouldn't stick to her uncomfortably when she tried to them them. She squeezed out her hair to the best of her ability and then looked in the mirror. Huh, well. Her makeup hadn't moved much although her mascara was starting to come off in flakes under her eyes. Not as bad as she thought though. She walked back out to the kitchen in a black spaghetti strap dress and grinned at Ethan.

 

[Raerae]

As if she needed anymore temptation as she sat there and thoughtfully stroked her hair, her head perked up and her jaw nearly dropped when said best friend stepped out, and strode over unaware that her heart had skipped a beat with every half naked footstep. Though polite, Rae's never really been shy, in fact (Aside from todays little water scene) she was virtually fearless, and grabbed life by the ass when she wanted to. And damn, she wanted to- Who was Ethan again?


"Mmm, I haven't heard you sing in a while," She gazed at him sleepily, shamelessly absorbing everything that was him like it was their first time face to face. Then gently extending her arms towards him, around his neck and with a firm tug she almost closed the distance between them, though she paused teasingly for a brief moment.


"Don't pull away, I'm not that drunk," She whispered, and then kissed him soft, long and sweet, over and over again.


She's a hell of a kisser, by the way.


---


"Ready m'lady?" He held our an arm for her to hold, and after pausing a minute to see if Gary might come back down, he laughed a little and lead her through the wide open front doors, back into the chilly might air. His car was parked on their oversized, winding driveway, one of three for he was the privileged best friend.


After opening her door and leaning over to fix her seat belt for her (She totally could have, he's just a flirt) he walked around, slipped into the drivers seat and started it up, reversing like a pro and then taking it nice and easy down the neighborhood street. "I'm not drunk, but maybe... A little buzzed, so I'm sorry if we drive slow," He told her, and gestured towards the radio with his mounted iPod. He had a lot of classic rock, and a little pop hidden in there because Rae despised most of it, and then just a few of those romantic, mood setting tunes for... Those days. "Take your pick? That's an honor, you know."

 

[PrincessKaty]

"Consider yourself lucky," Carter remarked playfully. He wasn't the best singer but he supposed that he wasn't totally tone deaf either. His eyes shifted up from her bag to her when she put her arms around his neck and furrowed his eyebrows, obviously confused about what she was doing and why she'd pull him down to an awkward angle. He didn't have much time to be confused though because it was pretty obvious. His heart started to beat fast and he swallowed. He could feel himself start to turn red and get all nervous. She was just fucking with him, right?


Wrong. The words that came out of her mouth made him melt. She wasn't that drunk. She knew what she was doing and yet, she leaned in. And it was like magic. His arms moved around her slim waist and he pulled her up to stand with him. God, she was a great kisser. Far better than he would've ever imagined, in all honesty. He knew that he should be overthinking things at this point. She had a boyfriend and they were just friends and blah blah blah. But fuck that shit. He was going to take it while he could. This had been all he'd ever wanted since he fell her in high school. She had no idea how long he'd waiting for it.


One hand stayed around her waist while the other moved up to her neck where he let it rest while he pulled her even closer to deepen their kiss.


~


"Ready," Charlotte sang happily, taking Ethan's arm and leaving with him. She slid into his fancy sports car when he opened up the door for him and giggled a little bit when he put her seat belt on. "Thank you," She told him with a smile.


She smirked to herself and started to fiddle with the iPod as he began to drive. "You've made a grave mistake," She told him jokingly,"I'm truly honored. And take your time driving. I'm not trying to die right now." She smiled as she scrolled through his music. It wasn't too bad actually. They liked some of the same stuff but she felt like she could really broaden his horizons if he let her. She laughed a little bit to herself, seeing some of the old but good songs he had hidden among all the rest of it. She selected the amazing choice of "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy and when she leaned back in her seat she had to cover her mouth to stop herself from bursting out in laughter when the shower started. It was super catchy but totally inappropriate and hilarious.


She looked out the window with a grin then looked over at Ethan. "This girls obviously got some trust issues with all these cameras. And I feel like having sex on the bathroom floor would be really uncomfortable," She said, just thinking about the reality of the song.

 

[Raerae]

Rae had meant it, she wasn't that drunk- wasn't that drunk, wasn't that drunk! So she couldn't come up with any sensible reason as to why she kissed him other than she absolutely was dying to. And kiss him she did, over and over and over, nibbling on his lips and letting her fingers run along his muscles and the tattoo outlines she knew by heart.


