So this is something kind of random. Instead of a one shot with a beginning, middle, and end I just wrote short interactions. Mostly cause I didn't have a brain to write more than that. They all take place while Mason and Carter are in high school. At the top of each section I'll let you know what grade they are in.

***********************************

(Sophomore Year)

Carter wanted to slam her locker door into the head of the guy standing behind it. She wanted to do it so much it was taking all her self-control not to act on the desire.

"The yacht didn't have a helipad," the guy complained to his friend. "So we had to buy a second yacht, but this one doesn't have the same type of pool as the last one. It's so annoying."

No, what was annoying was this guy's incessant whining about how rich his family was and still, he wasn't happy. Trying to block out the inane chatter, Carter snatched her notebook and flipped it open. As she checked the notes, someone stepped up beside her.

"Owens," the newcomer said.

Carter slowly lifted her head and sniffed the air before looking over at Mason.

"Oh Mason," she said. "I thought I smelled the stench of entitlement."

"No, what you're smelling is Hugo Boss's new cologne. What I'm smelling with you is cheap shampoo."

Carter slid her notebook back into her locker. "Oooh, and he goes for the being poor joke. However did you come up with that one, Mason?"

Mason rolled his eyes. "Look, I didn't come over here to talk."

"Okay then, bye Mason."

Before Carter could leave, Mason held up his arm, blocking her path.

"I'm here because I lost a bet," he said.

"And what you now have to give me a makeup over that will somehow suddenly convince people I'm not the same person they despise and make me Prom Queen?"

"Not a movie I'd thought you watch."

"I know how to read a movie synopsis Mason. I know, astounding. What will she do next? Take over the world maybe?"

"No, it's more I always imagine you sitting in your lair planning your enemies' demise."

"I don't have a lair. But that does remind me, you leave school exactly at 2:30 every day through the south exit, right?"

"Ha ha." Mason rumpled his blonde hair. "You made me lose my train of thought."

"Not really hard to derail your train, Mason. Not when your head is just full of steam."

"Steam engines haven't been used in trains for decades, at least keep your insults current, will you?"

"Noted."

Carter slammed her locker door closed and headed away. She only made it two steps before Mason popped up in front of her. She rolled her eyes.

"Mason, not good to see you again, it hasn't been long enough."

"Owens, never a pleasure to see you. But I came over for a reason."

"Right your Prom Queen bet. Can't make it happen."

"Will you shut up, I need to say this."

"Oh, this is going to be good."

Growling in frustration, Mason spun Carter around by her shoulders so she could see a circle of guys further down the hallway.

"There," Mason said. "The guy on the end, Aaron, wants to know if you will go out with him. That's the bet I lost, I had to be the one to ask you for him."

Carter found Aaron. Good looking, perfectly styled hair, trim uniform. He met her gaze and offered a half-smile. When Carter continued to simply stare at him, his smile faltered. She slowly trailed her eyes down his body and back up again. When she reached his face, his cheeks were red. She shook her head. Aaron seemed to mumble something to his friends and hurried away.

Carter faced Mason.

"It seems he takes back his offer," she said.

"Five seconds, you couldn't give him more than five seconds?"

"Aaron has been staring at me for the past three months. If he wasn't man enough to come ask me himself there was no way I would say yes. I'm not dating a wimp who can't match me."

"How is that a standard of yours, you intimidate everyone."

"No, I intimidate half of them and piss off the rest. Watch."

Carter surveyed the hallway, looking for the right target. She found him, a guy who constantly felt the need to belittle her. She stared at him until he looked over. Instead of feeling the force of her lethal stare he merely sent her a rude hand gesture and went back to talking with his friends.

"See," she said.

"I still think you should date Aaron."

"Why?"

"Because maybe if you did you'd fall in love and your heart would grow three times."

"My heart needs to grow? You're the one with the heart that only expands two months at most."

"What can I say, I find girls grow dull after that allotted time."

"Maybe you should date a girl with brains then," Carter suggested.

