Attention

3

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Thursday morning I walked into school to find out that Carter wasn't there. I was upset about it. Especially after yesterday, I had a made up scenario in my head to where he would see me in the hallway and smile at me. But he wasn't here.

I saw Joey walking in the halls by himself with headphones. It would be creepy if I just walked up to him and asked him where Carter was. So, I'm not gonna do it.

So, I was beyond surprised when I was making my way to my third period class and I was stopped by Joey.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turn around to see Joey spinning around one earbud in his hand. My eyebrows scrunch together. "Uh, hi?"

He walks beside me so people don't have to walk around the both of us. "Hey, I was wondering if you knew where Carter was?"

I get more confused than before. "Uh, no, why would I know?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. He told me he dropped you off at home yesterday so I was seeing if maybe he told you about his plans for today."

I shake my head. "Oh, no. Is he not telling you where he is?"

He runs his hand through his dark blonde hair. "No, he's not even answering me at all."

At the mention of that, I start to get worried. "Is something wrong? Does it have something to do with that letter from his mom?"

He stops walking and I slow down. He looks around before he pulls me into a corner. I'm caught off guard by the action but allow it. "How do you know about that letter?" he says, lowly.

"I-I found it and I gave it back to him." I stutter out, confused at the intensity of this whole thing.

His eyes widen. "Wait, so he found it? Ah, shit."

"He didn't tell you?" I ask.

He runs his hand down his face in distress. "No, shit. Look, if you happen to see Carter anywhere in town. Text me, here's my number." He takes out a pen from his pocket and writes his number down on my hand. "I have to go to class now but if you hear anything or see him just text me and I'll be there."

He begins walking in the other direction, leaving me more confused but also more worried than I've ever been about another person in my life. If this is a letter from his mom, then why is it such a big deal? Why did Joey look scared when I told him about the letter?

School was let out and during fourth Joey was constantly reminding me to text him about Carter if I saw him. Walking on the sidewalk on my way home, I remembered that I haven't even put his number in my phone yet so, I pull it out and save it to my contacts.

As I'm doing that, I hear a bottle smash at the park I'm walking past. Startled, I look up at the sound and see the last person I was expecting to see.

Carter.

I'm frozen in place with my mouth hanging slightly open. He was stumbling around with a broken beer bottle in his hand. From this distance, I could see his mouth moving as if he was talking to himself.

Getting out of my state of shock, I quickly make my way over to him and I started to make out what he was saying.

"...remember our good times..." he's slurring his words so it's hard to make out the rest. He scoffs and throws the bottle against a slide making another loud smash.

I squeal and jump back in shock. What's going on with him?

He turns around when he hears me squeal. He squints his eyes at me. "Ava?"

I gulp. "Y-yeah, it's me. Carter, where have you been? Joey has been worried about you."

I was worried about you.

He struggles to stay standing straight and I walk over and guide him to the bench. He laughs and stumbles onto the bench. "Joey was worried about me? He's such a good friend. Were you worried about me?"

My heart was pounding wondering if I should answer truthfully or not. He's drunk, he won't remember. "Yes, I was worried about you. I still am."

He was so drunk. It was bad and I was curious to why he got this drunk and skipped school.

I clear my throat. "I have to text Joey. He told me to text him when I found you."

I pull out my phone but then it was snatched from me. "Hey!"

He holds my phone up to where I can't reach it. I tried to grab it back from him but even drunk he was annoyingly strong. "Wait, don't call Joey yet. He's just gonna lecture me and I don't want to hear that right now."

I huff. "Well, why shouldn't he be able to lecture you? You had us worried sick. We didn't know where you were. And then I find you here drunk--"

"Ava, please."

I stop my ranting and look at his desperate and begging drunk face. I try not to give in, I really did. But, I cave. I sigh. "Fine."

He gives me a sloppy smile. "Thank you." And he hands me back my phone.

We sit in silence for a little bit. I bite my tongue to not give him a lecture and I don't but I do say, "You can't just skip school and not answer anyone's calls and then get drunk at a park. The cops could've been called on you." Okay, maybe, I lectured a bit.

He lets out a humorless laugh. "I can when my mom isn't coming back."

I turn my head to look at him. "What?" I say, softly.

He rolls his head over at me. "My family is fucked up, Ava. Are you surprised? That someone with so much popularity has a fucked up family?"

I was so surprised he was telling me all this that I didn't know what to say. "I..."

"Well," he continues and then slumps down until his head is laying on the back of the bench, "it's really just my mom. She's fucked up. I just don't understand why she won't come back. She's my mom, you know, she's supposed to want to come back."

I finally speak. "Is-is this about that letter?"

His face scrunches up and next thing I know there are tears running down his face. "Yeah, it's about the letter." he chokes out.

In bewilderment, I reach out and wipe his tears. I know he probably didn't want me to but I felt bad for him. I've never seen someone so vulnerable before especially, Carter. He was the glowing boy with the bright green eyes that everyone loved. But right now, he was sensitive and so overtaken with sad emotions that it was really heartbreaking to see.

I'm guessing that he liked that I wiped his tears because he lays his head down in my lap. Subconsciously, my fingers start to caress his hair. "How long have you been out here?"

He adjusts himself to where his face is looking up at me. "Since 10."

My eyes widen but I don't say anything. Does his dad even know where he's at? Has he eaten anything?

He closes his eyes in content as I continue to stroke his hair. I wipe away the dry tears from his face and I'm surprised he's being this vulnerable with me and letting me comfort and caress him. A stranger. But maybe we weren't strangers anymore. I loved that idea.

"We really have to get you home, Carter." I say, gently.

He let out a hum in response. He looked so relaxed in my lap but he was drunk. And if he was gonna sleep it off, he needed to do it at his house in his bed.

I silently pull out my phone and text Joey.

Joey: hey, it's Ava, I found Carter.

A/N:

poor Carter...

Song: mads- you always hurt the one you love

^^ this song fits so well with Carter and his mom like forreal liSTEN TO IT