The Teenage Guide To Popularity [COMPLETE]

Chapter 15: Foolish Games,

Of course. Of course I had to get partnered up with him. How obvious. How cliché, Carter thought angrily. It seemed like everyone was conspiring to humiliate her, to constantly put her in an awkward position and make her wish she had never started her popularity quest.

It had occurred to her that if she had never listened to Leigh, she wouldn't have gone to that party, and she wouldn't have ended up in that closet with Kiran. Really, it was all Leigh's fault. Except, it wasn't. It was all Carter's fault for letting herself get wrapped up in all the drama.

The bell rang, marking the end of the class, as well as the end of the school day. Carter needed time to compose herself, to collect her thoughts and be able to handle Kiran in a respectable, even indifferent manner. So as soon as the bell rang, she grabbed Aiden and headed for the door as quickly as possible.

"Hey, what's your hurry?" Aiden asked as they pushed through other students and stumbled into the hallway.

"I just wanna get outta here."

Fortunately, Kiran didn't block her path or call out her name. They walked through the school hand-in-hand, stealing stares from other students and making it a point to go along the busiest areas. They passed Ashton, Georgie and Melody at one point, and while Georgie and Melody smiled and waved at Carter, Ashton only glared. Like a witch with a plan. Like a demon with a mission. Her glares were deadly and powerful enough mentally knock anyone out. Carter put on a playful smile and walked on, hoping that her fake amusement would piss Ashton off.

"So, my house?" Aiden suggested again.

"Can we do that tomorrow? I think I should spend some time with Leigh today."

"Which one's Leigh?"

"My best friend? The girl who was supposed to come to the party but got sick, remember?" How could anyone forget Leigh? It wasn't hard to remember someone who dressed like the love-child of Madonna and a ballerina.

"Oh, right, her. Can't you blow her off? My parents are out all night. We'll have the place all to ourselves." They were now at Carter's locker. Aiden placed his hands on her waist and moved close.

"I've been blowing her off all week. If I keep doing it she'll think something's up."

"You are such a good friend," Aiden said with a smile. He then kissed her.

Once again, there was nothing behind the kiss for Carter. No fireworks. No trains coming out of their stations. No flowers blooming too quickly. Nothing. She may as well have been kissing her pillow, like she used to do when she was ten and she imagined her pillow being Zac Efron. Except this was even less exciting. When they stopped, she plastered on the most artificial smile she could possibly imagine, and hoped it was enough to satisfy him.

"I know. Everyone should be my friend. I'm that good," said Carter, though she didn't believe a word of it. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'll call you later tonight."

***

If there was one thing Ashton Rhodes couldn't stand, it was a loser trying to be a winner. The whole dynamic of the popular crowd had changed, and she had to do everything it her power to set it right again. It was her own fault, really, for allowing Carter to sit at their table. That was the moment it all had changed. That marked the downward spiral of the natural order.

From what she had gathered, there was something going on between Carter and Kiran Jones. Ashton wasn't an idiot. She had become popular because she knew how to read people very well. She knew what their strengths were, what their weaknesses were, and how to use it all to her advantage. Maybe it had been her military father who had instilled that personality into her, or her business-savvy mother. They were both demanding, and quite capable of getting exactly what they wanted.