"Like an ugly girl? That's a thought."

Mason made a show of spinning in a circle, inspecting the students around him and eventually focusing back on Carter.

"Oh hey Owens, want to go out with me?"

"Can't, I'm deathly allergic to Hugo Boss's new cologne."

With that, Carter walked off.

************

(Junior Year)

Carter sat on the edge of the stone wall overlooking the parking lot. It was a warm clear day, a perfect excuse not to be sitting in the cafeteria. Instead, she ate outside, absorbing the absence of annoying chatter from her peers. She bit into her apple as a town car pulled into an open spot. Mason stepped out of the back and Smith exited a moment later. Carter watched as Smith answered his phone and Mason left him behind.

Mason headed up the ramp towards Carter and she continued to stare out at the world. Even when Mason rested his elbows beside her, she didn't look away.

"Everything you see that the light touches is yours," Mason said in a low, deep voice.

"Is that so?" Carter said, taking another bite.

"For me, not you."

"So you get to rule over a five-mile radius. At least that means only a few hundred people will have to deal with your tyrannical reign."

Mason huffed. "I would be a great king."

Carter shot him a side eye. "Yeah? How were you going to manage that? Developing a whole new personality where you actually cared for people?"

Scowling, Mason pivoted towards Carter, glaring up at her.

"And you think you would make a better monarch?" he asked.

"No. But I don't want to be queen. People annoy me. Why in the world would I put myself in a position where I had to hear them whine about their problems and find solutions? The losers should do that themselves."

"Good thing you're not queen."

Carter set her apple core on top of Mason's head.

"A gift, from your liege."

Mason shoved Carter and she slipped off the wall. Only barely did she twist around fast enough to catch the edge of the stone. When she hoisted herself up, Mason was already walking away.

"Blessedly short was her reign," he called back.

Carter straddled the wall and spotted the apple core Mason had set down. As Mason opened the school door, Carter chucked the core at his head.

"Death to the monarchy," she said as the apple hit Mason. "Viva la revolution!"

*******

(Senior Year)

Carter stepped out of the girl's locker room and meandered down the hallway. The bell had yet to ring and she had nothing to do what wander until that point. At the sound of a weak protest, Carter redirected her steps towards the short hallway to one of the school's rear exits. Pressed against the wall was a girl with black hair and a guy standing in front of her.

"Zack," the girl said, shoving his chest. "Stop it."

Zack only laughed and caught her wrists in his hands, leaning in.

"Scared we'll get caught?" he asked.

The girl struggled in his grip and Carter didn't need to see more. She slipped along the wall, keeping herself out of Zack's eye line. By the time the girl spotted her, it was too late for Zack to do anything. Carter came up behind him and put him in an arm lock.

Zack swore and tried to rip himself free from Carter's hold.

"If you keep struggling you will dislocate your shoulder," Carter warned.

Zack attempted to kick Carter's shin, but she hooked her foot around his ankle, immobilizing him.

"Apologize," Carter commanded.

"No," Zack said.

Carter tightened her grip and Zack winced.

"I said apologize."

Zack didn't say anything and Carter looked to the girl, recognizing her from her history class.

"I'm sorry," she said. "He's not going to do it. Next time, go straight for a kick to the groin."

The girl nodded and hurried away.

"You really shouldn't disrespect a girl," Carter said.

Zack swore at her and tried yet again to break free. This time he did, along with his shoulder. Carter heard a tiny pop and Zack yelped in pain, dropping to his knees. Carter stood over him with mocking sympathy.

"I did warn you," she said. "Would you like me to put it back for you?"

Zack threw her a venomous glare, the effect of it diminished by the tears welling in his eyes. Carter shook her head.

"Such a baby," Carter said.

As she reached out to help him up, Zack scooted back, knocking his arm. He cried out.

"You are going to pay for this," he seethed.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do? Sue me? You were sexually assaulting a girl." Carter tsked. "That will not look good for your future in politics. Easy dirt for someone to dig up."

