👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

⬆️⬆️⬆️

🌀🌀

I have heard, that we should train our minds to see the good in every situation. But what if there is nothing good about a particular thing. What if I fail to search for the good in a situation like the one I was in.

All I could do after waking up was think. Think of how would Carter react today. Think of how would Isaac react when he knows. Think of how would I react in presence of Carter. Think of what would the people say when they know. Think of wether there was someone in the library yesterday when..... that happened.

And my thoughts were interrupted when I felt Josh's lips on my cheeks. Instantly, a smile made its way on my face as I turned towards him. "Good morning Sophie!" He sat on the chair beside me. "Good morning Cake." I greeted pulling his cheek, remembering the nick name I gave him two years ago.

The name was forgotten when my parents forced us to live separately. And I couldn't help but think about it every time I see my little brother smile at me. His smile brings that nick name to my head. Although I had promised my little brother to never call him 'cake' but it just slipped from my mouth.

I looked at him, finding him staring at his breakfast plate, his cheeks turning scarlet. "Don't call me that. Please." The words came out, from between his teeth that he was rubbing together.

People say, he's just like me but I don't feel I'm that cute. I mean I'm not cute at all. And my mind couldn't ever process this information whenever someone says that. "I'm sorry Josh. You just looked too cute and it just slipped. I swear it wasn't on purpose."

The only thing positive right now was, I was with my brother and he loved me for who I am. He hadn't abandoned me like me family had just when I was a day old. He hadn't left me. Not yet. The fear of loosing him just sent shivers throughout my body.

We started to eat our breakfast. Even the cereals were discussing about my life.

'Carter likes her!'- One cornflake said. The other one started, 'No man! He's just an idiot. He kisses 3356786422466788654 girls each day.' The brown one frowned. 'Oh shut up guys! Carter isn't that bad. Right, Sophia?'

I gulped and nodded. 'It's just like playing with-' the one at the corner started to say but Rebecca interrupted my imagination. "God Sophia, you are too old to imagine stuff like that. When will you stop with this weird habit of yours?"

Red-faced, I looked down at the cereal bowl as I let out, "I don't want to imagine such things okay? It's just my stupid mind." She chuckled in response, stowing all the dishes inside the dishwasher. What am I ever going to do with this weird habit of mine?!

"There's something different about you today." She pointed out. "Me? No, I'm that same old Sophia."

I washed my face nicely that day, maybe that's why.

"You're so not that same old Sophia. There's a different shine in your eyes. A different glow on your face. That can't be just me. There really is something different about you." She argued. Now she was being theatrical.

"Josh is waiting outside." I spoke, rolling my eyes at her dramatic behaviour. Stuffing my mouth with a spoonful of cereals, I stood up, ignoring the leftover cornflake's desperate pleas.

I went outside where Josh was waiting for me, bidding a goodbye to Rebecca. And we we proceeded towards our schools.

As I was taking out my books from the locker, my eyes caught a movement. It was too early for anyone to be in the school. You might be thinking I was crazy to go too early. But I had my reasons. If I'd come on time, there was a big chance of me having to face Carter. Which was the last thing I'd want to do. I can't even imagine how that encounter would have gone with a huge amount of gossipers around.

I couldn't help but turn my head in that direction. A sigh of relief went from mouth when I saw Isaac approaching towards me with a horrible scowl lining his features. I was still so engrossed in wondering about the reason for his unusual face expression and obviously his early arrival that I didn't even notice when he came stood in front of me. "What the hell Sophia?" He barked, his hands going up to grab both of my arms.

I blinked fast severely, not expecting him to shock me like that. His grip was so hard, I could bet the area might've been blue by then. It hurt. Really bad. Instinctively, I started to shake, my eyes going damp. "You're h-hurting me."

"I don't care! What the hell did I just hear?!" He roared.

"How would I know Isaac?! Are you in your senses? You're hurting me!" This was totally a new face of the guy. I always thought he was that playful, shy kind of guy but I'm always bad at reading people.

"Why the hell did you kiss Carter?!" He hissed, his force on my arms getting even tighter, squeezing the leftover life out of them, making me cry out in a slow painful voice. "Get away, Isaac!" I tried to push him away but failed. Unable to control myself, I let a tear fall. "I'll t-tell you. But let me go first. Please." I begged. It was moment like these when I want people to actually be around me. To witness the happenings because, maybe, a single one out of them would come to help me. My lame Expectations.

