Post by Ariessya on Jul 27, 2009 18:34:08 GMT -5
Chapter Seven
The car ride wasn’t half bad. When conversation wore thin, Carmen had turned on the radio. Her music choice wasn’t excruciating; there weren’t any whiny men singing about girls. Actually, Carmen liked New Age rock, which surprised me.
The park was pleasant enough; thriving green grass, a set of swings, a slide, some bouncy animals that young kids would sit on. It would have been nice for a five-year-old’s haven. A nice, quiet place to play.
Carmen brought me over to the swings. She sat, but I just stood.
“What?” she asked, as if what she was doing was perfectly normal.
“Swings are for children,” I replied simply. “I gave it up when I was nine.”
She shrugged. “There’s a child in all of us.”
I leaned against a pole anyway. “Why’d you take me here?”
“I thought maybe you’d like to be here. And I thought now would be the perfect moment to revisit my childhood memories.”
I rolled my eyes. She was lucky to have such happy memories. “But you could’ve driven here yourself, right?”
“Yeah, I know. But since this is a nice place, I thought maybe I’d take you with me.”
I watched her swinging like a pendulum.
“I may not be social, but I’m an observer,” I said after a while. “Most people would be chased away by my…coldness. Even if they’re the most determined person in the world. Why didn’t you every move during class? You can’t be serious when you say that you’re only ‘trying to understand me,’ are you?”
She looked at her lap. “But I am. I guess that I always wanted to know you were a nice person underneath the hard exterior.” She looked back up at me and shrugged, once again. “I guess I just wanted to believe too much than is healthy.”
I looked away. “That’s quite…” I didn’t have an answer. “I’ve never heard that one before, to say the least.”
“I’m sure you haven’t,” she murmured.
I gave her a side glance, not sure what she meant, but didn’t say anything. Whatever.
“What do you think of the world around you, Daron?”
That’s a bit personal.
“I dunno. Pointless, depressing. I don’t really have any positive thoughts about life.”
“Why do you think so…negatively?”
I shrugged. “My family life isn’t exactly the best. Like I said, Megan, my mother, is sick. She’s an addict. And Owen, my father, isn’t present in my life. I have six sisters to look after, and in order to gain enough money I have to work as many nights after school as I can. I’m the only parent in the house.”
She stared at me for a long time, but I didn’t look at her. It wasn’t a huge deal to me anymore; it was just plain frustrating.
As I thought about it, I didn’t know why I told her what I did. Did I really trust her? Maybe I did. I didn’t know how I felt about her… Were we friends?
“I’m…sorry to hear that.” Carmen’s words were choked and far between. That was the generic response to anything bad. I almost hit my head against the pole.
“I don’t care anymore. I just wish I could get Megan out of my life. She’s a waste of space and money.”
Carmen didn’t respond for a little while. I stood, she swung. I thought maybe I’d welcome the silence, but it made me uncomfortable, and I wanted her words to fill the emptiness.
“Listen, I get why you feel the way you do,” I finally said. “But it’s no big deal. I’ve been used to it since I was young. Just because it’s a different lifestyle than yours doesn’t mean it’s bad, exactly.”
She shook her head. “I…You’re right, but I can’t wrap my mind around it.”
“Then don’t think about it. You’ll just give yourself a headache.”
She half-smiled. “Okay.”
I stared ahead, across the grassy field.
“Daron, are you interested in anyone?”
“No.” Why would I be?
“I mean…have you ever thought about dating? At all?”
“Well, sure I’ve thought about it.” I turned to stare at her. “Why?”
She didn’t answer my question. “So if someone was going to ask you out, right now, would you go out with them?”
“No, I can’t think of anyone I want to date, nor would agree to dating. I also can’t think of anyone who would want to date me, since I don’t have any friends. I don’t have a life outside of school, my sisters and work, either. Why? Who would ask me out right now?” I got the suspicious feeling that she knew something I didn’t.
I thought I heard her take a deep breath.
“I would.”
End of Chapter Seven
Author's Note: I know nothing much has happened other than the dog attack, BUT it will start to get exciting right about...