When Carter raised her eyebrows at him, taunting him to refute the claim, he said nothing.

"Thought so," she said. "Now let's try this again."

She grabbed his arm on his uninjured side and hoisted him up.

"At least your legs are still working," she said.

Zack only glared at her as she helped him toward the nurse's office. The bell rang when they were almost there and their presence was noted by exiting students. Some called out to Zack but he said nothing. When they got inside, Carter helped him to the exam table as the nurse eyed them.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Zack here accidentally dislocated his own shoulder," she said. "Have fun with that."

Before Carter left, she poked her head back into the room.

"Remember what I said, don't disrespect girls."

Leaving him to explain to the nurse what had happened, Carter cut her way to her math class. Inside, she didn't bother unpacking her notebook, she knew there was no point. A minute later as the second bell rang, the speakers around the school crackled.

"Carter Owens," Principal Withers said. "My office. Now."

Snatching up her bag, Carter proceeded through the school to the main office. The secretary simply jabbed her pencil towards the principal's office making no comment while her eyes said it all. Carter stepped inside and dropped into the chair across from Withers. He stared her down, trying to keep his control but clearly losing hold of it.

"Don't talk," Withers said. "I don't want to hear any of it."

Carter kept quiet. She figured Zack would have concocted some dramatic story to tell the nurse and the Principal, talking now would only sound like she was being defensive.

"You dislocated Zack Warren's shoulder," he said. He gripped the back of his chair. "You understand what our policy on violence is at this school." He took a breath. "Since this is your first physical infraction, I'm giving you detention." He left his chair and leaned against his desk, bringing his eyes level with Carter's. "But make no mistake, if you do something like this again, you will be expelled."

Carter still said nothing, she knew the system. Politician's kid won over scholarship student. 

"I will be notifying your father of this occurrence," Withers said.

Still, Carter would say nothing. She knew captain would find out but he couldn't do anything right then, since he wasn't even in the country.

Principal Withers tore out a detention sheet, ten empty spaces for a teacher to sign at the end of each session. Carter stood and took the sheet.

"If you want an unbiased account of the story, I would ask Maddie Hooper," Carter said. "Who knows, it might be enlightening."

She left before Withers could assign her more detention. She didn't know if Maddie would admit to being assaulted by Zack, some girls simply wanted to put it behind them and not think of it. Carter only cared about the fact that she was there to help.

As she headed back to math class, the door to one of the boy's bathrooms opened and Mason strolled out. He fell in step with Carter.

"Owens, is it true you kneed Zack in the crotch and then broke his arm?" Mason said.

"Is it true you cheated on Heather with Gabriella?"

"What? No."

"Oh! So rumors aren't always true. Huh, that's a new one."

"So you didn't beat Zack up?"

"You would have to ask Zack that."

Mason eyed her. "Why do I get the feeling he'd deny it all?"

Carter smiled. "I don't know. Maybe he beat himself up."

************

(Sophomore Year)

Carter sat at the deli, notebooks, and textbooks strewn about her. The deli was crowded with families and friends all talking over their dinners. Only Carter sat alone in a booth at the back. As she scribbled away at math equations, someone sank into the seat across from her. She glanced up and paused.

A good-looking boy a year or two older than her, about seventeen or eighteen, was smiling back at her. Carter didn't move, her pencil still poised over her paper. The boy was the kind of good-looking that takes work but appears to be effortless. He leaned on the table, his smile still in place.

"Hey," he said. "I'm Kyle. I've seen you around here and figured it was time that I introduce myself."

His eyes were a piercing color that made a person stop, captivated but the depth and uniqueness of the color. Carter stared at him completely thrown by his presence and his continued eye contact. Kyle tilted his head, his smile turned teasing.

"Do you have a name?" he asked.

Carter broke from her daze and sat back. "Carter."

Kyle nodded to the crowded tabletop. "Homework on a Friday night, I'm impressed."

