Carla awoke early the next morning on Peter's sofa. As much as the pair wanted to be together, they also wanted to take things nice and slowly and so didn't feel that they were ready to sleep together yet. Carla wasn't like Michelle. Her life wasn't based around how many times she had slept with her boyfriend. To Carla, life was about making the most of the good-things whilst they still existed. And the good things in Carla's life were few, so it was important to Carla that she did make the most of them and enjoy them as much as she possibly could.

"Morning." Peter greeted Carla, quietly and slightly croakily as he ruffled his hair-up. He had only just woken-up and was just wearing his pyjama bottoms and his dressing-gown.

"Ah Morning. I was wondering when you'd be down." Carla said as she shuffled along the sofa a little, allowing Peter to sit next to her.

"Sorry you had to sleep down here last-night. It's just that my Dad would kill-me if I'd have spent the night with a Carla who he hasn't even met yet." Peter told Carla truthfully.

Carla giggled shyly. "Hey it's okay. This sofa is even more comfy than my own bed at home. And as for your Dad. Well. Maybe he could meet-me this morning then?" She questioned as sh gently toyed with Peter's hand.

Peter looked at Carla. "Hmmm. Well I suppose so…..But we should be getting-ready for college!" Peter told Carla and she sighed.

"Oh come-on we've got ages until we have to be at college." Carla moaned to Peter as she tugged at his hand, causing him to lean-over her and kiss her on the lips.

"Ya see. I know you couldn't resist me for much longer." Carla giggled before she then kissed Peter again as he laid-down next to her. Carla placed her hand onto Peter's cheek as the kiss grew longer before it then came to an soft ending and she rested her head against Peter's chest as they cuddled-up on the sofa together.

It wasn't long until a 13 Year-Old Tracy was awake and was shocked to find her Step-Brother led next to some new-girl on the sofa. Tracy laughed.

"Peter, your Dad is so gonna kill-you when he sees you with your new bit of stuff!" Tracy teased Peter evilly.

"Shut-up Tracy. This is Carla….." Peter paused, un-sure of how to introduce Carla as he took a quick-glance at her, before he then realised that it was too late for lies. "My girlfriend…..Carla this is Tracy…..My new step-sister….." Peter introduced the pair of them as he sat-up from the sofa and then stood-up as he stretched, tiredly.

"Oh. It's nice to meet you Tracy." Carla said politely with a gentle-smiled placed-across her lips.

"Yeah same I suppose….." Tracy trailed-off, un-amused that her morning-space on the sofa in the living-room had already been occupied by some strange girl that Peter had introduced as his new-girlfriend. "Just don't spend too long in the bathroom will ya? Because I need at-least 15 Minutes in there to do my make-up…..And then there's the shower before that…..Infact…..Carla was it? It might just be best for the both of us if you went home now?" Tracy said with an obvious fake-niceness towards Carla.

"Alright Trace. That's enough. Leave Carla Alone!" Peter warned his Step-Sister as he placed-himself next to Carla on the sofa again. He took her nearest hand into his and gently-squeezed-it to make-sure that Carla was okay. Carla shot Peter a soft-smile to let him know that Tracy's attitude with her hadn't upset her in anyway whatsoever.

As Tracy wandered-off towards the bathroom, Carla smiled sweetly at Peter. "I've heard a lot worse baby." Carla told Peter quietly as she placed her hand on-top of his leg and then gently-squeezed his knee as her smile-grew into an even-wider one, before the couple kissed once-again.

Carla and Peter eventually arrived at college together and were sat on opposite sides of the picnic tables together. Holding each-others hand from across the table. Now Tracy knew, they didn't stand-much of a chance of no-one else finding-out and it wouldn't be long until Peter's Dad and Step-Mother, Ken and Deirdre found-out, so there was no-point in hiding it anymore. But Carla was still weary that this was going to break Paul's heart.

Carla soon received a text from Michelle. It had been expected after the party last-night.

