𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐊𝐇𝐈

30. | W R E C K L E S S L O V E

It was as Carter had said, always the younger children that the families wanted, not older kids like themselves, "You gonna go get it?" Carter nodded and jogged over to where the ball was and in one quick motion he swiped up the ball from the woman's feet and turned to run back away but her words stopped him.

"Hey," said the woman to Carter's back, "Hey you," she said in a low voice that made Carter feel awkward. He turned around and looked at her strangely and paid attention to her this time. She had auburn hair, long and curly and a very pale face - - he wasn't sure if she was white or black - - but she had these soft green eyes that reminded him of something so close to him and gave him an eerie feeling about himself. She was thin and wore a thin cardigan over the dress she had on and the smile she tried to wear as well, "That your ball?" She asked as she kneeled down to Carter's level.

"Yeah," Carter nodded his head slowly, "It's mine," he couldn't escape her eyes and couldn't shake the feeling of awkwardness either, "Me and my friend were playin' with it."

"I see," she seemed to be holding something back, Carter watched her as she sniffed and knelt down a little more, "Where'd you get those," she smiled a little wider now, "Hmm?"

"Get what?" Carter said back to her, "Whea' I get what?" She was just as intrigued by his eyes - - they complimented him well, standing out in the sea of faces she saw out there playing. She could easily pick out the little boy with the flushed cheeks and the tawny complexion and those unmistakable emerald eyes.

"Those eyes," she said, "They're beautiful and this hair," she said touching his curly head of thick black coils.

"They are? It is?" He'd heard it before but she made him question it all, "Oh," he looked at her strangely, "Thanks lady. They make me cut it all the time cause they say I look like a black sheep dog when it gets too long - - and no one wants to adopt a sheep dog," he laughed, poking fun at his own self, "I guess it's a good idea - - cause if its too long its hot in the summa'."

She laughed, "That's pretty funny. I can imagine it being hot - - I have a friend who's hair is the same way," she said, "Hey, my name's Billie," she said and smiled again, "What's yours?"

"Carter," he said, "Thanks, Billie."

Kareem came running over, tapping Carter, "Hey they say we have to go inside now - - rain's about to come - - you coming?"

Carter broke away from the glance of the woman and looked at Kareem, feeling unusual and so unlike himself, "Yeah," he nodded, "I'm comin'," he nodded again, a little disoriented, "Um," he looked at her seeing strange things in her eyes, "I gotta' go. Bye, Billie."

"Bye Carter," she watched him and felt a wave of emotion coming over her as his long lashes batted and stared at her the midst of their exchange, "You take care of yourself, alright?" He nodded his head slowly and began to walk away with Kareem.

"Who was that weird lady?" Asked Kareem, "That was awkward."

"I don't know," Carter said as they made their way back to their bunks. Carter climbed up on top and grabbed his notebook and a pencil, "She said her name's Billie."

"She even got a weird name too," Kareem said as Carter began to sketch on the notebook paper, "That's not a girl name."

"I know," he decided he'd draw her eyes first - - those deep eyes that made him so uneasy. The same eyes he could have sworn saw tears in as he walked away. Carter had a knack for drawing and he wanted Billie to be his first portrait - - he couldn't get her face out of his mind.