"Carmen Jones?"
"Here"
I raised my hand. My teacher, Mr. Davis, gave me a quick glance. Well, he was more of a substitute. My actual teacher is out on maternity leave, she is having twins, we had a small baby shower for her earlier this week before she left.
"Ms. Jones. Please come up to the front of the class."
I didn't even notice that Mr. Davis was behind me. I guess I should tell you about me. As you know my name is Carmen Jones, I go to Westerville high school, I'm a freshman, and that's about it.
"Ms. Jones?"
"Yes sir, I'm coming." I quickly got out of my seat and walked to the front of the room.
"This here is a young woman who doesn't understand the importance of education. She clearly cares more about her own world instead of school."
I couldn't say anything. I was completely frozen, the whole class was laughing as Mr.Davis continued to talk. I was on the verge of tears.
"Back to your seat Ms.Jones."
"Yes, sir."
I walked back to my seat and put my head down. I quietly pulled on the rubber band that I had wrapped around my wrist earlier today. I watched as the red marks slowly began to form on my wrist.
The bell rang ten minutes after that. I gathered up my books, put them in my bag, and walked with the rest of the crowd to the door.
"Ms. Jones, may I speak to you for a moment?"
Crap. I didn't think he'd notice me. I went to his desk instead of the door.
"Yes, sir?"
He pulled out a paper from the second drawer down on his desk. The paper was a blank sheet of paper. "Can you give this to your parents?" He said as he wrote a note on the paper.
I began to panic. I couldn't give this to my parents... mostly because my parents aren't in town at the moment.
"Sir, I'm sorry to tell you this, but I can't give this to my parents."
He raised his eyebrows. "And, why is that?"
"They're out of town right now." I pulled on the rubber band. "I'm sorry, sir."
"Aren't you staying with a relative? Could you give it to them?"
"No, sir. It's just me right now." I began to walk towards the door.
"Carmen," Mr.Davis looked upset. "if you need anything please, tell me."
"I will Mr.Davis."
He just called me by my first name, I thought. He has never called me by my name before. I walked out of the school with my old beat up bag. I walked down the street, took a right, and sat in an alley for a little.
My phone buzzed as soon as I slid down the brick wall. It was an alert about the My Chemical Romance concert tonight. It's truly a magnificent feeling knowing that something so wonderful has come out of the small world of New Jersey.
When I was younger I hated living here, because I wasn't allowed to go out and play most of the time. I didn't understand why so I'd cry. My mom would always tell me I could play tomorrow, but it never happened.
About an hour after sitting in that alley I walked to where the concert would take place that night. It was being held in a large building where most events in Jersey take place. I took a picture of the building with my polaroid camera.
"I wish I could go guys. Maybe next year." I said as if My Chemical Romance was right in front of me.
I walked away from the building. The streets were getting busy with people rushing to get to the concert building. I bumped into a few people, but one person in particular thought I did it deliberately.
"Watch it brat!" A man with a rough voice said. He pushed me into the nearest alley.
"I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean too." I said struggling to say the words.
"Sorry won't cut it." He went to hit my face. I closed my eyes, but the impact I was waiting for never came.
"I'd leave if I were you." A man said. I've heard his voice before, but I didn't know where.
I heard footsteps and then silence. I figured I was alone so I slid down the hard, brick wall, and let soft tears fall from my cheeks. I heard more footsteps and then other bodies surrounding me.
"I don't have cash, you can even check." I held out my bag.
"Kid, we don't want your money. We want to know if you're alright." I heard a different voice than before, yet it still sounded familiar.
I opened my eyes and couldn't believe what I was seeing. My Chemical Romance was sitting around me. Gerard Way, Frank Iero, Ray Toro, and Mikey Way, were sitting, on the ground, around me.
"Hey there she is," said Frank with a friendly tone. "What's your name baby?"
"I'm sorry. It's Carmen." I quickly got out my sketchbook and a pen. "Could you sign this? I know it's probably a bad time, but I can't come to your concert so... I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing, it's fine we can sign your book, Give it here." Gerard said with a smile.
