Carter.

5.

I wake up to my alarm. I hit it to turn it off.

Then I remember, last night. Grayson.

I fly up. I'm in my bed, Emma is next to me, she is sleeping. I don't see a single sign of Grayson. Maybe it was a dream...

I'm so hungry... I slip out of bed and head downstairs. Maybe if I'm lucky my mother will already be gone.

I tip toe to her room. The door is wide open... that normally means she is gone. She shuts it if she's here. I run to the front of the house and peak out the window... the car is gone! That means she is gone.

I'm so hungry and tired. I head back to the kitchen and grab a bagel. I spread some cream cheese on it and head upstairs. There is no way I'm going to school today.

Emma is still passed out in my queen-sized bed. She looks so peaceful. Maybe we can just skip today, I definitely need a hooky day.

"Emma" I shake her lightly. She rolls over and grunts. "Mother is gone for a couple days, skip school?" She opens one eye.

"For real?" She grunts out, not even bothering to open her eyes.

"Yeah."

"I'm down to skip" And with that she rolls back over. Sweet.

I finish my bagel and go to lay back down. Ugh, fuck I have to pee!

I get up and head into my bathroom. I pee but I notice a post-it note on the mirror. After I wash my hands, I grab the note.

Please call me. 316-xxx-xxxx. -Gray

Fuck, I guess that wasn't a dream... I'll deal with that later. My head is pounding, I just need some more sleep...

I get back in to bed and pass out almost immediately.

~~
I wake up to the door bell ringing. Just leave the package and go. To my bad luck it keeps ringing, and ringing. Emma groans but I still don't want to open my eyes.

"Who the fuck is doing that?" She sounds as annoyed as I feel.

"I'll go see I guess." I start to sit up with my eyes still closed. If you can't see then the sleep can't leave you.

"No, No. I'll go." Bless you Emma, I don't even pretend to argue about it. I flop back down and cozy up to my pillow.

I can faintly hear Emma opening the door and talking I think but I can't hear the words. I'm just going to go back to sleep...

I hear a knock on my door, that jolts me awake. "Carter can I come in?" I recognized that chill sent down my spine from his voice.

I rub my eyes and sit up. "Umm sure." My morning voice cracks. My door opens slowly.

The second my eyes meet his ocean deep blue ones; he sighs a breath of relief. "You're okay." He breaths.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I'm confused I scrunch up my eyebrows and push my hand back.

"You weren't in class and you never called me." Grayson explains while taking a few steps in my door.

"Oh sorry, Em and I decided to play hooky and sleep in, is it already 4?" Why does he care though? Wow chill Carter, he's being nice.

"No, I left at lunch, it's like 12:30." I flop back down and grunt.

"It very rude to wake me up this early on a hooky day." I mumble into my pillow, just pretending that this normal. Him being in my room and all...

I can hear him walk over to my bed and sit down on the edge. I want him to hold me again... I've never felt that safe before.

"Do you have to get back to school?" I lift my head up long enough to ask. I hope he doesn't.