Let's be honest, high school Carter and Mason hits different.

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Carter forced her way through the crowded hallway, uncaring about who received the sharp end of her elbow or the piercing point of her gaze. A few victims yelled at her but she didn't acknowledge them, only one thought lived in her mind at that moment: get out of this at all costs.

When Carter strode into her history classroom, Mrs. Wilkes raised her head, expression calm.

"I'm here to ask that I be able to complete the project alone," Carter said.

Mrs. Wilkes smiled softly but there was a command in her body language that Carter read before she even spoke.

"No," she said. "It's a partner project."

Carter struggled against balling her fists. If she didn't come off rebellious then maybe she could convince Mrs. Wilkes to shift a little. Anything would be better than the present situation. Doing the whole project and adding someone's name along with hers would be preferable.

"Then I want to request a change in partners," Carter said.

"Carter," Mrs. Wilkes said, sitting back in her chair. "Do you know who got the second-highest grade on the last project?"

Carter took a breath, knowing that fighting this change in topic would not help her in the long run. She needed to keep a clear head, she needed to get out of this. That meant staying calm and not letting her frustration get the better of her.

"I don't know," she lied.

She knew exactly who got the second highest grade like she knew who got the highest. She also knew those names had been reversed in the previous project as well. Though she might hate it, she already saw the layout of the coming argument for Mrs. Wilkes's decision.

"Mason for the second highest," Mrs. Wilkes said. "You got the highest. Before that, it was Mason first and you second. You see, when paired together you both challenge each other to do your best."

No, what took place was Carter's need to knock Mason down a notch, nothing more. There was nothing about Mason that inspired her to achieve greatness in grades, she merely didn't want to give him ammunition to hold something over her.

Also, he needed to know he wasn't as smart as he thought he was. If Carter had to be the one to prove that then she'd do it. He didn't challenge her, he was the constant annoyance in her life that she wished would transfer schools.

"That is why I put you together," Mrs. Wilkes said. "He helps you push yourself like you push him."

Carter wanted to push Mason off a cliff.

"Is there any way I can change your mind?" Carter asked.

Again Mrs. Wilkes smiled in a way that was both kind and unbending.

"No."

Without saying anything else, Carter spun away and exited the classroom. She didn't go far before she stopped and pressed her forehead into a locker. Slowly, she began to hit her head against the wood.

Pointless, it had been pointless to talk to Mrs. Wilkes, it always was. It didn't matter that at one point Mason might kill Carter, or Carter kill Mason, their teachers would put them together. She didn't understand how they didn't see the eventual outcome.

"Don't stop, Owens," Mason said. "If you do it hard enough you might give yourself brain damage and I wouldn't be paired with you anymore."

Carter looked at Mason. "You understand the reverse works as well, I could bang your head against the locker hard enough to do damage."

"I have Smith," Mason said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder to where Smith stood a few feet away.

Carter narrowed her eyes and smiled slowly. "You think he's fast enough?"

When Carter jerked her hand up, Mason blinked but held his ground. She hated him a little bit for not flinching more than that. As she lowered her hand, Mason smiled in triumph.

"Let's go," she said.

As she headed for the school exit, she smacked Mason on the back of the head. At his outcry, she grinned.

Outside the entrance, Carter waited and when Mason joined her waved her hand towards the parking lot.

"Where's the car?" she asked.

"What? You don't want to take your car?" he asked, mockingly wide-eyed.

"No, I want to take the car your daddy had the taxpayers of America buy."

Mason glared at Carter's toothy grin. "It's property of the US government."

"Sure."

"It's this way," Smith said behind them.

As they cut through the parking lot, Carter slowly shifted her path diverting Mason's path into parked cars, forcing him to stop.

"Funny," he deadpanned.

"I think so."

At the car, Mason climbed into the back and quickly reached over to lock the door Carter moved to. He tilted his head at her, returning her toothy grin to her. Carter opened the passenger side door and got in.

"I like it better in the front anyways," Carter said.

"I didn't want you back here."

"Uh huh."

"We're going to have silence in the car," Smith said. "For the duration of this trip."

"Works for me," Carter said, sliding down in her seat and putting her feet up on the dash.

Smith sent her a look and she lowered her feet, straightening. From the back, Mason snorted. Carter shot him a glare but he ignored it by pretending to look out the window.

When they arrived at Arlington cemetery, Carter stepped out of the car and crossed her arms. Despite the warm spring day, she felt a chill run through her. Row after row of white tombstones spread out before her. Pick a name and discover the history of that person. A project to expand their view of how each life mattered, a person's story mattered.

