Carrie’s life! Chapter 7….

Chapter 7

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Carrie’s POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That was how we entered the English class, laughing and joking. It was worth the look on Oliver’s face to be happy again. If I was going to try for any one, it will be for them, my friends!

Oliver looked so glad that I was almost back to normal, it was worth everything, but Jake’s face was disturbing to me. Why would he look so happy to see me smiling? Does he actually care?

My thoughts were disrupted with our English teacher surprising us with a pop quiz, on Romeo and Juliet!

My ‘good’ mood was instantly broke up! Why did today have to be Romeo and Juliet day??

Allie placed a soft hand on my arm and nodded slightly, as if saying ‘you can do this’

I took a big gulp of breath and faced the paper in front of me.

1) How is the reader introduced to the feud between the Capulets and Montagues?

Okay that was easy I thought and scribbled down the answer before looking at the second question.

2) How did Romeo come to meet Juliet?

Oh, I have a lot to say on this I muttered and slowly answered the question without letting my feelings get in my way.

3) Is their love real?

I would have like to think so, but maybe he was just using me, I started to think and then remembered this was about Romeo end Juliet. I felt a lone tear slipping down my cheek and quickly filled in the rest of the quiz.

Finishing just as the bell went of.

We filed out of class and stood in the corridor, all four of us, discussing the test. Then an idea suddenly dawned on me!

“We should get you a girl!” I turned to Jake as I exclaimed and took in his face… He looked well as always, normal. Clearly he didn’t have anything to say over that idea.

“Why?” Was his only word.

“Because you are handsome and you are too sweet to be left single, and after 2 months of friendship with Ollie boy here, we are sure you are not gay. So??”

The bell interrupted Jakes answer and I walked away with the determination to get Jake a girl. Why I didn’t know. But he needed one. Now.

I turned around and walked to Biology, a soft smile around my lips until I bumped (as always) into some one, as I looked up my smile faltered and I remembered why my friends had been walking with me the entire morning so far. I took a deep breath, braced myself and looked straight into Daniels’ eyes.

“Yes?” I asked as he refused to move and I collected guts from somewhere.

“I guess we are no longer a couple?” He asked with a disgusting wink, that a few days ago would have made my knees weak, and laughed!

“Go fly Daniel!” I replied and stomped past him, my heels from the night before catching his toes and I sank down with all the power I got.

As I walked on I just heard a “fuck” exiting his mouth and giggled softly, feeling full of power.

“Nice job CC!”

I twist around and lost my balance on the heels and feeling Jake catch me, the smell of his body seeming very too familiar.

I stood up quickly and asked: “What was nice?”

And we walked on, as if nothing just happened.

“You. Mutilating that ass’ toes!”

I giggled and entered the Biology class, and immediately started thinking about Jake’s girl again! He just had to get one. A.S.A.P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Free period went by uninterrupted, me, Jake and Oliver spending it in the library, I went searching for A song for summer by Eva Ibbotson and Jake sat and read Hannibal. Oliver just played on his phone, probably chatting with Sam.

For lunch we all went to sit in Oliver’s car, listening music. No questions asked by my friends as to why I didn’t want to face the cafeteria. We chatted and Allie and I spend the whole time discussing girls suitable for Jake. Jake not saying a word on the whole matter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was in my Art class that I noticed the perfect girl for Jake, she was shy, beautiful; with a strawberry blonde braid down her back and heaven blue eyes. I deserted my painting of puppy dogs and walked over to her.

“Hey I’m Carrie.” I introduced myself and she turned to me, softly smiling, looked liked she always smiled.

“I’m Leila; didn’t you date that sexy dude?”

I shake my shoulders slightly and said: “Yes, Daniel.”

“No I mean Jake. The new guy.”

I started laughing uncontrollably and wiped the laugh-tears from the corner of my eyes.

“No,” I said, “absolutely not! But I really think you and I could be friends”

She giggled and said I bet we could.

I moved my aisle over to her and we painted side by side, becoming friends in the short space of art class.

As the bell rang I invited her to coffee with me and my friends and we agreed upon a time.

I was finally smiling again. Funny what a new friend and a few dead toes could do to you…

It was after school and we were sitting in my living room, the guys convinced I can’t be left alone and I decide to bring out the big guns.

“Okay fine guys, stay here, but then you have to bear with the girl talk…”

Allie caught my drift an shot into a monologue about the *most gorgeous guy she saw on her way from school*

It’s wasn’t even half a minute before they gave up and left us with a promising, “see you at five for coffee!”

