Chapter Five
Carmen.
"Are you doing anything now?" I ask Perez.
"I mean, yes. We're all going to get some food right now." He pulls a face.
I lean back against the seat and shut my eyes.
"I love how I was aware of where I'm being taken," I mutter.
I'm nudged awake from my half slumber by Perez when we arrive. He opens his side of the door and steps out.
I don't even want to get out.
The twins step out also and I admire the interior of Wren's car.
Dark cherry red leather seats, the roof with some cool ass designs, random lights, tinted windows.
Wren knocks on the window and I sigh, pushing the door open and stepping out.
"We're starving over here," Kian speaks, "you can sleep at home, hopefully"
I roll my eyes at the fucker.
"Who allowed him to speak?" I point with my thumb to Kian on my right side, looking at the other two by my left.
"I don't know" Wren mumbles, "dad taught him it's okay to speak your mind"
I pull a face.
"Shouldn't have" I say, "I already don't like this guy"
"My dad or me, Carm?" Kian quirks a brow. "Because trust me, I do not give a shit what you gotta say 'bout me"
"Both" I sneer.
"Alright, ladies" Perez holds the door open for us and lets us step into the cafe before him.
Wren really had to bring us here. It's not the cheapest place around, but alright.
We take a seat and a second later a waiter stops by our table.
I really don't want to be here. I'd rather get takeout from McDonald's or something or eat Perez's father's food.
I pick out some cheaper soup and garlic bread and settle for that.
"Can I crash at yours tonight?" I lean onto Perez next to me and whisper.
Some nights I sleep at his. Not too often to make him question anything.
Just enough, having valid reasons.
"Full house" he says. "Cousins and Abuela are coming over tonight"
His family always comes to his house sometime before Christmas. They live far away and stay at Perez' for some of the holiday period.
It's still weeks away, but okay.
"Already?" I ask. "The fuck do they do here for a month?"
Perez shakes his head, "It's mama's birthday tomorrow"
Right, that.
I nod.
No fucking running away tonight then.
We eat in silence, I enjoy it. The cafe is busy but bustling cozily somehow.
Wren asks for a bill and when we're about to slam down our cash, he stops us.
My night shifts pay me something, not too much. I buy clothes and my girl shit with that money. Or snatch some cash from mom and her permanent guests sometimes.
"It's on me" Wren pulls out his wallet, "I'm not oblivious and ignorant. I'll pay"
Right, not oblivious and ignorant, knowing that not all of us can't afford the place and food here.
Talking of money...
"Is your dad Myles Darden? Or just the same last names?" Perez and I think alike.
We probably have the same brain by now.
Kian and Wren look at each other, then at us, "What if he is?"
Perez blinks at Kian, "That would just be sick. Nothing else"
"Rich daddy?" I tease, asking.
Wren nods.
"At least they have a dad" Perez is the one smirking, sneering.
I slowly turn my head to him, "Are you mental?" I drawl.
I don't have a dad and Perez knows that, never failing to remind me of that.
Never giving me a chance to forget.
I have a ratty stepfather though. Him I'd like to forget too.
My best friend just grins at me. I close my eyes and turn away.
Kian snorts a laugh. I sigh.
Why?
We leave and get back to the car. This time I got the front seat, after winning a stupid argument with the evil twin dude.
He sulks in the backseat beside Perez, arms crossed over his chest. Perez ruffles his hair and coos at him, making the dude grumpier by teasing.
"Can't stay that far away from your brother huh?"
Kian fully turns away from my friend.
"Wren, we chose the wrong friends." Kian grits, "I can do better "
"Like hell you can. There's no leaving us" Perez says. "Once you get involved with Alvarez and Perez, there's no way out. We get easily attached and can't let go"
Perez is, I'm not. He just thinks of us as a team, as one.
"Great" Wren mutters.
"Speak up, boy "
Wren looks at Perez through the mirror. "Nothing. Just lucky us"
"You are" me and Perez nod at the same time, both of our arms crossed.
"You guys are more twins than us," Kian says.
"Hey!" Wren snaps at him, "don't deflect our twin-acy, our twinness"
Kian shrugs, "I'd never, baby brother"
Though so.
"I'm literally older, you twig"
"Mom lies to you to make you feel better" Kian shakes his head.
"Tell that to yourself"
"Fuck off"
"Calm down" Wren shakes his head.
"Shut up, blondie"
"Fuck off" Wren grimaces.
"There's no way that Wren's older" Perez says, "Wren has that baby sibling vibe"
Wren grimaces even more.
I turn the volume of the music up all the way. 'Before he cheats' now blasting, and I successfully ignore them.
"Not the divorced mom music"
"Ha"
"Turn it down" Wren whines, "I can't drive like that" He gestures with his hand out the windshield.
"What?" I ask.
"I can't see," he says.
I pull a face but turn the volume down a bit. Perez was singing along and now his dreadful screeching is heard.
"Perez, want to give me your address?" Wren asks, "I don't know where to take you"
"Home" Perez ponders, "Take me home..." he sighs dreamily. Too fucking funny, dude.
Wren is scowling again, and I tell him Perez's address to take the dude home.
When the car stops by a two-story house on Summers Street, Perez smacks a kiss to my cheek and scrambles out of the car, waving at us and walks into his home.
