Xela's POV

GAME OVER

I sighed throwing down her controller.

"I won! Again!" Carter said seeming overjoyed. My best friend Quince groaned as we walked out of the TV room towards the kitchen,

"Crap. Carter will be talking about his win for days. I told you to beat him." She glared at me accusingly.

"Hey! Don't blame me for this. It was mostly your fault. You gave in to Wes to easily."

"Whatever." Quince smiled. "Video game character or not. He's hot." She whispered the last part but whether or not Carter heard it he bragged about himself so much he probably was thinking along the lines that everybody thought of him as hot anyway.

I rolled my eyes ignoring the fast beating of my heart."Mmm."

Quince giggled as Carter walked into the room.

"Whatcha guys talking about?"

"Nothing." I said blushing at the same time Quince blurted. "You." I sighed deeply.

"Me? You mean the one and only. The fabulous-"

"Fantastic Carter!" Quince finished grabbing his arm.

Carter laughed. "Exactly. You guys want to go see a movie?"

Quince perked up immediately, "Sure."

"Xela?" Carter asked. I smiled at Carter but then I caught Quince's harsh look.

"Um-umm, no thanks. I've got homework to do anyway." I stuttered. It wasn't entirely a lie.

"Okay. See ya tomorrow." Quince sent a wink at me before leaving out the door with Carter.

"And Carter did what?" Quince blushed.

"He kissed me."

"He-what?"

"Gosh, Xela. It's no big deal." She smirked at me.

"No big deal!?!?"

"Yeah. It's no big deal. You would say the same thing if you've ever been kissed before."

"I have." I said defensively, crossing my arms. She laughed rudely.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Like that peck on the lips from Carter counts at all. He only kissed you once in Spin the Bottle."

"Whatever."

"Oh! So you're admitting your first and last kiss was when you were in..." She stopped as if trying to remember. "Ninth grade?" I frowned. Quince usually acted this way. She did have a rude way of humor but she'd never been this awful before. Now she was glaring, staring at me with fierce green eyes. She swept her long blonde hair over her shoulder and sighed.

    "Oh. Now I get it. You're just jealous."

    "Jealous of you?" I asked incredulously. Sure my friend was stunning and super popular (making me wonder why she hung out with me) but I've never really been jealous of her.

    "Of me and Carter." She said shaking her head as if a was a small child and I couldn't follow along.

    "I'm not jealous." I snapped.

    "Right." She returned the glare before stomping away down the hall. I really wasn't jealous. Just because I've liked Carter since the eighth grade does not mean I'm envious of her.

Crap.

"She did not!" Her mouth dropped open. She slammed her dish rag on the counter. "That bitc-" Cara halted as Zoe came around the corner. Suddenly aware of all the people around her Cara lowered her voice. "That bitch! How dare she treat you like that."

I've worked with her only five months at Trixie's, the local ice-cream parlor, but I feel that Cara and I are already best friends. She tucked her short black hair behind her ear and frowned.

"Remind me again why your friends with her, Xela? I mean come on! She snached your man and she knows it too!"

"My man?" I asked, avoiding the question.

"Hell, yeah, your man!" Cara sighed and went back to rubbing the counters fiercely. "Whatever, Xela. You need to get some serious backbone."

"I have backbone!" I yelled. Cara just looked at me.

"Sure, hon." I glared but grabbed a rag to help her anyways.

XelaG2: Hey. U there?

My fingers hovered over the send button. Oh, what the heck. I pushed on the mouse. I waited. I hovered over the logout box when his username popped up with a message.

QB101: Yeah. What's up, Xel?

XelaG2: Sorry for bothering u.

QB101: You weren't bothering me. What's wrong?

I sighed.

XelaG2: Just Quince again...

QB101: Oh.

There was a pause.

QB101: Why do you hang out with that bitch?

XelaG2: Hey! She's my friend.

QB101: Hmm.

I frowned at the computer screen as if he could see me.

XelaG2: Whatever, QB. That reminds me. Is today the day you finally tell me what your name is?

QB101: Nope. ;) I'll see you...later...

XelaG2: Wait-where are you going?

QB101: Football. Don't get to attached, Xel. ;) Last game of the season.

    XelaG2: Last game? It's already the end of the season?!?!

He didn't respond until after a few minutes.

    QB101: No... I'm moving.

    XelaG2: WHERE? Why didn't you tell me!

   QB101: Don't panic, babe. I'm moving to Seattle.

    XelaG2: Seattle as in...Seattle!?! Near me?

