A/N: Hello everyone and welcome once again. After coming so far with this story I realize that unlike my other ones, there is a lot less action than what one would expect from my stories. And although I would love nothing more than to start the asskicking express, the story of Carrie isn't like that.
Granted there will be a whole lot of action and super hero awesomeness in later chapters, but since this is the beginning I have to work harder on the character development than ever before. Hence why the last few chapters, along with a few others that are coming soon, have looked and sounded a bit too much like some after-school special.
However, that is the point. You figure that even though Nathan is Tony Stark's son, he's still a teenager trying to find his own place in the world. Then you have Carrie, the school outcast who's hated for the pettiest of things who knows neither love nor friendship. One has the world as his finger tips, the other had been isolated since her birth. Both almost exact opposites of one another.
This is why the story is out of my element. And why I'm working hard to really make something of it. It's taken a great deal of thought to get this far, and the words and chapters are coming to me much easier than before. Soon everything will bleed together, and this will make one hell of a masterpiece.
But enough with my monologing, time to get on with what you came here for! (I own nothing)
(PS - This chapter is upgraded to a low-level M due to language.)
The rest of that day had been spent with the two teens talking and having a good time. Grabbing something to eat at a local diner, they continued to ask questions back and forth for a while longer.
After she got more comfortable, Carrie started opening up more and more as she listened to some of the stories Nathan told her about involving the adventures he had or the time he spent with his dad. Smiling and giggling along at certain points, like when Tony's robot assistant Dum-E kept dousing him with a fire extinguisher when he first started testing his armor.
In turn, she talked about her love for sowing and writing poetry. The young Stark even managing to get her to show him one of the things she wrote and finding it very articulate. Telling her so and also saying that she was very talented which made her smile more and blush.
Both of them had hit it off surprisingly well. The telekinetic hanging on his every word while he did the same for her when she spoke which was surprising to her since no one bothered to listen to her before, let alone get to know her on such a level and not judge her for who she is.
Before either of them knew it, it had gotten later in the day and Nathan brought Carrie back home an hour before her mother was due back. The girl explaining that her mother wouldn't take too kindly to her daughter showing up with a strange boy and that it was better that he not be there when she arrived after work.
The hero knew it was a lie by the way she twisted her sweater sleeves in an anxious manner, her eyes darting down either direction in the road as if on guard for something that was coming.
Nathan didn't like it, but he wasn't going to push the matter. He had just gotten close to her and earned a bit of her trust, he wasn't going to put that at risk if she wasn't willing to talk about it yet. Instead, he asked her if they could hang out again and Carrie agreed almost instantly.
This was how it was in the days following. Whenever Margaret White worked later in the day Carrie would go out and spend the day with the Stark heir. Sometimes they would go places to eat, others they would just walk around and talk about little things while enjoying each other's company. All of it ending with Nathan taking her back home long before her mother arrived to get wind of it.
If that wasn't the case, Nathan would visit the school during lunch period and sit with her outside while she ate. Talking about how her day was going and what he had been up to since they last spoke. He had been surprised in how interested Carrie had been in arc reactor technology after researching it a bit in her spare time. Being more than happy to explain the basis of it and even showing some diagrams on his phone to her to go along with the explination.
In that time, the young hero started to see a change in the girl as well as himself. She became more and more open the more they hung out, she had also been smiling more often which caused his heart to skip whenever she did.
Nathan had also started really looking forward to their get-togethers, a smile forming on his face all on its own whenever he saw her coming his way while his stomach did a few warm flips. It was strange, no one he had ever been with made him feel like this before.
Even when he was in his hotel suite working on his armor or private terminal his thoughts would drift to her. Her heart-shaped face and expressive green eyes, her long flowing strawberry-blonde hair that made her skin glow. And her smile, she had a beautiful smile. And he liked seeing it every chance he got.
It may have been odd for him to feel like this, even after knowing her for only so long. But it was almost like a higher power was telling him that she was something wonderful, and even he had to admit that his world was brighter whenever she was near.
And after thinking about it or a while, there was only one possible answer for all of this...
