Heart and Soul [bxb]

Chapter Forty-Seven

*There is sexual content ahead, towards the end*

Two weeks after Carter's official 'coming out' scene, his routine hadn't changed all that much.

"Like, how am I supposed to know why the hell she's mad? She won't freaking tell me," Joey screeched in the locker room, as he got changed next to Carter and Seth. "If you don't know, then it's not even worth it," Joey mimicked in a mock high-pitched voice. "What the heck does that mean?" He scoffed at Carter.

He frowned, eyeing Seth before looking back at Joey. "You're asking me?"

Joey still had no idea just how bad of an idea it was to ask Carter for girl advice, at the moment.

Joey groaned at Carter's uselessness, turning to his other friend. "Seth?" He pleaded.

Seth just shrugged.

"You two are as useless as my girl. If I still even have a girlfriend! Women are so fucking complicated," he complained. "Does Bella ever pull this cryptic shit on you?" He asked Seth.

Seth smiled a little. "No. Bella is pretty good at letting me know exactly when she's mad and why she's mad."

Carter laughed. "She does have that side of communication pretty well figured out," he mused.

"She never gives you silent treatment for taking her to the wrong restaurant, even though she specifically said 'nah, babe, I don't care, you choose'?" Joey queried.

"Bella likes tacos, her father's food, minimal human contact, and the peace and quiet of her house or my car," Seth said.

Joey scoffed. "How did you manage to find the only uncomplicated girl out there, at first fucking try?"

Carter shook his head. "She's not the only one," he said. "You just have to stop looking with Jenna's cheerleader friends. Not even Jen likes them that much."

Joey's shoulders slouched in defeat. "Maybe you're right. I swear, if Carrie keeps expecting me to just read her fucking mind, this isn't working," he murmured.

"Still lasted more than your last," Seth remarked.

Joey didn't seem too proud of it, though. In fairness, his past relationship had been kind of a joke.

"You guys coming?" Joey asked, already moving toward the locker room door.

"In a second. We'll catch up with you," Carter said.

Seth didn't say anything, despite the fact they were both already ready for practice. Joey didn't question it either and left them alone.

"Got any plans for spring break?" Carter asked.

Seth crossed his arms. "Guess whatever you're doing. As usual."

"Yeah." Carter laughed. "Apparently, the Santoros like to spend spring break in the swamp."

Seth raised his eyebrows. "Oh."

"Wanna come?"

"With your family?"

Carter shrugged. "You spend a lot of time at the house anyway," he reasoned. "I checked with my mom and Tony. Bella was very supportive when I pleaded my case."

Seth's lips curled upward, despite seemingly trying to fight it. "Sure."

"Cool." Carter smiled. "We should probably go now, before Coach sentences us to cardio all period."

They never made it as far as the gym room, though. Coach and the rest of the team were still in the hallway just outside the locker room. When he saw them, Coach announced they were going outside for their conditioning session that day. There were a few complaints from more than a couple of players. While conditioning could be grueling, if Coach happened to be in that sort of mood, one of the advantages of it was the cleanliness of the gym room and the freshnessness of the AC. No dirt or grass stains, and no smothering wet heat.