Chapter 123

Zac pushed open the door the his house and his eyes widened when he saw Carter asleep on the couch with Taylor. "Uhm, Tay... why is my girlfriend's face in your crotch?"

Taylor put his finger to his lips and shushed him and Isaac as they came in. "Somehow, she got very very drunk. Where's Meli?"

"Next door. What do you mean she got drunk?" Isaac asked, looking down at Carter, slightly worried.

"She found alcohol and didn't know it was alcohol. Is it just me or should she have been born blonde?"

Zac rolled his eyes and leaned down in front of Carter. He ran his finger across her nose to wake her up. "Hey." He smiled when she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Hi." She muttered and blinked hard.

"You wanna go upstairs?"

She sat up and nodded. When she tried to stand, she fell over into Zac's arms. "Whoa. Watch that first step dude... it's a doooozy."

Zac looked at Tay. "I guess it hasn't worn off yet. Thanks for taking care of her."

"No problem."

Zac put his arm around Carter's waist and led her up the stairs. He pushed his bedroom door open and helped her to his bed. He was going to help her lay down but she fell forward onto her face. After lifting her feet off of the ground she rolled over onto her back. "How are you feeling?" Zac asked, sitting down next to her.

"I'm peachy." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Zac looked down at her and laughed. She looked like she'd just run a marathon. Her hair was pulled into low ponytails and little pieces were falling out of the rubberbands and sticking to her forhead. She was wearing a pair of black pants that looked about 5 sizes too big. Zac often joked that she could fit a whole nother Carter in them. Her white tanktop was pulled up above her bellybutton and wrinkled. He reached down and pushed her hair out of her face.

Carter sighed and opened her eyes. She suddenly looked sad, almost distant. "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh huh."

She toko a deep breath. "I've been thinking about it for a long time now..."

"Ok." He waited for her to explain.

"Why do you like me?"

Zac's eyes widened, wondering just how much she'd had to drink. "What do you mean?"

"Haven't you ever stopped to think... or just realize that I don't do anything to deserve you?"

Zac stayed silent, not really sure of what to say.

"You've spent your whole life, literally, being the best friend I've ever had. When you were eight and you were five and Taylor popped my water wings when we were swimming and you gave me yours and stayed out of the pool all day."

Zac smiled and nodded. "But..."

"And when I was ten and you were seven and Taylor dropped my little pink diary in the sewer, you walked eleven blocks to catch the ice cream truck. Rememeber, you bought me all kinds of stuff to cheer me up."

Zac laughed. "And by the time I got home everything was melted."

She nodded. "And three years ago when Taylor ruined my hair, you used your entire savings to take me to a fancy salon and get my hair fixed until I had a style I loved."

"So? I wanted to do that for you."

"You searched the internet for 3 years until you found The Book of Shadows from Charmed. You do all this for me and I just feel like all I've ever been is a spoiled brat to you. And you spend all your time and money trying to make me happy. How can it be worth it to you? What the hell have I ever given you in return?" She asked and Zac noticed that it looked as if she wanted to cry. She had a way of holding back the tears though.

"Car... come here..." He grabbed her hands and pulled her up so she was sitting and looking directly into his eyes. "I'm going to answer this one time and then I never ever want you to ask me again... ok?"

She nodded.

"And chances are you won't remember this by tomorrow..."

Carter laughed and Zac continued.

"You make it all worth it to me. You give me something in return every single day when you yell at me through the moniters every morning to wake me up. You make it all worth it when you come over here at three in the morning because you had a bad dream and you just lay here with me until daylight. You're putting your dream of being a famous Hollywood star to stay in Tulsa and go to college, just so I won't be left alone. You sit here and look at me with those huge eyes of yours like I'm the only person in the wrold that matters. I'm happiest when I'm with you, even if we're just sitting here talking. The only reason I do all those little things for you is because you deserve it. Just by being you."

Carter smiled and put her arms around him. She rested her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her waist. She seemed completely sober and coherent, but what she said next, made Zac wonder.

"Zac... honey... why is Gabi standing in your hallway?"

Zac let go of her and stared into her eyes. "Huh?" For a moment she looked as if she was looking for something over his shoulder. He turned around to see an empty hallway. "What are you talking about?"

"She was just there... Dammit, Zac, I swear..."

He gave her a quick hug. "I think you just need to sleep."

"No! I'm not kidding. I'm completely coherentyly freakingly awakedified... Ok so I have no idea what I just said. I'm dead serious though." She paused. "Very... very bad choice of words. She was standing right there nodding at me."

He looked from the hallway and back to Carter again. "Car, I don't see anything. I really think your head is playing tricks on you."

Carter's eyes widened again as she saw Gabi walk the span of the doorway. She jumped up and grabbed Zac's shoulders, spinning him around just in time for him to see an arm, sporting a shiny, long, blue sleeve, and the train of a shiny blue dress. "YOU SAW HER! TELL ME YOU SAW HER!"

Zac grabbed Carter's hand and walked toward the door. "I saw something. And unless Taylor is wearing a very pretty blue dress... come on, let's go see."

Cater resisted and pulled back, almost falling on her butt on the floor. "No no no no no. Zac, you know I'm scared to death of ghosts." She paused. "Once again, bad choice of words." She pushed him. "You go see."

Zac shrugged. "Fine. I still say there's an explanation." He headed toward the door again. "Maybe it was Meli."

"Meli doesn't have brown hair to her butt... and she doesn't look like Gabi." Carter sat back down on the bed and waited while he cautiously peered to the left and right, looking down the hallway. Carter felt a chill go up and down her spine and then she bolted toward Zac. "OK! Changed my mind, I'm coming with you." She grabbed onto the back pocket of his pants and followed him down the hallway to Taylor's bedroom.

Instead of knocking and waiting the three minutes for him to answer, the shoved open the door, ran inside, and slammed it closed behind them. "Uhm... hi guys. A little high strung today?" Taylor laughed, looking up from his computer. "What's going on?" He asked, noticing how white Carter's face was.

Carter took a deep breath and held onto Zac.

"All sobered up?" Taylor asked.

"Traumatic experiences are very sobering from what I hear."

"Huh?"

Zac put his arm around Carter, knowing she was terrified out of her mind. "Hey Tay, remember when you found Tanis in the old garage... remember she said she saw Gabi?"

Taylor nodded slowly.

"Yeah, well. I think she's back."

Carter
Pics of Carter Characters
Hearts of Fate... experience the wonder... ok no...
Never Again... DAMMIT JUST READ IT!

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