The entire time I was on my way to Carters, all I could think about was how this place was literally in the middle of no-were.

As soon as I pulled up to the biggest house that I had actually seen in person, I understood why.

I took a deep breath an rang the door bell.

About a minute later, a younger woman, one who was not his mom answered the door. "Can I help you honey?" She smiled.

"Uhm, I'm here to work on an assignment with Carter." I shook my head. "Do I have the wrong house?"

"Oh no! Mr. Pruitt is outback with the other Mr. Pruitt. I'm Quinn, the house keeper." She nodded. "Come in, I'll go find Mrs. Pruitt."

"Oh. Uh, ok." I nodded and walked through the door.

She wandered off somewhere, and a few minutes later, the woman I've basically known half of my life walked in to their foyer. "Little Olivia Pate." She smiled and hugged me.

"Hi Mrs. Pruitt." She smiled.

"Oh honey, you have known me for 8 years now, you're allowed to call me Katelin." She nodded. "How are you? Hows dance?"

"I'm good." I nodded. "It's good. I broke my wrist at the competition, but i only have this week and next week until this can come off."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"It's ok, I push through." I shrugged.

"Still as determined as ever I see." She smiled. "Carter and Dave are still out in the fight house, I'll take you out."

"I can take her Mrs. Pruitt." Quinn nodded.

"No. Quinn, It's almost 6. Go home, have dinner with your family, and I will see you tomorrow." She nodded.

Quinn sighed. "Thank you." She nodded and walked away.

"Fight house?" I gave Mrs. Pruitt a look.

"Yes. Carter has training every night other than weekends." She nodded.

"Training for what?" I shook my head.

She raised her eyebrows. "He really hasn't told any one at school." She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I am so confused." I pursed my lips.

"Lets just, go out, and it'll explain it's self." She nodded.

"Ok." I nodded.

She lead me through their kitchen and out their back door, and honestly, Carters back yard is the size of my house, actually bigger.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but, what do you two do to have a house like this." I shook my head and looked around the back yard as we walked.

"Well, Dave, he's an MMA trainer, a good one." She nodded. "And I'm a designer. I work for a few companies, Louis V being the biggest."

"Oh my god." My jaw dropped slightly. "Louis V x Katey P. I have one of your bags." I pursed my lips.

"Well good, I hope you like it." She let out a small laugh.

"It's my favorite bag." I nodded.

"Good." She smiled as we got up to a big building. "Come on in honey." She opened the door.

We walking in to a room, and it looked like an athletic museum.

"What is all this." I shook my head.

"Dave's a trainer." She nodded. "Most of these are his from when he used to compete, but, 12 of them are Carters from tournements he's won. 27 of the medals are his too."

"Carter?" I gave her a look.

She nodded. "He's done Marital Arts since he was 6, but, gravitated more toward the cages. He won his first tournement when he was 10, and has won 12 total. Placed 2nd or 3rd in the others."

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows.

"He's very good." She walked over to a case. "This one, was the most recent Tournament, he took first place, and won fighter of the summer." She pointed to a photo and trophy.

And there it was, a big ass trophy with a plate that said 'Carter Pruitt, Summer Fighter' with the year behind it. And a picture of him with his dad holding his hand in the air.

"This is real." I nodded.

"As real as can be." She smiled and opened a door.

This door, lead to a full blown gym. Weights, ropes, tires, heavy bags, speed bags, matts, and an octagon ring with a cage hanging over it.

In the middle, Carter had his legs wrapped around his dads head and neck.

"Welcome to Carters life." Katelyn looked at me and smiled. "Dave, Carter!" She yelled.

They both looked over at us.

She spun her finger in the air. His dad helped him up off the floor of the ring, and he walked over to the ropes.

"Hey." He pursed his lips.

And I had the stupid face on that I normally give the boys. "HI." I nodded.

"Uh, I have a few more minutes in here until I can stop, you mind maybe waiting a little bit?" He smiled.

"No." I shook my head. "I don't mind."

"Alright." He nodded. He walked back over to his dad. "Just, submissions now. Ok?"

"What, don't want your dad to whoop your ass infront of your pretty friend?" His dad smirked.

"Whoop my ass?" Carter raised his eyebrows. "I'll break your hip old man."

"Whoop that ass little boy." He nodded.

"Ok, so, I'm gonna go back to the house before the testosterone in this building rises anymore than it has." Katelyn laughed. "You need anything I'll be in the living room."

"OK." I smiled.

And I just stood there, watching Carter and his dad throw punches, knees, putting eachother in submissions until the loudest buzzer I've ever heard went off.