Before Carter could think of where to start, Mason headed down the main path, his assured steps telling her he knew exactly where he was going. Part of her didn't want to move from her spot because it meant he was deciding where they should go.

The other part rational part told her that the quicker they picked their person the quicker they could be done. Inwardly groaning in annoyance, Carter set off after him.

She didn't say anything as she caught up to him. To ask him where they were going would be giving him too much power. He did not need more of that. Even without her speaking, Mason glanced at her with a hit of a smirk. It took all her might to keep herself from smacking him again. She didn't want to be completely on the bad side of Smith. She figured he'd forgive the first offense but wouldn't forgive the second.

Or worse he'd tell Captain.

Mason led them down the main path for a while before cutting off to one of the side ones. From how well he navigated them, Carter knew he had a specific spot in mind. Why he had it, she didn't know and didn't care all that much. Fastest way in, the fastest way out.

"Oh look, a random name on a headstone," Mason said. "We should see what this person's history is."

Carter instantly understood his lackluster words when she read the name: Andrew Douglas.

"Grandfather?" she said.

"What gave it away?" he mocked.

Carter rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. Stepping back, she got the headstone in the frame and snapped a photo. As she looked at it, her gaze snagged on the name next to it and her heart stopped in her chest.

She jerked her head up, looking at the headstone. She swallowed. Not Captain. It wasn't Captain's name, but close, Stephan Owens.

"We're done here," Carter said, forcing her voice to come out calm even as her heart still beat loudly in her chest. It wasn't her father. Someone with a similar name. That was all.

"Wait, I feel like I should get a selfie with my grandpops," Mason said.

He knelt next to the headstone and gave the peace sign. Carter walked away without taking the photo.

"Owens," Mason yelled at her.

Carter flinched, seeing 'Owens' craved into stone clearly in her head. Walking faster, she pulled up Captain's messages. Her fingers froze over the keyboard. It was stupid to text. He was fine. It would only bother him. She did not need to text him and make sure. She didn't.

Though it would be less intrusive than a phone call. That meant by texting she was being considerate. And he could see it later. He didn't have to respond right away.

Carter: Still alive?

She wanted to add something to make it a joke but didn't know how. Not when it was the only question she wanted answered right then. She waited and eventually stopped walking, staring at her phone screen. He didn't need to respond right away but it would be nice. But it was fine if he didn't, he was busy.

"Weird way to check in," Mason said, right next to her.

Carter started and shoved him. "Mind your own business."

Mason held up his hands in apology. Before Carter could vent more of her feelings on him, her phone dinged. She nearly hit herself in the face with how hard she raised it.

Captain: 👻

Carter didn't know if she wanted to laugh, cry, or yell at her phone.

"I'm guessing you got a good answer?" Mason said.

Carter restrained herself from doing any of the things she felt like. Instead, she took in a breath and stared at Mason, working to keep her expression neutral.

"Are we done here?" she asked. "Being around you for long periods of time makes me feel I'm losing brain cells."

"Well you're going to have to lose a few more, I'm hungry and I'm not waiting to drop you off before I eat."

"So you're kidnapping me?"

"Call it what you want? Some might even call it generosity since I'll pay for your food."

"Others would call that a date."

"Eh, don't make this weird or I'll make you walk home."

"You could try but Smith would have something to say about it."

"Smith works for me."

"Smith works for the government."

"Same difference."

Carter stared at Mason and he stared back without wavering. In some ways, it marveled Carter that Mason could say such lines with a straight face.

"You'll make a great political one day," Carter said. "You said that without flinching."

"Please don't insult me like that. Come on."

When he grabbed her arm and steered her down the path, Carter yanked her arm back.

"I'm capable of walking without a guy directing me," she said.

"Who said it was for you? You smacked me, I wanted to manhandle you some in return."

Carter rolled her eyes but let it go. After all, she had smacked him and retaliation for offenses given seemed fair to her.

At the car, Smith rejoined them and they drove off.

"Take us back to my house," Mason said.

"Kidnapping me without giving me the food you offered?" Carter said.

"No. We can get food there, we can even divide up the work, and you can go home with your father."

Leaning away from him, Carter scanned him up and down.

"That strangely sounded like logic and consideration," she said.

"It's called I'm tired and want to change out of this stupid uniform."

"Yeah, that makes more sense. Don't go changing your character, it's weird and unnerving."

