Playing Hooky

My happy place! Which means it should be your happy place and if it's not, sucks! I'm doing whatever I want, live with it Noodle!

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

Make it to the library, that's all Carter had to do, she simply had to make it to the library and it would be okay. She cut through the sea of students, one more sophomore in the never-ending tide. She kept her steps confident but not fearful or hurried. She held firmly to her mask of indifference.

Nothing and no one around her mattered, she barely noticed them at all. She said that to herself over and over again, building up the wall around her that had crumbled a fraction.

Carter pushed through the library doors and managed a nod to Patty but kept moving. Patty often sent Carter soft and motherly expressions as if she knew the hardships Carter faced. But Carter didn't want that, she wanted the quiet of the second story corner where no one went.

Make it to the corner, all she needed to do was make it to the corner and she'd be fine. She quickened her steps as she reached the stairs and had to stop herself from bounding up them. Students still sat at the tables and would be able to hear her frantic steps and it would draw attention.

Almost there, she thought.

At the furthest back corner, she let out a breath and sank to the floor. She curled her legs in and dropped her head onto her knees.

Words it was only words, that was all it was. But those words were accompanied by laughter that still rang in Carter's ears. She could still see the smug smiles, the ones that said the girls knew they hit a mark even if Carter didn't react.

Carter clenched her fists, digging her short, rough nails into her palms. She pictured slamming her fists into her punching bag over and over again. She imagined the taut leather and heard the chain rattling. She imagined the release as she hit the bag again. She felt the strength in her arms, shoulders, down to her core.

She felt her body using every ounce of energy to punch the bag. All the energy she had meant she wouldn't use it to cry or fall apart. All she did was imagine that bag, her fists making contact.

Slowly, very slowly, one imagined punch after another, Carter felt her tension, anger, pain, and unshed tears retreating. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Drained, but without a trace of crying, Carter raised her head and leaned it back against the bookshelf.

If she could, she would stay there all day. She'd wait for the final bell to ring, for the last light to be switched off and slip away, never having to walk with the pompous and self-important students again. Or at least for one day, tomorrow she'd be back, her face unrattled by their words, their looks, their smiles, their mere presence. She would be the Untouchable Girl.

But right then she wasn't, she knew it. She felt the weak parts of her curled into a ball behind her makeshift wall. She could feel how if put up against one more person that wall might crumble.

She couldn't let that happen. Maybe she would stay in the library, there were only two more classes left. But if she missed them would Captain hear about it? Would she have to tell him why she hid away? Was there a way she could keep it from him? Not likely, he saw everything.

"You can't be serious?"

Carter tensed at the voice but forced herself to relax and appear unconcerned.

"You promised me, you said that for this day we could do what I wanted. You said that, do you not remember?"

Carter continued to tell herself to remain completely unfazed as Mason walked into view at the other end of the aisle.

"You know what," Mason said, starting to pace. "This is my fault, I should have gotten it in writing. Maybe even had the Secretary of Defense sign it."

Mason glared at the ground and dragged his hand through his hair, ruining the perfectly styled blonde locks. Carter found herself relaxing more as she watched him. Someone else's life sucked, that was somehow reassuring.

"I can be as petulant as I want, it's my birthday and you promised we could have just a family dinner. Not a state dinner with five courses."

Mason stopped walking and straightened. In that action, Carter saw his resignation, hurt, anger, and sadness.

"Of course," Mason said, his tone no longer angry. "I'll be there, Mr. President. Was there anything else you required of me?" A pause. "Good."

Mason pulled his phone away and stabbed the screen. He stood there, clutching it and quietly seething. Carter watched him unabashedly but with little emotion.

Finally, Mason raised his gaze and spotted her. She didn't react and neither did he. For a long while, they remained frozen, staring at each other.

Mason strode down the aisle and sank to the ground beside Carter.

"I'm only sitting here because you look more pathetic than I feel and that's making me feel better," he said.

Carter shrugged and dropped her head back. "I'm okay with that since I only look half as pathetic as you actually are."

"I'm not pathetic."

Carter half smiled as she sensed Mason cringing at his own statement, knowing it made him sound pathetic. But her smile didn't last long before her own struggles stole it away.

"State Dinner on your birthday, huh?" Carter said.

"Your existence is only worth noting to be mocked, huh?"

"At least my father cares about me."

Mason winced and Carter grimaced.

"Sorry," she said.

"Don't apologize, Owens, it makes me think that you actually care about hurting my feelings and that annoys me."

"Fine."

They fell silent, neither of them looking at each other. The quiet felt strange as if they both had somehow found comfort in the other's presence and pain. Which Carter felt like was crossing a line they shouldn't cross. She didn't like Mason, he was annoying and self-absorbed.

Their teachers threw them together more often than not. It was the rare times that Carter hated that their intelligence was on equal footing. If only he could be as much as an idiot as she thought him to be then it would all be solved.

"Do you want to skip our last two classes and go somewhere?" Mason asked without preamble.

"Sure except you have a shadow that is six feet tall and two hundred and twenty pounds of pure muscle."

"Smith is guarding the library door, I told him I wanted to be alone."

"It's gratifying to think that you believe I could take Smith down from behind but I'm not delusional enough to believe that."

"I'm not delusional enough either, there's a backdoor in the library that not many know about."

"Your father will be pissed if you give Smith the slip."

Mason's grin was wicked and Carter understood, that was the point.

She didn't make any sign of planning to go with him. Sighing, Mason stood.

"Very well, I'll leave you to your mopping," Mason said.

