Carter rolled over quietly with her eyes still closed. It was daylight, she could see it through her eyelids. She hated the sun before noon but she knew she had to wake up. Homeschooling would be starting soon and she'd have to get up at 8:00 a.m. every morning for that, 7:00 a.m. if she actually cared what she looked like.
She rolled back over on to her back swung her legs over the side of her bed in one quick movement. But... wait a minute. She stumbled and fell over to the side as her heels hit the floor with a bang. "WHERE THE HELL IS MY BED!?" She yelled, her eyes now wide open. She looked all around her, confused. Her bed was gone and she was laying in the spot where it used to be. Her sheet was underneathe her, her maroon quilt on top. "Where the FUCK is my bed?!" She yelled again, jumping up and looking all around the room.
Melissa wasn't in her bed. Ok, chill out. Carter thought to herself. Beds just don't disappear into thin air. Maybe Meli took your bed up to the attic. But why the hell would she do that? Why the hell does she do anything? Where the HELL IS MY BED?! Then... she glared into the general direction of Taylor's bedroom and marched down the hall to the balcony. In a pair of shorts and a sports bra, she threw the door to the balcony open and let out a shriek. She knew Taylor did it... it was his turn after all... She was going to kill him. But... something stopped her. Sitting at the far end of the lawn, on top of the hard pool cover, was her bed, made perfectly. There was even a teddy bear sitting on top of it. "My bed is in the pool!"
"Yeah, it was kinda hard to get it all the way up the hill, too." Taylor's voice came from behind her. She could tell he was smiling.
He was fully dressed, his hair combed and slicked back slightly. He looked... hot... he looked... Carter lunged forward, knowing him onto the floor of the balcony. "YOU SON OF A...!!!" She yelled, throwing herself on top of him, holding his arms down.
Taylor screamed, his eyes opened wide in surprise. "DON'T KILL ME! IT WAS MY TURN!"
"I have NEVER put your whole fucking bed IN THE POOL!"
"Chill! It's not completely in the pool. It's not even wet. We just put the cover on the pool and pushed it on. Your bed has wheels, it was easy once we got it down the stairs and up the hill."
Carters eyes widened and she sat up, still sitting on him. "We?"
Taylor blushed slightly. "I didn't say 'we'. I said 'he'."
"Why the hell would you say, 'he'?"
"I uhm..."
"WHO HELPED YOU?!"
"Mel did, but it was my idea!"
Carter raised her hand and brought it down hard on his chest. "I will kill you. By the end of the day, you will be dead. Count on that." She jumped up off of him, went back to her room, threw on a shirt, and then ran outside to retrieve her bed. I will kill him. He will be dead. I will kill him. She muttered silently to herself as she pulled the bed with all her might. "WHY THE HELL IS IT SO HOT?!" She yelled, blowing the hair out of her face.
"I could help you with that." Taylor's voice came from behind her once again.
"Don't talk to me."
"Dude, I didn't wanna piss you off. It was just a little joke."
"Next time, don't play a joke this early in the morning."
"It's 11:30."
"BESIDES THE POINT!" She yelled and glared at him.
"Whoa. Ok..." Taylor put his arm around her shoulder to calm her down. "How bout this, I'll get the bed back to your room... you go upstairs, get a shower, have a cup of coffee..."
"Are you telling me I stink?"
"What?"
"You just told me to get a shower."
"To calm yourself down."
"DON'T TALK TO ME!" She yelled, grabbing hold of the bedpost and yanking it as hard as she could. "GOD DAMMIT!" She screamed when the bed only moved a foot. "This is going to take me all fucking day, I'm going to die from heat stroke, and I'll never make it to Hollywood."
Taylor tried not to laugh. He pushed her away from the bed. "I'll take care of the bed. You... just go away." He admired the fact that she wanted to do it herself. He also feared for his life.
Carter grumbled and trotted back down the hill, straightening her hair. "I hate boys." She managed to let out seven long growls before she got back to her bedroom. Without thinking, she turned the doornob and pushed her body against the door like she always did. This time, her body hit the door and the door remained closed. "What the hell is going on now?" She pounded her fists onto the door and yelled, "MELI! LET ME IN!" She was about to slam her fists again when the door opened.
Confused, and tired, she stepped inside to see what appeared to be a picnic on the floor. "What?" Carter took a few steps inside and looked down. There were two plates, napkins, glasses, silverware, and a large picnic basket in the middle of the floor, sitting on top of the maroon flannel blanket from the couch outside.
Before she had anytime to wonder what was going on, Zac's arms wrapped around her from behind and he nuzzled his face against her neck. She knew it was him by his sent. "Hi." She smiled for the first time that day and leaned back against him. "What is all this?"
"Breakfast." Zac walked over and sat down. He pat the floor next to him. "Or lunch. Whatever..."
Carter sat down and sighed. "Why did you do this? It's so... sweet."
"Yeah. Go me." He grinned. "So go ahead, look and see what I've prepared." He pointed to the basket.
Carter smiled and lifted the lid. She looked up at him, confused. "Zac, there's nothing in here."
"Yeah there is."
Carter looked back inside and pulled out an envelope. "What's this?"
Zac laughed. "Usually when people pull bright orange envelopes out of empty picnic baskets, they open them."
Carter opened the envelope slowly and looked inside. Then she looked back at Zac. "Zac... there's nothing in this either."
Zac jumped up. "Dude... I forgot it!" He ran out of the room. Carter heard a few thumping noises next door, and then he reappeared with a folded up piece of paper in his hand. "Ok here. I knew the envelope felt kinda thin."
"Zac, you're on crack." She grinned. "Ok that rhymed." She unfolded the paper and began to read to herself.
Dead Carter,
I had my chance with you before, I know it, and I let you go. I know that was a mistake now. I kick myself in the ass for it everyday when I see you smiling, laughing, and having fun as my friend. I don't want that anymore. I might sound like a greedy butthead, but I want way more than that. I love you. I've always loved you and I always will love you, and I'm asking you here and now, after I've frustrated the hell out of you with invisible food, if you will be my girlfriend.
Love, always and forever
Zachary
Carter put the letter down with tears in her eyes and practically jumped over the empty picnic basket. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could. "I love you so much Zac."
Zac blushed and hugged her back. "Is that a yes?"
"YES!" She hugged him again.
"Ok then, I love you too." He stood up and grabbed hold of her hand. "Ok now let's go downstairs where there's some real food."
"You really made me food?"
"No, but there's none in my house... so..."
Carter laughed and followed him downstairs where he made her breakfast.
Carter
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