Alone but United

Chapter 14

“Girl, where have you been?”

Carter looks away from her looker, seeing Tristah,”Trish I-”

“Nu-ah”she fagged her her pointed at her, adding some sase in her disapproval,”You don’t get to call me that until you ask my question.”

“It’s a bit complicated…”

Tristah raised an eyebrow,”Mmmmh.”The bell then echoes through the halls,”We’re not done, missy.”

Carter takes a sigh of relief once Tristah walks away. She then goes to class and walks directly to the teacher. Carter then lightly says to her,”Is there any homework that I missed. I had a bit of a fa-”

The teacher touched her on the shoulder and gave a reassuring smile,”Your cousin told me about it, you don’t have any work you have to turn in.”

Carter was filled with so much shock she just nodded and went to her seat. She was grateful that Mathew was thoughtful enough to contact her teachers ahead of time. So there was no probably of any of the gossip girls over hearing any of the drama that's splitted in her life. But couldn't he have given her a heads up?

The teacher starts to conduct the lesson. She started off with Math which seemed to be one of the mandible changes in the classroom since Carter had her sudden absence. She then noticed the class had shrunk once more. It was like playing Spot the difference. She giggled to herself a little. Why not amuse herself while the teacher was rambling about things she had already studied over summer break.

One, the schedule for classes. Two, the class seemed to have shrunk once again. The ratio of Kat to Ratt seemed to have grown in the Kats favor. Many had probably placed themselves in the military. Never to be seen again. Three, to no surprise to know one, Trish dyed her tips again. This time a dreamy lilac color. Carter kept looking around the room. Roi was still in the seat next to her. He seemed to be scribbling in his notebook. It was unusual that he was in class still, but as long as he’s not bothering her that’s fine.

Looking out the window her mind drifted off. Thinking of the randomest things. What sort of drama had been going on for the past few days. When she went on that rampage to find Tyson, but ended up running into a group of boys. She wondered if they went to the same school, since they seemed to always roam around in her neighborhood.

She then took a breath. Just trying to leave it in the back of her mind to look out for. Moving her gaze to her table, her mind switches to the Trish situation. Class wouldn't stay in forever. Trish would eventually try to force the truth out of Cater. She needed to tell the truth to Trish, but could Carter truly trust her. They have been friends since forever but that would uncover all the white lies she has told her over the years. The lies she needed to be sure of her success for the future. The possibility of losing everything because of her trust within someone, even Trish, would be shattered. It would be like throwing her parents hard work for her in the dirt.

Before Carter knew it the bell rang once again for lunch. Carter exited the room with her head down. Hoping to not get discovered by Tristah. A least not till she figures out what she is willing to say, and how much Tristah would buy into. In line, Carter grabbed the white tray from the red and purple trays. The red trays were only for Ratts which had only 3 food spots, and the Kats had purple trays that had 6 spots. For Exeptis though, they get the white, a color that truly shows how much of a blake slate we are in the public's eye till the age of 18. How easily we can be molded into what suits the government's needs. For the white tray there is one big indent. So the cafeteria manager, Morda, choosed how much you got. How much they think your family could afford with a max of 6. They could even get away with giving you nothing. When the ship had first taken off there were only Kats and Ratts. But after 3 years, if Carter had remembered her history correctly, people started to demand their right to love whoever. Situations started to rise, and many couples would rather die than be kept apart and would commit suicides together. This tragedy became known as the Capulet Tragedy. Soon there was a trend that started, sort of a ceremony. The two lovers would make one slice along their wrists and draw a heart on each other's faces. This created a further boom in couples suicides. The Royals were pressured into signing the Friar Lawrence Act, allowing there to be another class of society until the child of a Ratt and Kat was old enough to see what more is in their blood. This group became known as the Exeptis. 

Just as with the trase, there are some that truly see Exeptis as monsterest muts, a confused hybrid of creation. And if you don’t play your cards right, you'd be treated less than trash.

Carter though, has played her cards magnificently. Despite the hand she has been dealt with over the years. She often gets 5 options on her plate, but she would usually just grab 4 to not be suspicious. She remembers having to slow her pace on eating inorder to present as a high-class Exeptis, even though, more often than not, school meals were the only meal she would get in a day. Since the conversation Mathew had with her teacher, the lunch ladies encourage her to grab something else.

