Carmen Karma[Adopted by MCR]

Chapter 10- I'm Okay Now

"I made you Cup Noodles on your first day and you refused them so I made you a salad, and dad threw his on the floor so I had to clean it up." I said staring at my mother.

"No we both happily ate the soup. We'd never do anything like that." My mother said slightly chuckling looking at Rose. "I just love her imagination."

"Bitch." I said under my breath.

Gerard nudged me with his elbow. Frank smiled. I looked at Rose, she had a pained look on her face.

"Excuse me, I'm going back to bed. You don't have to believe me Rose, no one ever does." I said leaving the table and walking to my bunk. I sat in my bunk drawing in my sketchbook. I could hear the quiet sound of the others talking at the table.

...

"I have evidence that they made her do all of that shit!" Frank said excitedly.

"You do?" We all said in different tones.

"Yup, I recorded everything! Well, the audio part." Frank pulled out his phone. He went to a video that had a black picture and hit play. "This is before and during breakfast yesterday."

"Soft footsteps echoed through the phone. Frank coughing could be heard too. You could hear Carmen quickly preparing breakfast and humming. The sound of paper plates being pulled apart could be heard and so could liquids being poured into the few mugs we had. The footsteps slowly got closer.

'Breakfast is ready. I'd come out before it gets cold." Carmen's voice rang through the phone. She went back to the kitchen and cleaned up. You could hear all of us groan before getting out of our bunks.

There was a rustling noise and then everything was silent. We all figured it was when we were eating that things we silent because you could hear the sink turn on and cupboards being opened. That's when Carmen cleaned up.'

"This is where the talking starts." Frank says distastefully.

"Carmen?" quick silence. "Your father and I don't want you cooking for these men. They can feed themselves.

"So can you." Frank's voice was harsh compared to the others.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Jones said. When she heard her voice she smirked.

"Alright. I'll make sure only to cook for you, mother. I love you." The phone projected the sound of the paper plates being thrown away, and forks being washed.

"Thank you, Carmen. You are truly the best daughter anyone could ask for." Mrs.Jones said with sarcasm.

"See! They did that shit to her for two days! Two days Rose!" Frank said taking his phone back.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jones, I will have to ask you to leave. I will gladly take you home in my car." Rose said with distaste. "Mr. Way, I'm glad to say Carmen Marie Way is officially your daughter." Rose smiled.

"Thank you so much, Rose!" I yelled.

"This is all because of you!" Mrs. Jones yelled.

"How the fuck is it my fault you got your daughter taken away?" I retorted.

"She would have come with us but you and your homosexual relationship ruined that!"

"You mean this relationship?" I said kissing Frank.

"You are truly disgusting." Mrs. Jones said before her husband dragged her out of the bus.

I signed a few papers and we all said our goodbyes to Rose. She thanked me for taking care of Carmen. I laughed it off. She left with the Joneses in her small black car.

"Carmen! Come out here!" I yelled. We all heard slight shuffling and then Carmen appeared from the bunk area.

"What's up?" She said putting her hands behind her back.

"Well, Carmen Marie Way-"

"What? Did you just- No way!" She said hugging me.

"Yes, Way! I am officially your dad!" I squeezed her, causing her to flinch and giggle.

Her giggling and smile soon faded. She stepped back and looked at us. Her skin was pale and her eyes were red. We all slowly reached out, but she backed away more. She sat on the floor and mumbled to herself.

"Carmen?" We all listened closely to her mumbling.

"Frank, Frank I'm right here. Look at me, Frank Iero." She repeated saying Frank's name and adding other bits and things to it sometimes. Frank hugged her, but it only made her mumbling worse.

"Don't touch me! Frank! Frank!" She yelled tears streaming down her face.

"Carmen it's us. We are right here, we won't hurt you." I hugged her. She slowly calmed down. We slowly rocked back and forth. Her breathing was still uneasy, but the shaking and crying had stopped. I looked at Frank, he wore a sad, pained expression.

"Gerard?" Carmen said still trying to catch her breath.

"Hm?"

"I'm okay now. You hear that guys? I'm okay." She smiled. "Frank, please smile. There's no reason to be upset. I still love you, I still love all of you. Nothing could ever change that."

"We know, we just worry. These past few days have been rough, and these panic states have been more frequent and intense." I said still rocking her back and forth, stroking her hair.

"Just give me some time, I'll get better."

"Of course you will, I'll make sure of it." I looked at the others. They all smiled.

Later that night Carmen woke up from a crazy nightmare. She made Frank and I sleep on the top bunk with her and the others in the surround bunks. We had to keep the curtains open so she could see everyone.

....

"Carmen, doll, it's 4:15 in the morning, please go to sleep." Frank told me for the third time.

"I will in a minute, I just need to check something." I was sitting on the edge of the bunk. My feet were dangling off the side.

"No, you've done the same thing three times now." Frank pulled me back to my spot and covered me up. "You are going to bed."

He's right, I do the same thing every time my feet touch the ground. I walk to the bathroom and check to make sure Zach isn't around. Then I check all of the bunks, and then the entire front area of the bus. Zach seemed so nice until he tried to take me.

"Fine. Goodnight Frank." I said turning away from him. He sighed and mumbled a goodnight.