Isaac left me after a sob made it's way out of my mouth. "Fine. Explain." I looked down and started, "Isaac, I have no idea how to say this, but all I know is I didn't kiss him. Carter kissed me. I was too shocked to react-"

"How dare he even touch you?! Why did you let him?!" Isaac cut me off in middle of a sentence. "Isaac, we're friends. And there's nothing to worry about. He kisses many girls and I was one of them. No big deal."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, his tone getting soft quite similar to the Isaac I knew. "I knew you'd get mad at me."

"You know what? I just want you to be safe. Have you forgotten how much Carter used to torture you?" Isaac asked. "You know what? You were the one torturing me a minute ago. And yeah, I remember. Everything. How much Carter tortured me and how many times you came to save me. I remember." I smiled sarcastically and continued.

"You blame Carter. You say you want me to be safe. So where the hell were you when I was getting bullied all those years? Where the hell were you when they hit me. Where were you when I bled to unconsciousness, Isaac?" I had no idea where all that was coming from but I liked the way words rolled out. "How can you not hurt me with what you did just a moment ago?"

Isaac's eyes couldn't meet with mine and he lowered his head as he spoke hesitantly. "But I really care ab-"

"Don't you dare say that. Do you really expect me to believe that?! What you did earlier had proven you don't give a shit about me being hurt." A hurtful expression passed over his face as he looked at me briefly before starting at his shoes again. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry won't erases a thing Isaac. I just wish this wouldn't have happened, I'm just sad because I've lost another friend."

"No. We are still friends Sophia." He argued, his voice rising, alarming me but this time I was ready to fight.

"Well, I'm not." I snapped and turned around. "Just by the way, Carter is better than you. At least he has the courage to admit his mistakes." With spatting that, I left the corridor before he could go wild on me again.

* * * * *

Do you ever have a feeling that something wrong, really wrong was going to happen if you do not stop a certain something happening. Here Lia was declaring her love for Isaac and I couldn't help but restrict myself to not share the events of this morning. Either she won't believe me or she'll be hurt beyond repair. Both of them sounded too much to handle. "Are you sure?"

"Hundred percent sure. I really like him Sophia. And I want you to ask him if he likes me back." She said, making me choke on my food. "What?" I asked, recovering from the shock. "What, what? He's close to you!"

"No! We're not close Lia." He's a monster behind that shy guy, I wanted to add but obviously I couldn't. "I've seen Sophia. You are close. And can't you do a simple thing as this for me?" She started her blackmail. "Lia, I can but we kind of had a fight.... and I don't want to talk to him. Not yet."

"That explains why he disappeared after history. But you have to ask him." She announced, banging her palm on the lunch table as she bobbed her head. "Oh-k I'll try to ask him but really, I don't think he's good for you Lia."

"What? Why? What could that cutest guy possibly do to be not good for me?" He could possibly harm you in many ways. I sighed, shaking my head. She was too in love with him to understand anything. "You'll ask him right?" She asked again. Smiling lightly, I answered, "yeah. I'll."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you sooo much!" Lia stood up from her chair and engulfed me in a bear hug. The amount of happiness she felt was alarming. Alarming in a sense that if Isaac hurt her, In any way she won't be able to handle it. I patted her back, returning the hug.

As soon as we pulled away an evil smirk started to form on Lia's face. "Some thing new in softer story?" Her eye brows wiggled playfully.

"Softer story?" My voice rose In confusion. "Softer with a 'p' and 'h'." That continuous smirking was annoying me. "That word doesn't even exists li-wait!" Realisation struck me. It didn't require me to be an Einstein to understand what she was talking about. "Seriously Lia? Soph-ter?!" I rolled my eyes at her. "What? It's a good ship name!" She trailed. "For god's sake Lia! Just forget about it!"

"Why? You guys look too cute together to be able to forgotten." She replaced that smirk with a sincere smile. "Lia, don't dream. There's no chance of us being together." I shook my head a painful feeling filling inside my heart. My eyes roamed around the cafeteria in search of that 'once upon a snake' and I located him on his usual spot–the popular table. What got me smiling, was catching him laugh at something Jack showed him in his phone. That meant they resolved their issues and I couldn't help but feel happy for them.

Carter's eyes met mine. My heart just melted. It felt as if the time just stopped. I wanted to remove my eyes from his but I was waiting for him to do that. Though we were sitting meters far, it felt as if his eyes were piercing through me. I got lost in him, and it was the kind of lost that's exactly like being found. Everything about him was dangerous. No matter how much I wanted to not talk to him, to stay away from him, I was getting more and more attracted each time I saw him. Before my mind could completely loose it's ability to think, I looked down. I was afraid. Because this eye contact was doing things to my heart that were totally new. Those eyes of his brought so many more foreign thoughts to my brain. And I couldn't handle that.

