EACH OTHER'S SECRET

They were each other's secret.

Carrie White stood behind the bleachers, it was almost four o'clock and time was ticking. She knew he would be late, he almost always was. But, if he wanted to see her at all today, he was going to have to hurry his ass up, he knew she was risking a lot by not returning home right after school.

"Where are you, Tommy?" Carrie muttered allowed, turning around just in time to see him coming toward her from the opposite direction he normally did. "You're late!"

He beamed, saying nothing as he approached her, wrapping his large arms around her and picking her up. Her face, which has been stern when she spoke, melted into a wide smile. He planted a kiss on her lips before setting her back down on her feet.
"Sorry, they guys are getting suspicious. I don't need any of them following me."

The two of them had been 'dating' for the last three months. Going on dates out of town, meeting after school under the bleachers and sneaking kisses or touches between classes when no one was paying attention. Their getting together had happened to suddenly, neither of them had expected it.

It was Carrie's idea to keep it a secret.

Mama would most likely kill Carrie if she ever found out she was dating a boy. Plus, the other kids would never let Tommy Ross live it down. Dating Carrie White? How could he stoop so low?

Tommy reminded her many times that he was not ashamed of dating her, and if she ever changed her mind, he would gladly scream it over the PA system that he was in a great relationship with Carrie White.

This brought a smile to her face, she reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his; standing on her tip-toes in order to reach them. "I have to go, I'm pushing the limits as it is." She sighed, resting her head against his chest. "I think Mama is getting suspicious too. She's been coming home earlier, watching me closely." There was a pause, her eyes moving up to meet his. "Till the weekend, I think I should just go home right after school."

She hated the idea of just leaving school, her head down as she avoided the other kids. Meeting Tommy was the best part of her day. She felt to empty whenever she didn't see him, touch him, and kiss him. But, all hell would break loose if Mama found out Carrie was in a relationship. Precautions like this were needed.

"Okay." He said, a sad look in his eyes.

They exchanged once last kiss, this one deeper and much longer before Carrie squeezed his hand and left him standing there, staring after her.

Although this was what Carrie wanted, Tommy hated keeping their relationship a secret. He felt like the biggest douche in the world as he watched the other kids make fun of her, call her names, and just treat her like shit. Most of the time, he did his best to chase them away without making it too obvious his feelings for the shorter blonde girl were much stronger than a simple classmate.

But, Carrie said he can't save her all the time. She could handle the blunt of things. Even if it hurt him inside.

One of his fellow lacrosse teammates had helped the girls stuff tampons in Carrie's locker about two weeks after Tommy and Carrie had started dating. (He'd seen the video, and Carrie refused to talk about it.) Tommy's teammate then went on to brag about how he was the one to break into her locker and stuff them in there. Tommy was going to let it pass, ignore the fact he had a simmering rage until the boy had the nerve to say "That Carrie bitch deserved it."

He'd almost lost it then and there. But, he waited until practice, making sure they were on different teams before knocking the boy on his ass - hard - more than a couple times.

Before the practice was over, Tommy had knocked the boy on his ass one more time, muttering "Bitch" as he passed by, making a goal.

As he walked to his jeep, he felt a pang of guilt. He should have offered Carrie a ride, it would be much faster than her walking. A sigh parted his lips as he threw his backpack into the back and opened the door.

"Tommy?" He'd just gotten the door open when the soft voice came from behind him, "Can I talk to you for a moment?" He turned to see, Sue Snell standing in front of his awkwardly.

The two of them had dated for about two months at the beginning of the year. It didn't work out, Sue's friends were not the type of people Tommy wanted to be around, and he never felt like the two of them had the right connection. Everything felt off.

"Uh - yeah, what's up?"

"Do you know the rumors that are surrounding you? " He didn't because he didn't care. People talked shit all the time. If he was the topic for a few days it didn't bother him. In the end it would all pass and someone else would spark a new rumor that was more important. (Not that Tommy listened to rumors anymore).

"What is the rumor mill spitting out this time? "

Sue, the tall, beautiful blonde with bright blue eyes stared at him, as if expecting him to know. She was gorgeous, that was one of the main reasons he had asked her out.