    QB101: Idk. U live near Greenwood?

My heart stopped beating. QB was moving to Greenwood?

     XelaG2: I live in Greenwood.

    "Xela. Where the hell are you?" Shit. Brent. My older brother. He must have just got home from god knows where.

"Shut up, Brent!" I hollard down the stairs and then turned back to face my computer. It was actually my dad's old laptop and was barely still up and running. He still hadn't written me back.

XelaG2: ...

XelaG2: U there?

QB101: Yeah, sorry, Xel. Just Roaan being a little asshole. As usual. Babe, you go to Greenwood High School?

I smiled at the thought of QB's little brother. When I rea read his note I frowned. He was being annoying and as usual, calling me nicknames.

    XelaG2: Yeah, I do. Wait-are you applying there?!

    QB101: Don't get to excited, babe...and yeah, I am.

QB101: Hey, gotta go. Mom's yelling. Did I tell you she took away my car, again? Bye, Xel. Don't kill yourself while I'm gone. ;)

XelaG2: I'll try not to, QB.

I was about to shut off my computer when I saw another notification on my page.

CDog: Hey. U up, Xela?

I couldn't ignore the speeding of my heart rate picking up. I ignored the fact that it was only eight o'clock and he was asking if I was still awake. I clicked on his username.

XelaG2: Hey, Carter.

He didn't respond for at least ten minutes but I found myself unable to look away.

    CDog: Oh! Hey. Didn't think you'd reply so fast. Are you home?

    XelaG2: Ummm. Why?

    CDog: Can Quince and I stop by?

I sighed. Of course he was with Quince.

    XelaG2: Sure.

There wasn't a reply for several minutes.

    CDog: K. See you in a bit.

I logged off. BANG!

    "Brent what the hell are you doing?" I called.

BANG!

    "Shit." I rushed downstairs. "Brent? Where are you?"

BANG!

    "BRENT!" I yelled.

    "Calm down, little sis. I'm in the living room."

As soon as I walked in I saw what he was doing. The volume on the TV was turned all the way up and Brent's friends sat on the couch and some on the floor with chips and popcorn littering the carpet. I blushed because I had practically just screamed hysterically in front of all of my brother's friends.  Zack, Brent's best friend, looked up when he saw me.

"Hey, Xela. Wanna play?"

"No way." Brent answered for me. "She's not playing." He never took his eyes off of the TV as he said it. I decided not to argue with me brother.

"Thanks, Zack. I'm good. Carter and Quince are coming soon." I walked out of the living room and I could of swore I heard Brent whisper; "She has friends?"

I couldn't help but smile as I opened the front door. Carter was looking handsome, as always with his hair slicked back and in a shy but sweet way had his hands shoved deep into the pockets of jeans. Quince linked her arm with Carter's and glared.

"Are you going to let us in or just stand there?" I tried to keep my smile in place.

"Oh, sorry. Come in, you guys." Carter glanced at Quince and she smiled, mostly just for the sake of him being there.

"Do you have food?" Carter asked. I giggled. He always asked the same question.

"All we have is cereal." I shrugged.

"That will do." Carter said. He sent a wink at me before walking into the kitchen. Quince turned to me and I sighed.

"I don't-" I waved my hand cutting her off.

"I'm sorry, Quince, but I really don't care." I said annoyed. Quince's mouth dropped open. I tried to leave but Quince grabbed my arm roughly.

"You did not just say that." She snapped, her green eyes filled with hatred. I nodded.

"Yeah, Quince, I think I did." I muttered sarcastically.

"You can't treat me like this, bitch. Carter's mine now. Get over yourself." Her words felt like a mental slap to the face. Bitch.

"Carter's my friend, Quince. I can talk to him if I'd like." Quince growled and as she pulled her hand away she dug her fingernails in, just to leave a mark.

"I don't think you heard me, Xela. I said he's mine. You have no right to do anything around him. Don't look at him, don't talk to him, don't think about him or I'll hunt you down. I swear." She then laughed as if we had just had the most wonderful conversation. She glared me straight in the eye as she called, "babe?" Carter appeared at the corner with an apple inches away from his mouth. He glanced at me as if to say I'm sorry I'm with this bitch or maybe it was just wishful thinking. Quince waltzed towards him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'm not feeling well. Take me home?" Again Carter glanced at me. He almost seemed like he wanted to say something. Quince smiled at him and I could notice the never said words vanishing. Just. Like. That.

"Sure." Was all he said.