Uncontacted 2.0

Chapter 12 Alex

Curtis showed up fifteen minutes later with his hair combed and abutton-up shirt on. JJ squealed from behind him on the front step. Iwouldn't have said anything about him getting dressed up except whenhe stepped past me, I caught a strong whiff of cologne.

JJ brushed past and headed for the TV. He hadn't been here often,just enough to recognize the place. I was a little surprised hewasn't throwing a fit because we were somewhere new. "Curtis, youforgot to bring me flowers," I said.

Curtis's ears turned red and he made a gesture I'm sure his motherwould not have approved of. "Get over yourself."

I just laughed. Carmen was in for a treat when she got here. Hislast attempt at getting a date had been bad enough that I could useit as a trump card if we ever got into an argument.

The doorbell rang right at 3:30. Carmen swept in with her arms fullof books, leaving a trail of some kind of perfume after her. "Icouldn't get into your locker for your books, so I borrowed theseones from the teachers. That teacher, Senhor Dexter? He does not likeyou very much." Her accent made her words almost musical as shewaltzed back into my family's row home.

"Come in," I said as I closed the door. She was already turninginto the kitchen and I followed. By the time I got in there, she hadcleared away the clutter and deposited my homework on the counter.

Carmen consulted her phone. "Senhor Dexter said you have torewrite your paper and it is due by next Tuesday. Your biologyteacher said you need to outline the chapter about reptiles..." Sherattled off the details of my assignments as I stood there. Curtisentered through the door behind her and if she noticed him come in,she didn't make a move to say 'hi'. "And your calculus teacher saidto finish your test corrections and do the even numbered questionsfor the first section of chapter 3."

"How am I supposed to remember all that?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes and reached out to give my arm a pat, her handlingering a little long even for a Brazilian. "Give me a paper andI will write it for you."

I found a paper and pen in the everything drawer and handed themover, watching as she copied out the notes from her phone. She lookedup as she wrote and smiled. "My father has a photo of him and yourfather when they were younger. You look so much like him, especiallyhis eyes."

What was I supposed to say to that? I shrugged.

"They're such a clear blue, like the sky."

Was she leaning into me? Curtis still lurked there behind her and Iwished he would say something. It felt like Carmen and I were adisplay at a zoo or something and she had no idea.

Then she did that thing girls do where they look down at the groundand then up at you through their lashes. I can't even explain what itdoes to guys—or what it's supposed to do for them. Except it waslike I was watching a movie instead of getting hit on by a beautifulgirl. I wished I could explain to her that some girls left marks thatwere hard to forget. Or their boyfriends did anyway, and that she wasa few years too late. I cleared my throat, "So, you remember myfriend--"

Her phone chimed and she looked down at it, a frown creasing herfull lips. She cut off my attempt to make Curtis a legitimate part ofour conversation, her eyes still on her phone. "Tell me something,in America do men get justice for crimes against women?"

Wow. The award for topic-changing friendly feeling killer goes toCarmen. "What does that have--"

"You don't understand Portuguese well, do you?" She asked.Putthis in an earlier place. Maybe at the consul dinner? When she hangsout with Curtis and Alex in previous chapter?