" Huh ?! " Nathan snaps " Why the fuck are you here ?! "
Carter pokes his head through the half open door . He hadn't actually realised someone to be inside it seems.
Eyes widen in genuine surprise " Nathan?"
Nathan replies mockingly " Yes me ! Were expecting your loving friend? Well she is gone now ! "
Carter enters the room awkwardly . Scratching his neck lightly.
"Umm so....I heard you are the new volunteer..?"
" I didn't knew there's two people needed to put together 1 skeleton " Nathan spats.
Do members think him as a incompetent fool or something?
Carter tilts his head a little bit , not making any eye contact.
" I was told to get something from inventory...they didn't say you were here "
Nathan stares " stop making excuses "
" But I am not ?! " Carter looks up , surprised.
" You don't need to monitor me "
" Why would I ?! " Carter seems genuinely surprised .
" Look I get it, i bothered you enough for this four months but that does not give you a free pass to watch me and be among these lunatics "
" But I'm not watching ? " Carter wonders out loudly " why the hell would I watch you ? "
Nathan glares squinting his eyes " really ? You are not even a drama club member."
" Oh my god ! " Carter looks awetsruck" is this really what's this about ?"
" What ? " Nathan halts .
Carter almost yells , eyes wide " really you don't understand what it is ?" he takes deep breath before continuing " Nathan ! four months you have bothered me ! enough for all of these months and now you think that I was monitoring you the entire time ? "
Nathan retorts back " Fuck off nerd ! I know you wanna be top the the game . And you are taking all the necessary steps for do so ! "
This time it's carter's turn to be surprised.
Irritation bubbles inside him.
" And exactly what game did I play to do that?" He finally screams .
This room is thankfully on the far corner west wing of the school. High enough that nobody from practice ground or the anyone else can hear this unreasonable argument from other classroom.
Carter's scream easily echoes through the floor. Perhaps not as loudly , but Nathan has never heard this guy scream before.
Sure he is friend with Rachael. Usually it's her doing that weird shit with voice . Up and down like staircase escape game. May be it's the theatre but still . But that's doesn't excuse the what happened last semester!
" Calm the hell down Carter " Nathan exhales , eyes icy " Don't you even dare pretend as though my entire nutrition project went shit because of tiger or something! "
Carter returns the glare " why what grade did you get ? B+ ? Did that hurt your ego ? "
" Oh don't you pretend now " Nathan takes one step towards Carter " every page ! Every. Single . Page was marked with weird colours , gibbled in shittiest handwriting I have ever seen . You are behind me in library that day. We were all working on it . Don't dare forget it ."
And like thunder strike , Carter actually does remember the thing. They were given 3 hours self study before final submission. And Nathan's file went missing for like 5 minutes ? Not that he remembers but ... during submission time Carter didn't see him .
Nathan is still speaking. Carter can actually feel the fury in his voice.
" Also ..." Nathan's eyes stay focused on him " last exam before vacations. My math note went missing. Right before exam . "
Carter feels his heart stop . What's this about? He did heard Emily mention it . Someone lost math notes . Was it Nathan's?
Nathan looks angry. 4 months is enough of harrasment. But he can't with this anymore.
Carter opens his mouth to speak " look I don't know what are you talking about. I wouldn't try manipulate events like that to stay a topper– "
Air cuts off him fast before he realises . Nathan slamming him against the stacks of sacks and bedsheets against the wall . Some of the light boxes , stacked untidyly stop , God knows filled with what props rolls down .
Carter's glasss struggle to stay top of the nose , halfway loosing it's footing on glabella .
"Ah ..ow " he moans , one box hitting him in the way down.
Carter opens one eye , squinting " what are you doi–"
One box lightly tumbkes on nathan's head , but his grip on collar only increases. Carter feels the panic rise like bile . He feels shaky , watching Nathan's right hand slowly turning into a first . Oh shit ! Not now ! God's he hasn't even done anything !
Nathan grits out " Hope you enjoyed your A+ nerd ! Let me give you this personalised gift" he hold his first upright. Ready to fall on carter any moment.
Carter breaths shakily. This has gotten never this bad. Sure Nathan is halla rude . Sure he chases Carter around a lot. Made sure lunches were never peacefull , walking on hallway was tripping on dry land risk but this ? Never physical . Hell Nathan and never slapped him . But he is smart . Smarter than this no ? Carter's mind screams inside , Nathan should be understanding this has to be someone else bebind these !
" Let go ! Please ! " Carter squarms .
Nathan's fist tightens , in a split moment Carter sees it coming closer , he shuts his eye , hands bracing himself for the contact . Letting out one yelling before it .
" NO ! "
And the air whooses past him . The expected pain never blooms onto his skin . Carter cracks his eye open , blearily.... Nathan's fist....