He helped his dad up off the ground and his dad grabbed him by the back of his neck. He put his forehead on Carters. "That tournement in 3 weeks has no clue what's coming." He nodded.

He shook his head. "My triangle still needs work."

"You'll get it kid." His dad nodded. "No doubt about it. All it takes is work." He smiled.

"PPF." Carter pulled away and held his hand up.

"PPF." He nodded and grabbed Carters hand. "You can come on up here sweetie." He looked down at me.

I walked over to the stairs of the ring, and he held the ropes open for me. "Hi Mr. Pruitt." I smiled.

"Dave honey, hi Olivia." He smiled. "Sorry to keep him. Grades come before fighting."

"It's ok." I nodded. "I was early, and wasn't expecting this."

"You really haven't told anyone at school." He looked at Carter.

Carter shook his head. "No, dad. I haven't. Towel please."

He shook his head and handed him a towel. "No point in hiding something you love."

"It's who I am dad. Not what I love. I just don't tell people." He shrugged.

His dad sighed and looked at me. "Get him to stop hiding behind those glasses."

I let out a small laugh.

"It's nice seeing you." He smiled and walked out of the building.

I looked back at Carter.

"You can come in here." He nodded. "I have a feeling you've got some questions." He walked over to the ropes and grabbed a bottle.

I stepped through and just stared at him.

"What?" He shook his head.

"I don't think I have ever seen you in anything but a hoodie or a button up." I shook my head.

He let out a small laugh. "And now, I'm shirtless." He nodded. "I guess, the hoodies and button ups hide this." He motioned down his body.

"Carter, you're jacked, why would you want to hide that." I raised my eyebrows.

"So people don't look at me the way you are right now." He sat down and patted the matt.

"Fucking cage fighting." I shook my head and sat down.

"Pruitt past time that I didn't have to do, but I love." He shrugged.

"And are apparently amazing at." I nodded.

"Yeah." He pursed his lips. "None of those were easy, they were alot of work." He nodded.

"You could destroy every singler person in our school, couldn't you." I pursed my lips.

He laughed. "I could yeah, but I can't." He shook his head.

"Why." I shook my head.

"A condition." He nodded. "Nerdy little Carter Prudeitt, isn't what every one thinks."

"OO, are you gonna help me pass this assignment?" I smiled.

"I am." He nodded. "Nerdy part, true, because there's two conditions for me to fight. 1, I can't get anything below an A."

"And the second?" I pursed my lips.

"No fighting outside of a cage." He shook his head. "And the Prudeitt part, not true either."

"You don't date though?" I gave him a look.

"No, I don't girls in our school."

"You asked me to homecoming." I nodded.

"Yes, becuase you're in our school, and there's a girl I wanted to go with, but she'd say no."

"Oh so I'm a consilation prize." I raised my eyebrows with a smile.

"No." He shook his head. "Any guy would be lucky to have you. But, other than her, you're the only other person I'd actually like to go with."

"Who is it?" I gave him a look.

"Doesn't matter." He shook his head. "She's got a boyfriend. But, back to to the point, I get my fair share of girls, I just don't broadcast it like your brother." He shrugged.

"Why do you not tell anyone this stuff?" I shook my head.

"Well, I'm not ashamed of it, or embarased. Just, I like to keep my worlds private. And this could change how people treat me."

"Specifically girls." I nodded.

"Exactly, I don't want girls throwing themselves at me because of this. Or my body."

"Hey, those are just pluses. You're smart, sweet, funny."

"Which is what I'd rather be known as, not a guy who fights people for fun." He laughed.

"You know, Abby actually asked me about you today." I pursed my lips.

And his head shot directly toward me. "She did?"

I nodded. "She asked me if you had gotten cuter, or if she was just mad at Ryan still."

"She's mad at Ryan." He pursed his lips.

I nodded again. "He's forgotten to pick her up twice in the past week, and apparently he forgot to today because he was getting her 'favorite' macaroons."

"Oh, the green mint ones with the chocolate cream filling?" He gave me a look.

I raised my eyebrows. "He got her rainbow with strawberry cream." I shook my head. "How did you know that?"

"She used to eat them all the time in history freshman year." He nodded.

I pursed my lips. "Carter."

"Hmm?"

"Is Abby the girl?" I gave him a look.

His face went completely flat. "Why would you ask me that?" He shook his head.

"Because you remember her favorite macaroon, how fast your head shot toward me when I said she asked about you, and she has a boyfriend." I gave him a small smile. "How long?"

He sighed. "6th grade when I tutored her in algebra."