NOW
The car ride wasn’t half bad. When conversation wore thin, Carmen had turned on the radio. Her music choice wasn’t excruciating; there weren’t any whiny men singing about girls. Actually, Carmen liked New Age rock, which surprised me.
The park was pleasant enough; thriving green grass, a set of swings, a slide, some bouncy animals that young kids would sit on. It would have been nice for a five-year-old’s haven. A nice, quiet place to play.
Carmen brought me over to the swings. She sat, but I just stood.
“What?” she asked, as if what she was doing was perfectly normal.
“Swings are for children,” I replied simply. “I gave it up when I was nine.”
She shrugged. “There’s a child in all of us.”
I leaned against a pole anyway. “Why’d you take me here?”
“I thought maybe you’d like to be here. And I thought now would be the perfect moment to revisit my childhood memories.”
I rolled my eyes. She was lucky to have such happy memories. “But you could’ve driven here yourself, right?”
“Yeah, I know. But since this is a nice place, I thought maybe I’d take you with me.”
I watched her swinging like a pendulum.
“I may not be social, but I’m an observer,” I said after a while. “Most people would be chased away by my…coldness. Even if they’re the most determined person in the world. Why didn’t you every move during class? You can’t be serious when you say that you’re only ‘trying to understand me,’ are you?”
She looked at her lap. “But I am. I guess that I always wanted to know you were a nice person underneath the hard exterior.” She looked back up at me and shrugged, once again. “I guess I just wanted to believe too much than is healthy.”
I looked away. “That’s quite…” I didn’t have an answer. “I’ve never heard that one before, to say the least.”
“I’m sure you haven’t,” she murmured.
I gave her a side glance, not sure what she meant, but didn’t say anything. Whatever.
“What do you think of the world around you, Daron?”
That’s a bit personal.
“I dunno. Pointless, depressing. I don’t really have any positive thoughts about life.”
“Why do you think so…negatively?”
I shrugged. “My family life isn’t exactly the best. Like I said, Megan, my mother, is sick. She’s an addict. And Owen, my father, isn’t present in my life. I have six sisters to look after, and in order to gain enough money I have to work as many nights after school as I can. I’m the only parent in the house.”
She stared at me for a long time, but I didn’t look at her. It wasn’t a huge deal to me anymore; it was just plain frustrating.
As I thought about it, I didn’t know why I told her what I did. Did I really trust her? Maybe I did. I didn’t know how I felt about her… Were we friends?
“I’m…sorry to hear that.” Carmen’s words were choked and far between. That was the generic response to anything bad. I almost hit my head against the pole.
“I don’t care anymore. I just wish I could get Megan out of my life. She’s a waste of space and money.”
Carmen didn’t respond for a little while. I stood, she swung. I thought maybe I’d welcome the silence, but it made me uncomfortable, and I wanted her words to fill the emptiness.
“Listen, I get why you feel the way you do,” I finally said. “But it’s no big deal. I’ve been used to it since I was young. Just because it’s a different lifestyle than yours doesn’t mean it’s bad, exactly.”
She shook her head. “I…You’re right, but I can’t wrap my mind around it.”
“Then don’t think about it. You’ll just give yourself a headache.”
She half-smiled. “Okay.”
I stared ahead, across the grassy field.
“Daron, are you interested in anyone?”
“No.” Why would I be?
“I mean…have you ever thought about dating? At all?”
“Well, sure I’ve thought about it.” I turned to stare at her. “Why?”
She didn’t answer my question. “So if someone was going to ask you out, right now, would you go out with them?”
“No, I can’t think of anyone I want to date, nor would agree to dating. I also can’t think of anyone who would want to date me, since I don’t have any friends. I don’t have a life outside of school, my sisters and work, either. Why? Who would ask me out right now?” I got the suspicious feeling that she knew something I didn’t.
I thought I heard her take a deep breath.
“I would.”
End of Chapter Seven
Author's Note: I know nothing much has happened other than the dog attack, BUT it will start to get exciting right about...
NOW