X
Carrie White felt light as air. Even though she was hesitant to let Nathan get as close as he did she had absolutely no regrets after what's been going on the last couple of days.
Having someone to talk to and listen whenever she needed them was a very needed breath of fresh air. And best of all, he never judged her, never put her down, and always asked for her opinion when they went out for the day.
And when they were together...the feelings she got nearly overwhelmed her at times. After that first time when he came to see her she felt excited, happy, anxious (in a good way), and several other things she couldn't explain. The young Stark was a perfect gentleman too, opening doors for her, paying for their meals and even offering to help her with what little shopping she had to do for home.
Despite the fact that he had told her they didn't need to see their outings as 'dates', she couldn't help but think of them as just that. And it made her heart nearly fly with joy everytime she did.
This new attitude of hers went unnoticed by most of Ewan high, though a select few did manage to pick it up.
Rita Desjardin had been the first, wondering why the girl had been smiling so much but didn't dare question it. Instead she simple smiled herself, hoping that whatever had made Carrie so happy would continue doing so.
Sue Snell had been the next, she had come up with a way to make up for the attrocities that she committed against the telekinetic when she noticed her sudden change in mood. Like many others who had been infront of the school that day, she and Tommy had seen the interaction between her and Nathan Stark before they drove off.
Now she was wondering if she needed to go through the idea she had before, and instead come up with something else.
Margaret hadn't seen much of a change, though she did see her daughter smiling more. She just brushed if off as something relating to the lord. As long as her little girl wasn't sinning, she had no issues.
Chris Hargensen and her brood had also seen the change in Carrie. And it pissed her off to no end. No one ever understood why she treated the girl with such hate and averice, only that she constantly made her the cruel butt of every joke, prank and rumor that she could come up with.
But this? This was something else. And what's worse was that Carrie didn't even respond to her when she tried to tease or berate her. The girl just kept walking or continuing to ignore her. Lost in her own little world as if nothing else mattered than what she was thinking.
This further enraged the lead Ultra. But she couldn't commit any kind of physical aggression against her since she was being watched closely by the teachers now after what she did with the video. So she started coming up with her own plans.
Despite all of this, Carrie just felt happy.
Nathan had done in a few days what no one had in the 17 years she'd been alive. He pulled her out of the shell she encased around herself, bringing out her emotions and inner thoughts that she at times was too afraid to voice. Even though she hadn't told him everything, like what went on with her mother or her slowly developing telekinetic abilities, Carrie believed that she might be able to confide in him, and trust him to be there for her like he had been so far.
Sometimes, she would lay in her bed at night and her mind would drift off into thoughts about the hero. The same feelings she'd been getting since their first encounter coming back to her full force making her cheeks and her chest warm.
She'd never felt this way before about anyone...but she knew what it was the moment she felt it...
X
He/She had fallen in love...
X
"Sooo...how's you're love life been, junior?" came Tony's suggestive voice over the phone's speaker, the device laying on the dashboard of the younger Stark's car while he sat in the driver's seat. Parked in his usual spot under the tree in Ewan high's parking lot as he waited for school to let out.
"I knew I should have talked to Pepper about what was going on..." Nathan muttered. "I'm taking things slow with her, dad. Besides, chances are she doesn't feel the same."
He could almost hear the eyeroll over the phone, "You're kidding me, right? From what you've told me about the dates you two have been on it'd be a shock if she didn't feel something for you. I mean, you're pretty much the closest thing to a boyfriend she's had...ever."
Nathan sighed, "It's not that simple. She's had it rough, and even though she's got some major trust issues she was still able to open up to me in a big way. I just don't want to mess anything up."
Tony was silent a moment or two, "You won't mess anything up." he said seriously, "I'm not saying to just drop to your knees and pledge your undying love for her. But at the same time you never know what she's thinking if you don't ask. If you like her, tell her."
The younger Stark was actually shocked hearing hid dad talk like that, "Uh...thanks, dad."