Michelle: I won't be in 2day. xxx

Carla: As expected. Gd nite was it? XxX

Michelle: Yh it was great…..xxx

Carla: Well good for u. R u not in at-all 2day? XxX

Michelle: Nope. I'm spendin the whole day with Dean. xxx

Carla: Ya pair of skivers! I won't ask u what u will be doin then…..LOL. XxX

Michelle: Shut-up! C u soon yh? xxx

Carla: Yh. Cya. XxX

"Sorry about that. Michelle was just texting me." Carla told Peter sweetly.

"Oh Right….." Peter trailed-off slightly awkwardly; Michelle was more Carla's friend than his. Although Peter did think she was quite pretty. But she was nothing compared to Carla. Peter thought to himself.

"Anyway. Listen You. I need to find a way to tell Paul that we're together, without him beating-you-up or hating-me for the rest of his life." Carla said, but what she hadn't realised, whereas Peter had, was that Paul and Liam had approached the pair of them from behind.

"What is it Peter?" Carla asked. "Peter's what's up?" She questioned. Carla then followed Peter sight-line as she turned-herself around to Paul and Liam stood directly behind-her. Both herself and Peter stood-up as Peter walked-around the picnic-table to join Carla as she faced this rather awkward situation.

"You Two? Going-Out? Well thanks for leading me on Carla. Thanks a lot." Paul said angrily.

"Oh Paul I'm sorry alright?" Carla apologised, sadly.

"You're sorry? Well it's a bit late for that. I thought you liked-me Carla! I thought I stood a chance with you. But obviously not!" Paul shouted furiously, but you could hear through the emotion in his voice that he had been highly upset by this.

"I did like ya Paul! And part of me still does! But then Peter came-along…..And he just…..I dunno he just gets me? And I love him! I'm sorry Paul but that's the truth." Carla revealed the devastated-teenager.

"Yeah but he doesn't love you does he? Not like I do anyway. He can't he's only known you 5 Seconds! I've known you pretty much all ya life Carla! I know you inside and out, and I know everything about your parents and about your brothers! And how they're in PRISON! Does Peter know that? Well…..Obviously not. If that pathetic look on his face is anything to go by!" Paul shouted.

"Alright that's enough." Peter interrupted.

"Yeah come-on Paul. Let's go inside." Liam suggested as he tried to pull his brother-away from the situation.

"No! I'm not going until Carla tells me the truth. So come-on then Carla. Who do you REALLY love? Me? Or Peter?" Paul said, putting Carla on the spot.

Carla looked-down for a second to compose herself, before she then looked-back-up at Paul and stared at him directly into the eyes. "I. Love. Peter!" Carla told him sternly, her teeth-gritted as she said those words. She was annoyed at Paul for acting like this. She had expected him to be upset, but she certainly hadn't expected him to kick-off like this.

"You're Lying!" Paul snapped-out.

"I Said. That's Enough. Paul!" Peter warned Paul as he stepped infront of Carla to face Paul once and for all.

"Get out of my face!" Paul threatened.

"Yeah that's not a bad-idea is it? Come-On Peter let's go." Carla said as she tugged at Peter's upper-arm, trying to stop-him from doing anything that he'd soon regret.

After some forceful persuasion, Peter followed Carla inside, but not without a word of warning for Paul.

"You heard what Carla said. She. Loves. ME! Not get-lost and leave my girl-alone!" Peter warned Paul, quietly, but angrily at the same-time, before he then walked-off with Carla.

"I know I've just broken his heart Peter, but he had no-right to react in the way that he did!" Carla told Peter as they approached the college-main-doors.

"It'll be okay Carla. We'll sort things out alright?" Peter re-assured Carla as they stopped in the corridor as Peter stroked a strand of Carla's long and black-hair behind her ears before he then rested both of his hands against her cheeks.

"I Love You." Carla told Peter with a sweet-smile.

"I Love You Too." Peter replied before his phone bleeped-once. It was a message from Tracy.

Tracy: Havin fun with little baby cakes are we? X

Peter: Not now Trace.

Tracy: Alright. I was just askin! X

Peter: Yh. Well don't even bother. K?

Tracy: Fine!

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