You could cut the tension at the dinner table with a knife. It hung thick in the air and perhaps the worst part was that my father was the only one who didn't realize. My mom pretended not to know Carter and he similarly didn't give the impression that he knew her before.

I decided that this moment, sitting at the table with Carter, my mom, and my father as we silently ate, was the most awkward moment ever. It didn't get any better when my dad started asking Carter about his aspirations in life.

"Tell me Carter," My dad starts as he leans back to assess Carter. "Where do you plan on going to college?"

I bite my tongue from scolding my father for asking such a loaded question. I, myself, was tired of being asked that question so frequently. He didn't even bother to glance at me but instead kept his curious gaze trained on Carter, who sat across from me.

Carter straightened in his seat a bit. "I applied to some schools in New York. I'm still waiting to hear back from most of them."

My father pursed his lips, displeased by the vague answer. "Which universities?"

"NYU is my number one," Carter surprises me by saying, and his gaze darts to me fleetingly before he looks back at my father.

He looks impressed by his answer. "I had some friends go to NYU. They loved being in the city." My dad finally looks over at me and smiles tightly. "Amelia here is going to Juilliard in the Fall."

I shift uncomfortably in my seat and murmur, "I still haven't gotten a letter, dad."

My gaze slides up to stare at Carter and, as if he senses me watching, he looks over to me. I was surprised that he was waiting to hear back from NYU. I mean, NYU was a really good school. One of the ones that I applied to without telling my parents. And it was my number one, too.

"You will," My father boasts and then turns his gaze back to Carter. "Are you musically inclined, Carter? Perhaps a wind instrument? Or a horn?"

My mom finally chimes in as she raises her eyebrows. "Or do you play a sport?"

I wanted to snort in laughter at the idea of Carter playing a clarinet but narrowly stop myself when he smiles tightly at my father. "I play the guitar."

"Hmm," I recognized the judgmental hinting in his voice as my father nods noncommittally. "Amelia plays the piano quite beautifully. She's a shoe in for the Juilliard music program."

I looked at my dad in wonder. It was funny, really, the way that he bragged about me to other people, because he never once congratulated me on any of my achievements otherwise. He simply told me to try harder and practice longer while he turned around and presented me as an award rather than a daughter.

I just stayed silent and continued to eat the dinner my mom had made. My mom, by the way, who was eerily silent as they surveyed the conversation, probably still shaken that Carter was here. Unfortunately, my father welcomed the silence as an invitation to continue, so he did.

"Or so that's what they tell me. I still think she needs to try harder," My dad adds with a strict look thrown in my direction.

Before I can think better of it, I mutter, "I try harder than is necessary."

Unfortunately, the response didn't go unnoticed by him, and he sat up straighter in his chair. "What was that, Amelia?" He boomed and I took a deep breath in attempt to calm myself down. "I don't appreciate you talking back to me."

It was both embarrassing and extremely unnecessary to be yelled at in front of Carter. But I knew my father would never let the indiscretion go unpunished, and he had to prove that to me.

"Sorry," I mumble as I look down at my plate.

There is a heavy silence hanging over the dinner table and I sink into my chair hoping to disappear. And then, "I've heard Amelia play before. She's very talented," Carter says abruptly and I look up to see him glance at me fleetingly. "Her future is bright no matter what."

I felt a warmth spread within me as he offered me a small smile and it was like a rescue line to keep me anchored. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, when it came to Carter, I was powerless.

After a long stretch of uncomfortable silence, my mom says, "So how is everybody's dinner?"

I wanted to face palm at her lame attempt to change the subject. My dad eventually utters, "Very good Claire. Thank you."

"Thanks Mrs. Stevens," Carter says with an overly sweet smile to which she returns suspiciously.

"Yeah," I mutter. "Thanks."

It was safe to say that the rest of dinner surpassed my expectations of awkwardness. The only sound between the table were the scraping of metal against the ceramic plates and a murmur from my mom every now and then.

By the time it was over, my mom told Carter and I to leave while she cleaned up and my dad went to his study to work. My entire body felt drained and I was left standing in front of Carter by the front door feeling utterly exhausted.

"I think after a dinner like that, you deserve to go to bed early," Carter says with a sigh. "We won't talk tonight. But soon, okay?"

Relief washed over me. "Thank you, Carter."

He shoots me a small smile. "No problem, Mina." And then his smile fades and he lowers his voice an octave. "I'm sorry your parents treat you like you're a trophy instead of a person. You don't deserve that, okay? You're an incredible person, Amelia."

My heart stutters as I stare into his golden flecked eyes and try to remind myself not to get so lost in them. "Um," I say stupidly and try to regain composure. "Thank you."