"You are the last person I'd change for, Owens. The only change you've had on me is that I find my thoughts are a lot more violent when thinking about you."

Carter held up her hand, scrunching up her face in disgust. "Please don't think of me. It makes me want to give you permanent brain damage."

"You know-"

"Enough," Smith said from the front, his voice even yet still sharp.

Meeting Smith's gaze in the rearview mirror, Carter sent him an apologetic look. Mason, she didn't mind pissing off until the end of time, but bothering Smith who already had to spend endless hours with Mason left like too much cruelty. He nodded in acceptance and focused back on the road.

When they pulled up to the back gates of the White House, Smith rolled down the window and the Secret Service Agent at the gate leaned forward. Outside the car agents with bomb-detecting dogs circled the car, checking it.

"We have Owens' daughter with us," Smith said.

The agent peered into the back seat and Carter waved at him.

"Hi, Curtis," she said.

Curtis smiled, the action softening his severe features. "Hey, kid." He looked between Mason and Carter. "You two friends?"

"No, punishment from my teacher," Carter said.

Mason scoffed. "More like a prison sentence."

Curtis winked at Carter. "Sounds like fun. Don't go killing him."

"There are some promises I just can't make," Carter said.

Curtis laughed and stepped back, waving them on. The gates parted and they pulled through. Carter held herself back from pressing her face against the glass. Despite Captain's position, she'd rarely visited the White House.

She glanced at Mason and he sat with his head back against the seat. This was the place he called home, pristine grounds, world-famous building, impenetrable gates, and high-security checks.

As Mason and Smith guided Carter to the Residence, more things were added to the list. Crowded with people, decorated with priceless historic antiques, paintings of leaders passed lining the walls, spotless carpets, security cameras, and noise, constant noise.

By the time they made it to the main living room in the Residence, Carter wanted to leave and go home to her small apartment with their worn, comfortable couch, simple bare walls, compact kitchen, and noiseless space.

"Don't touch or break anything," Mason said. "I'm going to change."

As he left, Smith motioned around the living room. "Make yourself comfortable. I'm outside if either of you need me."

Carter nodded but couldn't manage to say anything. Make herself comfortable? Everything looked so spotless and in perfect order that she wasn't sure if she was somehow disrupting the room just by standing there. Even the pillows appeared in better shape than her and her faded uniform.

Mason reappeared in a t-shirt, sweatpants, and socks. The sight of him so casual felt unsettling. He almost looked human in Carter's eyes. Mason ignored her as he picked up a phone and hit one number on the keypad.

"Hi, Gina," he said. He smiled a little. Something that disturbed Carter more. It was almost a genuinely happy smile. "Just got home, I had to stop somewhere for a school project." He paused. "You know me, I'm not picky. That sounds good." Carter snorted and Mason shot her a glare. "Can you send up a second portion? I have to work with this really annoying girl and Mom wouldn't like it if I didn't give her something to eat."

Mason rolled his eyes and then looked at Carter. "I'm told to apologize for what I said. I apologize."

"I can hear how sincere you are."

Mason shrugged and looked away. "There, done." The small smile returned. "I am behaving myself." A pause. "Fine. Yes. Okay. Thanks."

When he hung up, he faced Carter as she stared at him with her arms crossed, head tilted with scrutiny.

"What?" he asked, a sharp edge to his tone that she imagined he'd never used with Gina.

"It's weird to see you treat other people like they are human beings."

"It's only you, I don't treat like a human being."

"Oh, what did I do to receive such a high honor?"

Mason waved his hand to her in a vague manner. "I don't know there's something about you that makes me... I don't know. You know what I mean it's how you treat me."

He had a point there. Though if Carter was going to find the source of why they did this then she'd say he started it. But maybe he'd say the same thing. But she would be the one that was right.

"Let's get this project divided," she said. "I can't spend too much time with you or I'll want to strangle something."

"Yourself is always an option."

Carter only responded with a flat look. In return, Mason mockingly bowed and gestured to the pristine couches. Carter hesitated as Mason easily plopped down and put his feet on the coffee table. A coffee table that Carter felt shouldn't be treated like that but this was Mason.

"Are you worried you're going to dirty the couch by sitting on it?" Mason asked.

Carter almost followed through on her violent desire at his pointed remark. Instead, she took the couch opposite him and worked hard at looking relaxed.

"Are you going to pull out a biography from somewhere?" Carter asked.

Mason frowned, confused.

"I'm guessing the grandfather you picked was some senator or something. You know, someone that a whole book has been written about."