"I think you stole my heart tonight," She met his eyes with her big, brown doe ones, and was speaking notably profound for someone who would have teetered over right now had he not been holding her. "But I didn't know I had it all this time, you know? And... It... Might sound sudden and be all in my really foggy head, but... I just hope my apology still counts after eight years. You'd never be a rebound, Carter... I wanted to kiss you all night I just had to be a little buzzed to work up the nerve," She reached up and cupped his cheek, kissing him affectionately.


---


Unlike Charlotte, Ethan didn't have the ability to restrain laughing out loud. "God, forgot about that one. Interesting taste," He pulled to a stop sign and leaned back like she did, completely at ease and admirably aware of the road- then again, he and his friends weren't big on drinking, turned good ball players old at young ages and absolutely destroyed the liver, which they all agreed was important. "I think sex on a floor is classless. Unless you're married and bored, I guess? A backseat is better, and even then I just... Think it's disrespectful." And no, he wasn't building a rep, he'd been raised that way.


"Hey, does anyone ever call you Lottie? Its been on the tip of my tongue all day, but I don't want to be lame or off beat. Could be a cute nickname though, better than Char twenty four seven, Nina beat me to the punch with that one," He rested his arm casually behind her chair and drove with one had, though he'd passed his test with flying colors, so there wasn't a thing to worry about.

 

[PrincessKaty]

Cater got goosebumps at the feeling of Rae's fingertips moving over his muscles to his tattoos. God, why was she doing this. She was only going to make it worse. Let's be honest,she probably was just wasted and pissed off at Ethan. He supposed that he could live with it though. She was truly set on marrying the guy he could at least move on knowing what it was like. And damn, it was amazing.


He looked down at her when she pulled away and his thumb gently moved over her jaw line and down her neck as she spoke. It made him smile like an idiot, hearing what she said. It meant a lot coming from her. Like she realized it all. Or at least she'd realized it subconsciously. "You've always had my heart, Rachel," He told her softly before kissing her again. He rarely ever used her full name because he was completely aware of how much she hated it but it was when he was serious that he used it. It felt really good to just say it. Even if she didn't really remember in the morning, the fact that he'd said it made him really happy. And the fact that she'd assured him that he wasn't a rebound made all the difference about the situation.


Eventually, Carter was the one to pull away from her for two reasons. One, he was starting to feel a little bad because she was intoxicated. He would've preferred for this to have happened sober. Two, this whole situation really got his mind going about where things could have possibly went from here which was turning him on far too much. He didn't move far from her though, just far enough so that their lips didn't touch. "You should shower... If you can even stand..." He told her with a smile. He really would love to just lay around and kiss her all night if he was being honest.


~


"I like the bed," Charlotte concluded with a nod in a smile. She'd never been one for adventurous sex though and it wasn't like she'd slept around either. Only with the few boyfriends she had. She felt like she probably should've felt awkward bringing up sex around Ethan but there was something about him that was so... Comforting and easy-going. Like you could tell him whatever and he'd just not judge you. Well, he might on the inside but not outwardly. Maybe it was because he'd opened up to her.


She shook her head. "No, actually. Char is usually as good as it gets. I like Lottie though. It's cute," She told him honestly,"It's all yours if you want it." She wouldn't mind a nickname. She though it'd be cute actually. "There's no way to really make yours a nickname... Ethan... Yeah, no. What do people call you then?" She asked him curiously, wondering if his teammates had a nickname for him or something. Hopefully an embarrassing story would come out of it all. She could go for a good laugh, although pretty much all she'd done today was laugh.

 

[Raerae]

Like Carter, her mind had been wandering too, requesting indulgences that it shouldn't and wondering what it'd be like to... And before she could even get that far, he'd mentioned the shower, and she agreed that'd probably be in their favor right now.


"I know, I know, I'll be like five minutes as always," She'd taken her time unlatching from him though, and was super light headed and warm after what he'd told her- She may have been a little out of it, but Carter wasn't, and to know someone had loved her all this time made her feel special, and...


...like an absolutely bitch for not realizing it sooner. How could she not? What did it all mean? And why didn't she feel guilty and have a little devil laughing on her shoulder? All she felt was... Refreshed. Like Carter was more of a cleansing than the shower itself. The again, everyone new Rae didn't have a super hard time detaching when something was bad for her, Ethan had just been an exception.


