Press was hitting on Carolina, kissing her though she tried to push him back.

Suddenly, Marcus appeared behind Press, taking hold of his shoulder, dragging him off of Carolina, pushing him away, turning to face him, punching him across the face, knocking him out and making him fall. Marcus walked over to Carolina, putting his hands on her legs, dragging her towards him, making her stand. In one swift motion, Carolina backed Marcus up to her door, her hand on his chest as their lips met passionately. Marcus flipped a table as he spun them around so Carolina was now backed into the wall, his body pressed onto hers as he put her hands over her head. A lustful look exchanged between them before they kissed with even more passion. Marcus wrapped her legs around his waist, sucking on the tender skin above her collarbone, ripping open her shirt, revealing her bra. Carolina smirked breathlessly, as Marcus lifted her up, grinding his clothed bulge against her making her moan and gasp, thrusts getting rougher. Carolina held him tightly as he sped his pace, shaking, tilting her head back with a gasp. Marcus turned to carry Carolina to the bed, laying her down, removing the rest of their clothes, leaning down to continue making out passionately and--

Carolina woke up due to her alarm, breathing heavily when she realized what just happened was nothing but a dream. "What the fuck?"

Carolina was used to having nightmares of the past, but that was the first time she ever had a dream like that. She was utterly stunned.

Georgia walked in. "Carolina! You're still in bed?"

Georgia groaned, walking over to the windows to open both curtains.

Carolina stayed laying down, closing her eyes against the brightness of the sun. "No, Mom. Stop. Not this. Please."

"Time to get up," Georgia told her.

Carolina tried to cover her head up. Georgia took the blankets, dragging them off of Carolina to the floor. Carolina sighed, sitting up, grabbing her blankets from the floor, laying back down, covering her head.

She still couldn't believe that she had had a sex dream about Marcus. Despite everything she was feeling, the guilt, the anger directed at herself because of Noah, and despite her fighting whatever she was feeling for Marcus because of those feelings, it wasn't enough to convince her subconscious apparently. If only it was.

✯

Carolina and Ginny walked into the kitchen.

Georgia was on the phone. "Have I found Jesus? No. Son of a bitch is playing hard to get. Please take me off the list of people to call."

Georgia hung up, sighing.

Ginny looked at Georgia's shirt. "Slutty top."

Georgia placed a hand on her hip, smiling snarkily in response. "Got it at that shop you stole from." Carolina smirked, pulling on her jacket that Georgia had gotten for her from the same shop. "Waffles? Toasted 'em myself."

"Sure," Carolina answered, reaching for a plate. "Thanks."

Ginny handed a piece of paper to Georgia without a word.

"What's this?" Georgia asked.

"Sophomore sleepover," Ginny answered. "Welcome to Pleasantville."

"Guess if you've always had a Tempur-Pedic, the notion of a sleeping bag on a gym floor is charming," Georgia told them.

Ginny nodded. "Ellen's running it. You can give her the money for my ticket."

Georgia put the paper down. "Excuse me, miss. You both have a job."

Carolina gave Georgia a look. "We start today after school. We don't have any money yet."

Georgia, knowing she was right, sighed in defeat. "How much is it?"

"Hundred bucks, each," Ginny answered.

"To spend the night in a school you already go to?" Georgia asked skeptically.

"You moved us to this white, rich-ass town," Carolina pointed out. "This is what they do here. These people are weird."

"Totally weird," Ginny agreed.

"All night in the high school?" Carolina asked. "Sounds like a waste of a Saturday."

Ginny tilted her head back. "And yet again you're showing your aversion to society and other people."

Carolina shrugged. "So? I don't wanna go."

Georgia raised an eyebrow at Carolina. "Mm-hmm."

Carolina realized that Georgia would want her to go because of what she was trying to do with getting Carolina out of her shell and back out there. "Oh, no." Georgia smiled. Ginny smirked smugly. "No, no, Mom."

Georgia nodded. "Oh, yes."

Carolina shook her head. "Please no."

"Oh, come on, Caro," Georgia told her. "It might be fun. Could get you back out there and help with everything."

Carolina sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to win an argument about not being forced to go, just looking away. Georgia smiled. Ginny smirked. Carolina gave Ginny an annoyed look.

✯

At school, when Carolina was at her locker across from berry tree, she tried to get her stuff and leave without talking to Ginny and the others or without a word, but of course that wouldn't work.

"Hey, Caro!" Max called. "Ginny and Georgia said that they're making you go to sophomore sleepover. Excited?"

"What part of 'making me go' equals excitement?" Carolina asked.

Marcus was sitting over by his friends down the hallway, seeing them, smirking at what Carolina said since that was how he felt.

"God, you sound just like Marcus," Max told her. "Our parents are making him too."

Carolina nodded. "Got it."

"We're talking about how we're getting booze for tomorrow, in case you wanna hang," Brodie offered.

"Press, you wanna try that gas station that let you buy a 30 rack?" Hunter asked as he stood next to Ginny, putting an arm around her shoulders.