"Oh. No. That's my mom's dad. My father's dad... He just seemed to be a good dad and a good soldier. I don't know a lot about him."

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you wanting to dig deeper into a grandfather you know little about makes you seem almost... Not you."

"Works for me. Let's get started."

They were part of the way through dividing up the work and laying out where they should start when the food arrived. One of the kitchen staff delivered it on a cart, like room service. Mason joked with the guy and thanked him before closing the door.

Carter made her way over to what looked like a meal from a five-star restaurant. It might only be fried chicken nuggets with fruit but it looked elegant. It looked like another world.

Mason didn't ask Carter if she wanted to eat, only put the plates on the table and sat down. To bug him, Carter joined him without waiting for him to say anything to her. It was a meal that she knew she wouldn't easily forget and that pissed her off. Though she couldn't say exactly why.

Before they could get back to work, Captain arrived. He eyed the pair at the table. Carter didn't give him time to analyze their relationship as she leapt from her chair and grabbed her stuff.

"Do your work or I'll kill you," she said as she pushed Captain back out the door and into the hallway.

"That's not a very nice goodbye," Captain said.

"It's nicer than the one I thought of in my head. But I know how you feel about me cussing."

Captain wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her head.

"I feel I should punish you for mistreating the First Son."

Carter struggled in his hold, laughing, even as she fought to be released.

"Okay, punish me by never letting me go out to parties or have to interact with any of my classmates."

When Captain released her, Carter staggered a few steps and righted herself. As she brushed her hair away from her face, something caught in the corner of her eye.

She glanced back and saw Mason poking his head out of the doorway. Their eyes met and Carter didn't know what to read in his expression. Before she could even try to pin it down, he pulled his head back and the door closed.

"Where do you want to go for dinner?" Captain asked.

"I don't care."

"Okay."

After they stopped by Maggie's for sandwiches, they stepped into their apartment and Carter paused, taking it in. The whole living room, the small area for their dining table, and the kitchen could have easily fit inside Mason's living room. The couch had spots that were wearing down. There were no decorative pillows on it. The walls were bare except for one photo. Even the curtains were faded.

Captain looked back at Carter. "A little different from the White House, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

He lowered his head then lifted his gaze to her. "Are you disappointed in our home?"

Carter met his eyes. Her father's warm, caring eyes. She hugged him and felt the strength and security of his hold as he hugged her back.

She thought of Mason and the people around him, willingly doing what he asked. The immaculate place he lived. The safety of it all. The grandeur that could never be compared to.

She thought of his face as he stuck his head out of the doorway. The emptiness and yet the crowded place he called home.

Here. In this small apartment, in her father's arms, she had something she knew Mason didn't have: comfort.

"No," she said. "This is the best kind of home."

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Oh my butter buttons! 🧈

(In case you're looking at your screen with this face, that means the buttons are dipped in butter. Why they are? Well, a mystery for the ages)

OUR HAPPY PLACE! Can a happy place ever not be a happy place no matter how many times you visit it? I don't know but so far it still brings me the same amount of happiness that it has before!

If you want to talk about the happiness of our happy place then you can do that here! 💬🗯💭💜

What is it about them? What makes me love their dynamic?

Have I asked this questions before? If I have then I still don't fully have the answers because I keep asking myself them.

It's now become part of all the life questions we must ask each other like: what is the meaning of life? Are clouds really as tasty as they look? Where does the poop go when it leaves the litter box? If you've never seen your face, only a reflection, can you really know who you are? Is the sky still blue even if the clouds are gray?

And the biggest question of all: if ice cream is the answer to life why does it melt so fast?

*lays on the grass gazing up at the stars* (Because that seems more common to do then staring up at the sun, probably for the obvious reason that you could be blinded)

I mean, these are the questions that might plague us for the rest of our lives. But that's life, man. Some things you know and somethings you don't. It be what it be. Gotta let yourself be like water, flow when you can flow and cut through stone when focused into a fine stream. Peace and power in one.

Wow, look at us getting all deep in this author's note. It's crazy what chaos we get up to sometimes!

Vote, comment, follow or go outside and ponder life for a little bit.

Shout out comments from A Shopping Trip

I honestly love when my characters can be relatable! ☺️

😂so much anger, I relate

Yeah slightly different than the boy in this chapter!

Yup that can sum up Sophia's interactions.

I get it, I totally get it and I'm not a mom but she is my baby.

Of course, Mason had to get it from somewhere 😁

Awww so Carter and Mason are so cute in panda form.