Beginning of the End

Chapter 6

My brain reeled for the familiar voice, trying to recognize who it belongs to but unfortunately I failed. I had no idea whatsoever who it belonged to. Everyone's conversation in our table came to an abrupt stop as they all look at me and the person behind me. How did this person even recognize me from my back? Was I that close with her? I slowly turn around and my eyes widen with surprise. I choke on my own breath and suddenly remembered everything about her and all our memories together.

"Do you know her?"

"Are you alright Carter?"

"Carter do you want us to make her leave?"

"Who is she?"

Much to everyone's surprise (including myself), I ignore their questions and stand up before grabbing Stephanie's arm and dragging her out the cafeteria. I could feel their eyes following my every move, burning the back of my head. When we were finally out of everyone's sight, Stephanie pulled her arm from my almost-harsh-grasp on her and rubbed it vigorously.

"What the hell was that for?" She hisses.

"Why are you here?" I look around for anyone that might have followed us.

She rolls her eyes but answer my question anyway, "So my mom decided that we should move after what happened with your bi-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know that. I don't really want to remember that," I mutter.

I didn't want to remember any of that at all. I've been trying my best and I personally think that I'm succeeding trying to forget my past and everyone that was in it, until Stephanie came along. She made me remember all my horrible and dark past that I spent a year trying my best to forget.

She nods in understanding and continues, "We moved to California just two days after the event... I was very traumatized so I had to see special therapist-"

"You'd think you'd be the one who's very traumatized," the words slipped out of my mouth before I could think of what I was saying.

"Carter! I was right next to you when it happened! I'm just as traumatized as you!"

"No, because, you were just there! My... my..." I couldn't continue my sentence, tears were threatening to fall.

"Okay, that's not the point... but after I got better, mom told me that she actually didn't like life in Cali so we decided to move here in New York, so I've only been here for five months," she looks at me for a reply but talks again when she figured that I had nothing to say. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

"Same thing. I actually moved here just a couple of weeks after the unfortunate event," I hung my head down shame for some reason.

"How come I never saw you here?"

"I've been homeschooled," I mumbled.

Her gasp was so loud that I was tempted to cover her mouth before anyone notices us. What's so shocking about being homeschooled anyway? Oh wait, maybe the fact that I was one of the most popular girls back in Seattle who you would never think of being homeschooled is actually homeschooled. My head is so messed up, I don't even think that made sense.

"You? Homeschooled? Why?"

"Because, Steph. I... I wasn't ready to face the real world again. Sure I go for walks with Belgian but going to school to see people that might remind me of that person was just too much for me. I don't think I could've handled seeing people like that person," my voice shakes, I didn't know if anger caused it or it was sadness, either way I want to punch a wall.