𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋! [𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐑]

HAPPY MEMORIES AND PIANO LESSONS

The older boy smiled at her and nodded. "I really like you two together, I think you bring out the best in him, and I wouldn't want him screwing that up."

She stayed silent after that and Lip seemed to have gotten the hint that she didn't want to converse, so he went back to washing the dishes.

So, she just sat there mopping, so upset that she didn't even notice when Carl walked in.

"Hey, Popsicle," he greeted as he went and sat next to her.

"Hey," she muttered.

He scrunched his eyebrows at her response. "Are you alright? What happened? Get another B?"

Poppy rolled her eyes and hopped off her seat. "I want to be alone, Carl."

She grabbed her bag from the counter and walked out of the diner.

Carl, being Carl, of course followed her, jogging to catch up with her. "Hey, wait- just tell me what's wrong," he tried to reason.

"Nothing's wrong, Carl, like I said, I want to be alone," Poppy sighed, slowly, yet surely, losing her patience.

"That's bullshit and you know it. You never want to be alone, just talk to me, tell me what's wrong."

Poppy came to an abrupt stop, making him nearly bump into her, and gave him a glare. "Right now, you're what's wrong, okay? I'm telling you that I want to be alone, and you're just not listening! I'm tired of everyone not listening! I just- I don't think this stupid plan is working, Carl! I- I don't think I wanna do it anymore."

To say Carl was shocked was an understatement. He could only stand there with his mouth agape.

Before she could walk away again, he recomposed himself and quickly grabbed onto her arm.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on- where is all this coming from? The plan will work! Maybe slowly, but it definitely will!" He told her.

"For you it will, you're already getting somewhere with Dominique again- but, for me? My parents still treat me like I'm nothing- they still don't see how hard I work, or, or how much effort I put into the things they want me to learn, even if I hate it! I don't think that'll ever change," Poppy was just so fed up and upset, she felt her eyes begin to water but she turned away before any tears fell.

"Poppy... just talk to me."

Poppy shook her head and wiped away her stray tears.

"I'm done with this stupid deal."

And with that, she walked away.

And this time, Carl didn't follow.

•••

Poppy sighed as she rubbed her face with her hands.

A few hours had passed since her little blow up, and she felt absolutely awful for yelling at Carl.

She was just so overwhelmed, he was just the one who happened to be there at her breaking point.

Feeling like she a thousand percent owed him an apology, she found herself walking to his house.

She had never grown scared of the South Side, she'd been going there ever since she was six years old.