by Joy Jenkins
"Am I interrupting something?" Donovan asked, holding two Pepsis.
"Interrupting implies that something is even going on,” Carter said. “Lucas, are you going to leave, or do you want to make an idiot of yourself one more time? I'm sure Donovan would be amused and I'll get a kick out of it.”
When Lucas faced Donovan, he paled a little, clearly not drunk enough to get into a fight. He shouldered his way past Donovan and disappeared into the party.
"What did he want?" Donovan asked, resuming his spot beside Carter.
"If you have to ask that question, you clearly are not as smart as I took you for.”
He chuckled. "Asked you to bear his offspring, did he?"
"Yes. But he didn't put it as eloquently as that." Carter shook her head in exasperation. "Teenage boys.” She took a sip of soda. “Thanks for the drink.”
"Sure. Not big on alcohol, I take it?"
"Are you kidding? There is not enough mouthwash or breath mints that would keep my father from knowing I was drinking.”
"What would he do? Ground you?"
"Please, I would take grounding over what he would do. He would have me up at four in the morning to do military drills."
"Harsh punishment."
Despite the idea of the punishment, Carter grinned. ”Not really. I've done it before. He would just be making me do it while hungover. And he has a really loud whistle. But it's what you get when you grow up under a Navy SEAL."
"Must have made for an interesting childhood."
Flashing him a wry smile, she focused back on the party, speaking to the window. "It mostly started when my mother left. He didn't know how to handle a teenage girl and fell back on what he knew. A month after she left, he bought me a punching bag. When I found something frustrating with homework or school he taught me to assemble a gun. He taught me to focus my frustration and energy into something productive." She laughed. "I've spent the last four years assembling guns, running through training courses, throwing knives, and learning how to defend myself. Definitely makes for an interesting life. But that's something I figure you know something about.”
He smiled. "You just described the first sixteen years of my life. Except I was competing against men and brothers who were a few years older than me."
Carter looked up at him. "Tell me about it.”
As Donovan talked, Carter both heard and saw the affection he felt for his life, his family, his brothers. His half-smile drew her in, as did the wild adventures he and his brothers had gotten themselves into. The time drifted by as they exchanged war stories. When Donovan commented about Link’s teetering state, they rescued him. He fell asleep in the back of the car, his snores the background noise to Carter and Donovan’s continued stories.
“Thanks for…whatever tonight was,” Carter said, holding the car door open. “I'm not sure I would have had as much fun if you weren't there beating off girls…and telling me about your life.” Link let out an abrupt snort. “Will you be able to get him back to his apartment?”
"Carter, he weighs about 160 lbs," he said, his tone patronizing. "Yes, I can get him to the apartment just fine."
"You're saying that so I know how much you bench. Well, I'm not that impressed. Find some other way to impress me."
Carter smiled to herself when it took Donovan a minute to drive away.
Chapter 35
As Carter entered the school halls, she noted the effects and regrets of the weekend written on student's faces. Upperclassmen winced at the slightest noise and glared at the freshmen who hadn't yet been hooked by their vices. Halfway to chemistry, Amy halted Carter in her tracks, her dark eyes worried.
"Do you know what's going on?" she asked.
Carter saw Amy’s friends a few feet away, all standing back, helpless. “Link?”
Amy nodded, swallowing down her apprehension.
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure. I said hi to him when he arrived but he seemed distant. Yesterday when I called him he didn't answer or respond to any of my texts. I thought he had fun at the party…But maybe he didn't. Maybe we shouldn't have gone. I don’t know what’s wrong-”
Carter held up a hand, cutting off Amy's tsunami of words. Amy closed her mouth, choking back her worries. The bell rang, sending everyone scattering to their respective classes.
"Look, I'll find out what's going on with him," Carter said.
"Thanks," Amy said. "I'll see you in history."
As Carter headed off, she mulled over Amy’s description of Link and found it accurate when she found him at their table. He sat with his notebook open, unseeing, the edge of his mouth turned down. Carter looked to Donovan for answers but he only shook his head.
“Hey,” Carter said, as she took her seat.
The second bell rang, bringing Mason into the room trailed by Smith. Link watched his half-brother, hands clenched. Carter felt her heart sink into her stomach.
“I have a surprise for you,” Mr. Rojas said. “Pop quiz.”
A round of groans echoed through the classroom. A girl slumped into her folded arms and a boy tossed his pencil onto the table as if already resigning himself to a bad grade. Link didn’t seem to hear the announcement as he stared at his notebook. Laying her folded arms on the desk, Carter rested her chin on top, bringing her into Link’s line of sight. “Hey, how are you doing?”
“Fine.”
“Come on, Link. It’s me.”
Link narrowed his eyes. “Carter, I said I was fine.”
Carter saw his unspoken pain but she let the subject drop. Tests were passed out and Mr. Rojas said they could begin.
Half an hour later, Carter finished off her test. As she walked to Mr. Rojas’s desk, she earned glares of annoyance and jealousy. Mr. Rojas checked the time as Carter set the test down before him. "Seems a bit slow for you.”
"I got bored halfway through and got distracted."