“Yes finally!” I groaned as they closed the door behind them.

Allie looked up confused and hurt that no one worried about the guy she saw.

“Alz! I got Jake a girl!!”

“What? Who?” As always Allie was into my plans without questions and went full on into the planning.

I told her about Leila and I could see she liked her, who couldn’t, for a shy girl she was cool!

“Let’s phone her? Let her come and dress here, you have enough clothes!”

I nodded and phoned Leila, inviting her over so we can all dress together for the night, it was a Friday, so we could stay out late. I wasn’t rich, but my parents gave me a monthly shopping allowance that I gladly took and I never had to look for things to wear

*RIIIIIIIIIING*

I ran to open the door and found Leila there.

“Hey!”

She greeted me with a friendly hug and stepped inside.

“Wow! This house is huge!!”

I laughed, “No it’s not! My dad just believes there should be enough space for us not to bother each other.”

“I don’t think that’s a problem. How do you FIND each other”

Allie laughed and nodded! “That’s what I said the first time I came here!”

“Leila, this is Allie, the best friend ever”

Leila hugged Allie and we all went upstairs, it was all ready three o’clock, and we all needed to get dressed.

The next two hours was perfect girl time, just what I needed to get Daniel out of my head, and at the end of the dressing session I had forgotten that I was heartbroken!

We danced around on “Good girls gone bad” by Cobra Starship and choose clothes for each other, parading around in different outfits until we found the perfect one for Leila, a long black skinny jean, a brilliant blue top that suited her eyes, white strap sandals and a long chain of white beads that hung till the middle of her tummy. She looked gorgeous and I just knew Jake had to fall for her!

Allie found a short green dress that fell to her knees which she paired with a black bolero and black ankle heels, a look no one but she could pull of.

I was dressed in a pink skinny jean, with black pumps, plain black printed T that came to my thighs and a lot of bangles.

Finally we were all ready!

“Guys, why did you do so much trouble?” Leila asked and I looked over at Allie, she slightly nodded and I told Leila.

“Well…. I kinda wanna set you up with Jake.” I blushed and looked at her for reaction.

“Sexy Jake?!” She squealed.

“Yes” I answered, “but Jake doesn’t know about anything. We just told them it’s our regular Friday night hang out and ya….”

Leila hugged me and Allie, clearly all shyness forgotten; let’s just hope her confidence stays with her for the rest of the night…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We walked into the coffee shop, ten minutes late of course, and I glanced around. Finally catching Oliver’s puppy brown eyes in mine, I gave him a wink and felt my confidence growing, I was better than Daniel, which was the mantra that went through my head.

Jake looked sexy in a black Billabong T and plain jeans while Oliver looked, well like Oliver! His almost black hair was straightened and almost came to his shoulders, you could see his broad shoulders under his hot pink shirt and I giggled softly as I realized how gay his shirt was! But weirdly enough, it didn’t make him look gay! Ironic…

Sam was sitting next to Oliver, his arm casually possessive on the back of Oliver’s’ chair.

Sam was 20 and Oliver’s steady for about a year now, the first boyfriend he had and clearly his only. Now as much as Oliver didn’t look gay, Sam did! His green eyes were lined with eyeliner and his blonde (naturally curly) hair was so straightened it looked ironed. It fell to just under his ears and his fringe hung in his eyes. He could pull of a skinny jean like no other man, and for a gay, he was gorgeous!

We sat down, Allie and I strategically sat down quickly, I between Oliver and Jake and she next to Sam, the only open chair was between Allie and Jake and Leila took it without question, but with a warning glance at me.

I just smiled and said, “Ollie, Sam and Jake, please meet Leila, she’s in my Art class and I thought she could join us tonight!”

I couldn’t stop smiling and I didn’t know why. The boys all greeted Leila friendly and Sam broke the awkward silence, “Hope you don’t mind us…” And he glanced down at Oliver, smiling like a lover seeing someone for the first time.

“Oh, no!” Leila said and continued, “My own cousin is gay so I’m used to it! Just no kissing please, that’s just odd.”

Oliver laughed out loud and said through burst of laughter, “Don’t worry that’s Carrie’s rule too!”

I smiled at Allie and she winked at me, nudging her head slightly to the left in the direction of the bathroom.

Allie and I stood up and as Leila made to follow us I said, “No, sit Leila, you make sure these lot don’t order me something disgusting to drink. “

Leila laughed and sat back down, clearly aware of my plan to keep her next to Jake.