I don't belong there. He's popular-I'm not. He is a leader-I'm not. He is loved by everyone-I'm not. He is beautiful-I'm not. These thoughts kept ping ponging inside my brain when I heard Lia, "people in love are so damn cute!" She squealed. "Lia, you think too much. I just don't want to talk about this topic." I breathed out.

"Hi Sophia!" The sickeningly sweet tone of someone caused us to wipe our heads in their direction only to find Jack towering above us. "Hey Jackie." I gestured him to sit beside me on the empty chair. Not noticing the people's murmurs was something impossible. "Sup with you hot stuff." The chair beside me was filled and I was circled by a bad smell.

"Not much jerk stuff. Just feeling annoyed by a certain someone's presence." Lia let out licking the ketchup from her finger, not even glancing at us. Jack chuckled, "I know you're bothered by my presence. I'm so attractive, I can't help it."

"Oh my god, you're attractive as fuck. Omg I'm being pulled towards you. Look, so very attractive you are!" Lia faked excitement. The sarcastic queen. "I love it when you go all sarcastic." I looked at Jack, giving him a warning glare to not mess up with my dear best friend anymore.

"You look better with your mouth closed." Lia replied. Jack leaned ahead, his smell entering my nose and picked up a French fry from her plate. It was just his luck he even got one. "Don't even touch! I'll chop off your fingers Jackass Jack!" Lia glared at him, standing up from her chair, "you know what Sophia? I'll be back." Before I could stop her, she ran off with her lunch.

I turned towards Jack again. "So you fulfilled your promise?" Jack nodded and gave me a smile, "I had to. Even if it was a huge shot to my ego but I had to." I returned the smile. "I'm glad you guys are friends again."

"Will you mind if I say something?" I continued. "Depends." He shrugged. "You smell bad. Like really bad."

"Ah, you're too cute, Sophia." He chuckled, pulling my right cheek. I couldn't control those cheeks of mine from going all red due to the compliment. Sometimes I couldn't help but doubt his actions. From a cold hearted both he became so friendly, like we've known each other for years.Though we have, but it wasn't like we were friends, not even close. His moves were weird. And the best word which describes the situation each time I have an encounter with him is appalling. His gestures hold a little atrociousness in them. Like a warning. "And yeah it's because of the early basketball practice. I was just too lazy to bath."

"And-I've got some good news to tell. It's-" I felt a tap on my shoulder and twisted my neck to witness the interrupter. All I could see was the brown of their eyes. And hazel of their hair. And pink of their lips. And-

"Sparkle, I need to talk to you. Urgently." Without waiting for an answer like any sane person would after they ask you a question, Carter fastened his hands around mine. He began pulling me out of the cafeteria, paying a deaf ear to the people gossiping about us. I remained quite and followed him at first. I was lost I the sparks that erupted inside me when our hands made contact. And wondering if he feels the same, but when he went past the school's gate my fantasy reached to the end, popping up my thought bubble that had gone too big.

Why is he bringing me here?!

Though I trusted him, but you don't know anything when you're with Carter. All my efforts of pulling my hand away from his hold went in vain. At that moment I wished I was just like Carter. Powerful just like him. To fight people. To fight him. But I was the weak Sophia. "Stop struggling Sparkle!" He came to a halt and turned around to face me. I realised that we had just stopped near his car. "Why did you bring me here?" I whispered, eying his car.

"Because we are going." Carter stated. "No. I'm not going to skip the school. And with you, no, never." I shook my head starting to try and release my hand from his hold. "Don't complain, then." His tone was threatening. His grip on my hand went loose and just as I was about to run, he swiped me off the ground and placed me on right shoulder of his, his hand holding my back, tightly.

"Carter! Put me down! Carter!" I moved my legs back and forth, aware of the pain they were causing to his stomach but I couldn't torture him anymore as he seized the hold of my seesawing legs, firmly putting them into place. "Carter, I don't wanna go!"

"Why?You want to hang out with 'Jackie'?" I could feel his body stiffening under me. "No, its school. And we come here for a purpose. It's not only about people every time Carter." We reached at his car. He opened the door for the passenger seat and carefully planted me inside the car. His eyes gave a warning look, while he closed the door. "Don't you dare run!" He mouthed, shaking his head slowly, leaving no point in my mind to plan a run as he went towards his seat.

So much for not crossing paths with Carter today.

🌙❤❤❤