Taylor tripped over one of Zac's boots and hit his shoulder on the door. "OUCH! FRIGGIN..." He mumbled to himself. Zac was sitting at the kitchen table with Gabi, holding a towel, filled with ice, over her nose.
"So I'll go upstairs and get Taylor. He'll drive you home and then ..."
Taylor shook his head in the doorway. "Like hell I will."
"What?" Zac looked up at Taylor surprised.
Gabi took the towel from Zac and tried to cover her two black eyes. "Hi, Taylor."
Taylor nodded in her general direction. "There's no way I'm going to drive that bitch home after the what she did."
Gabi's jaw dropped open and Zac's looked confused. "What did she do?"
"Oh my God, Zac. You're such a dense little weenie it's hilarious sometimes. Remember when Carter screamed bloody murder about an hour ago?"
"Yeah."
"Gabi was outside her freakin window with a ladder."
Zac swung around and stared at Gabi. Gabi flashed him a red faced smile.
"Then, Carter goes down to see what's up, and Gabi threatens her. Again.
"Why would Gabi threaten Carter? She has no reason to..." Zac turned back to Gabi and glared. "I thought you were over Taylor."
Gabi shrugged.
"So all that bullshit that you gave me about Carter lunging at you out of jealousy was just your ply for attention?"
Gabi nodded.
Zac grabbed the bloody washcloth from her and pulled her up by her wrists.
"OW!"
Zac pushed opened the back door and pushed her out. "You can tend to your own broken nose." He sighed as he slammed the door in her face and turned to Taylor. "I'm just too nice for my own good."
Taylor shook his head. "I'm sure your niceness is why Carter cried herself to sleep in my bed."
"What?"
"Yes, Zac. You chose Gabi over your best friend. You made Carter cry."
"Gabi was bleeding all over the place and Carter was responsible. I wasn't thinking."
"Freakin duh, Zac."
Zac threw the bloody towel in the garbage can and walked past Taylor. "I better talk to her."
Taylor grabbed Zac's arm. "No. You're not going to."
"She's my best friend. I have the right to talk to her."
"Not this time."
Zac sighed and pushed past him. "Fine. If she wants to talk, I'll be in my room."
Taylor went to the refridgerator and grabbed Carter and coke. He took it upstairs and found her where he left her, asleep on his bed. He sat down next to her and sighed.
Carter rolled over onto her side, facing Taylor. "That for me?"
Taylor nodded. "I thought you might be thirsty..."
"Thanks." Carter sat up, popped the top, and stared at it.
"What?"
"I didn't win a million dollars."
"Darn." He laughed.
"Is Gabi still here?"
Taylor shook his head. "Zac kicked her out when he found out what she did."
Carter nodded and sat up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed.
"Where you going?"
"I'm gonna go sit out on the balcony for a while."
"Want company?"
"No." She smiled. "I'll see you in the morning though."
"Alright."
Carter went to the balcony, sat on the leather couch, and wrapped up in the maroon blanket. She leaned her head back and looked out onto the pool. The cover was off and the moonlight was hitting it just perfectly. She closed her eyes for a few minutes and when she opened them, she saw Zac, sliding into the pool. She sighed and stood up, hoping he didn't see her, she went over to her bathroom and grabbed a towel, then she went outside. She climbed up the hill and set the towel down on one of the chairs. "I thought you might have forgotten a towel like you usually do... so..." She sat down on the edge of the pool, indian style.
"Thanks." Zac swam to the side and looked up at her. "Are you gonna swim?"
Carter shook her head.
"So... About earlier, with Gabi... I didn't know..."
Carter nodded. "I know."
"Taylor said you were crying."
"Yeah go me." She laughed lightly and shrugged. "You really scared me."
Zac leaned against the side of the pool and looked up at her. Her hair was in her eyes and she wasn't really looking at him. "Why are you scared?"
"Cause you have a girlfriend now and you really like her..."
"So? You have a boyfriend."
"I know but, I tell you everything about Taylor and me."
"I would tell you more about Justine and me but, there's not really much to tell you about yet. I mean, we've been going out for what, a week? It's not like the juices are flowin or anything."
Carter stared at him for a second before cracking up. "What the hell?!"
"What?"
"That was so disgusting."
"WHAT?!"
"That juices comment."
Zac crinkled his nose and then his eyes widened. "EW! I DIDN'T MEAN THAT!" He laughed. "You freakin sicko. I meant... you know... the juicy gossip stuff isn't exactly there yet... god what the hell is wrong with you?"
Carter laughed. "Hey, you said it, dude."
Zac smiled. "So, you forgive me?"
Carter shrugged.
Zac grinned and grabbed hold of her legs. In one swift yank, she was in the pool. She jumped up and gasped for air. After coughing a few times she slapped him on the shoulder. "YOU SHIT!"
Zac laughed. "You forgive me?"
"Well, not now, dumbass!" Carter laughed and grabbed his shoulders. She pulled herself up so that she was on his back. Then she started kicking, trying to push him under water.
"Damn girl, you're heavy."
"NGAH!" Her signature noise escaped her lips as she jumped completely over him and pushed him under water. "You do realize that I'm wearing my GOOD CLOTHES! And now they're gonna be a stinky and chloriney."
"That's why normal people do laundry, dirtball."
"Dumbass." Carter laughed and splashed him.
They played around in the water for about an hour, never noticing that Taylor was standing on the balcony, watching them, and smiling.