Carter went down the line and looked at all the food. She was able to grab a few things while controlling herself until she got to the meat section. Hearing the sizzling and crackle of pans, started her mouth to water. She could smell the sweet and spicy scents. Grazing her bottom lip with her teeth, she planned to save this sent.”Wow.”

“You ok, sweety?”

Carter snapped out of it and looked up.

“Come on sweetheart, grab something else.”

“No, really. I’m fine.” she gave them a reassuring smile.

They looked at her, raising an eyebrow.”Really your drowl says otherwise.

Carter finally noticed she had been drooling the whole time, she quickly wiped the side of her mouth,“Seriously,” Carter looked around slightly, a bit nervous. "I already have 1 main course and 3 sides is the perfect amount.” she then chuckled just slightly,”Don’t want to get fat," and smiled

The lunch ladies just looked at her, wide eyed, then started to laugh,”Sweetheart, you're all made of skin and bones.” She then slopped on green beans and a cube of jell-o. "Now go sit down and eat, miss.”

Turning out of the line Carter was brushed on the shoulder forcefully. It was a boy, from what she could tell. Carter started to walk towards the stranger. She couldn't stop herself. Her mind told her to just leave it alone, but her spirit wanted to know the answer. But before she could get close enough to even see how many freckles could be on the back of his neck, Tristah steeped in front of her.

“You owe me an explanation, Carter.”

Trying to look over Tristah’s shoulders she tried to scramble up some sort of explanation that would satisfy her for a the time being,”I uuuh- I ummmm- I need to-”

Getting her face in Carter’s view once again she exclaimed to her,”You aren't leaving this time without giving me some answers.”

Carter’s mind kicked into high gear, something seemed off about that boy. Something seemed familiar about him. He must have had some beef with her, and she had to know why. She could identify him by hair color because of the hoodie he had on.

"I-", they grew farther away,"what I'm trying to say is,"she now saw him leaving the food court. As he left the entrance Carter focused to see anything. "is, uh-"

"Is!"

Carter really focused, she went on her tippy toes. He slightly looked back towards the cafeteria, showing a strand of brown hair.

"CARTER!!"

Carter got off her tippy toes and finally looked Tristah in the face. Carter knew nothing would satisfy Tristah, at list nothing that Carter could conger up at the moment. She was too busy to think of anything apart from getting some sort of identity on the boy. And Tristah is done waiting for only umms and uhs to come out of Carter’s rabbit hole for a mouth.

It was a long shot, but Carter had a plan to buy her a bit more time. She looked side to side to make herself look uncomfortable with not Tristah but the people around them. Then up at Tristah's eyes. They seemed to be like iron gates. She had dated so many boyfriends through her life, Tristah knew when a mouth was puking up lies.

"I know I haven't been completely forthcoming with many things, and because you're my friend. I should be lying about certain things in my life." Carter let there be silence for a second, letting it sink in. "I owe you a real explanation, but" Carter looked once more at various areas of the cafeteria,"Right here is not the place I want to discuss it. I haven't been stalling to think of lies to tell you," Carter grabbed her hand,"I just don't want other groups to get in the middle of our private issues."

Carter took a breath in, letting her tongue block the air to make it sound like she had just taken a breath to stop tears, or strain in her voice to finally let out the 'truth'. She also played the card of wiring her eyes more with a concerned expression, while blind only a few types. Creating a watering effect to make it seem as if she was about to cry. Giving the breath more believability.

Looking back into Tristah's eyes, Carter started to realize that the touch of their hands could have been an over step, and blew it all. Carter isn’t really the one for having physical contact at all, especially Carter doing it herself to others. She started to panic in her head. Would Tristah suggest going to the girls bathroom then, calling Carter out. Only giving her the time to walk to the location to think of anything that would get her out this mess. Her two lives can not mesh.

Tristah went to open her mouth. Carter still had no clue what she was going to say. She thought she could probably convince Tristah to meet after school but she was still sure she wouldn't know what action to take. At least to be positive would be that there wouldn’t be a crowd of people.

"Carter, I think we sho-"

Carter is grabbed by the arm and drawn away from Tristah,"There you are Carter. You promised me that you'd help clean Pork-Chop, scenes I took you school cleaning duties since you've been gone."

Carter looked up at the face that had potential saved her from check mated. It was Karmen.

"But Tristah and I w-"

"Oh! Did I interrupt?" Karmen turned to Tristah,"I'm terribly sorry!" he seemed to say sincerely,"I promise I'll let you have her after school."

Karmen walked out with Carter in arm. He led her down the hall towards his home classroom.