Lydia

"Oh," she looked down, unable to keep contact with that gaze that pierced her. Heat arose in her cheeks but she knew that she owed him an apology so she took a deep, quiet breath and gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry for doing that. I guess I just got mad and I wanted to hurt him but I shouldn't have brought you into it like that. I'll tell him that I lied."

He chuckled, nodding his head as he glanced off into the distance. "It's alright," he shrugged, retrieving his cigarettes. He lit up and the smoke billowed around them before he continued. "If it had been someone else, I might have minded. But for you— I'll go along with it."

Lydia gave him a grateful smile and watched his plump lips on the end of his cigarette. He had a nice pout, one that she felt herself admiring more and more. Carter noticed her staring and outstretched his hand, offering her the smoke with a raised brow. She contemplated giving it a go, but declined with a brief shake of her head.

"I thought that you and Riley were friends though?" Lydia shifted her weight with a curious expression. "You don't have to be okay with him thinking that. I don't want to get in between you two."

"We haven't been close for a while," Carter shrugged a shoulder. "Besides, what he did to you kind of smashed the respect that I had for him."

Lydia wondered if she should tell him about what happened between her and Riley earlier in the week. The confessions that went down between both of them and the goodbye kiss.

She figured that if she was going to be responsible for Riley thinking that his friend betrayed him, then Carter deserved the whole truth from her. So she went on to explain the emotional moment in her living room, explaining that she felt somewhat responsible for her broken relationship.

"I don't care if he felt neglected," Carter scoffed, exhaling his last drag of the cigarette before he dropped and stubbed it out. "He should have called it off. Or talked to you. I dunno. He shouldn't have slept with someone else."

Lydia was surprised that he kept his stance on the situation. She understood what he was getting at, but that didn't change how she felt.

"Do you know who it was by the way?" Carter questioned. "Who he slept with?"

"No, he told me afterwards and said it was some random girl," Lydia waved her hand in dismissal. It wasn't something that she wanted to re live.

A cold trickle on her cheek caused Lydia to glance up and she noticed the start of a light snow fall. The bell sounded from the school, signalling that lunch had started and she met Carter's knowing grin.

"Guess we better wait for a bit and take this stuff in soon when the equipment room is clear," he stepped forward and picked the bow up from her hand. "Still hanging out tonight?"

"Of course," Lydia nodded and watched Carter as he picked up another arrow.

"Good, now, lets hit that target."

—

How do I look?!

Lydia dropped her phone on to her bed later that evening and assessed herself in the mirror again. She was pleased with the outcome of her efforts. She wasn't sure what the evening would hold, but she figured it couldn't hurt to look cute either way.

😍

Lydia sat down in her desk chair and stared out at the dark through her window. Johnny's compliment warmed her and suddenly she felt conflicted about telling him her plans for the evening.

She had been talking to him for a couple of weeks now and things were platonic for the most part. But there was occasional flirting and she wondered if she was crossing into two timers territory.

The thought was squashed. Dismissed with the revelation that she was simply talking with both Carter and Johnny. Some harmless flirting over text was nothing and she was single, so there was no need to stress.

I'm hanging out with Carter tonight. I'm not sure what we're doing though.

Yeah. What are you doing tonight?

Why don't you go out?? I know that you have friends Johnny 😂.

I totally read that in Elevens little confused voice.

😂

The sound of her door opening had her glance up from the phone, her mother poked her head in before she strolled in wearing her sweat pants and a thick jumper.

"Dinner's on the table," Spencer smiled, assessing her daughters outfit and make up with a puzzled expression. "Where are you going?"

"Just to hang out with Sadie," Lydia smiled, swinging the desk chair back and forth. She left Allison out of the faux plans because her Mother had always been a little iffy on her outgoing friend.

"Not tonight," Spencer shook her head with an apologetic smile which did nothing to soothe the frustration that immediately had Lydia on her feet in protest.

"Why not?!"

"Because. You just had two days off school and you've got the girls coming tomorrow night," Spencer folded her arms with a shrug. "You can have a quiet night in with the family."

"Mom!" Lydia shouted, pulling on her hair with annoyance. "I have plans! I can't just cancel on her."

"Of course you can," Spencer informed her and started to back out of the room. "And you will. Come and watch a movie with Nathan and I."

Spencer turned on her heel and left, leaving the door open which just added fuel to Lydia's fire. The urge to scream bubbled under her lips but she hated to throw a tantrum— well, sort of. She stormed forward and swung the door closed, the slam shaking the framed photos on the wall.

The last thing that she felt like doing was watching a movie with her parents. She was supposed to spend the night with Carter and her Mother thwarted that plan. She didn't want to be near her.

She opened her phone as she fell down on her bed and scrolled through her contacts, dialling Carter before she raised the phone to her ear.

"Hello killer," he answered and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Almost ready for me?"

"My Mom won't let me leave tonight," she huffed, twirling a piece of hair around her finger as she stared at the ceiling. "She's such a pain."

"Oh that's a bummer," he murmured, sounding disappointed. It stuck the knife in deeper. Lydia felt herself frowning. She didn't realise how much she wanted to spend time with him. "Never mind. Next weekend?"

"Oh, yeah, you still haven't told me what the plans were though?"

"They'll be there next week," he told her with a mischievous tone. She could hear him shifting around, it almost sounded as though he was getting comfortable on a bed or couch. "Now, instead, tell me killer, what are you doing?"

—

I feel like the people that have followed me here are die hard fans of the series. Which is amazing. So I'm wanting to know, who would read a prequel about Draytons Mom and Dad in their younger years ? I started writing it and I'm obsessed with it already.