The time is 9 o’clock. The place to be tonight is the Bowling Alley. Music is blasting through speakers. Most everyone in town is dancing or trying to beat their opponents in a game of bowling. Reed and Bay are across the room. Bay tries not to look in his direction, but she is too much in love to look away. She knows she can do better, or even that she deserves better. Better is not what she wants. She watches the way he moves, the way he laughs at any old joke, or how he does not flirt with any old girl. Then Bay remembers how he does not even talk to her, and how he kissed her best friend. It is Bay’s turn to bowl; she picks up the bright orange bowling ball and hurls it down the lane. Bay turns around to face her friends.
“You got a STRIKE!” Elliott screams as he runs and hugs her.
“What?” She says as she pulls away and turns and looks. All of the bowling pins are knocked down on the ground.
“Hey Bay.” Someone says from behind her. Bay turns and sees Reed.
“Reed, how are you.”
“I am good, but I would be much better if you would agree to hang out sometime.”
“Sounds good.” Bay says as her heart skips a beat or two.
“But you see the problem is.” Reed says as Bay’s heart instantly drops. “You know Jack.”
Off course Bay knows Jack, everyone knows who he is. He is Reeds friend who is one of the best track runners in the county. And it is hard to miss his sandy beach hair because he is a good foot taller than a crowd.
“Uh ya.” Bay says with a sweet smile.
“I promised him that when I get the courage to ask you out, he would go with Chloe.”
“I will see what I can do.”
“Cool, so I guess I will text you.”
“Ya.” Bay says as he starts to walk away. She feels like she is walking on air.
Reed turns around with a goofy smile and says, “I don’t actually have your number.”
Bay gives him her number. She watches as he walks back to his friends and continue their game. Bay turns back to her friends with a big smile plastered on her face, but none of her friends have paid attention to what just happened.
Chloe walks out of Carter’s house, leaving Carter fast asleep on the couch. She has no time to go bowling; instead she runs to her car and drives home. Chloe pulls up to her medium size house. Chloe's roses, which sit in front of the house, are the only thing alive in their yard. The grass is completely dead and has been for years. The only tree on the property had to be cut down after it got struck by electricity one year ago. But the roses are the only plant life which can survive anything. Just like Chloe, she is a scarlet rose in a forest of trees.
Chloe walks inside, she does not say anything thinking her mother has already gone to sleep. She walks down the hallway to the kitchen and sees the light on.
“Chloe, you should go to sleep soon, tomorrow will bring a new day.” Her mother says not looking up from her nursing magazine.
“Okay mom.” Chloe says as she grabs an apple and pours herself a glass of water.
“I am working from three.”
“Okay well good night.” Chloe says as she leaves the room.
Chloe’s mom is a nurse. She does not like Carter’s mother, it is not like they ever where friends or anything. Her mother is mad that she got pregnant at an early age with Trevor and never became a doctor. And it might not help that she lost Chloe’s dad when she was carrying her. Then she lost Trevor. She believes that Mrs. Young does not deserve an easier life. She laughed when Carter’s father left them. Chloe’s mother has not given either of them a chance, but she just hates them both. It is crazy how twisted things are; she loves someone who is hated by her own blood.
Chloe knows that she should get some hours of sleep before she leaves at midnight. But too much has happened throughout the day. The events still run through her head. She wishes she never let Reed kiss her, she wishes she slapped him. But most of all, she wishes that she did not have to keep Carter a secret. Chloe lies down and closes her eyes. She thinks of Carter, and falls asleep.
…
Chloe walks up half an hour before midnight. Her mother will wake up soon and find her door locked like it always is. Chloe has locked her door as long as she can remember. Trevor would tell her to lock her door just in case their mother would check on them before leaving for work. She told her mother a lie, and then the door has been always locked. Chloe grabs her leather jacket and crawls out the window.

Outside the night breeze feels wonderful against her face. She runs across her backyard and jumps the old white picket fence. She stands on the sidewalk facing a small little road. Carter’s motorcycle comes up the single street and screeches to a stop in front of her.

“Get on.” he yells over the roaring engine. Chloe climbs on the motorcycle and wraps her arms around his waist. She feels the vibrations of the motorcycle as they speed away into the night.

The race track is dark like the rest of the town. Chloe pulls out a copied key. She unlocks the front door and turns on the lights. In the dim lights they see Rory leaning against the wall. He is still wearing his black suit, but he has already taken off the tie.

