"Ike, I need you to help me out with this stupid assignment your mom gave me..." Carter pushed open Isaac's bedroom without knocking first. Carrying her book in one hand, she screamed and threw it across the room when she saw the scene in front of her. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" She held her chest with her hand and caught her breath from the shock.
Tristan Halls sat crouched next to Isaac's bed and was holding up his mattress reaching for his journal when Carter slammed the door shut behind her. She spun around quickly letting the mattress drop back into place.
"What are you doing?" Carter asked eyeing Tristan's attire. She hadn't really changed much since the last time she'd seen her, almost two years ago. Her hair was very long and very dark with red and purple streaks around the front. Her eyes were dark with eyeliner and her lips were red with heavy gloss. She wore a long black skirt and a long sleeved, fishnet top with a vinyl, purple bra underneathe. She also wore thick black boots with what appeared to be four inch platforms. "Why are you in Isaac's room without him?"
"Whoa. It's Ike's sister. Long time no see!" Tristan waved Carter off and reached under the mattress again to get Isaac's journal.
"I'm his neighbor. Where have you guys been?"
"Oh Ike said he didn't wanna hang out with us anymore because we were like... corrupting him and his family or some shit like that." She opened his journal and began to read the middle page.
Carter stepped forward and slapped the book out of Tristan's hands and onto the floor. "Which brings me back to my previous question. What the hell are you doing here?"
"Research."
Carter stood there for a minute while Tristan stared her down. "Ok, gothic space cadet, want to be more specific?"
"I need his journal. Or something of his that's personal."
"For... what... ritualistic slaughter? Animal
"It's for the curse."sacrifice? Raising the dead?"
Carter coughed and her eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
Tristan looked puzzled for a moment and then laughed. "Oh that's right, you weren't there. Trey and I decided to curse Ike. He pissed us off. Now he needs to die."
"Uhm. You're not serious are you?"
"Of course not." She laughed and threw her head back. "You just don't know me at all, Carter Potter."
"Porter."
"Potter."
"Porter."
"POTTER."
Carter screamed. "DUDE I KNOW WHAT MY OWN NAME IS!"
"Of course you do." Tristan smiled. "I just like to see how long it takes to push people into utter insanity."
"Hanging around with you? I'd say that usually takes about 30 seconds."
"Took you about 5 and a half."
"I'm not insane yet."
"Then my task isn't quite complete." Tristan eyed the top of Carter's head carefully.
"What?" Carter stepped back. "What are you doing?"
"Could I borrow a lock of your hair?"
"NO!" She screamed and grabbed Isaac's journal from Tristan as she picked it up off of the ground again. "NOW GET OUT!"
"Uhm. This isn't your room."
"Ditto!"
"So what's your point?"
"Ok, dude, are you going to leave or should I just open the window and throw you out? Or maybe I could dowse you with holy water and see if you melt?"
"Fine alright. I'll leave. Are you sure I can't borrow a lock of your hair? It'd help a lot with the curse."
"Do you want me beat you senseless with a meat mallot?"
"Fine I'm out. See ya." Tristan left the room and stomped down the stairs. Carter heard her slam the balcony door shut and leave by climbing down the side of the house, the same way she'd snuck in so many times with Trey.
"Sweet Jesus she's a freak." Carter sighed and went downstairs and into Taylor's room. He was sitting at his computer finishing an e-mail.
"Who just jumped off the balcony?"
"Lucifer."
Taylor looked up. "What?"
"Tristan."
"Oh. Do I wanna know?"
"Probably not."
Taylor jumped up from his chair and threw his arms around Carter. Carter laughed and stumbled backwards.
"Whoa doggy. What's up?"
Taylor let go of her and smiled. "Nothing. Do I have to have a reason to hug the coolest person in the world?"
"Ok now you're scaring me. Did you put a pipe bomb in my dresser again?"
Taylor laughed. "No. Of course not. I haven't figured out a way to prank you yet." He smiled again.
"Ok well, you're freakin me out, Tay. You haven't smiled this much since the last Baywatch marathon. You feelin alright?"
"I just wanted to thank you for pushing Meli to... well you know... open up to me."
"Oh."
"You know, we're getting along really well and she's so awesome. I just... I don't know."
"Well, I'm glad you two are happy." Carter smiled back at him and patted him on the shoulder. "Just let me know if there's anything else I can do to help." She let out a deep sigh and wandered over to Zac's room. She, for some reason, needed a hug from Zac more than ever. Sometimes his hugs were all she ever needed to brighten her day. Taylor gave great hugs and Isaac... well Isaac never hugged Carter... but Zac's hugs seemed to complete her in some strange way.
However, Zac wasn't in his room. She sighed and went to sit on his bed when she saw a note folded in half with her name on it. She looked around the room and shrugged, opening the small piece of yellow paper.
"Car, There's a present for you in the closet. Don't ask . . . Zac"
"Oookay." She smiled and stepped into his closet. On the shelf there was a box wrapped perfectly in purple wrapping paper complete with an elaborately hand made silver bow on top. "Weird." She smiled again and opened it to find another note. "Ok he's lost it." She thought to herself as she opened it.
"Turn around."
Carter felt her heart drop as she spun around on her heel. But Zac wasn't there. Taylor stood in the doorway with the doornob in his hands. "This... is for yesterday." He grinned and slammed the door shut.
"NO!" Carter screamed and hurled herself at the door, pounding on it as hard as he could. "YOU ASSHOLE! LET ME OUT!" She screamed louder turning the nob as hard as she could. But she was obviously stuck. Then, just as she was about to sit on the floor and sulk, she realized something. Taylor couldn't wrap presents. Taylor could barely tie his shoes. She thought for a moment about who she knew that could make those kinds of bows and wrap that perfectly. "MELI! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"