They all signed the first page of my sketchbook. The first page had a drawing of them on it.
"You're very talented." Ray said with amazement as he signed the picture.
"Thank you." I said quietly. I played with the rubber band on my wrist.
"So you're not coming to the show tonight? Why?" Mikey said.
"My pare- I mean, I don't have the money for it. Plus, I told my mom that I would uh, help make supper tonight." I pulled on the rubber band harder. It snapped. I can't believe I just lied to the ones who saved me.
"Carmen? Are you okay?" Gerard asked putting his hand on my head.
Everything was beginning to get fuzzy. I could barely see. I was trying to calm myself down with my rubber band, but I had just snapped it. I felt very hot and then instantly freezing. I began to hyperventilate.
"I'm fine. I-I just need to sit down for a moment." I said slowly sliding down the hard wall once again.
"Frank go get Bob. He's back at the bus. Mikey make sure nobody is at the back entrance, Ray help me with Carmen." Gerard ordered. Everyone went their separate ways. Ray and Gerard helped me stand.
"Carmen, sweetie, stay with us."
By this time I didn't know who was talking. Everybody sounded the same. I felt a sudden wave of tiredness hit me. I passed out.
"Well, Mother, what the war did to my legs and to my tongue, you should've raised a baby girl,
I should've been a better son!"
I sat up. I was on a few pillows witch laid on the cold wooden floor of an old room. I listened to the music I was hearing. It was My Chemical Romance's "Mama" I really enjoyed the song.
"Wait where am I?" I quickly stood up, only to fall back down. "Fuck!" I yelled a little too loudly.
I sat on the pillows, which were now all messed up because of me, waiting for someone to come to me. I try to remember what happened before I got here. Oh, I remember, My Chemical Romance found me.. in an alley. I lied to them. Fuck.
I lay back onto the pillows and sat staring at the ceiling. I listened to MCR perform their last few songs and waited for them to come back. I heard cheering and Gerard say goodnight to all of New Jersey. I heard a few loud noises and the sound of over one-thousand people rushing out of the concert building
"Carmen! Are ye' awake in thar'?" Frank said in a sort of pirate voice.
"Yeah." I said quietly.
The band members walked into the room. They sat on the tables, and chairs placed around the room. They started talking to each other about the show as if I wasn't there.
"Sorry to interrupt, but, I have to get home." I said standing up, this time not failing miserably.
"Wait no we can take you home!" Gerard said. "It's not safe this late at night!"
"I'd rather walk." I said grabbing my bag.
"We'll walk with you!" Gerard, Frank, Ray, and Mikey said in unison.
We all walked out the doors of the building, down the alley, and onto the sidewalk. We walked for about an hour when we started nearing my house.
"Jesus kid, what were you doing and hour away from your house?" Ray asked.
"I had school today, and I wanted to take the long way home from school to get a picture of the concert building." I said happily.
"Damn, now that's commitment." said Mikey chuckling.
I continued walking until I could see my house. My house wasn't the nicest. It was small, one level, the yard was messy, it doesn't look like anyone has lived there in over twenty years, but it was home.
"You guys can go now. I can see my house from here." I said quietly.
"No after what happened earlier we want to make sure you get inside okay." Gerard said.
"Um, alright. Just, don't laugh." I said picking up the pace in our walking.
Once we arrived at my house, I opened the beat-up gate. I let the band follow me in. I got to the front door.
"Would you like to stay? I just thought I'd ask.. I didn't want to be rude." I said looking at my feet and unlocking the door.
"We'd love to, Carmen." Ray said putting his hand on my shoulder. "Only if you want us too."
I pushed the door open, and extended my arm, signaling them to go in. I walked in behind them and closed the door.
"Welcome to my house.There's not much here." I said showing them through the house.
We went through the living room and kitchen quickly seeing as those are the rooms you see when you walk in. Then we went to the bathroom. The bathroom is small but it works for my parents and me. Then we went to my room. My door had my name on it spelled out in big, sparkly, foam letters.
