Searching For A Rainbow

THIRTEEN-Will

I knocked on the door and waited.

I knocked again and waited some more.

Finally the door was answered. But the Carson who answered the door was not the Carson I expected to see.

Her blonde hair, usually a waterfall of smooth waves, was unbrushed and straw-like. Her blue eyes were dull and grey. Her skin was paler than usual, the only color on her face the splotchiness and the purple underneath her eyes.

What stuck out the most, though, was the bruise on her cheek.

Her eyes flitted around, landing on anything but me.

"You shouldn't be here," she finally spoke, her voice meek and raspy.

"Carson, what happened to you?" I began.

"Why do you care?" she shot back, her voice cracking.

"Wha-" I started, but was cut off.

"You don't even know me, Will," she said, "Stop acting like you do."

"Okay, then let me get to know you," I said, hiding my slightly bruised ego.

"If you must know my mother is dead. Killed herself, actually."

I stood in shock, not knowing what to say. But there was still a question burning in my mind.

What happened to your face?" I asked softly, but I was straight-forward.

She looked down at her feet and shifted her weight back and forth, biting her lip.

"It was my fault," she finally spoke quietly.

"What was?" I pushed.

"It was nothing," she said back quickly.

"Well that bruise isn't nothing," I said.

"It's nothing Will, drop it!" she yelled. My eyes widened, taken aback. "Sorry," she tacked on the end quietly.

"Don't be sorry. You can tell me when you're ready."

A forced half-smile graced her face, looking more like a grimace as her eyes met mine for the first time that afternoon.

"I just need to be sure- are you okay?" I asked her.

"I will be," she responded. A few moments of silence passed before she suddenly perked up. "But you shouldn't be here," she said again, eyes darting back and forth, sweeping the street and the landscape in front of the small ranch house.

"Why not? Is something wrong?" I furrowed my eyebrows in concern. She looked into my eyes again, a silent plea filling her own. I decided I would give her some space.

"Okay, I'll go. But remember I'm here for you if you need me," I started backing down the porch steps towards my truck. "And Carson?"

"Yeah?" she responded softly.

"Please don't freeze me out. I care about you."