"Are you fucking Carrie White?"

He almost fell over. His eyes widened at her words, especially the way she phrased the sentence.

"No." He said, and he wasn't lying. It had been three months, and Carrie and he had talked about it, but she was so nervous she didn't want to do it yet. She felt bad about it, already apologizing when she told him to stop. (And Tommy wasn't mad or annoyed by it. He got it. He always told Carrie she didn't have to apologize, he was not going to make her do something she didn't want to do. )

"Well, everyone thinks you are." She paused. "I kept telling them you wouldn't stoop that low."

His jaw tightened.

"I don't care what people think. And even if I was, they don't have a fucking right to know."

He had confronted her because he wanted to apologize about the video. Obviously he had not been the one to take it, or post it, but he had watched it, and his own laugh has passed through him as he watched the girl scream on the floor. He'd felt like shit ever since. This wasn't him. Tommy was a nice guy, someone who didn't think less of people for stupid reasons.

She sat in the back of the library, away from everyone, watching a video of some type of magic trick. Her green eyes were locked on the screen as the man moved his hands, lifting some box off the ground without even touching it. Slowly, Tommy approached her, sitting at the computer next to her. He saw her flinch as he sat down.

"Carrie?" For a moment, she didn't turn, her eyes stayed on the screen. Tommy never let his eyes leave her face. When she figured out he wasn't going to leave, she turned, eyes casted down for a second before meeting his. "Hey. Uh - Listen. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about what those girls did to you. That was just cruel."

Wow. The words came out like vomit, fast and without much warning. He had planned on what to say, and it wasn't that.

"Did - did you see the video?" Carrie asked, eyes turning down to the keyboard.

"Yeah. Yeah; Chris is a horrible person." Tommy cursed himself, if anyone knew that, it was Carrie White. "But don't worry! I'm not judging you. I'm judging them, you don't deserve to be treated the way you are."

This brought her eyes up, they were a bright green. Beautiful.

Even with her mousy hair, church clothes and the few pimples on her face, Tommy could still see her being a beautiful girl.

"Thanks." Was all she said.

But Tommy didn't want to give up yet. He wanted to get to know Carrie. He wanted to befriend her. "Hey, do you want to go and get some food? I know this great place, it's not very crowded and kids our age don't know about it."

"You don't have to do that, okay? I'm not a charity case." There was a bitterness to her tone, something he hadn't expected from her.

"This isn't charity. I promise." The next part was spoken slowly, Tommy wasn't sure how Carrie would take it. Honestly, he was afraid of offending her. "You look like you need a friend."

As he feared, she physically flinched. Jumping back, her eyes staring at him, but hurt and rage mixed within those big green eyes. There was a second, Tommy thought she would slap him straight across the face, but instead she collected her things and rushed out of the library. (He had asked her a few weeks after they started dating if she ran out to prevent him from seeing her cry. All Carrie had done was shake her head.)

He wasn't giving up that fast. A few days later, Tommy walked up to Carrie at lunch, all eyes on him, snickering and "What the hell is he doing?" but he paid no attention. As soon as he leaned across the table, Carrie was scooting her chair, reading to bolt out of there. "Carrie wait." She stopped, green eyes peeking out behind a curtain of blonde hair.

"Can you just, stop? Don't you think I've been tricked enough?"

"I'm not trying to trick you!" He said instantly, his eyes wide with alarm. He had been stupid to think she would just befriend him without thinking he was doing it for a sinister reason. "I'm not like them. I promise."

As much as Tommy wanted to look away, he held his gaze with Carrie. She was studying him, seeing if he was telling the truth or not. A long moment passed before she bowed her head and stood up. Tommy's eyes pleaded for her to sit down, but she didn't look at him. "It's social suicide to talk to me. Don't do that to yourself, Tommy."

And then she was gone again.

So he started going to the library more, he wouldn't talk to her, he would finish his homework and sit at the table next to her. Whenever he caught to staring he would offer a smile. At first she never smiled back, but the more he did it without offering her a trick, she started to smile back, even blush a little.

