Carter rested against a wall of lockers, hands tucked into her pockets, her eyes closed. The sound of the school in motion rang in her ears. Locker doors slammed, shouts of laughter bounced off the walls and conversations tangled. Her fellow students ignored her, too caught up in their own worlds. A set of steady footsteps approached her, a smile sliding onto her face as she caught a whiff of a familiar cologne.

"Where's Link?" Carter asked, without opening her eyes.

A flirty laugh rose above the waves of conversations. The sound was followed to by a bashful chuckle.

"Never mind," she said. "I have my answer."

She looked up at Donovan, pushing aside the tension from the night before. He rested against the locker beside her, his arms crossed, his eyes trained on the ever changing flow of students.

"That's why Link doesn't wear cologne," she said.

Donovan gave a single nod.

"Keeps attention on you," Carter said. She gave a low chuckle. "Makes sense. He smells just normal. Another way to keep him inconspicuous."

She rested her head back on the lockers, staring at the far wall. After a long moment, where the conversations around them captured their interest, Carter spoke.

"How have you lived being surrounded by so much mediocrity for so long?"

She glanced up to find Donovan's blue eyes looking back at her. He shrugged.

"Because I have to," he said.

"I would have gone mad by now." She rubbed her face. "I'm glad I'm almost out of this pit of low intellect."

"Where do you plan to go after this?" Donovan asked.

"I've haven't decided yet," Carter shrugged. "Every college accepted me. I just haven't figured out how far away I want to go. What follows this for you?"

Donovan shifted closer to Carter, eyeing a passing group of boys before dropping his voice.

"When Douglas's term ends in two years I will no longer be required to be Link's friend. We'll go our separate ways."

Carter pivoted to face him, curious.

"Where will you go? What will you do?"

Donovan opened his mouth to elaborate as the bell rang.

"An explanation for another time," he said.

"I'll hold you to it," Carter said.

A small smile appeared in the corner of his mouth, which she easily returned. The hallways become a chaotic scene as groups broke apart and headed into classrooms. Donovan and Carter walked to where Link stood with Maddy. Link looked as if he was being pulled up from underwater, when Donovan tapped his shoulder. Link smiled sheepishly, suddenly noticing the hallway was emptying.

"I'll see you after class," Maddy said, kissing Link on the cheek before dropping his hand and walking away. Link blushed.

"Shut up," he said, and moved into the classroom.

Donovan and Carter exchanged a look, fighting back laughter. Carter tossed her bag onto the table and took the spot beside Link as Mr. Miller waved the class into silence.

"Today we're doing an in class group project," he said. "I will be splitting you up into groups." He met everyone's gaze with a hard look. "No, you can not change groups. You will just have to get along with who I assign you to."

Carter let out a low moan and slumped in her chair. Link glanced at her and smiled.

"You smile," she whispered. "But I'm going to be stuck with a group of nitwits and end up doing the project alone."

"You get that most of the people in this class are smart, right?" he asked. "It is Advanced Chemistry."

"Smart is relative. Compared to you, and Donovan, this class is filled with morons."

"Carter," Mr. Miller said. At the sound of her name, Carter looked at her teacher. "Donovan, Link and Mason."

Carter whipped her attention back to Link, his face working at control. Across the room Mason was giving her and Link a fierce, annoyed glare. Carter reached out and laid her hand on Link's clenched fists.

"What did I tell you, I got nitwits for partners. Well, one nitwit, to be exact."

Link relaxed his clenched hands and managed a small grin. Carter pulled her hand away.

"Alright class, get into your groups and I will go over what you will be doing," Mr. Miller said.

Donovan joined Carter and Link at their table, but Mason made no sign of moving. He met their gazes with a determined stubbornness. Carter stood.

"Mason, you underdeveloped neanderthal get over here. We out number you and so you have join us," she yelled over the noise of the class.

A few laughs bounced around the room. Face turning red with anger, Mason made his way over to them, Smith following. Donovan leaned close to Carter.

"Play nice," he whispered.

"Fine," she hissed.

Mason dropped his things on the table, sending a loud bang around the room. With a tight lipped smile, Carter laced her fingers and settled them on the table, looking at Mason.

"Alright," she said. "Let's get this over with quickly before Mason counts us as his future constituents."

Donovan elbowed her side.

"Owen, don't you ever get tired of your own irritating voice?" Mason said.

"Not as much as I am of your's," she said. "Low IQs grate on my ear drums."

Mason's face twisted with rage.

"Carter," Donovan growled.

She looked at him with an innocent expression.

"Simply stating a fact."

"Today, class, you will be doing an experiment to determine heat of displacement of copper from sulphate solution by zinc metal," Mr. Miller said. "Listen closely."

He moved to the board and began writing out his instructions, talking as he did so. Mason turned away from the group, pretending to listen. Donovan gripped Carter's upper arm, tugging her closer to him.

"For the sake of Link, don't make this anymore difficult than it already is," Donovan whispered.