She'd scrubbed and rinsed in her usual lavender gels, slipped into her matching Mickey mouse shorts and a tank top, rubbed on some sweet pea lotion and stepped back out again, officially mirroring the sleepy dwarf from Snow White. With a dramatic plop she fell on the bed, mumbling about how tired she was into the pillow.


---


I like the bed.





Well damn, take mental note- No, yes, no, yes, daaaaamn. His boyish mind had momentarily taken over and he felt his skin prick with heat as he tried to move past what she'd said- he was impressed with her honesty, though at the same time he wouldn't want to take that for granted, she'd listened to him without judging, after all.


"Same, long as it's kind sized and secluded," He finally managed, though his flustered face was priceless from talking about his exploits, most any and all were with Rachel. Though he tried to block those facts out of his mind for now, so he didn't crash.


"Lottie it is then. And... Yeah, my names kind of... Boring," He shrugged, and the tapped his fingers on the wheel to the beat of the music. "Mmm... Aside from the usual like jackass and all that?" He grinned and continued, "Dad calls me son, all macho like. Mom calls me Binky, 'cause I gagged on milk and preferred just sucking on plastic till I was six or seven. Looooong time, and my braces were short lived, but killer. Oh, brace face was something the school tried to start up, didn't last long 'cause my bites worse than my bark. Blondie, prep boy, and that's just my senior year. The opposing baseball teams are especially brutal."


"I've seen better swings on a porch!" He shouted like he was some big, grizzly man and then pretended to spit tabacco. "My grandmother throws better than that, give him a hall pass he's late, struuuuugle, hey, keep swinging kid that breeze feels great!"


"I get 'kid' on the field constantly." He shook his head and turned down their street, "Wanna grab anything before we had in? It's like one AM but I'm sure someone's up food wise."

 

[PrincessKaty]

Carter grinned a little bit and nodded. He eventually had to let Rae go, which totally sucked might he add. Once she was in the bathroom, he finally changed out his towel and into a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. Figuring it was good enough, he put all of the stuff he'd pulled out of her bag back inside of it and then set it on the floor so it wasn't on the bed. He walked over to the window in the motel in the mean time and slid it open. He leaned against the pane and took in a deep breath, taking in the ocean air. He wished that he could live on the beach just so that he could listen to it all night.


He turned when he heard the door opened and smiled, seeing Rae come out looking absolutely exhausted but adorable. He laughed a little bit and walked over to the bed, crawling onto the opposite side. "Me too," He said, laying down on his stomach. He hugged the pillow to his face and looked over at Rae. He hated that tomorrow they'd have to go back to the apartment and pretend like nothing had happened. Ethan was probably going to lay into him too about hanging out with Rae all day. He never seemed like to direct altercations but the subtle and low blows were definitely noted.


So this was it then. The end to their amazing day. He supposed that he couldn't complain. It'd gone way better than expected the fact that he was able to kiss her and tell her basically how he felt was good enough for him. He'd put up with Ethan just because of that. He moved after just staring at her for a minute and turned over onto his back with a deep sigh. "This bed is probably the most uncomfortable thing ever but it's really nice right now because I'm exhausted," He said with a little laugh.


~


Charlotte looked over at Ethan and grinned a little bit, watching him. "Secluded? Psh, I'm all about that public life," She told him with a smirk, obviously messing with him. She laughed to herself and shook her head, looking forward as he drove. "Kidding, kidding. I'm just going to stop before I get myself in trouble," She said finally.


She giggled at all of the nicknames that he shared with her. "Well, I'm sure you do. You're super young and already better than most of the major league, I'm assuming of course. I'd be giving you shit too," She told him with a smile,"You must be great, I mean, to have gotten a scholarship and all. Is it for the team in state or would you have to move?" She was curious about his newfound career because to be honest, she didn't know much about baseball. Nothing more than what she learned in P.E. her freshman year of high school. Sports. Not her thing. P.E. Definitely not her thing. She wasn't too fond of anything competitive or aggressive.


She shook her head at his question. "I think I'm alright," She told him honestly. She'd snacked here and there at the party and she could probably find something at her place to get her hands on.

 

[Raerae]

"Mmm, agreed. Motel beds aren't ever comfortable though, I'm just glad we didn't get a smoker's room," She flipped over and shifted so she had her head against his chest, and her arm slung over his torso, delicate and light. Not so much in a clingy romantic way, but he was definitely better than these cardboard pillows.


