AN: I own nothing except Christian.
Carter was listening to her iPod as she worked on her homework. It was a month after the coronation and she was back in school. Rosie was in Costa Luna for awhile then she would return to Louisiana to finish the school year. So till then it was her and Ed and surprisingly Brooke, who apologized for what she did to help Chelsea and the years of helping Chelsea mess with Carter. She was currently working on an English paper her teacher asked the class to write. The teacher asked that they write about a time in their life that affected them the most. Most of the town knew about her mother's death but not of the event that happened a few months afterward.
Cater turned around and looked at the presently vacant twin bed on the other side of the room that Rosie occupied during her stay and would occupy again when she returned. Carter sighed turning back to her computer and went to type when her iPod began playing the next song. She knew the song by heart. It reminded her about the night she lost one of her best friends but knew she would see her again.
My eyes are open wide
and by the way, I made it
through the day
I watched the world outside
By the way, I'm leaving out
today
Well, I just saw Hailey's
Comet TRUELY!
Said why you always running
in place?
Even the man in the
Moon disappears
Somewhere in the
Stratosphere
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
is a second chance
Carter remembered her father arguing with her, the dark haired, brown eyed teen upstairs in her father's room one night when they thought Carter was asleep.
**
"Why can't I go?!" the girl yelled as Carter lay on her bed hearing the voices clearly through the house.
"You know why!" Joe Mason yelled causing a twelve year old Carter to flinch at his tone.
"No I don't dad, so why don't you clarify for me!" Carter knew the voice as her older sister Christian Mason.
"Your mother just passed, don't you think your sister needs you?!" Joe yelled. Carter heard a stomp and whimpered as another tear fell.
"I know that! But this is a great opportunity for me dad! Mom would want this for me!" Carter could hear her sister's voice crack as if she were about to cry.
"What about your sister?!" Joe bellowed.
**
Please don't cry
One tear for me
I'm not afraid of
What I have to say
This is my one and
Only voice
So listen close, it's
Only for today
Well, I just saw Hailey's
Comet shooting
Said why you always running
in place?
Even the man in the
Moon disappears
somewhere in the
Stratosphere
**
Carter remembered how she would stare at the stars every night since then and all the events that happened.
**
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
is a second chance
Here's my chance
This is my chance
**
Carter remembered what her sister had said after Joe asked what about her.
"Dad, Carter needs you more than she would ever need me right now." Carter was shocked and let the tears fall wishing she could drown them out but couldn't.
"How can you say that?!" Joe exclaimed.
"Dad, you've been on mission after missions, any open one, since mom passed, now spend time with her." Christian said as Carter understood her reasoning. He would take any mission he could.
"I do spend time with her." Joe said a bit softer that Carter almost couldn't hear him.
"It's a great college dad, this is my chance to do something in my life!" Christian exclaimed.
"You do, do something great!" Joe exclaimed.
"Protecting princesses is great, but that's what you do, I'll still work with them, just let me go to this college dad!" Christian yelled.
"Your sister needs you!"
"And I'll always need her dad, like I'll always need you, but if you love something let it go and if it returns then it's yours, if you love me dad, let me go, I'll be back." Christian's voice was soft.
Carter knew her sister would be back. But Joe didn't. He didn't listen to Christian and the argument ended badly. Christian stormed into the room packed as much as could into two duffel bags, her backpack and two suitcases not even noticing that she was awake.
**
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye
is a second chance
sometimes goodbye
is a second chance
**
Carter woke up the morning after and found most to almost everything that was her sister's gone and a note sitting on the neatly made bed with her name written in Christian's handwriting. The letter was to Carter telling her that she was sorry for leaving her and that she needed to live life on her own for awhile. She had her high school diploma and was headed to college in London at Oxford University.
Joe regretted that night and wished he could make it up to her but Christian had changed her numbers and asked the director to seal up everything about her. She was practically a ghost that worked with PPP. They also learned that their grandparents on their mother's side were paying for Christian's college and everything else.
**
Carter sniffled as she began typing her essay. She glanced over her shoulder once more and smiled. Carter understood why her sister needed to leave. She had to go find herself and that wasn't here in Louisiana. Carter wrote to her sister by sending the letters to her grandparents who then sent them to Christian she received very few responses but still got birthday cards and Christmas cards.
"Carter! Dinner!" Her dad called awhile later. She printed her paper and put it in her bag. She walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table grabbing a slice of pizza and placed it on her plate.
"You get your essay done?" Joe asked as Carter nodded. "What did you write about?"
Christian." Carter answered as Joe nodded looking down sadly as he took a bite out of his pizza.
"She was never angry dad, she cares about us still, she just needed to live her life, besides, I talked to the director, and Christian's been keeping tabs on us." Carter said placing a hand on her father's shoulder. He looked up and smiled at her.
"I just miss her."
"I do too." Carter says hugging her father.
Neither one noticed the figure outside their window watching them.
Review if you like or if you want a sequal.