“You are back. But don’t you think it is a little late in the night.” Rory the owner of the track says with a little snicker.

“It is only midnight, it is morning somewhere else.” Chloe responds as she searches the room for any other shadows.

“I saw you race today, you should know you are good.”

“You know I cannot race, it is like I should not be here.” Chloe says as Carter tries to walk pass Rory

“And where do you think you are going, Carter?” Rory says turning his attention to Carter.

“Practicing.” He says with a crooked smile.

“That is how you became good, you practiced with her. But you lied to me.”

“I am sorry man; you know how you are never supposed to race by yourself, so I started tagging along.” Carter says

“Well I am happy you did.” Rory says as he turns his attention back to Chloe. “Whose car have you been using?”

“River’s.” Chloe whispers.

“How did you get that key?”

“Came in the mail one day, I was his biggest fan.” Chloe lies.

“Then let’s practice.” Rory says as he walks onto the bleachers and turns on the lights.

Chloe and Carter walk to get their cars from the garage.

“God, I thought we were going to be thrown in jail.” Chloe whispers as she looks back at Rory.

“I thought I would never be able to race again.” Carter whispers back.

“You better be ready to be beaten again.” Chloe laughs
…

Carter and Chloe race in till it is dawn. Rory is impressed with how skilled Chloe really is. He could say that she is better than her brother. But when the morning sun peaks over the horizon Carter is sneaking her home. He heads back home, before anyone wakes up and will see him.

Chloe walks into the empty house; her mother has already left for the hospital. Her phone is one the table, she walks over and checks it. She has one missed call from Bay.

“Hey Bay why did you call?” Chloe says as a sleepy Bay answers the phone.

“You have to come and hang out with Reed and me!” She says excitedly.

“Reed really?”

“He asked me out last night.” Bay says. “Just come and distract Jack.”

“This is going to end badly, but because I am your friend I will go.”

“Yes!” Bay says with a little squeal. “What am I going to wear?”

“You will find something, look I have to go.” Chloe says as she hangs up the phone.

Chloe walks to the kitchen and makes herself some eggs. As she sits down at the kitchen table her phone goes off. Chloe thinks it is going to be from Bay, so she checks it. Instead it is from Carter. He asks her to go to the abandoned barn. Chloe does not even bother answering; she just looks down at what she is wearing. It is the same outfit from the other day. But even worse than wearing the same outfit is how bad gasoline smells.

Chloe runs upstairs and takes a shower. She changes into a pair of shorts and a white tube top. She puts on her black hop earrings and black eyeliner. She grabs an old blanket form a closet and walks to her car. Before driving out to the abandoned barn she stops to get some food.

The old barn looks better than ever. There are no holes in the roof, and the shingles look new. The barn door is not crooked anymore. The walls are still not the best, but she knows that Carter will fix them up. Chloe parks next to Carters truck. She walks into the barn and sees Carter working on the floors of the barn.

“Is it safe?” Chloe asks as watches Carter work.

“It is just a little hot.” He says warmly as he leans in for a kiss.

“I can tell.” Chloe says as she drops their lunch.

“Try working from down.” He whispers as he picks her up and kisses her.

“You are so sweaty.” She whines.

“It is like hundred degrees outside. I already sweated through my shirt.” He says ushering to his shirt which is thrown onto the ground.

“It is slowly coming along.” Chloe says as she looks around.

“Mom says that when I finish it, it is mine.”

“Oh now it is only yours.”

“I was thinking ours.” Carter says as he watches Chloe climb up on to the small hay loft.

“Good then there has to have a big red barn, a white house with green shutters and a pool.”

“How big do you want the garage?”

“Huge.” Chloe says as Carter climbs the ladder and kisses her when he reaches the top.

“I should get back to work; I want to finish the floors tonight.”

”Want help?”

“No, just keep me company.”

“I think I can do that.” She says as Carter gets back to work. “Reed asked Bay out on a date last night.”

“Is that good?”

“Not when I have to go with Jack.”

“What are you guys going to do?”

“I have absolute no idea, but I know who I am going to think about the whole time.”

“Well remind me to beat him up.”

“Silly, I was talking about you.”

“I knew that.”

“Are you sure, because I through you where getting all jealous.”

“I don’t get jealous.”

“The swing broke.” She says looking up at were the old swing would hang.