He walked away and Carter watched him. A half a second after he disappeared around a bookcase, she jumped up and took off after him. She caught up to him and he smirked.

"Because of my father," Carter said. "I feel an obligation to go with you and make sure no one sees your arrogant face and has the urge to punch it."

"No, you're coming to spend time with me."

"Forget the random attacker, I might just punch your face."

Mason laughed and Carter hated that she felt her own mood lighten a bit.

Mason was right, there was a backdoor in the library and they slipped out of it. Despite knowing her father wouldn't approve, Carter didn't back down. She knew there was no way of convincing Mason to not slip away and figured going with him was the best option. Correction the best option would have been to tell Smith but Carter didn't do that.

Instead, she followed Mason around the school to the back entrance knowing that exactly seven different cameras would have caught their image and Smith would have no trouble figuring out how they slipped away once he realized Mason was gone.

Neither of them spoke as they walked to the closest Metro station and climbed onto a train. It was as if they had made a truce, they weren't friends but they weren't two bickering students either. They were using the other as an excuse to be brave enough to play hooky.

Eventually, they wound up at the Mall. It was late spring and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom which meant the entire world had come to see the event. Carter had to admit to herself that it was a perfect place to go unnoticed. To everyone, they were merely two students done with school. The trees were the main event, not the President's son.

"I'm getting ice cream," Mason announced. "If you're standing next to me when I pay for it you might be able to sneak your own ice cream."

"Whatever."

They headed towards the ice cream shop off the Mall and each got a scoop. Together they found a spot on the Lincoln Memorial steps and sat down. The Mall was packed with tourists all eagerly holding phones and snapping pictures. Some were even dancing before their phones and Carter watched them.

"Idiots," Mason said.

Carter nodded in agreement.

They continued to eat and observe the world with critical eyes. Eventually, they finished their ice cream but neither attempted to leave their spot.

"You know I don't pity you," Carter said.

"Good. I don't want your pity."

"As long as you know. I would hate for you to think because I've seen a deeper side of you I somehow have grown to have respect for you and your situation."

"You didn't see a deeper side of me."

"Because there is no deeper side to see."

"Exactly. And I don't feel any sort of gratitude towards you for coming with me. Just so that's clear. You're merely attracted to me and used this as an excuse to spend time with me."

"I'm here as your protection, nothing else."

"Funny."

They fell silent again.

"Can we really do this?" a hesitant voice said nearby.

Carter glanced over and spotted an odd pairing: a boy around her age with unkempt brown hair, glasses, and a rumpled appearance walking with a guy she could only think of as an attractive athlete. They both wore school uniforms though with the maroon blazers of Jefferson Prep than Hamilton's navy ones.

She watched them as the rumpled boy gazed around. Clearly, they were other students playing hooky, though Carter imagined it wasn't the hesitant boy's idea but his accomplice.

"It's fine," the athlete said. "You needed a break. It will be fine."

The rumpled boy nodded. As the pair walked off, the athlete gazed around and found Carter's gaze. She didn't react and he broke away first, his glance saying she barely warranted an impression. Carter continued to stare after them, marveling over the bizarre friendship. But then again she was sitting next to Mason and they would look like a strange match to any outsider.

Mason swore under his breath and Carter snapped out of her study of the two students. She searched and found what had caused Mason to swear. Striding towards them and making the crowd part was Smith. Along with Carter's father.

"Nice knowing you," Carter said.

"Was it?" Mason asked.

"Not really. But I did like the ice cream."

Mason snorted and stood, brushing off his blazer as if he were about to give a press conference.

"Hello, Smith," Mason said. "Just take me home. There's no point putting off the inevitable." He looked back at Carter and gave her a head nod. "Later, Owens."

Smith placed a hand on Mason's shoulder and steered him back through the crowd, leaving Carter to her father's furious glare.

"Let's go," he said.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be safer if I stay in a crowd," she said.

"Did you think it through?" he asked.

"Actually, I did. I figured Mason was leaving whether I went with him or not. Protection, even if it was just me was better than no protection at all."

"You could have told Smith."

"I would have lost Mason if I'd left him to tell Smith."

"You could have called me."

Carter opened her mouth and then shrugged. "Yes, I could have. But it's his birthday and he has to attend a state dinner instead of having a family dinner."

Her father sighed heavily and looked at where Smith and Mason had disappeared.

"You understand you're grounded for three weeks because of this, right?"

Carter nodded and walked down the steps. "Yeah, but somehow I feel like it is worth it."

Her father slung his arm around her shoulders. "Don't do it again."

"No worries there," Carter said. "I don't even like the guy."

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

Monkey moo!

(Is the monkey mooing? That's the deep question of life people, real deep...like drop of water on a countertop deep.)

Go ahead, share some of the happiness that you are bursting with. I know it's overflowing and I will happily get washed away by it. 💬💭🗯

So I've come up with a callback, it's to show how much we all love Carter and Mason and their weird bizarre bond. It's simple, when I yell Carter you yell Mason. Got it? Good.

🗣 CARTER!

...

Oh...that's right, I'm here, sitting on my bed, at night, all alone.

😏

*hits play on We Are Bulletproof: Eternal by BTS and starts dancing*

*settles back down* Yup, I feel bad for you, my moves were...wait for it, Sensational!

It's a pity you weren't here to see it and join in. Though two thousand of you usually read each update so it would probably be extremely crowded... so it would BE AMAZING! Despite none of us being able to move...or breathe.

*sighs* Ah well. Vote, comment, follow because you know I crushed it with my dance moves!

Oh my gosh look at that cutie!
Oh and there's a human in that photo too.

Comment