Learning to Cope in a World That Doesn't Want You
Chapter Four
Stepping out of the shower, Carmen wrapped a towel around herself, going over to the full length mirror on the wall, and wiped away the moisture that had collected on it.
She started brushing her hair, and then stopped, looking in the mirror; she turned sideways, and uncovered her stomach, “I’m getting fat already” she said to herself
Continuing with her routine, she came out of the bathroom and walked into a well muscled chest, looking up she saw a boy she’s never seen before.
“Um, excuse me” Carmen said, trying to walk past him
“Hey,” he said, grabbing on to her arm, “you’re Carmen right?”
“Who wants to know?” she said, trying to pry his hand off her arm
“Mark, let her go” Jared said firmly, coming up behind them
He let go and Carmen leaned against the wall rubbing her arm and looking at Mark
“You okay?” Jared asked, going up to her as Mark went down the stairs
“Yeah, who was that?” She asked, pulling the towel tightly around her
“Mark Viewer, he’s a friend of mine, sorry about that, he just isn’t the type to respect personal space much, especially when you’re in a towel. Now go upstairs and get dressed, you still need to help with the chores.” He said, giving her a little push towards the attic stairs
Coming down a few minutes later, and opening the fridge to get the pitcher of lemonade, Carmen didn’t notice three boys seated at the table.
“Hey, Carrie, um I’m sorry about what I did earlier” Mark said
She turned around and glared at him, “Don’t call me Carrie, only Jared can call me that” she snapped
“Alright, whatever” he said, holding his hands up in defense
She put the pitcher back in the fridge and leapt up onto the counter and looked at the boys sitting at the table.
“So, this is your cousin Jared? She’s cute” another boy she didn’t know said
“Yeah, she’s like a sister to me, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t ever say something like that again” Jared said, between clenched teeth
“It’s fine Jagger” Carmen said, getting off the counter and walking over to the table and picked up a piece of bacon left there from breakfast that she must have missed
“Jagger?” the unknown boy asked, with a raised eyebrow
“Yeah, we both have nicknames for each other that no one else is allowed to use” Jared responded
“When are you gonna teach me to ride?” Carmen asked, leaning on the back of Jared’s chair
“I don’t think it’s such a good idea, especially in your…condition” Jared said, looking up at her
“What condition? What’s going on Jared?” Mark asked, leaning his elbows on the table and look suspicious
“Please, do tell Jared” the other boy added
“Really, Thomas, Mark, it isn’t any of your business” Jared said looking at them
“Oh, so you’re Thomas and I know you’re Mark, so what are we gonna do then?” Carmen asked, putting her cup in the sink
“Well, we really should bring the colt and it’s mother outside to graze. Let the other horses and out too and let them socialize. It will give you chance to let the horses get used your presence” Jared said, looking at Carmen and stood up
He walked out the door, with Carmen following, but before going out the door, she turned back to the boys “You coming or what?”
They just looked at each other, got up and followed, each thinking their own thoughts about their friend’s cousin and what to make of her.
She started brushing her hair, and then stopped, looking in the mirror; she turned sideways, and uncovered her stomach, “I’m getting fat already” she said to herself
Continuing with her routine, she came out of the bathroom and walked into a well muscled chest, looking up she saw a boy she’s never seen before.
“Um, excuse me” Carmen said, trying to walk past him
“Hey,” he said, grabbing on to her arm, “you’re Carmen right?”
“Who wants to know?” she said, trying to pry his hand off her arm
“Mark, let her go” Jared said firmly, coming up behind them
He let go and Carmen leaned against the wall rubbing her arm and looking at Mark
“You okay?” Jared asked, going up to her as Mark went down the stairs
“Yeah, who was that?” She asked, pulling the towel tightly around her
“Mark Viewer, he’s a friend of mine, sorry about that, he just isn’t the type to respect personal space much, especially when you’re in a towel. Now go upstairs and get dressed, you still need to help with the chores.” He said, giving her a little push towards the attic stairs
Coming down a few minutes later, and opening the fridge to get the pitcher of lemonade, Carmen didn’t notice three boys seated at the table.
“Hey, Carrie, um I’m sorry about what I did earlier” Mark said
She turned around and glared at him, “Don’t call me Carrie, only Jared can call me that” she snapped
“Alright, whatever” he said, holding his hands up in defense
She put the pitcher back in the fridge and leapt up onto the counter and looked at the boys sitting at the table.
“So, this is your cousin Jared? She’s cute” another boy she didn’t know said
“Yeah, she’s like a sister to me, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t ever say something like that again” Jared said, between clenched teeth
“It’s fine Jagger” Carmen said, getting off the counter and walking over to the table and picked up a piece of bacon left there from breakfast that she must have missed
“Jagger?” the unknown boy asked, with a raised eyebrow
“Yeah, we both have nicknames for each other that no one else is allowed to use” Jared responded
“When are you gonna teach me to ride?” Carmen asked, leaning on the back of Jared’s chair
“I don’t think it’s such a good idea, especially in your…condition” Jared said, looking up at her
“What condition? What’s going on Jared?” Mark asked, leaning his elbows on the table and look suspicious
“Please, do tell Jared” the other boy added
“Really, Thomas, Mark, it isn’t any of your business” Jared said looking at them
“Oh, so you’re Thomas and I know you’re Mark, so what are we gonna do then?” Carmen asked, putting her cup in the sink
“Well, we really should bring the colt and it’s mother outside to graze. Let the other horses and out too and let them socialize. It will give you chance to let the horses get used your presence” Jared said, looking at Carmen and stood up
He walked out the door, with Carmen following, but before going out the door, she turned back to the boys “You coming or what?”
They just looked at each other, got up and followed, each thinking their own thoughts about their friend’s cousin and what to make of her.