“I know that is how I got the gash on my arm.” He says without looking up. On Carter left arm, a part of his shirt is tied to stop the bleeding.

“Oh my, are you okay.”

“I have dealt with worse.”

“I can kiss it and make it better.”

“I am fine; I just got to finish this floor.”

“Did it hurt real badly when you fell?”

“I was not swinging really hard, but it was not pleasant.”

“You poor thing.” Chloe says but she knows she will not be able to convince him to stop.

“Chloe, you know how you always stop at the edge of town but never take a step out.” Carter says with a smile.

“Ya, I you know I have not left town after Trevor.”

“You are out of town limits now.”


“What.”

“The house is still in town, but not the barn.”

“You though now would be the time to tell me?”

“Well there is a race, come and watch me.” Carter says not looking up.

“What race?”

“Cristiano Carlo 500.”

“That is the most dangerous race in the world.” Chloe screams.

“I will be fine.”

“People die in that race; I don’t want you in a hospital or worse.”

“Come on babe, what is worse than the hospital?”

“I don’t know maybe a box in the ground!”

“Look, I know that it is not the best but I think I should race.”

“Who told you to race? I do not think that Rory would want to lose his star driver in a dangerous race.”

“Reed and I are going.”

“Now you lesson to him. What happened to you wanting to punch his face in, seriously he is the worst person to lesson to.” Chloe says really mad. “People team up in that race, and it is mostly against the best racer.”

“Chloe relax.” Carter says as he grabs her arms and pulls her close.

“Don’t you tell me to relax? You are good Carter, real good. Reed wants you out of his way. But if you don’t race, you don’t end up in a hospital.” She says into his chest.
“I don’t want to sit this one out, I have always sat it out.”
“Because you have something in that head of yours.”
“Did you just all me smart?”
“Yes, but it does not matter, do not race.” Chloe begs.
…
“In here.” Bay screams from her room.
Bay’s closet is all over her pink room. She has been digging through giant piles of close to find something appropriate to wear on her date with Reed all morning. Chloe walks into her room wearing a light pink shirt and jean shorts.
“Great I cannot wear pink!” Bay says upset and troughs a pink shirt across the room.
“I bet you have something to wear for your date.” Chloe says as she starts rummaging through a pile of cloths. “How about this brown dress?”
“No it is brown.”
“You could look like chocolate ice cream, all guys love ice cream.” Chloe laughs. “Actually all people love chocolate ice cream.”
“Chloe I am serious, I need something nice to wear.”
“How about your purple flowered dress.”
“You know my closet inside out, don’t you?” Bay says as she walks into her huge walk in closet and grabs the dress. Bay runs to the bathroom and changes and applies a layer of makeup.
“I am just leaving all of these cloths were they are.” Chloe calls and Bay walks out
“Do I look dinner appropriate?” Bay asks as she looks in the mirror.
“You look fine.” Chloe says as the doorbell rings and worry covers Bay’s face. “I guess I will be getting the door.”
Chloe gets the door. Jack and Reed are wearing polo’s and jeans. They walk in and wait for Bay to descend the stairs.
“Let’s go.” Reed says as he tries to remember who he is going out with tonight.
“I am ready.” Bay says as her heart flutters
…
“Tonight has been fun.” Reed says to Chloe and Bay. Jack had to leave right after dinner. Chloe said that she could take a taxi back to Bay’s house but Reed insisted she stayed. Bay was not so happy they went paint balling, but she tried to put a brave face on when her dress got ruined. Chloe cannot wait for midnight.
“We are going to see you race tomorrow.” Bay says
“That’s great!” Reed says.
“You know what they say about that race, so good luck.” Chloe says trying not to remember that Carter will be racing too.
“Good night.” Bay says as she walks up the steps to her front door.
“Bye.” Reed and Chloe say as Reed starts walking her to the edge of the street where her car is parked.
“I wanted to apologies about that kiss, not because I kissed. I did enjoy the kiss, but it was at the wrong time and place.”
“She is my best friend, and truly I should not have come.”
“There is something about you Chloe, I have not figured it out yet but I will.”
“You do not need to figure me out; you need to stay away from me.”
“You know I cannot do that.”
“But you have to.”
“Did you feel it when I kissed you?”
“I felt absolutely nothing.” Chloe says as her mind wonders to Carter.
“I felt something.”
“Good bye.” Chloe says as she gets in her car and drives away in the sunset.
“See you around.” Reed says as he watches her car speed off.