It Started With a Detention ➣ Cash Baker ✔️

22

"Hi, Josh, welcome!" My mom's enthusiastic voice rang through the apartment as Josh and his father stepped inside. I was still in my room, struggling to pull a pair of leggings up my legs. I slipped on a flannel, rolling up the sleeves and made my way down the hall where everyone was seated around the living room.

"Hey, Carter," Josh spoke, giving me a small wave. Mr. Richard's also said hello but I was still stuck on Josh being a decent human.

"Hi," I mumbled, watching as my mom stood up, straightening out her sweater.

"Well, I called and ordered lunch for all of us. We can't go pick it up for another half an hour so I figured we could just hang out here," my mother explained with a smile on her face.

"That sounds great," Kellin pressed a kiss to my mother's forehead and I turned my gaze to look at Josh.

"Why don't you show Josh your room, Carter," my mother suggested. Although I found it weird to show my former bully my room, I accepted her offer considering her and Kellin probably wanted time alone. I led Josh down the hall and turned into my room, watching how he surveyed the walls and my bed that I had just made.

"Shoot, hold on," Josh held his pointer finger up before rushing down the hall and coming back with a small box in his hands. It was covered in red wrapping paper with a white bow on top.

"Here," Josh stuck the box out and I cautiously accepted it, moving to sit on my bed with the box in my lap. Josh watched with his hands in his pockets as I carefully tore away the wrapping paper to reveal a cardboard box. Without saying a single word, I opened the cardboard, removing some tissue paper and felt a small smile creep onto my lips.

There, in the box was a stuffed bear, purple to be exact, small enough to fit in your palm.

"It's not as big as the one you used to have but I saw it while my dad was out shopping for your mom and I thought of you," Josh explained as I let the trash fall to the floor, not taking my eyes off the bear.

"You can put it on your shelf," Kosh gestured to the shelf I had in my room with little trinkets and things on it, "or you can bring it to school with you. I won't judge or throw it into puddles," Josh joked and I laughed.

"You didn't have to get me a present," I told Josh, shaking my head, "I mean- I didn't get you anything since I wasnt expecting anything from you so-"

"Don't worry about it, Carter," Josh cut me off and sighed, tilting his head to look at the glow and the dark stars I had on my ceiling. "Since our parents are together, I want- I want to think of you as a sister now. And I don't want to be those siblings that fight and hate each other," Josh avoided my gaze, like he was unsure of how I would react.

"What I'm saying is, I'm trying to make amends," Josh ran a hand through his hair, making eye contact with me for a second before shifting his gaze to the small bear I held in my hand. "I am sorry for how I've acted. It wasn't right of me to take my anger out on you because of my parents divorce. I know it wasn't completely your dad's fault," Josh spoke and watched as I stood up, getting on my tip toes and placing the bear on my shelf towards the center.

"I really like it," I told Josh, watching the corners of his lips turn up. "Thank you," I told him, sending him a closed mouth smile and watching Josh scratch the back of his neck.

"It was nothing, really," Josh shrugged and I stifled a laugh at how awkward he was being. Standing there, I almost forgot about the dare.

Almost.

"And about the dare, Carte-"

"Carter! Josh!" Kellin's voice was heard down the hall. Josh sent me a look and I shrugged as if to tell him I had no idea what they want.

"Can you two be dolls and go pick up lunch? I got us sandwiches from that cafe downtown," my mother told us and we nodded. Kellin handed us his credit card, leaving Josh and me to walk out of the apartment and down the street.

It wasn't long until we came across the familiar cafe. I remembered the time I came here with Cash, when Josh had texted me.

"What were you going to say earlier? About the dare?" I asked Josh, handing the cashier Kellin's card. I watched intensely as the lady swiped the card through the computer aggressively before handing it back and telling Josh and me to wait for our order number to be called. We stepped to the side, letting the next people in line order before Josh explained.

"I was going to say it was stupid and you don't have to do it," Josh shrugged, picking at his nails.

"It's a little late for that," I practically scoffed. "Why're you telling me now that it's stupid? Why let me suffer through this for three months, wondering how I was going to tell Cash that it was a dare?"

"Well, you never even had to tell him it was a dare," Josh told me, nonchalantly.

"I was afraid that if I didn't, then you would," I told the boy, running a hand through my hair.

"Well now you just don't have to tell him," Josh crossed his arms and I heard our order number be called. I grabbed the paper bag and waited as Josh held the door open for me before following me out and down the street.

"I guess that's true," I shrugged as cars zoomed past us around the rotary and down towards the center of town.

"Did you actually want to get back together with Cash?" Josh asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, brushing a piece of hair out of my face, "I did." I really did want to. But I would have rather done it without the crippling fear of Jish telling everyone that it was a dare playing in the back of my mind. I liked Cash and apparently the invisible rule that I had to do the dare is gone so, it doesn't matter anymore, right?

---

what's the difference between a road and a street?

my dad just told me i'm the only thing keeping my family together and idk how to feel about that

he also called me the perfect child and i didn't like it at all

anyways i hope you had/have an amazing day i love you <3