It's all just a mirage

Chapter 7- I don't care anymore

Carson’s POV

“You gonna eat that?” Ryan pointed to the slice of cheese pizza in font of me, his face was already stuffed with food. His light brown eyes dashed from my eyes to the slice of pizza. I smirked as I pushed the slice in his direction. He swallowed what he had in his mouth quickly and then started with my slice as fast as he could. 

I shook my head as I watched my older brother eat like he hasn’t had food for three years. “Calm the fuck down” I said just as he finished it. The place was noisy (but wasn’t bowling place’s always like that?) Ryan leaned back in his chair. 

“Strike! Oh yeah baby!” A man right beside us yelled. I rolled my eyes, there was going to be a lot of getting used to about this town...

 “Okay, I’m done. Now, lets bowl!"

Ryan got up and re-tied his bowling shoes. I looked down at mine which were green and brown while his were green and red. He walked over to the person behind the register. After a few minutes, he came back and walked over to the isle at the far end of the bowling place. The lights were turned off and everything started to glow, the glow in the dark lights were bright just as well as the pins and bowling balls. 

“Bro, your shirt is glowing! It’s a ghost!” Ryan pointed at my shirt and I looked down. My white shirt was glowing and so were our shoes. 

“Yeah, and so is your dick” I replied. He looked down, seeing something glowing where his crotch was. I lifted up my hands, “Who the fuck knew ghosts love giving blow jobs?"

He smacked the back of my head and laughed, shaking it off. It was first his turn, then mine. It was quiet as I sat down in front of the controls and watched him pick up a neon orange ball from the line of balls. 

“You think I’m gonna get a strike, bro?” he asked me getting ready to throw the ball. 

I shrugged my shoulders. My brother was known as the king of strikes, because he has gotten all strikes playing Bowling and also won many prizes. But that was before he left us. “Maybe” I answered.

He pulled his arm back, the neon orange ball in his hand and started to walk up the lane, letting go of the ball before his toes touched the waxed floor. The ball rolled towards the pins, going at a fast speed as they hit all five pins.

“Fuck yeah! I still got it!” He raised his hands up in the air and I stood up. It was my turn now, the only thing that was on my mind was how I was going to get him to leave again. 

He put a hand on my shoulder when he passed me, “Don’t break anything, Bro."

I smiled sarcastically, “Don’t take a piss in your pants, Man."

His face dropped and I walked forward, picking up a navy green ball. There were no holes in the balls, but they were light enough to carry. I pulled my arm back and then forward, letting the ball go in the process. The ball rolled straight but then slowly curved to the right only hitting three pins. 

“Aw. Maybe you’ll get one next time” Ryan said in a mother-like voice. 

I picked up another ball and turned around, holding it beside my ear, “Lets see what happens when you get a bowling ball smashed in your face."

Ariel’s POV

 Diana sighed as she refilled my mug with some more coffee. The diner was quiet with barely anyone there, the smell of fresh coffee and sausages filled the air. 

“You can’t always skip school, Ariel. You have to go.” She sat down across from me. I looked out the window and picked p my mug, the warmness of the liquid warmed up my whole body as I took sips of it. 

“Why? So that I can get made fun of? And have people give me strange stupid looks?” I snorted, “No thanks."

 “Maybe, it’ll change. It did for me” She said softly. My attention moved away from the window and the soft wind blowing the trees around and onto Diana. She turned the coffee mug in her hands, watching the dark coffee swish back and forth in the coffee maker. 

The atmosphere shifted from small talk to awkward staring. I looked away from her quickly, feeling my heart rate start to pick up. 

“Go” Diana said staring hard at the pot in her hands. I could tell that she was near tears, and that if she looked up at me, she would start crying again. Slowly and swiftly, I picked up my bag, slung it over my shoulder and walked out of the diner.

What was really pissing me off right now was the fact that I didn’t have my car. But the fact that Ryan was driving it around town made me want to scream. Forcing me to have to walk all the way back to school. “Fuck you, Ryan” I breathed.

 ********************************

"Hey, Real. How was your day?" Uncle Jordy asked me.

I slammed the door shut and jogged up the stairs, yelling a fine on my way up. But it really wasn't fine. Throwing my bag on the ground of my floor and sneaking out of my bedroom window, already dressed for a party would have been what I would have done. What I would have done before that dumbass took my family away. 

I walked over to my window and opened it, fresh air rushed at my face. The cool air filled my lungs and brought goosebumps to my arms. And yet, I didn't care.

"I don't care about family. I don't care about school. I don't care about life. I don't care anymore" I whispered softly to myself. 

Carson's POV

Ryan started singing Baby by Justin Bieber at the top of his lungs. But it sounded more like a cat being tortured to death. I covered my ears as I walked into the kitchen where my parents were shaking their heads and cursing under their breaths. Ryan truly was a kid at heart. And a fucking annoying one at that.

"I feel so bad for Ariel" my mother said, putting down her fork and putting both her hands on her heart. I raised an eyebrow at her just as my dad nodded his head, "Poor girl."

"What do you mean?" I asked staring from my mom to my dad. They both stared at me, the song ended and Ryan stopped singing.

"Honey, why do you think she's living with her uncle?" My mom asked me. 

I shrugged my shoulders and sat down in the seat across from her. She stared at me like I was blind. I shrugged my shoulders again, but this time, I added words. "I don't know. I thought that she wanted to stay here and her family moved without her or something."

My dad shook his head, "No son...Her parents died in a hit and run murder. A drunk driver killed them and their car hit a bridge and fell into the ocean. Her parents drowned."

"And her older brother" my mom started, her eyes getting watery, "died in the hospital. His heart gave out."

When my parents finished telling me what happened to Ariel, everything clicked. The reason why everyone was giving her weird looks, the rudeness in her voice, the lack of caring and the cutting. Everything just...clicked. I sat there, my mind spinning as I took it all in. 

"That makes a lot of sense" I said softly. My parents looked at each other and I slowly got out of my seat, heading to my room. That made a lot of sense why she would cut. At least now we had something in common. We both lost someone close to our hearts. 

Thanks for reading! Hope you like this chapter...And Carson isn't in the dark about Ariel's past anymore! Vote, comment, become a fan!