"And besides, the prom for that school is coming up fast. If you're gonna make a move you better do it soon...oh, and don't go off an make me a grandpa too soon either! I'm not old enough for that!" the man added.
"And the moment's gone." said Nathan shaking his head just as the bell for the school rang. "I'll call you later, gotta go." he hung up before Tony could respond as he got out of the car and waited while the school emptied.
Those that saw him waved as they walked by, having come around so often in the last week people had gotten used to him being around. Some coming up and having conversations with him while others would keep their distance. The feeling of nostalgia would come over him as he would remember the good times from back when he was in school as he mingled amongst the Ewan high student body.
Eyes scanning the groups that exited, Nathan could feel his heartrate pick up when he saw Carrie making her way out. A smile stretching across his face when their eyes met, a smile coming across her face as well as she made her way over a little quicker in his direction.
Most people believed that the whole love at first sight thing was complete BS, and in most cases they would be right. But whenever the young hero saw her coming he started to become a firm believer.
He'd had crushes, dated some girls and even thought he'd been in love in the past. But this was different. Whenever Carrie was around he had a strong instinct to just hold her and protect her from the world. There was just something about her that drew him in and refused to let go, and he didn't want to let go.
"Have a good day?" asked the Stark heir when she reached him.
Carrie nodded as she adjusted her bag, "The school year is ending in another month, the work has gotten a bit easier to manage." she replied as they stood beside the car. "What have you been doing lately? This town can get kind of boring from what I hear."
Nathan shrugged, "I brought a couple of projects with me for the SI R&D department that needed to be overlooked, so I've got something to fill the gaps." he grinned at her, "That, and I get to hang out with a pretty girl every so often. That's definitely worth it."
The girl blushed, as expected whenever the hero would say sweet things to her like that. "W-What are we doing today?" she stuttered a bit, a little anxious in wondering what was in store.
"I have something special planned, that is if you don't mind surprises." he replied as they prepared to get in the car.
"Well isn't that sweet." the duo froze and looked back to see the last person either of them wanted to see.
Standing with her arms crossed was Chris Hargensen, her group of friends standing with her as she leered at Carrie. "I knew you were a charity case, Carrie. But I never expected you to try and leech off of a Stark. It's sickening."
The strawberry-blonde put her head down and stepped behind Nathan who stood with his own arms crossed protectively infront of her. "You must be Chris...I've heard quite a bit about you around town."
Chris stopped glaring at Carrie and sent a sultry look at the Stark heir, "Oh? And what did you hear?" she asked trying to sound seductive.
"Enough to know that the word BITCH doesn't quite fit your criteria." he replied casually which caused a sea of gasps to erupt from the surrounding students. The lead Ultra looked as though she had just been slapped.
"Who the hell told you that?!" she snapped as she sent another burning leer at the girl behind him. "Was it you, you little cunt?! Talking big behind my back like a damn coward?!"
Nathan shook his head unimpressed, "It wasn't Carrie, though your current spectacle just proved my point with that big mouth of yours." he said regaining her attention before fanning the air infront of his nose. "Whew, jeez. Smells like you've had too much sausage lately. Guess you really love your long smelly hard meat, huh?"
There was a few snickers from the crowd around them that had gathered when the fight started while the head Ultra's face darkened.
"Dietary comments aside. You've made a habit of making people's lives miserable." said the hero getting back on topic. "Typical 'queen bee' attitude. Got everything you want so you treat those that you believe to be below you like garbage to make yourself appear more superior. That is what is sickening, but not surprising. Pretty on the outside, ugly as sin on the inside"
The girl gritted her teeth, a crowd starting to get a bit bigger. "What right do you have talking to me like that? You have more money and power than anyone else in the country!"
"True. But you don't see me holding it over everyone's heads like a whiny princess, do you?" the hero fired back. "And if I wanted to, I could buy out this town and write a law that'll make you walk around with a big red letter 'B' painted on your back...for 'Bitch', just incase you're too full of yourself to understand."
"Well at least I'm not desperate enough to fuck a worthless bible-thumper like Creepy-Carrie!" Chris exclaimed from anger and embarrisment.
