Carter Gray is the same Carter we saw in Chapter 1.

Chapter 5

'So, what do you think of North Shore?' asked Gretchen casually or at least in quite a good attempt at casualness.

'Pretty good, pretty good,' said Mike. 'Not like my old school at all – that was just clique city.'

'Aha ha, none of that here,' said Gretchen awkwardly. 'Um Cady maybe you should drink some water or something,' she said to the redhead across the table who had been eating a burger when she started laughing and was now half choking.

'So anyway,' continued the brunette, her huge hazel eyes trying to avoid looking in Mike's shimmering blue ones, 'Karen – you know my friend Karen - is holding a Halloween party next week and I was wondering if you wanted to go?'

She suddenly realised how that sounded and jumped to clarify before Mike (or God forbid Cady, Janis or Damian) got the wrong end of the idea.

'As a friend that is. You know just as a friend,' she said nervously. 'In fact I might not even be there. Well I mean of course I will be there, just not with you. Except as a friend.'

Mercifully Cady intervened. She firmly took the babbling brunette by the arm and began guiding her towards the doors, loudly stating that she and Gretchen had to go powder their noses.

'Ok Gretch,' said Cady, once they were safely outside the cafeteria, 'just what is going on?'

'Um, nothing Cady,' insisted Gretchen. 'Everything is fine.'

Cady gave her look that indicated she didn't believe a word of it, but she told her: 'Ok Gretchen, but if you want to talk…'

'I'll see you at Karen's party,' said Gretchen firmly, and turning, she walked off so the redhead wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

Later she and Karen went out to the mall for frozen yogurt and a chance to squee over the new Jake Gyllenhaal flick. And for her to help Karen with her Mike research.

'He likes baseball, Harrison Ford films, the Lord of the Rings,' rattled off Gretchen as they sat eating yogurt, before adding sadly. 'and Wieners Toaster Strudels.'

'Who doesn't like those?' wondered Karen. She turned her grey-green eyes on her friend and smiled one of those breathtaking Karen smiles. 'You know Gretchen; I was thinking it was time that we find you a new guy.'

Gretchen looked at her in utter horror, a look the blonde fortunately mistook for mere surprise.

'Now I know you are trying to hide it,' continued Karen cheerfully, 'but I know you haven't been happy since Jason. And I can't stand to see you miserable.'

She gave Gretchen a shrewd look and tapped the side of her head. 'You see. Mind like a trapped seal.'

'Um, actually it's like a 'steel trap' honey,' said Gretchen.

'Oh. That's so much nicer,' said a relieved looking Karen. 'I like seals.'

'Yes,' agreed Gretchen. 'Um, look Karen about this guy-'

'Oh here he is now,' clapped Karen in delight. 'Carter, over here!'

Actually Carter Gray was not all that bad looking in a seventeen year old Gabriel Byrne sort of way and at another time Gretchen might have given him more than the half-hearted smile she flashed in his direction. However he wasn't Mike and that was all she needed to know now.

'So Karen has told me all about you,' Carter was saying, 'I'm the camera guy on the weather reports and she is always talking about you.'

'A media guy? That is so fetch,' said Gretchen unenthusiastically.

'I told you she was smart,' said Karen leaning over. 'She even knows British slang!'

That actually made the brunette smile a little. Good old Karen; the one constant in a changing world. If Gretchen said that 'fetch' was British, then British it would be whatever reality had to say on the subject.

'I'm sorry,' she said getting up, 'but I have to go. I just remembered I'm picking up my sister's… dog… from the vet. Yeah that's it. Sorry Karen I'll have to see the movie next time. Nice to meet you Carter.'

She heard an astonished Karen shout after her, but by that time she was sprinting as fast as her three inch heels would allow, and quickly turned a corner.

For the next ten minutes she wandered the mall unhappily, trying to sort her thoughts. Finding a bench she sat down and wiped away a few tears that had started to flow.

'Hey loser. Long time no speak,' said a voice. A shadow fell over her.

Gretchen looked up.

It was Regina George.