For once, the part of me that said Carter was bad and should be avoided at all costs capsized into the sea of sudden emotion that seized me. Some kind of barrier was broken with the genuine look on his raw expression and in his unguarded eyes. I stopped thinking he was a big bad boy that I couldn't let myself be kind to.

The thing that broke was my resolve as I absorbed the kindness in his words. I began to wonder if maybe we could be friends. Maybe we could be as close as we used to be. Maybe I could stop pushing him away.

Carter's lips pulled into a slow smile. "Of course." He leaned down just a hair and yet it was enough for my stomach to flip. "Goodnight, Mina."

The softness of his words matches that which in his eyes as he looks at me for a long moment before walking out my front door.

+ + +

I sat on my front porch ten minutes past when I usually go to school with my mom. Unceremoniously, I check the time on my phone, and then look back at the street. Georgina said that she would start driving me to school because she deemed it too depressing that my mother still drops me off every morning.

I was relieved by the offer- or rather, assertion- and happily told my mom that my friend would be driving me to school. Except here I was, with hand in my chin on the steps of my front porch, waiting for Georgina to pick me up and there were only ten minutes before our first period started.

Before I could get up and go ask my mom for a ride after all, I hear the roar of an engine coming down the street. Georgina's beat up Jeep sped down my street and came to an abrupt halt outside house. I skipped the steps two at a time until I yanked open the passengers side door and climb inside.

"Sorry I'm late," Georgina grumbles and shoots a mean glare to the rearview mirror. "My idiot brother woke up late."

"You could've woken me up," A disgruntled voice mutters from the back seat.

I turn and see a semi familiar looking sophomore that had the same nose as Georgina. That was probably the idiot brother.

"I'm not in charge of your sleeping habits," She just waves off. "It's your fault if you wake up late from now on. I'll leave your ass at home."

Her brother grumbles in the back seat some more and I laugh and turn to look at Georgina. "As long as I'm there for first period, I'm good. Thank you for the ride."

"Anytime," She grins at me.

"Gina, it's rude of you not to introduce me to your friend," Her brother muses and leans forward so he's in between the two front seats. I glance at him and he shoots me a grin similar to the one that just dropped off Georgina's face. "I'm Jeremy."

I stifle a chuckle of amusement and offer him a smile. "I'm Amelia."

"It's nice to meet you, sweet cheeks," Jeremy winks at me.

This time, I couldn't stop the amused laughter that came from my lips. Georgina laughed beside me too and glanced at her brother in the rear view mirror. "Never going to happen, Jer."

His confident smile drops as he asks, "Are you actually dating that new kid? I thought that was just a rumor."

My eyes widened. People thought Carter and I were dating?

"That's just a rumor," I supplement immediately, and then upon seeing the hope that crosses his features, I add, "But she's still right. I'm not interested."

"Is it because I'm an underclassmen?" Jeremy asks seriously. "Because what I lack in age, I make up for in length, if you know what I mean."

His words rendered me absolutely speechless and my jaw dropped as I stared at him incredulously. Georgina's face twisted up in disgust and she turned around to swat him in the chest, making the car swerve a little, before she looked back at the road and scowled.

"I did not want to hear that," Georgina groans. "If you ever say anything like that ever again to my friends, I will cut your dick off."

By the time we pulled into the parking lot of the school, I decided that I didn't want to drive to school with Georgina and Jeremy anymore. If Jeremy's crudeness wasn't enough, then their constant bickering and eventually screaming did it for me. I decided that I don't care if it's lame that my mom drives me to school. It was quieter.

I practically escaped the car and gave Georgina another thanks as I scrambled into the front doors. I let out a breath of relief once I was hidden within the crowd of students heading through the hallways and away from the crazy siblings. As I walked, I took a moment to thank the heavens I was an only child and didn't have to deal with a sibling.

Thanks to the late pick up, I practically had to run to class, but failed to look where I was going. My lack of attentiveness caught up with me when I run into someone and feel myself stagger a few steps back before someone reaches out to steady me. I look up and when my eyes connect with Carter's, all thoughts of being late for class fade.

"Why do you look so tired?" My brows knit together and I ask him before I say sorry for running into you or thanks for keeping me from falling backward.

Carter's hazel eyes looked dull to match the dark bags underneath them. His clothes looked tugged on- he still looked mouthwatering, of course- and he was too exhausted to give me his famous charming grin.

Instead, he sighs heavily and runs a hand down his face. "Couldn't sleep last night."

"Why?" And then I lower my voice so nobody overhears me ask, "Is it the nightmares?"