Nathan's face darkened when he felt Carrie stiffen behind him, "Three things, Hargensen." he said in a very controlled tone. "First, I don't fuck, I make sweet tender love to those I'm romantically involved with. And I respect and care about Carrie too much to make her do something like that when she doesn't want it."
"Second, Carrie isn't creepy, if you or anyone else in this goddamn school actually took the chance to get to know her you'll find that she's a lot more than the damn doormat you've tried to turn her into. She's by far the kindest, and gentlest person I've ever met. And after seeing the way she's treated around here I'm surprised any of you are still here." he continued, sending a scathing look to the girls behind their leader, making them flinch.
"And lastly, I'm not desperate. I choose to hang out with Carrie because compared to someone like you she isn't fake and has a good heart. And you're the last one to be giving out that kind of talk considering the criminal scum you ride around with. Guess the whole, daddy's girl persona is just a cover for the needy tramp that hides beneath the surface."
Everyone's jaws hung, no one had ever talked to Chris Hargensen like that before. But no one was as shocked as Carrie was, who stood behind the young hero with scarlet across her cheeks at seeing him defend her against the one that tormented her for years. His words also causing a familiar fluttering in her chest as well.
Chris' face was turning a dark red, her blood boiling as she felt herself losing the confrontation. "How dare you! Do you know-"
"Who my daddy is?" said Nathan, cutting her off while sounding like a whiny girl. "Oh I know who your 'daddy' is. Do you know who MINE is? If you want a contest to see who's got the better dad I'm afraid you're gonna lose horribly. And I don't drop my 'daddy's name' as a threat to get what I want or when I get in trouble unlike some people." He saw the look of confusion on Chris' face and pulled out his phone.
"Let's see here...public records..." he mused as he scrolled through the information before him. "Hargensen, Christina A...oh would you lookie here? Multiple counts of underage drinking, possession of a controlled substance, speeding ticket, speeding ticket, speeding ticket, petty theft, speeding ticket, public indecensy; someone likes to get freaky exhibition style."
Nathan looked up at her to see her face paling slightly, "S-So? All those charges were dropped!" she said with her voice wavering as people around them started to talk about what they had heard.
"You're right, absolutely right." said the Stark heir. "All of these counts and then some which should have been put on your record in the first place were somehow 'lost' or 'dropped' for one reason or another."
"However! Given recent events, you could find one charge on your so called 'perfect record' that could mark you for life." He looked Chris in the eye with a damning stare, "I'm, of course, talking about a certain video that was put on youtube recently. One where several girls are guilty for the cruelest form of bullying that has ever been seen on the world wide web."
It was almost all of the air had been sucked out of the area. Tina and the Watson twins shared terrified glances while Chris kept her face passive, but on the inside she was scared of what he might say about their prank on Carrie.
"You are aware, that Carrie didn't give her consent to have that video posted?" the hero said slowly. "By all rights, given that it can be proven that you posted it from your personal computer, she can sue you for what you've done?"
Now the lead Ultra looked scared. But Nathan continued with something that he knew would put her the rest of the way in the grave. "And, also, Carrie is 17. And she was seen in the video almost naked in the showers. By certain standards, you posted underage porn on a community site. A federal crime which is punishable by a small number of years in prison along and your name perminently inscribed in the sex offender registry."
The silence that followed his words was almost deafening. Chris looked to be just barely holding herself up, face ashen with tears in her eyes as she tried to breathe.
The Stark heir had a face of stone, much like his father when he got serious, "I hate bullies, in all forms. To me, people who hurt others for the sake of their own amusment disgust me, and given the things I've seen that's a pretty steep context. That being said, let's make one thing perfectly clear, Hargensen." He took a step closer to her, his tone cold and damning.
"If I ever hear about you going after Carrie again, if I find out you sent your little brood or your thug of a loverboy after her, if you so much as utter a curse in her direction. I'll introduce a virus into your world that will plague you for the rest of your days. You're 'perfect life' will be in ruins and you'll be branded a martyr by everyone."