Mr. Rojas gave her a genuine smile. "I hope you don't waste your talents in life. You truly have a great mind."
"Don't worry. I don't plan to."
When she swiveled away, she came face to face with Donovan. "What took you so long?"
He reached around her and laid his test on top of hers. "Your writing is hard to decipher from such a distance. I think your answer to five lacked real thought.”
Carter started to smile but it never found completion. "What happened?"
Mr. Rojas cleared his throat. "Get back to your seats. The rest of the class still has to finish."
When the bell finally rang Carter was the first up, though she waited for Link as he slowly gathered his things. In the hallway, Link began to walk away but Carter snagged his arm.
“Donovan,” she said to his obvious confusion.
He retreated from Carter’s hold only to bump into Mason.
“Watch it!” Mason said.
Carter leapt in front of Link. “Mason, why don’t you make someone else’s day miserable for once?”
“Oh look, Carter Owens,” Mason said. “Defender of the Weak.” Link tensed behind Carter. “Long live the girl who knows how to cut you down with a single word. Don’t you have any other tricks?”
“I can knock you down with a single hit. Does that work?”
“Try it, Owens. It would make my day to see you get tackled to the ground.”
“And it would make mine to see you hit the ground. How about I tackle you and we’ll both get what we want?”
Before Carter could make good on her offer, Donovan stepped between them but only focused on Carter. “Not today,” he whispered.
Mason strode off and Carter spun around. Link stood motionless like someone had punched him. Donovan gripped Link’s shoulder in comfort. “Come on.”
Outside history, the trio found Amy waiting. “Hey.” She smiled brightly but dimmed when Link barely acknowledged her and went to his seat.
“He’s having a bad day,” Carter said.
The reassurance didn’t seem to mollify Amy an
d she took her spot with tight lips. As Donovan moved to the door, Carter blocked his path. “What is going on? What happened this weekend?”
“It’s what didn’t happen this weekend.”
"He didn't get to see him. Do you know why?"
"All they told me was something came up.”
Despite knowing that was how the life of being the President worked, she disliked the man for missing time with his son.
"Has he been like this ever since?" she asked.
"Yes."
Inside the classroom, Carter knew a storm was building as Amy sat ramrod straight, staring dead ahead. Link observed none of the subtle signs.
"Continuing on with our study of Presidents and their administrations we move next to Bill Clinton, the 42nd President,” Mr. Philips said, quieting the room. “Though there are many things that Clinton did to improve the country, what he is remembered for most are his indiscretions." Mr. Philips paced, serious. "Which in a way is fitting because Presidents are the embodiment of the country. They are held to a higher standard. For them, to err is a reflection of the state of our government."
Carter raised her hand and he acknowledged her, reluctantly. "Yes, Ms. Owens?".
"You're saying that despite what Clinton’s positive accomplishments were, it's okay that he be forever remembered as an adulterer?"
Mr. Philips nodded. "He had a position to uphold and failed to do so. Anyone in his place should be held accountable for their actions and transgressions."
Mr. Philips glanced quickly past her shoulder, before returning to her.
"Even if those actions don't affect the country and only play a role in their private life?" she asked.
"Yes, because no matter what they have done, when they hold a title with such honor they know that they could be exposed. Nothing can be kept a secret forever." He straightened. "Now, let's start off with Clinton's campaign and what means he took to be elected..."
Mr. Philips started pacing again and Carter slid down in her seat, his last words still playing around in her head. Beside her, a frown also marred Donovan’s face.
Chapter 36
As history class dispersed, Amy started to walk out without looking back but had a change of heart at the door. "So," she said, the words clipped. "Are you going to sit with me at lunch?"
Link dragged himself out of his troubled thoughts, confused. The expression looked angrier than he knew. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"
Disbelief ignited in Amy's eyes. "Why wouldn't you?" she said, everything about her gearing up for an argument.
"Yeah, that's what I said," Link said, puzzled.
Amy took a step forward, hot words burning her tongue. Before they had the chance to singe Link and cause serious damage, Carter stepped forward. "Oh, Link, I forgot, Mr. Rojas wants to see you about that test.”
She spun him in the opposite direction. "See you at lunch, Amy. Save Link a seat," she called back.
Link stumbled along, completely lost. Amy stared after them. Donovan spoke low to her and she calmed down. Carter continued to guide Link through the river of students. When they found an empty corridor, she released him.
"I thought you said we were going to see Mr. Rojas?" Link asked.
"That was a lie. I had to get you away from Amy before you destroyed your relationship."
He frowned, reaching a new level of confusion. "What do you mean? We were just talking. Although, she seemed pissed for some reason."
Carter carelessly slapped his arm with the back of her hand. "That's because you have been completely distant with her.”
"What?"
“And she thinks it’s her fault”
He waved his arms around. "I never said it was. Why does she think that?"
“Because when you don’t pay attention to her, she doesn’t know what to think."
"I said hi to her this morning and nodded to her."
"Yes, how anyone would take that badly is beyond me."
Link raised his hand. "Please don't. Not today, Carter." He ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the floor, worn out.
"You didn't answer her calls or texts," she said. "Add that to the distracted state you’re in today and she's worried."