"Which is when she got such a soft spot for you." I nodded. "Have you told her about this?"

He shook his head. "Don't want it to change how she looks at me."

"Carter, she knows how funny, and smart and nice you are. She also thinks you're cute without the cage and muscles, in your hoodies and button ups."

"But she has Ryan." He shrugged. "Nothing I can do."

"Carter Pruitt." I crossed my arms. "This assignment was made for you." I nodded.

He let out a small laugh. "I felt comfortable talking to you about it. You were my confidant in the 7th grade though, remember?"

I nodded. "Macey Hulings."

"Yeah, she messed me up, which is why I don't girls in our school anymore." He nodded.

"That girl was a bitch anyway." I shook my head.

"You just didn't like her because she showed you up in volleball that year." He laughed.

"She spiked a volley ball in my face!" I laughed.

"And you turned it in to anger and now you're the best player in our school, which, join the volley ball team." He pointed at me.

"Dance." I shook my head. "That's got my full attention."

"Which actually brings us to you. Who is the real Olivia Pate." He crossed his arms.

"The real Olivia Pate is what you see. I'm an open book." I shrugged.

"To everyone but Connor, right?" He gave me a look.

I pursed my lips and nodded.

"I'm friends with Kalum. He's here 3 days a week. He hasn't shut up since you and Saunders broke up. Which, congradulations, he's a dick." He nodded. "What all happened with that anyway. You two looked so young and in love."

And this time, I felt my whole face sink.

"Oh shit." He pursed his lips. "Did I just say something stupid."

I shook my head. "Just, alot." I nodded.

"Was it bad?"

"He uh, spent the night at my house a few days before he broke up with me." I nodded. "I ended up smashing Connors game controller with a hammer. Mason, hes my neighbor, and we can see eachothers rooms from ours, and, Cam and I were in an 'intimate situation'. Mason walked in to his room. Cameron saw him, put my leg on his shoulder, and winked. After that, he was in my back yard with Mason, called me a trophy, and listed off a bunch of things that I'm good at, which included being in bed. Then told Mason he was going to take me upstairs, fuck me again just to make sure Mason got the point that I didn't want him. And he broke up with me two days later after Connor and Mason turned flag football in to full contact."

"Oh shit." He shook his head. "I heard it was bad, but I didn't think it was that bad, I'm sorry."

"It's alright." I shook my head. "It just-"

"Hurts?" He scrunched his face.

"It's been a month and a half, and I'm over him. Just, not what happened."

"Want me to beat his ass?" He smirked.

I let out a small laugh. "No. But thank you for offering."

He nodded. "The Olivia Pate I see, she's confident, and out spoken. But I have feeling the real Olivia Pate, isn't as confident as she lets on, pretty quiet about her feelings, and not as innocent as people like to think."

I sighed. "True." I nodded.

"But you are strong. Just, you don't have to act it all the time." He shook his head.

I pursed my lips. "There's the sweet Carter Pruitt."

"I'm always sweet." He shrugged. "Uhm, can you not tell anyone about this." He motioned around us.

I nodded. "Can you?"

He nodded.

"Do you want to keep working tomorrow?" I gave him a look.

"Uhm, I can't. Tomorrow after taining I have band practice. Tuesday Wednesday and Friday."

"You're not in the band." I shook my head.

"Not the school band." He shook his head. "Kalum, my cousin Dawson, Harvey and I have a band. We've got our first battle of the bands next weekend. Gotta practice as much as possible."

I pursed my lips and nodded. "Is there anything else I need to know before we hang out again?"

"Oh yeah. I'm a hit man for the CIA." He nodded.

I let out a light laugh. "Nerdy Little Carter Prudeitt." I shook my head.

"Confident Outspoken Olivia Pate." He smiled. "I'll walk you out." He stood up and held his hand out to help me up.

He walked me out to my car. "I'll see you tomorrow." I nodded.

"In my hoodie back in to Nerdy Carter Prudeitt." He nodded. "Goodnight."

I drove home, and saw Mason and Connor throwing a tennis ball back and forth across my living room.

"How was Joes with Sie?" I asked Mason and plopped down in the chair.

"Never happened." He shook his head.

"What?" I gave him a look.

"She forgot about meeting Ian's parents tonight." Connor nodded. "So, we had a date." He shrugged.

"Well good. Young and inlove." I nodded.

"How was Carters?" Mason pursed his lips.

I sighed and shook my head. "Just, as you can expect. Uneventful." I nodded.

"Kid is smart as fuck, but god is he boring." Connor shook his head.

Yeah. Carter Pruitt. Boring.

Not really.