Stepping away from the Ultra, Nathan went back over to the car where Carrie had remained silent and unmoving. "Your father won't be able to save you if the information I have gets to the state police. Infact, I have a fair amount of dirty laundry on him as well, he'll be too busy trying to save his own ass to worry about yours." He turned and looked back at her. Giving a smirk that is known by all that only a Stark would give.
"Very rarely do I give people I don't like a chance. But I'm showing you a small level of humility, something that you've obviously never done in your life to those you spit on. Don't make me you're enemy, because I don't make threats. I make promises."
When his piece was finished, he opened the passenger side door for Carrie so she could get in before climbing in the car himself and driving away. Leaving a stunned gathering of students behind.
Chris remained frozen in her spot, trying to fully grasp the gravity of what had just happened. Her friends fairing no better when they realized that someone had managed to take down one of the most popular girls without hardly trying infront of the whole school.
Billy showed up a few minutes later, finding his girl looking like she had seen a ghost and trying to figure out what went down.
X
Several minutes after leaving the school, Nathan pulled the lamborgini off the main road and parked next to a small picnic area. Looking over at his passenger, he found Carrie with her hands in her lap, head down with her hair covering her face, and as silent as she was when they left.
"Carrie?" he asked only to get silence in return. "Talk to me. I know that couldn't have been easy for you. But the last thing I ever want to see is you hurt."
The girl slowly raised her head, her green eyes red with a few tears running down her face. "You saw it..." she said with her voice wavering heavily.
Nathan knew what she was referring to and nodded slowly, "I did. I've never been more pissed then I was when I found it. What they did to you was beyond horrible, inhuman even. You were confused and scared, and they treated you like a freak. It's dispicable."
He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he took a couple deep breaths to calm down. The hero blinked when he saw a pale hand reach over and wrap gently around his, the contact alone helped ease his emotions as he looked over at the soft-green eyes that looked back at him.
"You didn't have to go through all that trouble." she admitted lowly.
"Yes, I did Carrie." the young Stark replied. "They've gotten away for their treatment of you for too long. And if the school can't do what needs to be done, then I will. I was serious with my warning to Chris, if she tries to hurt you again, she'll know what it's like to be treated lower than dirt."
Carrie was a little surprised at the seriousness in his voice, and given what he was able to do, he could carry out his threat and then some. Then she thought about what else had said when he confronted the lead Ultra. "Did you mean everything you said, about me?"
Nathan smiled at her, "Of course. You should know by now that I only speak the truth. And like I told you before, you're way better than any of those girls. Because you're you, and that's all that matters."
Seeing her blush and smile, he restarted the car and pulled out of the space he parked in. "Now that the daily drama-fest is done with, let's get back to our good day." said the hero as he took them into town.
His mind turning over his next move and hoped all went smoothly.
X
Margaret White pulled into the driveway of her home, turning off the engine before getting out of her car and heading for the door.
Her day had ended much sooner than she had intended, with the school's prom coming up she was forced to work later than usual thank's to the added number of demands from the students that were attending. The older woman's mind and stomach churning at the thought of so many young souls sinning all on the same night.
It was shameful, the girls dressing like common harlots whie the men took advantage of them. Spitting in the face of the lord with the lewd acts that were sure to take place. She could only be thankful that her daughter knew not to involve herself in such things.
Her little girl would remain pure and loyal to the lord, she would make sure of that.
Entering the house, Margaret set her bag down and looked around for her daughter. "Carrie!" she called out as she entered the living room. When she didn't answer, the mother believed that she must be up in her room doing school work and decided to leave her be while she prepared dinner.
Time slipped by, the food was almost ready and she still didn't see or hear anything from her daughter. "Carrie! Dinner's almost ready!" she called up the stairs. Silence being her answer. "Carrie?" she called again with the same results. Concerned, she went up the steps and made toward the girl's room.
"Carrie, why are you not-" she stopped cold when she found her daughter's room empty. Everything exactly the way it was when she took her to school that morning. But her bag was still missing.