"You know," She yawned and stretched a little before snuggling closer, pressing a tiny kiss to his jaw. "Maybe we should just move out here and live on the beach... Then we could walk on the boardwalk all the time..." She closed her eyes and started to drift into that silent sleep, "We could get puppies for kids and eat cotton candy every day..."


---


He nodded and laughed along with her, drove into the complex, taking his time through the automatic gates and into the dark, dimly lit lot. They passed rows and rows of cars, and he thought on her question with furrowed brows. "You flatter me Lottie, really, you're too kind. Hmm... Team in state right now, and if I'm lucky, the guys, and Joss, will jump on this and join me. That's if Gary doesn't leave for Hogwarts," He continued with a snicker. "I don't think I'll have to move, at least not for a few years, 'Till I graduate. And even then... I'm really comfortable just living here all my life, where I know everyone and everything, and then planning a vacation every few months, you know?"


He pulled into his space, and sighed as he sat back in his seat, he felt pretty tired, but didn't really want to call it a night. Least he could text her, right? Like a total creeper, mhm. "Man, I'm tired, but haven't had a genuine great time in a while," he slipped out of his seat, walked around and opened her door for her, offering a hand should she need it. "May I walk you inside, neighbor?"

 

[PrincessKaty]

"Ah, so true," Carter agreed, moving so that his hand was on her back as she moved to lay on his chest. He ran his fingertips gently up and down her spine as she spoke and grinned a little bit.


"That sounds like the dream," He agreed softly, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath,"Puppies instead of kids any day..." Carter was pretty sure he'd make a pretty terrible dad, especially soon. He hadn't had his shit together since his sophomore year of high school. He raised his head and kissed the top of her head, then laid back down and focused on the sound of the waves. It was relaxing and he could feel himself falling asleep pretty quickly. He hadn't realized how tired he was until just now.


~


Charlotte nodded, listening to Ethan explain what the next few years look like for him. It was actually really nice to hear him talk about it because he actually had a plan. It was really attractive to her. This Carter kid kind of sounded like a deadbeat. He had a job maybe but it didn't sound like he wanted to do much. She liked someone who was driven. "It's really nice here," She agreed with a nod,"That's nice that you might not have to move though." Moving was terrible. Honestly, she'd had really bad anxiety up until about a week ago. She thought about going home about every day.


She grinned and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me neither," She admitted. She took Ethan's hand when he helped her out on her side, then let go and grabbed her purse from the floorboard. "I suppose so," She answered jokingly with a smile. Considering they were only a few doors down from each other they were going to be walking together anyways. Unless he wasn't planning on going home yet. Either way, she began to walk beside him and towards the elevator. She felt like she was taking more time than usual though just because she wanted to drag out their night because it'd been a really amazing day.

 

[Raerae]

(I'm gunna leave them there and we'll wrap it up with these two for a couple posts(: )


Like Charlotte, Ethan wasn't in a hurry, he'd locked his car with the keys and the click echoed through the lot, and since he couldn't do anything bold like take her hand or keep his arm around her, he just kept both tucked inside his pockets. Nearly two AM, and entire day with a stranger and yet he was denying the inevitable end of the day.


"You can always text me, just not past eleven unless it's urgent. I have to wake up hella early for work," He jabbed the button and stepped through the doors with her, sighing and feeling the anxiety settle in as it rose floors faster than usual. "...And you can come over sometime, if I haven't been kicked out," He laughed a little, that was highly unlikely unless Carter had a say. "My next games on Friday, you can always come watch."

 

[PrincessKaty]

Charlotte nodded, taking mental notes of all the things that Ethan had to say when it came to them talking after this night. She giggled a little bit and looked in his direction. "I suppose if you actually get kicked out you could always crash at my place. Although I'm sure one of your jacuzzi friends could score you a nicer place. Just because it's convienant," She offered him with a little grin. She really hoped that didn't happen though. It would be pretty shitty to get kicked out.


She leaned back against the elevator wall as it climbed and nodded with a grin. "Definitely. I've never been to a baseball game. I'll make sure to make a sign and everything," She assured him teasingly. When the doors slid open and revealed their floor, she sighed silently and walked out with Ethan.


