"You're only feeding three people." Cole said, watching Nadia pile groceries a mile high in the cart.
"Four." Vee corrected, "Carter."
Cole clenched his jaw and turned his attention to a package of ham, pulling it out of the cart and pretending to be interested in its ingredients.
Cole never noticed before how often Carter ate at the house. She came over the morning after the park- when Nadia came home and made breakfast- and was present almost every day after for dinner. She was almost guaranteed to come by after school, and usually on weekends too.
"You're both wrong." Nadia said, barely glancing up from her phone, "Hailey is coming over for dinner. She might stay the weekend, too, so don't be assholes or pigs."
"Are we ever?" Vee asked with a raised eyebrow, taunting her sister. They were practically angels, and she knew it. Cole was an outgoing, intelligent kid. His sister always wore gentle, pastel colors. She couldn't be a trouble maker, even if she wanted to.
Nadia smiled, "I just don't want you rats to scare her off."
Cole gave a thumbs up, though more to indicate he was listening. Vee repeated his gesture with much more enthusiasm.
"Then go get some ice cream, and grab me the coffee kind." Nadia said, gripping the cart and swinging it around, "I forgot peaches. Meet me in the front."
Without a moment's hesitation Vee was bounding to the frozen goods. Cole following her with a more relaxed deposition while resisting the urge to outwardly cringe. Does she have to run everywhere she goes? Publicly? It's so... childish. Carter was the same age, almost, as Vee, but never acted like such a kid. And neither did Cole at her age!
Vee had already pulled out two tubs of ice cream before Cole caught up. He looked in her hands. "I don't like cookie dough," he said, knowing the strawberry ice cream was Vee's.
"It's Carter's favorite." Vee said like it was obvious.
Without saying anything, Cole pulled out his chocolate chip mint from the freezer, then Nadia's coffee, and began to make his way to checkout. Nadia would be on her way there now as well, he figured. When the family got home Cole had a load of laundry to rewash. He'd neglected putting it in the dryer for too long last week and now it smelled like mildew.
"Why do you get so awkward every time I say her name?"
"What?" Cole asked. Vee was always on a different page, and Cole could never manage to keep up with her train of thought.
"She notices, too. I know she does."
"What are you talking about?" Cole took one hand off his ice cream and ran his now frosty fingers through his hair. If Vee could be coherent just once... or even just answer his question the first time.
"You haven't said a real word to Carter for weeks. Since before summer break." Vee pressed.
Cole clenched his jaw again. Summer break had started two weeks ago, and that day in the park happened close to three. The day Carter's shirt fell and revealed unsettling marks on her back and side.
As days turned into weeks, Cole found it harder and harder to excuse what he saw. And more things came to light. Why is Carter so skinny? Cole could practically count her ribs when her shirt fell. Why does she wear such concealing clothes in the summer heat? Why doesn't she ever stay home? Why did Mason run away? And what kind of fifteen-year-old knows how to treat black eyes?
Cole breathed in. Vee was fourteen now, old enough to know his concerns. And if he didn't tell her she'd never pick up the signs. Vee was too naive.
"Piss off, Vee, you're just imagining things. This is just like the time you put dish soap in the dishwasher: you made a stupid assumption. Ever think I'm just too old to hang out with you guys all the time? Just knock it off." He said flatly instead.
What would come from telling Vee of his suspicions? What if he was wrong? The police would get involved over a false alarm and suddenly Cole's the boy who cried wolf. Not to mention it would put Carter and her family in an incredibly embarrassing position. Nadia had never mentioned anything odd about Carter, Cole reasoned, and Nadia was basically a mom. If something was going on, Nadia would be on it.
Maybe Cole could talk to it about Carter later. Convince her to prove she's not covered in bruises and abrasions. Some people are naturally skinny. And Carter was the only kid in her house- of course she'd want to visit her friends.
Vee tightened her hold on her ice cream, but otherwise made no indication she heard her brother.