"..no." the woman gasped as she ran back down the stairs "CARRIE!" she screamed as she checked everywhere. The basement, the backyard, all the rooms and the prayer closet. She was nowhere to be found. "Lord, please no..." she whimpered as she fell to her knees and started praying loudly.
Hoping beyond all hope that nothing had happened to her child and that she would return to her soon.
X
Carrie giggled as she walked beside Nathan down the walkway of the small park in the middle of Chamberlain. Ice cream cone in hand while she watched the young man try to ease the slight ache in his temples.
"Ever since I was a little kid, I keep making the same mistake...gotta stop wolfing down the cone in one go." he groaned as he suffered the affects of brain-freeze. The girl just laughed more at his plight as she slowly ate her own treat.
So far they had spent the day just walking around and enjoying the peace and quiet. The sun was still shining brightly making everything warm, making Carrie remove the sweater she was wearing and instead walked around in the light-blue sundress she had underneath that revealed her pale shoulders.
Nathan had admired her look discreetly a few times, she looked almost ethreal when the sun landed on her skin making it hard to look away at times. But he managed in order to avoid making her uncomfortable.
However, Carrie did notice his admiring gaze and could feel the butterflies fluttering hard in her stomach. She still couldn't understand how he could see her as beautiful, but the way he looked at her from time to time made her feel like she was. And unlike the looks she'd seen the boys give the other girls at school, there wasn't perversion in his eyes.
They continued walking for a few more minutes before stopping at a swingset, both of them sitting in one of the seats beside one another as they enjoyed the sights and sounds around them.
For his part, the young Stark felt nervous. He'd been planning this next step for a couple of days and hoped that everything went well. Things had been going so great between them that he actually felt afraid of the outcome, which was rare for him because he was always ready for a challenge.
But this was different. Matters of the heart were a lot more complicated than building suits of armor and programming multiple lines of data code. And even more so if the other person involved has never really been close to anyone.
And despite that, even though he was the son of Iron Man, he was still a teenager. And things like this did affect him when he felt strongly about something.
"Come on, Stark! You built a highly advanced suit of battle armor that can take a tank head-on and win, you can do this!" Nathan said mentally as he built up his confidence. "Nathan? Is everything alright?" the young Stark almost fell off the swing he was on when Carrie spoke to him.
"Y-Yeah, just got lost in thought for bit there." he replied while covering up his inner thoughts.
"Is it something important?" she inquired with her head tilted to the side.
The hero scratched his head, "It kind of is..." he trailed off before taking a deep breath, "To hell with it, let's just go for broke." he thought before turning to her. "You're school's prom is coming up soon, got any plans?"
Carrie was shocked by the question for a moment before shaking her head, "No. I was intending on staying home that night." she replied while slowly kicking her feet back and forth. "Why?" she asked wondering what he was thinking.
"Well...your school gave me two tickets to go after I gave that presentation. I never went to my own senior prom back when I was in high school, so someone I'm close to thought it would be a good idea for me to go and get the chance I didn't have before." said Nathan.
The girl next to him had a look of heartbreak in her eyes, her chest clenching painfully at the prospect of him going to the formal dance at their school with someone. "O-Oh..." she said meekly as she looked at the ground between her feet. "I'm...I'm sure that you'll have fun. There's a lot of girls at school who would love to go with you."
Nathan nodded, seeing her reaction he needed to act fast. "That's true, some of them had already asked me." he said making her flinch. "But I turned them all down."
Carrie looked up at him surprised. "You..turned them down?" she asked getting a nod from him. "But why?"
"Because I already had my sights set on asking someone already. And if she says no, then I'm not going at all." he clarified which left her both torn and anxious. He gave her a wide smile as he looked into her eyes. "Which is why I brought you here today.
Her eyes widened, "He...He couldn't mean...?" her thought was answered by the next thing he said.
"Carrie White, will you go to the prom with me?"
Time seemed to stop when the words left his mouth. Carrie thought her heart would explode out of her chest from how afst it was beating while her breath stilled in her throat. Prom? He asked her to prom? Her, Creepy-Carrie White?
