Morning Coffee | ✓

seventeen • quencher

☂ seventeen: quencher

A strange feeling began to pool in my stomach. And it wasn't from the meat lover's pizza.

It felt like I was watching the two of them for an eternity. Laughing, having fun together, everything that Carter and I used to do. I wanted to be able to do that with Carter again; I wanted to be close friends again. But I knew that he needed time. But then again, if he was having such a good time with another girl, did he really need more time to move on? If he was done moving on, maybe we could get back to how we used to be, before all the complications. I had to find out. But it'd be better if I waited until we were both home later.

I looked at the two of them again. This time, she was trying to grab a skee ball from Carter as he held it out of her reach.

Oh, to hell with it.

I walked right over to them, with a nervous Nate following behind me. "What are you doing?" I could hear Nate ask me in a flustered whisper.

"Finding out what exactly is going on," I replied. Before Nate could say anything else, I approached the two giddy teenagers.

"Hey guys."

"Kennedy! Hi!" Hayley said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Just hanging out with Nate," I said, gesturing at him as he waved at the two of them. "You?"

"Same, just with Carter."

I nodded in response as if I hadn't been watching them before coming over. Hayley's expression didn't seem to falter, so I didn't think she suspected anything. Carter, on the other hand, gave me a look that I couldn't quite decipher. He didn't look too suspicious, however, so I shrugged it off. "I didn't know that you guys talked to each other."

"Oh, we didn't talk very much before. But we have economics together and got assigned as partners for a project. We started talking a lot more since then. Carter didn't tell you?"

"No, I guess he just forgot to. Isn't that right Carter?" I asked the tall boy next to Hayley, who still hadn't said a word yet.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Carter said sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "I'll just catch you up at home later, okay?"

"Really?" I said, trying to hide my disbelief. I ignored the fact that he was so quick to dismiss me because it was just nice to hear his voice again. However, considering how long he had gone without talking to me, I couldn't help but wonder if his proposition was merely an act in front of Hayley. Was he really going to talk to me or was he just saying that to get me to leave?

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "Promise."

I took his word for it and noticed a mildly confused Hayley standing beside Carter, which made me realize that I had overstayed my welcome. It would probably be best to let Carter have some fun with another girl for once. Who was I to stop him from hanging out with Hayley if I was hanging out with Nate? For all I knew, their relationship could be completely platonic.

"Alright, well I think Nate and I are just gonna head out now."

"Wait, but what about sk-" Nate started, but I cut him off with a subtle elbow jab to the gut. I could feel Nate shooting me a glare but I ignored him, hoping that Carter and Hayley didn't notice.

"It was nice seeing you guys!" I called after them as I started to head for the exit.

"Nice to see you too!" Hayley called after us.

As we walked out of the arcade, Nate asked, "What exactly was the point of all of that? You didn't even talk to him."

"I'm not sure yet," I replied. "I guess I'll find out later tonight."