Carter Ortese is Trouble - completed (The Boys #1)

Chapter 12: Emma

While walking down the hall to band, Mika charges up behind me and pulls on my wrist. I whirl around, surprised to see her. No one tracks me down in between classes, not usually. With only six minutes in between classes and her last class on the other side of the building, I'm surprised to see my friend here. Her eyes are wide, her long lashes making them look bigger, like a deer caught in headlights.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

Mika sputters out a breath. "Haven't, but I've learned that gym class is useless."

I chuckle. "What's up?"

She shakes her head and frowns. "I wanted you to hear it from someone who cares about you first, instead of the rumor mill."

Rolling my eyes, I wonder what could possibly be worse than people thinking I'm pregnant with Carter Ortese's baby. It was one date, not some sex scandal. "Did I sleep with the rest of the football team now?"

"Carter is has detention this afternoon. People are saying he cheated off of Meredith."

I'm not sure how this is my problem, but after another moment, I realize it somehow is. Because I asked Carter out and we went on a date, his problems are my problems. People think he cheated, so what am I capable of? People might think that I talked him into it. Convinced him to cheat to get a better grade.

I breathe out, forcing my paranoid thoughts out of my head. A headache slowly creeps back into my temple, whizzing painful jolts straight into my brain.

"Meredith is dumber than a sack of bricks. No one would cheat off her. Not even Carter." Besides, I know Carter is smarter than he lets on; although, I don't tell Mika this.

Mika laughs and sweeps her hair off her face. "Like I said, I wanted to tell you so you didn't hear the rumor from, oh, Stacy."

Because Stacy would make it worse. Stacy would say Carter slept with Meredith, or that we were both pregnant with his baby. I'm sometimes not sure why I hang out with her. We've been friends since grade school, but ever since she went to a couple of college parties over the past summer with her older brother, she's been different.

"Thanks." I pull Mika in for a brief hug. The one minute warning bell rings, and she gives me a grin.

"Guess I'll put running laps to good use." Mika takes off down the hallway, her backpack bouncing off her shoulders as she sprints away. Some people gaze after her with arched eyebrows and looks of curiosity. 

I admire Mika. She's her own person, never caving into the pressure that other people put on her. She's the only one in our group who stands up to Stacy anymore, and right now, she doesn't give anyone in the hallway a glance while they openly gawk at her.

I duck through the double doors into the last period of the day, and the only class that I look forward to: band.

Our teacher, Mrs. Warren, sits behind her black side table, reviewing some notes. Her hair is wild around her ears, auburn curls spilling out from her unkempt bun in all directions.

Her unruly hair is the main reason she's the butt of a lot of jokes, specifically a lot of Stacy's jokes. But none of my friends are in band, so they don't know how knowledgeable and dedicated Mrs. Warren is.

When I told her I wanted to play in an orchestra during my freshman year, she gave me extra notes, critiques, and songs to help me hone my craft. She's the reason I'm as good as I am now, and she's the only one who encourages my music.

She still gives me extra critiques, even though she has a baby on the way and her belly bulges out from underneath her otherwise petite dress. I can tell she's exhausted, but she cares a lot. I'm not sure what will happen once she has the baby, because any other teacher would be sub-par in comparison.