With her developing impression of Kyle, Carter was under no delusion that he was impressed at all.

"I haven't seen you at Georgetown high school," Kyle said. "So where do you go?"

"Hamilton Prep," Carter said.

Kyle smiled. "A private school girl, I like that."

Carter didn't care.

"Look, I know this is sudden, but do you want to come to a party with me and some of my friends?"

Kyle nodded to a group of boys at another table. They all looked exactly like Kyle: trouble. But before Carter could say anything, she spotted her father approaching her booth. She saw him coming, Kyle did not.

In a blink, her father yanked Kyle from the booth by the collar of his shirt. Kyle let out a surprised yelp at being manhandled.

"That's my daughter," Captain said.

"Good to know, sir. I was just-"

"No."

"I didn't mean any disrespect-"

"No."

"Honestly, I-"

"No."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I'm glad you understand."

Captain released Kyle and the boy staggered then made a break for the front door. His friends hustled after him, all the while throwing terrified looks back at Carter's father. Carter watched as the group booked it to the parking lot and barreled into a car and shot off.

Carter looked across the booth at Captain.

"But father, I love him!" she said.

"Daughter, it is for your own good."

Carter dramatically hid her face in her arms. "Then I shall die of a broken heart."

"What's going on here?" Maggie asked.

Carter raised her head. "I'm dying of a broken heart."

"Better than me breaking something over that boy's head. He's bad news. I will have your sandwiches ready in a minute."

She moved off, collecting trash from tables as she went. When Carter focused on Captain, she found his countenance no longer humorous.

"Carter," he said.

"My real name," Carter said. "This can't be good."

"I want to talk to you."

"Are we about to have The Talk?"

"We had that two years ago."

"Must have been so embarrassing I blocked it out of my memory."

"Most likely," Captain said. "Sarge, I want to talk to you about dating."

"Because I'm doing too much dating?"

This got a smile out of her father and Carter added hers to the mix. Captain loosened his tie and slid off his suit jacket. Carter relaxed.

"I want you to know that dating in high school can be complicated and I want you to go into it knowing what most guys expect."

"I thought this wasn't The Talk talk?"

"I'm serious."

"So am I. Captain, I'm not an idiot. I know what goes on around me, I'm constantly overhearing conversations. You don't have to worry about me."

"I'm your father, I will always worry."

"Not about this. I have three reasons for why I'm likely to make it through the entirety of high school without dating."

Captain crossed his arms, amused. "Yes, and what are these reasons?"

Carter held up her a finger. "One, any guy I do find attractive has an ego so big it overshadows my attraction to him." She raised a second finger. "Two, I don't think I've met any guy yet that would be able to meet you and not piss himself."

Captain laughed and Carter grinned. She knew it was true. Take the charming Kyle after all. One more second and the boy would have wet himself.

"And three?" Captain asked.

"Three..."

Because she watched day in and day out the students around her, she saw how relationships looked all cute and fuzzy in the first stages and ended in tears and screaming matches. She constantly saw the destruction of 'love'. She'd seen her father broken in a way she never thought possible because the woman he loved walked out of his life. Relationships meant pain.

Carter swallowed. "Three, why would I need a boy in my life when I have the only man in my life that I'll ever need?"

Captain softened.

"Besides, you just scared off the love of my life. There's no one left for me to love."

"Do you want me to go call him back?"

"Please, if he's smart he's halfway to Canada by now."

"You lost the only smart boy you'll ever know. How will you ever live?"

"Without love, apparently."

Her father smiled and leaned forward, kissing the top of her head.

"You'll find someone who perfectly matches you one day."

Carter didn't respond. It wasn't likely, how could any guy match up to her father?

******

(Senior Year)

Carter didn't even bother glancing over at Mason as he appeared beside her locker. She'd found there was no way to deal with him, silence gave him room to talk, talking gave him someone to talk to, punching landed her in jail.

"Do you have a prom date?" Mason asked.