"Uh, to A-" I can't finish telling Wren my address because he cuts me off.
"I know where you live, Carma" What's the thing with males always speaking when others do, interrupting?
"Sure you do." I murmur. "And don't interrupt me again" I cross my arms and look out my side of the window.
"I won't, sorry"
Kian is sitting in the middle now in the back. He looks up from scrolling on his phone, "Hey, Carmen, do you have any siblings?"
Not any that I know off, not any that I talk to.
"No"
"Okay, yeah. Do you just live with your parents?"
Parents and home are the last fucking thing I want to talk about.
I snap, "What's this? Twenty-one questions?"
I feel bad, what's wrong with me?
"Sorry, Carma," Kian says. "Didn't mean to upset you"
I sigh and frown slightly.
"I'm sorry" I find myself murmuring, acting fucking pathetic. Interacting with these genuine guys, people, makes me realize I could be better, more polite, nicer. "I feel bad"
Kian nods and I hope he forgives me.
"You feel bad, because you know you could do better," Wren says quietly.
I think he's secretly a psychologist.
"Don't mind him" Kian says, "Our mom works in psychology field and her son now desperately acts like her"
"Yeah?" I ask.
"Mhmm, picks everything up she does"
"Momma's boy?" I ask.
"Basically"
"Shut up," Wren says. "It's not that bad. I'm okay"
I snort a short laugh and Kian just smiles. These guys feel pretty safe, I like myself when I'm with them, I don't feel like an alien when they're around.
I like that.
We don't say anything then, the quiet hum of the car filling the air.
As the late autumn fades into winter, the daylight doesn't stay that long, making the darkening sky appear earlier.
It's November and I feel sad, I'm empty but all the time goes on.
I clutch my bag tighter to me as Wren turns to my street.
Streetlamps light up the pavement along the way, I can see the misty dark grass, small patches of snow here and there.
The truth is I don't want to go home.
I don't have work for another few days, as I'm still on leave. Being a minor, I'm required to have rest and not allowed to overwork myself. I'd work myself to death, if it meant I don't have to endure a second in that house.
I go to Perez, I drown myself in work, taking extra shifts. I turn my head to any distraction I can get. A party or anything ever going on, but at the end of the day it's that house I sleep at.
No matter how many guys let me stay at theirs, I can't stay there forever.
It's barely a house, much less a home.
We don't have a driveway, so Wren stops his car by the pavement on the street. The car is fully still, but I don't make a move, staying sat. Quiet fills the air and none of them say anything.
"Here you are," Wren says softly. I nod, swallowing subtly, I turn my gaze to that small white house. The lights are on, glowing yellow.
He senses my hesitation to leave, but he can't do a thing, there's nothing to say.
"Want to drive around a bit?" He asks then, "Delay facing whatever's making you not want to go in?"
A relief washes over me, but I don't let it show too much. I believe I actually breathe out deeply.
"Okay-" I almost rush out.
Kian doesn't waste time protesting to his brother, "Dude, are you for real?" Wren scowls at Kian. "Dad's taking me to the city, I have five minutes to get back home. Fuck," he sighs, dragging a hand down his face, "not today, Wren. Can you just hurry?"
"Fuck off" Wren uses his favorite nickname on Kian. "Ask dad to pick you up from here then. Stop whining"
"Shut the fuck up" Kian glares, "What's actually up your ass?"
"You sound like a spoiled brat right now. Get a grip"
Kian crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. There's slight tension in the air for some reason. He shuts off the light pressing a random button somewhere and crosses his arms again pettily.
I swallow again. Free show, guys.
I smirk. There's no way...
Wren sighs deeply, perhaps defeated.
"Carmen," he says softly, turning to face me, "another time for a drive?"
I nod, but the inside of the car is dark and I'm not too sure if he sees. "Why not?" I act nonchalantly, but my head is screaming. "Good"
"Good" Wren says, and I push the door open.
I stand, spearing a quick glance at them, Wren waves. I debate waving back, but as I see Kian's small grin, I let the door slam shut and I raise my hand to wave the brothers back.
I sigh and turn around from his terribly similar but way different from his father's Dodge, dragging my way up to the front door.
The air is fucking chilly and it's eerily creepy as there are sirens, I'm barely used to, and shouting in distance. Hand on the door handle, I turn my head to look at the car, pulling it open, Wren starts to move away.
I close the door behind me quietly and press my back to it. They are in the kitchen, laughing and chatting, smoke twirls out into the hallway from the thin as the door is a bit open. Bottles clinking and curses sworn.
I take off my shoes and walk past the kitchen door. I know one of them saw me when I hear a chair scraping against the floor, barely making it to my door when a flop of black hair peeks out from behind the door.
My mother smiles, actually, "Carmen, you're back" It's not sweet or greeting, her smirk is bitter.
I narrow my eyes and she turns into the kitchen to say to others, "The girls here" There's murmurs and curses and nasty laughter.
What am I? A doll or a girl? Not much difference, I barely feel it.
I escape to my room, but a few hours later when all seems quiet and the lights are off, I make the decision to go to the kitchen.
I keep my footsteps light and flick on a small light over the counter. The kitchen door opens and there's a grab on my body. I feel disgusting and ruined.
I just wanted food, just to eat something, a bit. But now my appetite is gone and all I feel is dread.
*