Rejects // l.h.

5

"Hello! You two must be the guys from the institution?" Says a young woman maybe a few years older than us. My eyes widen. She's very slim, and had long curly blonde hair and red lipstick with a matching red dress that clings to her curvy body.

"Yes. I'm Carmen and this is Luke," Carmen smiles.

"I'm Rochelle. Come in and meet Freddie," Rochelle says and she opens the door wide enough for us to come in. The house is pretty messy, but I don't notice, as I'm still staring at Rochelle.

We are shown into the living room, where a small boy wearing a huge baseball cap is sitting on the carpet, surrounded by toys.

"Freddie, this is Luke and Carmen," Says Rochelle. Freddie turns round, his big blue eyes wide as he looks at us.

"Hey, little guy," Carmen grins, squatting down next to him.

"I'm not little. I'm big," He says stoutly.

"Well, I'd better be going. I'll be back at about eight or nine," Rochelle smiles and kisses Freddie's chubby, dimpled cheek.

"Bye, guys!" And she hurries out.

"She's gotta be the hottest mom I've ever seen," I breathe. Carmen nudges me with her sharp elbows and nods at Freddie, who's staring up at us.

"So, what would you like to do?" Carmen asks, sitting next to the little boy. He shrugs.

"Watch TV,"

"Oh... Ok. Well, we'll leave you to it then. We'll just be in the next room if you need us," Carmen says. Freddie barely looks at her, staring up at the screen where bright cartoons were flashing.

"This is so boring," Mutters Carmen in the kitchen. She leans against a cupboard, combing her hair with her fingers.

"I know,"

She opens up the cupboard she was leaning against, and rummages through.

"Carmen!" I hiss, grabbing her arm. She turns round and stares up at me.

"What?" She asks innocently, before turning back. She pulls out a box of chocolates, grinning.

"Come on. You can't not want one," She says, shelling a chocolate from its wrapper. I laugh softly and take one too.

Carmen looks at the clock on the on wall. It says 6:00.

"I think it's bath time. Rochelle said he needed to have a bath before seven," She says. I nod and we walk into the living room.

"Freddie? It's bath time," Carmen calls gently from the door. He looks round and stands up, switching the television off. We follow him upstairs, and into a small, bright blue bathroom.

"It matches your eyes," Carmen smiles to Freddie.

"And yours," I grin at Carmen. She laughs.

"And yours!"

"We all have blue eyes," Freddie says, pointing at himself, Carmen and I.

Carmen runs the bath and takes off Freddie's clothes before dumping him into the bubbly water. We watch him playing. I can't help smiling. He is pretty cute.

***

When Freddie is eventually asleep, Carmen and I flop onto the sofa.

"So," She says.

"So,"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Ok?"

"I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I trust you, you know? Like, I just want to get this out. So, you know I like someone, right?"

"Yeah..." I say, wondering where this was going.

"It's just, I don't want to like them. I don't want to like anyone. I want to be my own woman, independent. It's just... I'm falling for that person, and I don't know what to do,"

"Tell them. They probably like you back,"

"I doubt it,"

"Come on. Everyone likes you," I laugh, nudging her. She chuckles.

"No they don't,"

"They do,"

"Whatever,"

I can't help wondering who Carmen likes. I know she won't tell me, I've already tried asking her, and she wouldn't tell me. If she trusts me, why is so secretive over this person?

Most people are easy to read, but Carmen... She's the most difficult person I've ever met.

And I like that.