"You know," Carter said. "I'm happy to announce that I've managed to piss off, scare, and intimidate every boy in this school so that I don't have to worry about someone asking me to go with him."

"And all this time I thought you had no end goal in mind." He pointed towards her heart. "It's just you being afraid to let anyone in."

"No, it's me not wanting for a second to think that simply because I put on a dress and go to a different location that I will somehow tolerate the people that I see every day and don't tolerate."

"So you have no date."

"I have no date."

"And no one is likely to ask you."

"Not if I've done everything right the last three years."

Before Mason had a chance to comment on this, Edmond approached Carter, nervously adjusting his glasses and working to find a smile that looked confident.

"Hey, Carter," Edmond said.

Mason shot Carter a pointed look but she ignored him, hoping against hope that Edmond wasn't about to make her eat her words.

"Hey, Edmond. Do you need those notes from Thursday, since you missed class?" Carter asked.

Edmond blushed so deeply Carter feared it would give him a fever. It also managed to put a smug, gleeful smile on Mason's face. This was not going to end well.

"Uh...no...thanks. No, I wasn't wondering, I mean if you were free...that is if you wanted to...you don't have to if you don't want to..."

Carter was going to hit Mason, his smile so huge it looked like he was about to swallow his own face.

Edmond swallowed and adjusted his glasses again. "What I mean to say is, doyouwantogotopromwithme?"

Despite the speed at which he delivered his invitation, Carter fully understood what he asked. It also put her in a terrible position.

"What do you know?" Mason said. "Seems someone does want to go to prom with you. And here I thought you were worried about not being asked."

"Really?" Edmond asked, looking far too eager for Carter.

"No, he's being an idiot as usual," Carter said. "I'm sorry, Edmond. I didn't have plans on going to prom." Edmond nodded and started to shuffle backward. "But I know Emily Richardson would love it if you asked her. She has a thing for guys in glasses."

Edmond reddened even more and bobbed his head again.

"Okay, yeah, okay, um thanks," he said.

He rushed off and Mason made a face, pointing at Edmond's retreating form.

"Oh, it looks like you missed out on pissing off, scaring, and intimidating at least one boy."

"Shut up, Mason," Carter said, turning back to her locker.

Mason held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, but now that that embarrassing moment is out of the way, it's time to get to it."

"Get to what?" Carter asked.

Mason grinned and slid his hand under his blazer. When he removed his hand a trail of paper followed, unraveling. On the long, narrow banner was a single message: Owens will you go to prom with me?

Carter didn't blink an eye at it.

"How cheap are you? Yesterday a guy literally had a flash mob perform to a song he wrote for his girlfriend."

"I say simplicity and sincerity are better."

"Who'd you pay to make the sign?"

"Some kid from the arts wing. What do you think?"

Carter reached out and tore off the piece of paper taped to the sign with Owens on it. Beneath was the name, Kylie.

"Well, I'm sure Kylie will be really happy to turn down your pathetic offer."

Mason tilted his head with a ponderous expression.

"Nope, I'm pretty sure she'll say yes."

Carter closed her locker since the reason she was even standing by it had completely fled her mind.

"Mason why even bug me with your stupid banner?"

"Because you're the only student who has a higher GPA than me and bugging you is easier than trying to work harder."

With that declaration, Mason sauntered off.

"You know this sort of laziness doesn't bode well for your future presidential campaign."

"Good!" Mason said, throwing a wave at Carter over his head.

**********************************************************************

Hey!

(Yup that's all I got, if you are funnier greetings let me hear them)

So I went to my happy place here with these two, now I want to hear your happy thoughts! 💭🗯💬

I know what some of you, possibly maybe not all of you just some of you or none of you and if so that's fine, are thinking!

Joy, why wasn't this Mason in A Secret Service. Well my duckling I shall tell you! Cause I didn't know this Mason existed, so there!

But I'm happy he does and this kind of Mason is in the published version so there is that.

Vote, comment, follow

Cause that's just so cute!