“They fit don’t you think?” Allie asked as we entered the bathroom.

“Totally,” I replied and pulled out my lip gloss.

Allie shook her new red hair and tousled it up a bit, not clear why, as she have gorgeous natural loose curls all the way down her back, her hair never into her face as she believed it would hide her eyes. I must say I agreed eyes like hers should never be hidden. It was gray! And with the red hair it almost looked black.

I glanced down at our bodies and couldn’t help but comparing my wide hips to her girly small middle. We were the same size, but somehow she managed to look thinner.

“Snap!” Allie giggled as she clicked her fingers in front of my eyes. “Wake up Girly!”

I laughed and grabbed her hand dragging her out of the bathroom, excited to see what was going on between Leila and Jake. Then I stopped, feeling Allie colliding into me.

“What now?” She asked shaking her hair right again.

“Why did you want us to go to the bathroom?” I asked, not noticing we were in the way of everybody wanting to enter the shop.

“Ummmmmmmmm I don’t know! I’ll remember later.”

“Weird…” I muttered and started to walk away. Noticing Allie wasn’t following me I turned around to find her in a stare down with some guy!

I turn my back for a second and she picks up some guy, I thought.

“Do you have to stand in the effing door?” The guy asked angrily.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I have to; it’s the only place we can gossip!” Allie replied sarcastically.

I watched the two of them with an amused look on my face. He was definitely Allie’s type. Tattoos, Rock band T, a small goatee and common bad boy looks.

“Well get a live!” He huffed and stomped away further into the shop.

Allie turned to me and her eyes were huge! “Carrie, who was that?”

“Well Allie-babe I didn’t know I knew everyone in town…”

She linked arms with me and we walked to our table.

“He’s yummy!” she muttered just before we reached the table and I sat down with a soft giggle…

Jake and Leila was deep into convo and Oliver and Sam was clearly gossiping about something as we sat down, I only caught the last few words…

“….and I don’t think she will handle it too well”

“Who won’t handle what?” I asked immediately and took a sip of the drink in front of me, Iced Choccochino. Hmmmm delicious.

“Well…” Oliver looked pointedly at the back of the store and me heart gave a small stab of pain as I saw Daniel and Amanda giggling and smooching in the corner… Where we use to sit!

Does she seriously not know he only wants sex? Or maybe she does…

I shook my head and turned my seat so that I couldn’t see him. I took another sip of my drink and change the subject, trying to rescue myself…

“So, thanks for making sure I got something good Leila!” I said, referring to my drink.

“Oh,” Jake interrupted, “I ordered that, you told me that was your favorite last time we were here.”

I frowned slightly trying to remember, it was almost a month ago that we lot went out together, because that was when Daniel started getting possessive…

I turned my head looking at Jake, trying to figure him out, but he and Leila was already back in convo. I turned my head back, pushing Jake’s weirdness to the back of my mind. Then I caught Allie’s eyes.

It was all sparkly and clearly not into her moccachino in front of her, but very into some dude by the PC’s. The same idiot from the door…

“Allie…” I waved my hand in front of her eyes and then she stood up! She walked over to the guy and introduced herself… Just like that!

That’s when it hit me.

I’m alone now!

Ollie got Sam. Jake and Leila seem good. And now Allie got the tattoo-dude…

I grabbed my Iced Choccochino in its take-away cup and ran.

Out of the shop. Into the street and down the road.

I heard someone behind me, but I kept on running.

I needed to be alone now. I needed to think. Without Ollie, without Allie and Leila, and especially without Jake and his understanding eyes…

I found myself slowing down after a few blocks and just sat down, drinking my coffee and thinking…

Maybe I was supposed to be alone, the matchmaker, the best friend to everyone. It always suited me! Why was I so upset now? Then I saw Daniel in my head and I knew this was his entire fault!

But softly his head float away, and I realized he meant nothing to me. It was fun while it lasted, but I think I knew from the start that we weren’t supposed to work out.

It was to perfect and no flame can get started without a spark…

Then another face entered my mind…

“There you are…” I looked up and smiled, confident that everything was going to be all right…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ALLIE’S POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood up and walked over to him, he looked gorgeous, even though he ruffled my feathers, and I could not get over his body!

That buff arms and tattoos. Sure I reckon he has a great personality, but now, I just know his body, and I don’t really care!

Normally I wouldn’t have the guts to walk up to a random guy and just introduce myself, but what can I say, the red hair changed me…

“Hey I’m Allie” I stood next to him and checked him out, ooooh I loved his tattoos!