Link lifted his head as understanding dawned on him. "She thought...ah..." Link swore under his breath. "That had nothing to do with her."
Carter took a step forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know.”
Link ran his hands over his face as if he could erase his problems with the gesture. With a frustrated breath, he dropped to the ground, Carter lowering herself beside him. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. He took off his glasses and let them dangle from his hand. In the distance, they could hear the jumbled sound of voices but no one found them. Donovan paused at the sight of them on the floor. When Carter shook her head slightly, he made himself scarce.
"I'm sorry," she said.
The glasses twirled in Link’s fingers as he managed a vague nod. "I don't like these glasses. They're large and annoying. Sometimes I manage to forget about them but they are always there. For another two years, I will have to wear these. I will have to look like I rolled out of bed."
With his face completely unobscured, Carter could see his father in his features and wondered how she hadn't seen it at the very beginning.
"Did you know I can't get a specific type of haircut?” he asked. She didn't respond knowing the question was rhetorical. He laid his head against the wall. "If I cut it too short and style it just right, then I really look like him.”
He chewed on his words, glaring at the opposite wall. "Seriously! My life is dictated by another's. I'm a..." He gave a smile that lacked any humor. "What did Mr. Philips say? I'm a transgression." He waved his hand as if batting something away. "I'm a son with a parentage no one wants to acknowledge. I'm a mistake."
"Looks like we're in the same boat,” Carter said. “I was never supposed to happen. Link, I know they won't acknowledge it but I will. I think, mistake or not, this world is better with you in it. My life is better with you in it." She nodded back down the hall. "So is everyone else you've met. Especially Amy."
Link widened his eyes. "Crap, Amy." He slid his glasses back on. "How badly did I screw up?"
Carter helped him up. "It won't be too bad. Apologize for being distant, tell her it was a bad day, and then ask her out on a date for tomorrow. Not a double date."
Link brushed off his uniform and ran a hand through his hair, nervously. "That will work?"
"Yes."
Link stopped his fidgeting. "Thanks, Carter."
She nodded, knowing his words held more meaning. "Let's go break the bad news to Donovan that he has to sit through another romantic movie. Maybe I'll help him out. I can go with him and shoot him to put him out of his misery."
Link laughed, pushing away the thoughts that would never leave but had been made lighter. They rounded the corner and found Donovan leaning against the lockers, his phone in hand.
"Link is going to ask Amy out on a date,'" Carter said.
"That should help smooth things over."
"I know," she said. "Have fun watching a wimpy girl do nothing for herself and rely entirely on the man."
"I will since you are going with me. I accept your offer."
Carter rolled her eyes. "I should have known you were listening. What do you want to be shot with: a 9mm Glock 17 or 9mm Sig Sauer P226?"
His expression was unreadable, only his eyes betrayed his emotions. She smiled. "Navy SEAL father, remember?"
As they passed by the front entrance, Carter's father stepped inside, shadowed by two other men in black suits. Carter felt her stomach drop as the worst reasons for his presence raced through her mind. Without a word to either boy, she hurried over to her father. "Captain," she said, "what are you doing here?"
Her father smiled, easing some of her nerves. He motioned with his good hand to his companions. "Head to Principal Withers's office and I'll be right behind.” The men walked a
way. "I'm not here to deliver bad news. Everything is fine." Carter relaxed and she glanced over her shoulder at Link. Her father followed her gaze. "He does look a lot like him."
"Yeah, he does. Now why are you here?" she asked.
"It's a simple check. Your tracker went off the grid for a minute and I got an alert. It seems all signals around the school were blocked for a full minute. I'm here to make sure everything in the system is running smoothly."
Carter studied her father, searching for signs of worry or nerves. She found none. "Is that something that happens?"
"Not often but sometimes things shift with satellites and you get a dead spot for a moment. I was sent to double check."
"Okay."
He accompanied her as she returned to Link and Donovan.
"You must be Link," her father said, his deep voice made both boys straighten.
Link nodded and shot a look at Carter. Her father held out a hand. "I'm Agent Owens," he said. Link shook his hand. "It's a pleasure meeting you."
“Likewise.”
"Donovan, correct?" her father said.
They shook hands, both grips strong and steady.
"Yes, sir," Donovan said, for once sounding like Link's bodyguard instead of a teenage boy.
The subtle shift in Donovan’s demeanor almost made Carter laugh. If she hadn’t known he wasn’t capable of it, she would’ve sworn Donovan seemed nervous.
"It's a pleasure meeting both of you,” Carter’s father said. He gave Carter a sideways hug. "I'll see you at home, Sarge."
Carter hugged him back and watched as he disappeared into the main office. Link grinned at her. "You make a lot more sense now.”
She playfully punched his arm. "Shut up and let's go make sure you still have a girlfriend."
Chapter 37
I have a question for you," Carter said to Donovan. She sat leaning back in her chair, her crossed ankles on the library table. Across from Carter, Link and Amy’s notebooks and textbooks were open and strewn about but the couple was nowhere in sight. She had no doubt they were in one of the second story rows, exchanging apologies. Donovan sat beside her, writing out long, complicated equations.