"Seriously though. Thank you for everything. I had an amazing time. You're a real amazing guy, Ethan," She told him with a smile as she looked in his direction with her blue eyes. She knew she'd thanked him a thousand times but she didn't feel like it was enough.

 

[Raerae]

"You do that, we need a cheerleader," He walked out alongside her, and they truely did take their time up to their front doors, which were comically close and yet, to the young and over dramatic mind they seemed miles apart. And for strangers to feel that way already? Ridiculous--- and kind of adorable.


"Anytime. We'll do it again, I promise," He jiggled the key into the lock, stared at the door for a moment, and then whipped around, leaned in, and pressed a sweet little kiss to her cheek. He couldn't help himself, though the anxiety of Rae watching through the peep hole was harsh- realistically she wouldn't even do that, though.


"Night, Lottie. And thank you," He flashed one last grin before he reluctantly stepped inside like a kid caught past curfew, closed and locked the door behind him, and exhaled audibly.


"Rae-bear?" Ethan called out, and tossed his things on the counter, drumming his fingers to the music Lottie had chosen whilst he waited for her to skip in. She always, always waited on him, and so he waited on her.


"Rae!"


"...Rachel?"


"...Marco?"


For ten minutes, nothing but silence egged on. With a quirked brow, he peeked into their room, looking in all the places she might hide including the bathroom, though she typically didn't try to scare him in fear he'd do it to her someday. He the knocked on Carter's door, and was surprised to find once he opened it that there wasn't a person in sight.


He looked for a note, she always, always left a note- but there wasn't one. Dinner? Nope. Present? Nu-uh. Divorce papers? Ha, not there yet. Ouch, he didn't mean that or did he? He switched his phone on and reread their two texts, wondering if he could have handled that better and then finding himself more surprised she never texted him. Maybe she was pouting somewhere. What could he do other than clean up and head to bed? She'd be back tomorrow, and then, they'd talk.


Little did he know she wasn't coming back the same person.

 

[PrincessKaty]

The Next Day {1 pm}


~
​

Carter laid back into his pillows as he clicked on the xBox controller rapidly to shift gears in the racing game he was playing, Forza Horizon. He smirked to himself as he crossed the finish line, finishing first, as usual. He spent far too much time playing video games but he felt like he was only right. He did work for a video game company after all. He was on the more technical side of things though. Coding, bugs, inside game designing. He never got to actually play the beta versions which was a shame. He suppose that he couldn't complain though. He could have it way worse.


He looked over at the digital alarm clock and chuckled, realizing that he'd been laying in bed for hours playing games. The two of them had come home at around eight in the morning and he'd gone pretty much straight to his room. Honestly, he had kind of been waiting to make sure that Ethan was gone for work so that he could talk to Rae without Ethan hovering and glaring because they'd spent the whole day together. He didn't know what really was said between the couple when they got home but he was pretty sure he heard them talking.


He paused his game and put the controller on his nightstand, then got off his bed and headed into the main part of the apartment which was the living room and kitchen. "Hey you," He said with a smile, seeing Rae sitting on the couch. He walked over to the kitchen to opened up the fridge, wondering what he could make. And by make he meant what he could shove in the microwave or not cook at all. Maybe some cereal.. He went to over to the pantry and opened it up, then grabbed a box of Cookie Crisps. "Want something?" He asked, looking over at her as he grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. He honestly had no kitchen skills but he'd try for her. He'd do a lot for her, actually.


~


Charlotte was standing outside some sushi place in a strip mall called Stingray. She looked down at her phone to check the time and then looked back up again. Gary had reached out to her and extended an invitation to go out to lunch, as a total friend thing, he made sure to clarify. She agreed, of course. She wasn't really one to turn people down anyways. Even if he had asked her out on a date, she probably would've gone. From what she'd seen of him the previous night, he seemed like a super sweet guy and it was really nice of him to welcome her into his place without even knowing her. She was all about making new friends now and this seemed like a perfect way.


She'd ended up walking again, this time because she was having a little bit of anxiety and driving through all the traffic just seemed like a daunting task. She was hoping that hanging out with Gary and talking would loosen her up a little bit. She didn't mind the walk though. She strolled through a park that she'd mentally noted to hit up again if she ever wanted ice cream or churros. There was a playground there too, and although she wasn't a kid herself and didn't have any kids, it seemed like one of those places that would be cool to go hang out at night and sit on the swings or something.