After about a week and a half of that, he dared to sit at the same table as her. His eyes scanned her books. "Telekinesis, unlocking the mind?" He read the title before she instantly turned the books around. "Oh - no, no. is that like hypnosis?"

By the look she gave him, that was a no.

"Need any help? This seems like a big project, whatever you're working on."

"It's more of a personal project." She commented not looking up.

His lips pressed together for a moment before his head bowed. He felt her finally look up at him. "Tommy, what are you doing?"

"I told you before, I want to be your friend."

"Nobody wants to be my friend. Don't you remember, Carrie White eats s-shit." Tommy almost laughed as she stuttered that her swear. The laugh wasn't aimed towards her; he thought it was the cutest thing

"I don't believe that. Kids are assholes." Tommy muttered.

After that, they started talking a little more, at first it was just about her personal project, she didn't say much, just point out an interesting fact if she thought it was worth sharing. They only talked in the library and no one ever saw them.

It was about two weeks after he was finally seeing the true Carrie did he finally feel butterflies in his stomach as he went to sit next to her. She was different, cute, shy, and everything most girls in the school were not. But once you opened her up, she was smart, witty, and he was just amazed by her almost every day.

"Carrie, can I ask you something?" Tommy asked as they collected their things to go to their next class. He saw her flush, watched as she tensed up and her green eyes showed fear. "Would you like to get that lunch sometime?"

This had to be a dream. This had to be a very good dream because stuff like this didn't happen in real life.

Carrie White was kissing Tommy Ross.

Her stomach was exploding with butterflies but she welcomed them. His lips were soft, gentle, easing her into it. She hadn't realized how much she craved this until Tommy had closed the gap between them and smashed their lips together moments before.

Carrie pulled away just a bit to catch her breath. Her green eyes meeting his beautiful blue ones. There was a warm fuzz around her mind, it was welcoming and new. "I can't believe this."

"What?"

"This. You and - and me!" There was a pause, a blush spreading on her cheeks. Never before had Carrie experienced a moment she never wanted to end.

"Well believe it." He chuckled before once again locking their lips together.

This went on for a while, words rarely parting their lips. Carrie was too swept up in the moment, her mind only on Tommy and not on anything else that had to do with her life. None of that mattered. In a million years, Carrie White never would have imagined she'd be kissing the only boy she'd ever had a crush on. But here she was, her lips dancing with his.

It was when he was stopped a few blocks from her house did Carrie's blush fade and her face turn to him with a serious glow. She could tell before speaking, he knew what she was going to ask.

"Was this just a - a onetime thing?"

There was a pause. She would understand, Carrie knew the reputation she carried on her shoulders. Dragging Tommy down was not something she wanted to do. He was adored at Ewen High; there was no need for her to ruin that.

"It doesn't have to be."

This was not what she expected him to say, and it made her feel slightly better about the whole situation.

"I'm not ashamed of liking you, Carrie." Now this caused the blush to return to her face.

But, a sigh passed her lips. She had made up her own mind quickly. "I really like you, Tommy. But I want to keep this a secret. For you! Even if you're not ashamed of me, that doesn't mean the other kids won't try to make you feel like trash for liking me."

"Carrie, I don't care - "

"I know! But I do. You don't need to be dragged into the mud because of me. If - if you want to go out with me, I just think it would be a lot easier to - to keep it a secret. I can handle most of what they throw at me." Her mind did its best not to avert back to the locker room incident.

Green eyes lock on blue, and her next words are spoken in a whisper. "Please?"

Tommy moves, leaning over to be only a few inches from her face. He doesn't disconnect their eye contact. "If that's what you want. But know, if you ever change your mind, I will happily tell the whole school."

This pleased Carrie more than Tommy ever knew. The butterflies in her stomach multiplied and it was her who closed the gap between them this time. It was a soft kiss before she backed away and stepped out of his jeep. She gave him a smile before turning toward her house, a skip in her walk.

That's how they became each other's secrets.

- THE END

A/N: I had intended on making this a whole story, but couldn't think of how I wanted to story to go, so I decided instead of wasting what I wrote, I'd just tweak it and post it here. I think it's cute. (: Hope you all enjoyed it!