“And?” He replied obnoxiously.

I stared down at him, trying to figure out the best way to approach him. I think bitchy should do the trick…

“And… I want you to buy me a drink. Now.”

“Oh, attitude. Am I supposed to be afraid now?”

“No, just obedient.” I replied and walked away, the best way to get a guy into you is not to be into him my older cousin always said…

But just then I saw Carrie run out of the shop! WHAT?!?! I glanced over at our table and only saw Leila and Sam left. Then I saw Oliver and Jake running after her.

I ran over to the table, the guy forgotten for know. Girls come first…

“Leila, Sam! What happened? Why did Carrie run out?”

It was Sam who replied, Leila still looked a bit shell shocked; “She was still fine after you stood up, then she looked at all of us, and bolted.”

“What’s going on?” I turned around, right into Mr. Tattoo, with a mocchachino in his hand. I couldn’t help but smile as he held it out to me.

“My friend ran off, but Jake and Oliver is after her so I think all would be fine.”

“The one with the black hair?” He asked, sounding truly like he cared…

“Yes…” I stuttered and sat down. Breathing deeply in and out.

“And you are?” Sam asked at Mr. Tattoo, why did he have to wear a sleeveless T I silently thought…

“Kris, Kris Grim.”

At that, I had to look up. That name sounded so Friday the 13th… I caught his eye and he winked at me and for a second I almost forgot that my best friend just ran of…

~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Carrie’s POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Then I was surprised, my smile still on my face, for the head in my mind had appeared in front of me almost instantaneously. I was utterly and completely surprised, because Jake didn’t make my stand up and go back to the cafe; he sat down next to me and began talking about the stars.

I mean WHAT?!?! There were no stars out, it was cloudy and dark. But then Jake took my chin into his hand, lifts my head slightly up and pointed. Then I saw it! A lone star peeking out between two clouds. Looking more beautiful than anything I have ever seen before.

“See, even something that looks alone, is beautiful, but it never is alone, you know. When the clouds clear the star is surrounded by other stars, not alone anymore, but ever so beautiful.” He spoke so softly I almost thought it was all in my mind.

But I knew that Jake was the one who realized (or guessed) why I ran from the cafe. I took my eyes of the star and slowly looked at Jake. My eyes were soft on his, not his usual glare I gave him…

“How’d you know that was why I ran?”

“The way you looked at every single one of us, and you just looked so alone, like you only just realized what that idiot done to you and that it was over…”

I just stared at Jake, now remembering why I was so sure I wanted to be alone, because the care in his voice, the understanding in his eyes and the soft, friendly smile etched along his mouth, broke me down.

I started crying. For the millionth time in two days I was crying again. But not hystericly, angry or even sadly.

No. I cried for relieve and for ridding myself of everything in my heart and mind that was breaking me up, to let it all out and just feel better when I’m done.

Jake surprised me again, not taking me in his arms and consoling me like every other person might’ve done. But letting me sit, with my arms on my knees and my face buried in my arms and letting me cry it all out.

That was how Oliver found us, Jake sitting and staring at the stars. And me crying…

Oliver made me go sit with him in the car while Jake walked back inside the cafe…

Clearly my good hearted ‘I could deal with anything’ friend needed some answers!

*sigh*

“Carrie, what is going on with you?! You were the one who said you are ready to go out again and then you run off?”

“Ollie! I saw my not really ex-boyfriend smooching some slut and all my friends are suddenly into someone and there I am. Little lonely me. It does take some getting used to! I know Daniel was a crap boyfriend, but at least I had some one!”

“You were the one who introduced Leila to Jake, when everyone could clearly see he was only into you!”

That stunned me to silence…I sat there and the past few months rolled through my mind…

The joking in the halls. The caring eyes. The envious judgments. The wanting looks. The understanding of when I needed to talk. When I needed to just sit. And I remembered… The way he looked at me last night, he let me sit knowing I was afraid of everyone; he just sat there looking at me.

“That’s why I wanted to let him have a girl…” I softly said, mostly to myself…

“What?” Oliver stared at me.

“I wanted him to have a girl because I wasn’t sure I could stay his friend any longer if he didn’t have one… I just lost my boyfriend Ol! And Jake is my friend! I don’t like him! I can’t. I won’t.”

“Well, that’s perfect then.” He looked over my shoulder at something and I turned, looking straight at Jake and Leila, walking hand in hand out of the shop.

I took a deep breath and turned to Oliver.

“I don’t like him!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~