A Touch of Scarlet

12

"Hey Lydia wanna take a break from packing and do a Starbucks run?"

Carter asks as he walks into the guest room. I've been hoping to find my own apartment so that I don't have to be a burden by staying here but it hasn't worked out so I'm still here.

"Um no I'm alright but if you want to go I'll come with you"

Before I have time to look up he has his hand on my forehead and has an over exaggerated expression of mocking worry plastered on his face.

"Gosh Lydia are you going to be okay to go on the camping trip tomorrow? Are you sick?"

"Haha Carter get your hand off my head"

For the last couple days my appetite has been slowly fading away and now I have to concentrate to keep the food down.

"But seriously are you alright? Your inner white girl has never been able to deny a Frap before"

"Oh shut up you sass-hole"

"Sass-hole?" he asks with a grin.

"Yes your sassing my choice of vocabulary"

"But really? Sass-hole?"

"Oh shut up" I yell trying to hide the smirk on my face as I try to knock him over with the pillows that I'm now throwing at him.

⋆⋆⋆

As soon as Carter's mom's car pulls into the school parking lot we jump out, wave goodbye, grab our stuff and start to head towards the group of all the grade eleven students standing outside the office.

I look down at my small brown leather shoulder bag from garage and my small black suit case and then over at Carter's navy duffel bag.

"Morningg" Adrien's voice comes from across the group where he stands with his arm slung across Mai's small shoulders.

Halfway towards him I can feel Carter pausing at the same moment I do as both of our gazes lock onto Adrien's luggage.

My tired expression morphs into a giant mocking grin.

"You know Adrien that beauty comment from last week was a joke right?"

He looks down to his orange duffel bag sitting on top of the giant matching orange suitcase and shrugs,

"I only packed what I'm going to need"

At that Carter and I burst out laughing to the point where I fall against him and we both topple to the ground in laughter while Adrien stands there in annoyance.

"What's so funny?"

Dammit

Looking up to see the three familiar faces that I had forgotten were coming.

Reece stands in between Nate and Jordan with his eyebrows raised and his hand extended towards me.

I quickly run my hand through my now rustled hair,

then look back up towards him before grabbing on to his hand and letting him pull me up but then he doesn't let go and I end up falling in towards him.

"Pff ow"

I mumble as I try to regain balance.

"Alright there princess?"

I nod in response to Reece before looking up and remembering that I've got Adrien, Mai, Carter, Jordan and Nate all standing watching.

The crimson starts to flow into my pale cheeks like second nature.