Blood & Water

Chapter 5

"Nah," he said quickly. "Unless you want to?"

Carrie shrugged, "It would be fun."

"I got that paper," he huffed. "Or else I would."

"Okay," she frowned, slightly disappointed. "Law school is a bummer. You shoulda just gotten your bachelors and been done with school. You're too old for papers."

Kevin laughed. "Can't quit now."

"Do you mind if I go?" She asked him when he made his way off the steps.

"With my cousin?"

"Yeah, maybe EZ and Emily too," she shrugged.

"Is Emily even 21?"

Carrie rolled her eyes.

"I don't mind," he said kissing her cheek. "When are you going?"

"I don't know, he said he'd find me." She sat, examining her manicure for a few minutes before
speaking again. "Can you come for, like, one drink?" She pouted a little. "I wanna hang out but I don't even know them that well. It's weird without you, we can just go for a little bit."

"One beer," he said. "Then I gotta leave."

"Thank you," she beamed.

Kevin and Carrie sat together, huddled in a corner, for rest of the evening until Angel and EZ found them.

"You coming?" Angel asked Kevin.

"I have to finish a paper," he complained, "But I'll hang out for beer or two. You coming, Ezekiel?"

"I am but not Em," EZ explained.

"Come on," Angel said with a clap. "Let's get outta here before they try to make us stay."

The group met up at the local bar and ordered a round of beers. They chatted politely, Carrie
keeping mostly to herself as EZ, Kevin and Angel laughed together over weird childhood memories. It seemed like they didn't spend too much time together but enjoyed themselves when the opportunity presented itself.

"Kevin," EZ said, suddenly standing. "Darts?"
Carrie looked surprised, and anxious when Kevin agree and left her alone without a word. She watched longingly as they strolled to the back of the bar. She didn't notice Angel slid over closer to her.

"Hey," he said over the music.

"Hi," she smiled. "Is EZ good?" Carrie asked, gesturing to him and Kevin.

"Yeah," Angel laughed. "He's competitive too, so this should be fun."

Carrie glanced at him and smiled, his goofy expression endearing the strange, and certainly dangerous, man to her.

"Kevin is the worst with that shit," Carrie laughed.

"Yeah, he's basically the worst with everything," Angel joked.

Carrie turned her body toward him slightly. "So, for real, what do you do? Are you in school?"

Angel laughed at that and shook his head. "Nah, no school for me. I let my baby brother have that spotlight. What are you in school for?"

"Don't laugh," she said anxiously, "I'm majoring in accounting."

"Shit," Angel did laugh at her. "And I thought you and Kev we're a bad match, guess I was wrong."

"Did you?" She asked, drawing her head back to take a good look at him.

"That was a joke," he shrugged, "But yeah," he laughed.