"My room isn't the nicest just warning you." I said pushing open the door. The door was old so it stuck a little, forcing me to slam my hip into it.
We all entered my room. My room had black curtains that kept out all light possible. I had a mattress on the floor with a comforter and pillow on it. The walls were painted black and had many posters on them. I had a small desk in the center of the room with art supplies on it.
"Damn this reminds me of Gerard's room." Mikey said and laughed.
"Wow, Carmen! Your room is exactly like mine... dang kid." Gerard chuckled.
I flopped down onto my mattress with a 'mmhmm'. The band wandered around my room.
"Hey what's this?' Frank asked with a smirk. I looked over at him.
It was my My Chemical Romance notebook. I wrote what all of the band members and songs of My Chemical Romance in that book. How did he even find that?
"Put it down! Don't read it!" I yelled. Everyone stopped and looked at me.
"Woah kid calm down, I was just askin'" Frank said handing me the book.
"I never thought she would yell." Gerard said.
"I didn't think she would even talk to us." Ray said.
"It was bound to happen at one point. She's in pain. I can tell." Mikey said. We all looked at him.
"I mean look at her eyes, really look. Now those are the eyes of someone who has seen way too much. She walks as if everyone is judging her, she looks like a deer in someone's headlights if you say her name. Those eyes are broken. There is no light, no hope, no life." Mikey said in a monotone voice.
"Leave." I said. I couldn't believe Mikey. I couldn't believe myself. I let four guys into my house, four!
"Carmen we just want to help." Gerard said. "Where are your parents. Will they be back soon?"
"Fuck off Gerard. Clearly they aren't here and that's all that matters." I felt tears slip down my cheeks. I slowly went back to my mattress and pulled out a cigarette out from under my pillow, I lit it with my lighter that was on the floor.
"We're not going anywhere." Gerard walked over to me, grabbed my cigarette, threw it on the ground and stepped on it. "We'll always be here for you."
"Gerard.." was all I could say until I broke down. My Chemical Romance has helped me through so much.
My parents left a month ago. I don't know where they went, but they left. I've been stealing food and money to keep living here. I've done some work around Jersey too. I've recently gotten into some pretty gross habits like smoking and drinking. I find it as a way to cope.
"I need your help guys. My parents left about a month ago, I've had to steal food and money to stay alive. I don't want to, but I have to. I just don't know what to do anymore." I cried.
"Shhh, you can come with us. We have an extra set of bunks." Frank said sitting next to me.
"Really? I wouldn't be a burden?"
"Of course not. Now get packed up. You'll need clothes, your toothbrush, anything else you might need in the next few months." Gerard said grabbing my bag.
I packed my things and then we were off. We walked back the hour-long walk, then an extra half hour to get to the bus. We got to the bus, Gerard took my stuff and started organizing things in the back while Frank, Mikey, Ray, and Bob, asked me questions.
"So you like drawing?" Frank asked.
"Yes, and photography." I smiled.
"Ever played guitar before?" Ray questioned.
"Nope, but I used to play piano and sing awhile back."
"Ever try drums?" Bob asked.
"Never! They look fun though!" I laughed.
"Do you have any drawings we could look at?" Mikey smiled.
"Yeah sure! Here." I had a few sketches of flowers and the band on a piece of paper I crumpled up and shoved in my pocket today.
"Wow, kid-" Mikey but then Gerard rushed in.
"Done! Go check out your little bunk kid!" Gerard pushed me.
"Okay okay! I'm going." I rushed to the last bunk in the room!
I looked and in big, black, sharpie letters my name was written on a long piece of fabric. My drawings from my sketchbook were on the walls of the bunk, and my bag was nicely set in the corner of the bunk.
"I love it!" I cried and hugged Gerard.
"I knew you would!" Gerard laughed. "Welcome home Carmen."
Tell me what you guys think. I wanted to start a new book to take more seriously than my last one. See you next week with another update! Give me ideas on what Carmen should look like! Peace out!