"W-What?" she whispered out, unsure if she heard him properly.
"Would you like to go to the prom with me, Carrie?" Nathan asked again, not losing the same look he had the first time.
The telekinetic fought hard to control her emotions, a few trees behind her began swaying even though the wasn't even a breeze. "I...why would you ask me?" she wondered outloud.
"Because I know we'd have a great time together, and it would be a first for both of us." he replied while he reached out and held her hand with his, "And, I like spending time with you, Carrie. This past week has been great, and the fact that I got to spend it with someone like you made it even better. I like seeing you smile, laugh and have a good time, and I'm glad that I can bring happiness to your life. I wanna keep doing that."
The nervousness in his gut increased, "Can't stop now." he thought as he pushed forward, "I...really like you Carrie. Even though it's been such a short time, I've never felt such a strong connection with someone before. There's just something about you that draws me in, almost like gravity. And I want to make sure that you're happy.
His voice was strong, full of conviction and honesty. There was no going back now, everything he meant to the very depth of his being as he waited with bated breath for her response.
Carrie had been frozen where she sat, her mind a hurricane of thoughts and feelings as she tried to piece together what had just been said. "He...likes...me?" she thought clear through the garbled mess in her mind. Never in her years of life had she ever thought she'd hear those words from another person. She didn't know what to think, or even how to handle it.
The she saw his eyes, the same blue eyes that locked with hers when he first protected her when he arrived in town. The sheer amount of raw emotion she saw there nearly brought her to tears. This wan't a joke, a prank or anything else that she would have expected from everybody else. This was real and happening right now, and it was all up to her regarding the outcome.
A famliar warm fluttering returned to her chest as she thought this through. The time they had spent together was the best she'd ever had, and she knew she had strong feelings for Nathan as well. Feelings she knew that her mother would screech about to the heavens until the rapture was upon them.
But strangely, she didn't care what her mother thought. Or anyone else for that matter. Ever since she met the Stark heir on that day, and the ones that followed, the only thing that concerned her was what he thought.
The young Stark was amazing. He treated her better than anyone ever had, and protected her when she needed someone the most. If this was what it was like to be in love, then she couldn't believe she was missing out on something so wonderful.
And now that she knew the truth, it was a though a shroud had been lifted from around her. Someone cared about her, someone liked her. Even with all her faults that many people called creepy or strange, the only thing Nathan saw was her. Something she always craved from others, and it took someone from the other side of the country, who was in a class all his own, to make her feel like she really mattered to someone else.
Carrie felt her thoughts calm down when she reached this realization, her heart still beating rapidly as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink when she opened her mouth to speak. "I...I like you too." she said as a bright smile lit up her face, "And yes. I'll go to prom with you."
A grin stretched so far across Nathan's lips that it could have split his face, his hand gently squeezed hers. "So, I guess we can consider the dance as a real date?" he asked, getting a shy nod in return. Both of them sat in comfortable silence, fingers still intertwined as they swung lazily back and forth in their seats.
The low rumble of thunder could be heard off somewhere in the distance, the weather report stated that a small storm was on its way and it seemed that they would have to cut their nice afternoon short. "I better get you home before it starts raining." said the hero.
His companion looked sad but agreed as they got up and began making their way back to the car. Nathan slipped his hands in his pockets but perked up when he felt another arm loop itself with his. His lips curling upward when he saw Carrie resting her head on his shoulder with a blissful smile on her face as they walked along the path.
Neither of them aware of the eyes that had been watching from behind a nearby tree.
A/N: And the die has been cast, and with the change already made of someone being there for Carrie, perhaps her fate will change as well.
Still a bit slow given all of the dialogue, but once again I'm going for as much realism as possible. Some of you my get a little edgy about Carrie accepting the invitation so soon, but you figure that they'd spent a great deal of time together and she's managed to trust him. That, and the way he tore into Chris on her behalf would prove that he can protect her as well, making her feel safe.
Things will start to speed up in the next chapter. A couple of jumps in time here and there all leading up to the fateful prom that was one of Stephen King's best work. Get ready guys!