You Were Always Mine

16: Friday

Carter

My phone alerts me to a text from Jasmine telling me she isn't coming to school today. After the events of yesterday, I really can't blame her for skipping, but it's a Friday, so it isn't like she would have had many classes anyway.

Even though she cheered up a bit yesterday, there were still moments I could tell she was in her head, and she is probably lost in her thoughts even more today. When she dropped me off at home, she had gotten a text from her mom letting her know she would be in touch soon. Her mom is hard on her, so I am pretty sure the conversation left Jasmine feeling worse than she already did.

"Monkey?" I thought you would be on your way to school by now, "where is Jasmine?"

My mom comes into the kitchen and pours herself a cup of coffee. I answer her from my seat at the breakfast bar.

"She texted me and said she isn't going."

Her face morphs into one of concern.
"Is she okay? Have you talked to her since yesterday?"

I shake my head. "Not really. I have tried not to bring it up too much. She is beating herself up about it enough as it is."

She sighs, nodding her head in understanding. Then her eyebrow raises at me. "So, you and Jasmine, huh?" She smirks.

The stupidest grin spreads across my face, and I can feel myself beginning to blush. "Mom, can you not?"

"Can I not what?" She laughs, "how could you not tell me, your own loving mother that you finally got with the girl you have been pining for since you discovered what love is?"

I roll my eyes at her, but the grin stays plastered onto my face.

"It's still new mom okay, we haven't even been together a full week yet."

"Okay." She smiles, taking a sip of her coffee. "So how did it happen?"

I raise my eyebrows at her. "H-how did it happen?" Fuck. Think Carter, think.

She nods. "Wasn't she stuck on that Latino boy, I forget his name."

"Angel." I mumble.

"Yes, him, what happened with that?"

Oh nothing really just he cheated on Jasmine so in order to get him to take her threats seriously about her leaving him she talked me into posing as her new fake boyfriend to make him jealous in hopes of him realizing what he had and begging for her back and then suddenly committing to her because of it.

"He cheated on her." I say flatly.

"Are you serious?" He face twists with disgust. I nod. "What an asshole." She scoffs.

"My words exactly." I laugh.

"Well, I am just happy she finally realized you are what she needed all along."

My stomach sinks at her words, but there is no time for me to dwell on the feeling because my mom speaks up again.

"Your dad called." She says bluntly.

I sigh heavily. "What does he want now?"

Her face softens, "he wants a relationship with you, Carter."

"Then he shouldn't have moved to the other side of the country with his new girlfriend." I retort.

"He is still your father, Carter, and a good one at that. You two were so close once. Just because we got divorced doesn't mean you had to stop having a relationship with him."

I shake my head at her.

"He wasn't here to listen to you crying yourself to sleep for months, mom."

Her face falls at my words, and now I wish I could take them back.