Carter turned to him, their faces a few inches apart. When she spoke her breath got tangled with his.

"How am I making anything more difficult?"

"Antagonizing Mason will only make this all last longer. Shut up and finish the project so he can go back to his own table."

Carter rolled her eyes and Donovan tightened his grip, forcing her to meet his gaze, his blue eyes hard as steel.

"Fine," she said. "I will play nice."

Donovan released her and they shifted away from each other. When Carter looked over at Link, he was already staring at her, blatant curiosity scrolled on his face.

"Just exchanging threats and what not," Carter said.

Link frowned in puzzlement.

"It's nothing, Link," she said.

Mr. Miller finished his explanation and sent the students off to retrieve their materials. Carter stood and carelessly slapped Link's arm.

"Come on," she said. "We'll get the materials." She pointed to Donovan and Mason. "You two can start working out the equations."

Link followed Carter towards the cabinets at the back of the room his stance rigid and his eyes glazed. Carter rested an arm on his shoulder.

"How are you doing?" she asked, speaking close to Link's ear.

He shrugged.

"Fine," he said.

He looked at her.

"What were you and Donovan talking about?" he asked.

"He made me promise not to verbally abuse Mason," she said. She gave him a wicked smile. "He never said anything about lighting his hair on fire with the bunsen burner, though."

Link's face relaxed as he let out a laugh.

"Personally," she said, "I would love to see whether he screams like a little girl."

This image produced another loud laugh from Link and brought about a few curious glances from other students.

"I would too," he said, "even just to see him get carried to the sinks by his Secret Service agent."

"Say the word and I'll do it," Carter said.

Link shook his head and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Carter," he said.

"Link," she said, her voice suddenly quiet.

He looked at her, his glasses reflecting the light of the classroom. She glanced back. No one was behind them and the groups nearest them were concentrated on their work.

"No matter what, you are the better person," she said. "I would give up a hundred Masons to have you as my friend. Your father is lucky to have you as a son. Remember that."

Link nodded.

"Thanks, Carter," he said.

They finished finding all their supplies and headed back to the table. Mason was twisted in his seat, flirting with a neighboring girl.

"You manage to figure out those equations?" Carter asked. "If not I can always do them for you."

Donovan gave her a flat look that told her he was not amused. She smirked and looked at Mason's back.

"Okay," she said. "Let's get going."

Mason ignored her and leaned closer to the girl, saying something that made the girl laugh. Curling one fist, Carter opened her mouth, a sharp comment on the edge of her tongue when Donovan put a hand on her arm.

Scowling, Carter pulled her arm free.

"Mason," she said. "It's time to work."

Again, Mason ignored Carter. She looked at Donovan, an expression of fierce exasperation on her face.

"Mason, we're working," Donovan said, his voice deep and authoritative.

With one last comment to the girl, Mason spun around, looking peeved.

"Let's get this over with," he said.

Carter tossed him goggles and gloves with unnecessary force, which got her a look from Donovan. Wearing an innocent look, she shrugged. They all put on their safety gear and fell to working.

Half way through the project, after Mason had made his eighth snide comment towards Carter and she had been kept rom retorting by Donovan's fierce looks, she managed to unclench her fists.

"For this next part we can spilt up," she said. "Mason, work with Donovan. I'll work with Link."

Mason looked between Link and Carter.

"I didn't know you were slumming it, Evans?" he said. "I guess everyone has their price."

"I'm sure your price is externally high to make for your lack of material size," she said.

Mason glared at her, clenching his jaw.

"Go ahead and respond," she said. "I have details from the girls locker room."

Scowling and bright red, Mason turned away from her, suddenly absorbed in the experiment. Carter turned back to Link and found him trying to contain his laughter. He gave her an appreciative nod. She shrugged.

"What are friends for," she said.

**********************************************************************

Hello Pandas! (I thought I would change it up just once, so... you know, I don't create obesity with my constant mention of the 'I' word)

I think we're making progress in the Donovan and Carter department! What do you think?

Are you kind of mad Donovan held Carter back from beating up Mason? (I know I am! Gosh that guy could use a swift punch to the face)

Question: how annoyed are you with me for making the Darter ship take so long too sail?

Predictions on when it will actually make it to sea?

How many of you have read my another books and know when it's going to happen based on my style of writing?

Alright enough questions, I can feel you staring to glare at me for how long it's going to take! 😁

Waqtiga su'aasha (Somali) This question is from the terrific princessnala1113: If you could be any animal for the rest of your life, which animal would you be?

Answer: Well that's a toss up between my poodle or Grant Gustin's poodle. Because they are both adored. But I'll go with Grant Gustin's poodle because they travel with him to set and I've always wanted to see what those are like.

(Not sure why I'm yelling when I'm typing this?)

Vote for Darter! Comment on your thoughts about their relationship! But don't follow them because they would probably spot you and take you out!

Also another super awesome cover done by fluffypadfoot0515

Isn't it legit?!