Miguel and Karter held hands as they walked through the garden, plenty of people from around school being there, so having to make it believable. After Sensei Kreeses training, they were tempted to go take a nap, but ended up having to get their instagram pictures for Sam's sake. "Okay, come close."

Karter held the phone infront of her, Miguel smooshing his face close to hers, snapping the quick picture infront of the heart sculpted rose bush. "Yes, that's so cute."

"Like a Pinterest couple." Karter agreed, looking down at the photo as she slapped a filter on it. "Jealousy worthy."

Miguel grinned, letting her hand go as they sat down on the near benches. "You know, you don't have to do this."

"What? Come on, i'm a sucker for a cute love story. If I have to be the other woman that everyone hates, in order for it to happen, then so be it." Karters words made Miguel laugh slightly, leaning on the bench as Karter crossed her legs under her thighs. "Plus, it's just for the summer, right?"

Miguel gave a sudden look. "I forgot you're leaving at the end of the summer."

Karter inhale with a shrug. "Arizona calls."

"Why do you live all the way in Arizona if Hawk and your grandparents live here?" Miguel asked, turning to her more. "I mean, it's yalls moms that are related, right?"

"Yeah, we're related through our moms." Karter nodded her head, crossing her legs under her. "All her side of the family is here."

"Well, what about your dad? Is that why you guys are in Arizona?" Miguel nodded his head in questioning.

"Oh, no, i've got two moms." Karter shook her head as Miguel hummed in realization. "But, yeah, my other mom is from Arizona and her side of the family is more...what's the word?"

Miguel rose an eyebrow. "Better?"

"Involved." Karter gave a questionable look. "Bigger. You know, i've got four aunts, two uncles, nine cousins. Here, it's just my aunt and uncle, Hawk, and Lolly and Pop."

"Yeah, I guess I can see where that makes sense. But, you probably miss this side of the family, don't you?" his arm was across the bench behind her. "I mean, Hawks mom is questionable,  but i've heard you guys have pretty cool grandparents."

Karter laughed slightly. "Crazy rich grandparents too. No, they're great. I do miss them, but, I don't know, I guess my mom thought my other mom was more important or something."

Miguel pretended to understand. Karter nodded his way. "What about your family? I like your Yaya and mom."

Miguel laughed slightly. "They like you too. Said we can give you a ride home anytime."

Karter gave a tiny smile. "And your dad?"

He shook his head. "Don't know, really. It's always just been the three of us, I didn't really know anything about him."

"Do you wish you did?" Karter leaned back some, her back touched his hand.

"Yeah, sometimes." Miguel nodded his head. "Were you-sorry, it's not any of my business."

Plenty of people had asked Karter about her biological dad, she sensed he had been doing the same. "Sperm doner. Don't know anything about him aside from that I got my good looks and hair from him."

Miguel smiled slightly. "Do you ever wish you'd known him?"

"Not really." she shook her head in return, rubbing her thumb across her knee. "I mean, if it had been a different situation, maybe. But, he's just the doner so we're not suppose to actually want to meet them. You know?"

"I don't know if I could ever do that." Miguel said honestly as Karter gave a questionable look. "Knowing a kid was walking around with my DNA. I feel like i'd get attached and worry about them."

"Yeah, I get it." Karter nodded her head. "One of my aunts was a surrogate mother. I never said it out loud, because it's not my business, but I don't think I could carry a baby, give birth, and manage to not get attached and worry about them all the time."

"So, you have a good relationship with your moms?" Miguel questioned, rubbing his arms when the breeze picked up slightly. "Doesn't seem like you and Hawk are that close."

"We're not, really. I mean, we use to be. Before the hair and karate." Karter explained as Miguel nodded in understanding. "But, now he doesn't need me to protect him or give him a pep talk. I mean, i'm proud of him, but apart of me missed when he needed me."

"He still needs you." Miguel shook his head slightly. "Maybe just not in the same way he use to."

Karter had to give Miguel a soft smile. "But, yeah, my moms and I are pretty close. I mean, as close as you can be to your parents before they get annoying."

"And they were just cool with you spending the entire summer here?" he asked, standing up. "Come on, let's walk and talk, it looks like it's about to rain."

Karter looked up and noticed the cloudy sky, hurrying to get up. "They weren't exactly cool with me coming here, but, they understood I needed to get out of there for a while."

"Did something happen?" Miguel asked, seeing the questionable look she was giving. "Sorry, not my business."

"People can be cruel, Miguel." Karter exhaled as they walked side by side toward the end of the garden, passing caves of rose flowers. "Number one life lesson. If you can't protect yourself, you leave."

"You? Really?" Miguel looked in disbelief. "What about your knife thing?"

Karter laughed at his words, nodding her head. "Yeah, it's completely different in Arizona. I could have never done that."

"Well, why not? People probably wouldn't be so mean then." he pointed out, talking too much that neither felt the single rain drop hit their noses.

"I guess i'm just a different person here then I was back home." Karter met his eye with a nod of her head. "In Arizona, I don't know, I feel like I can actually be someone else here, myself."

Miguel nodded in understanding. "Still, it's not fair."

"No, it is." Karter nodded, feeling Miguel's eyes on her. "We all have our villain stories, don't we?"

"It's hard for me to ever imagine you being one of the bad guys." Miguel said honestly as Karter gave a little smile back his way, passing a bush of flowers shaped like a woman's face. "I mean, maybe a little bit, but not enough to ever think badly about you."

"You'd definitely think bad about me if I told you about what I did." the Coast girl said honestly, finally feeling the sprinkle of rain as they walked out of the garden maze.

"What? No way." he said in return, making Karter turn to him, the rain getting stronger. "You know, no matter what you could have done, I don't think I could ever think bad about you.I think you're too cool, and sweet, in a weird and kinda brutal way. And you have this way of filling all your conversation with some sort of way to make someone laugh, even though it's not intentional, because you do it just to make sure the conversation doesn't die to awkward silence."

Karter frowned her eyebrows. "You picked all that up in one month?"

"I'm good at reading people." he said honestly with a small shrug, the rain now pouring down as they looked up. "We gotta get out of there. Let me call my mom."

Karter nodded, pulling her phone out. "Hang on. We need one more picture for our story."

Miguel watched Karter hurry toward a woman, who was under an umbrella, handing her phone off with a quick conversation. Karter hurried back to Miguel. "Have you ever seen The Notebook?"

"Only one of my favorite romance movies ever." Miguel said in return with a slightly laugh.

"Good, let's hope Sam likes it too." Karter smiled, looking toward the woman, holding the camera up as Karter grabbed Miguel's face, pulling him into a kiss in the rain.

•

kylie speaks

happy valentine's day to
kartaz? migcoast? karteriaz?
migarter? for being the
definition of in love but doesn't
know it.