He nods slowly and I frown. "They were worse than usual. I couldn't stay asleep for longer than five minutes."

My frown deepens and my heart aches for him. I knew first hand how horrible his nightmares were. He would wake up drenched in sweat and terrified. I couldn't imagine how that got worse.

"Carter," I murmur, unsure what I was going to say. "I-"

The last bell sounded, ricocheting off of the walls and lockers, and I realized that we were the only two left in the hallway.

"Fuck," I mutter and lift my gaze to meet Carter's. Behind his tired eyes was a tiny sparkle, a glimmer of an indecipherable emotion. The only thing stopping me from being more interested in the sparkle was the fact I had to get to class. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

I offer him a small smile as he stares at me, stunned, and a moment later finally nods. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

It was kind of weird being nice to Carter again. All night, I'd had the same contemplation about letting him in instead of pushing him away. A part of me hated the fact that I wanted to be kind to him again. But a bigger part of me wished the way it was when we were friends.

I shook off the weirdness and continued to my trek to class. I practically ran there so I wouldn't be obscenely late, but of course, my first period class was on the other side of the building as the front doors. By the time I got there, I was six minutes late and out of breath.

When I open the door, my teacher merely glances at me and then back to the board she was writing on. "Detention today after school for tardiness."

I freeze by the doorway and stare at her wide eyed. "But this is my first time ever being late-"

"Would you like me to give you another one for tomorrow, Miss Stevens?" She snaps as her cold eyes slide to me. When I don't answer, she nods. "Take your seat. You've already wasted enough class time."

Instead of arguing with her, I just let out a discouraged breath and shuffle to my seat. My day passes in a blur of scribbling notes and rushing to classes so I don't get in any more trouble than I have already. Somehow, this year I've gotten two detentions. During my first three years of high school, I had never so much as had a teacher raise their voice at me.

I idly wondered if this was a result of Carter rubbing off on me before dismissing the thought. If anything, I was slowly learning that life wasn't about making other people happy and being the perfect little girl that everyone wanted me to be. That everyone expected me to be. Instead, I was realizing that I just had to be me, flaws and all.

I was surprised by the disappointment that set in the pit of my stomach when Carter never showed up to lunch. I suppressed the feeling and instead watched with rapt interest and an ever growing smile as Wes and Georgina flirted with each other heavily all lunch period. It was only a matter of time until they got together.

When I reach the end of my day, I take the unfamiliar route to the detention room and shuffle inside with a sigh. The whiteboard has a name written on it- Mr. Gertrude- and a teacher I've never seen before is sitting in the seat behind the desk. My gaze surveys the room cautiously to pick out a place to sit when it falls on a familiar mop of hair.

Unlike the last time I was in detention, I went straight to where Carter was sitting and sat in the chair beside him. His head had been resting in his arms and he looked up when the chair slid against the linoleum floor. While he didn't look as absolutely exhausted as he had earlier, he still looked tired.

"Hey," I offer him a small smile as I sit down and his gaze follows my actions curiously. "How're you feeling?"

Carter momentarily regarded me as if he were shocked that I was speaking to him. I couldn't blame him, either. I've been nothing but distant and gave him the cold shoulder ever since he got here. But after last night, something in me wanted to change that.

His gaze softens as he explains quietly, "I slept in my car during lunch but I'm still tired. And then I fell asleep again in sixth period and got detention."

"So that's why you weren't at lunch," I murmur to myself without realizing I said it out loud.

A smile tugs the corners of his lips upward until he's grinning at me. "You noticed I wasn't there?" Before I can react, he adds, "Did you miss me?"

I hear some playfulness enter his voice again and it makes me smile a little wider. It was odd seeing Carter look so wrecked and tired. I didn't realize how much I missed his easygoing attitude until he was too exhausted to joke around.

"You wish," Was my brilliant response because, well, I had missed him.

His grin widens. "How'd you know?"

The sight of his charming grin, while familiar, still managed to render me momentarily speechless. I was dazed by the beauty of his smile and the sparkle from earlier that returned to his eyes.

"No talking," The teacher- Mr. Gertrude- snaps from behind the desk. "Sit down and be quiet for the remainder of the hour."

"We are sitting," Carter, the smart ass, points out.

Mr. Gertrude scowls at him. "I'll happily extend the detention for everyone if you want to continue, Mr. Miller."

Carter rolls his eyes but, luckily, keeps his mouth shut. He gives me a sideways glance and shoots me the charming smile that I had missed so much and I feel my stomach flutter.

And even though I was stuck in detention for the second time with a bunch of other delinquents, the fact that Carter was finally smiling again made it okay.