The Girl in the Hoodie

21

[Chapter twenty-one]

"So from everything you've just said, I've gathered that this piece of plastic like you better than Max, but likes me better than you." Noah summarises, cradling Kamri with one arm and handing me a mug of hot chocolate with the other.

I struggle to get my arm out of the blanket.

I'm a burrito.

A seventeen year old burrito baby.

As soon as I stepped into the house Noah wrapped me in three blankets and threw me on the couch.

And the whole time he didn't put Kamri down.

"Sho--Thanks, pebble." I stop myself from saying shot as I eventually get a hand free and take the mug from Noah. "And the piece of plastic has a name. It's Kamri."

He rolls his eyes before a confused expression makes its way onto his pretty -I mean ugly, face as he sits down next to me.

"Pebble?"

I hum, taking a sip of my hot chocolate. "Well, you never show any damn emotion, and you're like a bloody rock. But you're not Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson, so I settled with pebble."

He blinks, staring at me.

"Pebble?" He repeats.

"Well, you call me Carter!" I exclaim.

"Carter, there are better nicknames out there then Pebble." He tells me. "Or better yet, just don't give me a nickname."

"Yeah, okay, now that I know you don't want a nickname, I'm definitely going to give you one." I state, taking another sip of my hot chocolate.

"Carter." He groans.

"Pebble." I mimic him.

"Right, what are you going to call me then?" He turns to sit on the couch so he's facing me, Kamri still in his arms. "Because I'm sure as hell not letting you leave this house calling me Pebble."

I open my mouth to answer but nothing comes out. I look at Noah, smiling sheepishly. "Uhhh, you're gonna have to give me some time to think about that."

I see the corner of his mouth turn up a bit but he forces it down. "Alright, Carter. Whatever."

"Pebble?" I speak up after a moment.

"I'm not answering to the name Pebble."

"You just did."

I see him open and shut his mouth, stopping himself from replying.

"Pebble?"

He ignores me.

"Pebble."

He keeps ignoring me.

"Pebble!"

"Do you hear something, Kamri?" Noah looks down at the electronic doll.

My mouth drops open. "Dammit, Noah."

"Oh, hey, Carter." He turns to me. "Didn't see you there."

This petty little--

"Anyway, what is it?" He snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Why do you call me Carter?" I question.

He shrugs. "Well I'm not one for those cute nicknames or whatever so I settled with Carter."

I raise an eyebrow. "That wasn't what I meant. Why do you call me Carter? Why not just call me Nevaeh?"

"Oh! Uh-well-um-" he stutters, not knowing how to answer, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink.

I laugh, ending his misery. "Chill."

From the corner of my eye I can see him glaring at me as I laugh, but a small smile slowly makes its way onto his face.

We sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until I break it.

"Well, I'm going to go now." I announce. "Thanks for not being an asshole and letting me stay instead of leaving me outside to freeze my ass off."

"Carter, you're not going home. It's four in the morning and it's not safe." He says. "I can't believe you walked here by yourself in the first place. You could have gotten kidnapped or murdered or--" he cuts himself off when he realises how worried he sounds, his eyes widening a bit. "Or taken to the circus to be a dancing clown."

"Boy, you and I both know that I'd be the most beautiful fucking clown in that circus." I say seriously before turning around and walking up the stairs. "I call the right side of the bed."

He mumbles something which I don't think I was supposed to hear. "Even though I don't know what you look like, you're already the most beautiful person I know."