Ginny's eyes widened in excitement as she looked at Carolina and Max. Carolina raised her eyebrows. Max's eyes widened as she pressed her lips together over a smile.

"I don't want to do that too often in case he starts carding me," Press told them. He looked at Carolina, annoyed because of the last time he saw her, when Carolina had purposely made him pissed off so he would stop hitting on her and Max would stop trying to set them up. Press was a little bitter and sarcastic, calling out Carolina to try and get back at her. "What about Carolina? There's a cashier around our age who would do anything for a pretty girl."

Marcus overheard Press, eyes on Carolina.

Carolina held Marcus's gaze while replying to Press. "I'm not gonna flirt with a random guy just so you can get drunk. And I am saying 'you' because I'm not gonna be hanging out with you guys there. I don't even wanna go. So I'll be on my own. Later, losers."

Carolina walked away without looking at Marcus or the others. Marcus smirked.

✯

In AP English, Carolina, Ginny and Max took their seats.

Max's crush, Riley, walked up to Max. "Hey, Max. Uh, what time's rehearsal?"

Ginny watched knowingly in amusement, knowing about Max's massive crush.

"Uh, I think 3:00," Max answered.

Riley took Max's hand to look at her ring. "Oh, my gosh, I love your ring. Your hands are super soft."

Max smiled. "Thanks. It's my skin."

Carolina closed her eyes, shaking her head.

Riley chuckled. "I'm amped for the dance number today. Fosse is so sexy."

Max turned to look at Carolina and Ginny, smiling.

"It's my skin?" Carolina asked.

Max gave Ginny an 'I told you so' look. "See? Total vibe."

Gitten started talking. "I know sophomore sleepover is this weekend, but we will not be slacking."

✯

After school, Carolina and Ginny were starting their training at Blue Farm Café.

Ginny was cleaning tables while Joe was teaching Carolina about the cash register and the tablet next to it.

"Select coffee, select total, run the card," Joe instructed. Carolina was picking it up fast. "Good. They're gonna sign, then you flip it back and hit enter. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Carolina answered.

"Good," Joe said, walking away.

Marcus walked in, twirling the skateboard in his hands, seeing Carolina at the counter, chuckling.

Carolina looked away. "Great."

Marcus stood across from her. "Hey, Carolina."

"Just had to be my first customer too, huh?" Carolina asked.

Marcus smirked. "Irony."

"What'll it be?" Carolina asked.

Marcus gave a cheeky smile. "I think you skipped past the, 'welcome to Blue Farm Café. How may I help you?' Pretty sure that's gonna be hard for you to say every time."

Carolina looked away, somewhat amused by the teasing but a little frustrated at the same time, and didn't want him to know she was amused, but he could tell. "Bite me." Marcus smirked, which turned into a smile as he chuckled. Joe was doing stock nearby, awkwardly standing to the side of the counter, hearing them, eyes widening, though he knew they were bantering teenagers that knew each other, raising his eyebrows knowingly. "What do you want?"

Marcus smiled. "Service with a smile." Carolina raised her eyebrows, biting her lip, tilting her head. Marcus finally answered. "Iced coffee. Black. No milk."

Carolina grabbed the ice, pouring it into a cup, then pouring the coffee, putting a straw in the cup, sliding it over to Marcus. Marcus touched her hand while taking hold of the coffee. For a second, neither one moved their hand.

Carolina pulled her hand back. "That'll be three bucks." Marcus took out the money, placing it down. "Have a nice day."

Marcus gave Carolina his patented salute, grabbing his skateboard, walking out.

Ginny was watching from where she was getting orders from the tables, having heard some of the banter/subtle flirting, looking as if she was thinking 'I knew it', frustrated.

Joe walked over to Carolina. "So, great job. Really good. Small note..."

"That was Marcus and a, uh... sorta friend, I guess," Carolina told him. "Banter's a major thing with us. It won't be like that with anybody else. Promise."

Joe nodded, as if he had already suspected that, giving a thumbs up, walking away to go to the back.

Ginny walked up to Carolina. "What was that you were saying about nothing going on between you and Marcus?"

Carolina tilted her head back in annoyance. "Oh, I am not having this conversation here of all places."

"Caro--" Ginny started.

Carolina gave her a look. "Ginny. Drop it. Please. We're at work, for fuck's sake."

"He's not just someone to help you get high, is he?" Ginny asked. "What are you two, friends? You don't do friends."

"And the way you and your friends act is a major reason why," Carolina replied.

"Are you with him?" Ginny asked.

Carolina was even more frustrated, keeping her voice down. "No, I am not with Marcus, okay? And what I do, how I act with someone, is none of your business. Please just leave it alone."

Joe walked out of the back. Ginny, knowing she couldn't bring this up in front of their boss on the first day, walked away. Carolina sighed, tilting her head back, utterly frustrated, not wanting to deal with her being nosy and judgmental at all.