Rose Bridges

Twenty nine

Carmen

"Carmen," ma bites through her teeth. Her eyes are glued to me and she glances to Romero with a forced smile.

My heart beats rapidly against my chest and I can feel the stress radiating off of him.

He clears his throat and grabs his sweatshirt from my dresser. "Sorry ma'am," he mutters, not meeting her eyes as he pulls the hoodie back on. "I'll get going. It was nice to see you," he nods to her, a shaky nervous breath leaving his mouth. His lips purse as he looks to me, shoving his hands his pockets. "I'll see ya Carmen."

Ma watches as his tall frame slides past her and through the door way, exiting my room.

I stand there frozen, looking at where he just was, and then to my mother who stares at me with disappointment and annoyance in her hardened gaze.

My mouth opens like a fish on land.

I rush past her and follow him down the stairs, reaching around him and grabbing the door to open it. "Romero I'm sorry-"

He rolls his eyes with a small smirk and chuckles rubbing his forehead. "Carmen, it's fine. I have shit I gotta do anyway soon," he tells me as he steps outside and starts down the stairs.

I lean against the door frame, holding the door with me. "Thank you for the food again!" I yell out.

He doesn't turn around, just continues down the stairs. "Yeah yeah," he calls out, tired of my thank-you's.

I purse my lips and watch his tall frame get smaller as he walks away before closing the door.

When I turn around, I'm met with the face of my mother.

I sick in a breath, scared for what she's gonna say. "Ma-"

"What did I tell you?"

I look down to my feet.

"Are you and that boy dating?" She tilts her head. "Huh Carmen? Tell me the truth. Don't play me like some fool."

I look up to meet her eyes. "No ma, we are not dating. He's my friend. We've been over this."

She smacks her lips. "Carmen the last thing I need right now is to worry about you running around with some boy whose probably messed up in the head from all the shit he's had to deal with-"

"He's not messed up," I defend. "He's a human who has had a more difficult life than us, but that doesn't make him messed up. He is the only male in that school who doesn't treat me like mierda," I continue, starting to get upset.

She crosses her arms across her chest, looking at me with that expression saying: you're just a young dumb girl, you don't know what you're talking about.

"I know boys like him. He will do nothing but hurt you, and you are too naive to see it. He will go down one path and you will go down a complete other if you let him drag you down with him," she bites out, taking a step closer to me. "I raised you to be a smart and safe girl, and you are not being that smart safe girl right now."

It feels like the wind gets knocked out of my chest and my eyes start to burn. Anger boils in my chest. "Why would you say that?!" I higher my voice, standing tall even as my voice slightly shakes. "How do you know he'll drag me down? You've never even spoken to him!"