Shamelessy Bad

7. Corrections

I have to admit, his intentions are actually pretty sweet. I kind of understand why he did it now. He definitely could've gone about it a better way, but it's still a sweet gesture. We're both quiet for a moment before Carl sits up straight looking at me face to face. I can tell by his expression that he's definitely thinking about something hard.

"What?" I ask. He hesitates at first but then opens his mouth.

"Do you wanna have dinner with us tonight?"

Out of all things to come out of his mouth, that is the last thing I would expect. I'm a little uneasy about being over there because there's no telling what he's told them about me or us. I cannot miss the opportunity to see the dysfunction first hand, though.

"Uhm, sure. Yeah, that sounds fun." I say with a small smile. He grins so big it takes up half of his face. "Lemme just tell Daddy that I won't be home for dinner."

We walk across the street to my house to inform him of my change in plans. Daddy pulls me to the side while Carl seems distracted with knick-knacks.

"Are you sure about this, Cassie?" He whispers between us.

"Yeah, why?" I nod my head.

"I thought he was too much of a temptation." He gives me a concerned look.

"I'll be around his whole family and besides, I thought you said I'd be okay as long as I cover myself?" My tone sharpens.

"I did, but I'm starting to think I was wrong. I'm not sure you're old enough." He states.

"Dad, I'm seventeen. I can make decisions for myself. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"Clearly not if you're going to put yourself in that kind of situation." He scoffs.

"What kind of situation? It's just dinner!"

"I don't care. You're not going, and that's final." He orders me.

We have now been talking in normal tones so Carl has heard everything by now. I cross my arms and raise my eyebrows. Carl walks over so he's standing beside me.

"I'm going and there's nothing you can do to stop me." I retort back to Dad. He puts his hands on his hips.

"Fine. You can go." He mutters. He keeps his voice calm and steady as he tries to keep a level head. I know this tactic. He's used it on me before when he was reprimanding me in front of my friends but not wanting to make a scene.

"Good. I will." I say. I grab Carl by the wrist and get ready to head back over.

"Just don't come back." He calls after us. I stop in my tracks and spin on my heels. So much for not making a scene.

"Okay. Fine. Come on, Carl."

I lead Carl up to my room. He's confused at first about what I'm doing and even questions me about it.

"I'm packing a bag. He wants to overreact? That's fine. I just won't stay here." I rant. Carl looks at me with worry coloring his face.

"Where are you gonna go?" He asks. He doesn't ever fully enter my room, but rather stands in the doorway.

"I don't know. I'll find somewhere." I say. "It's not the first time this kind of thing has happened." I blurt out. I realize my mistake but then quickly change the subject, or at least try to. "Hey, can you hand me a few pairs of pants out of that drawer?" I ask pointing to my dresser.

Carl raises his eyebrows and scrunches them together. He slowly opens the drawer.

"You actually own pants?" He asks as he tosses me a few pair.

"Uh, yeah. It's safer to walk around in jeans than it is to be in a skirt. It's easier to run that way, too." I say, keeping my head down as I pack.

Carl doesn't ask any more questions as I finish gathering my things. We head back down the stairs, this time with him in front of me as I drag my bag behind me. The suitcase clunks heavily down each step as we descend to the first floor of the house. When we reach the landing at the bottom of the stairs, my father is nowhere to be seen. Carl looks at me as if he's waiting for a reaction. I shrug my shoulders and walk out the front door leaving him to trail behind me.

"Hey, do you mind if I leave this at your house until I find somewhere to crash?" I ask him as I turn around to face him. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Yeah, I don't see why not. Here, let me carry it for you." He grabs it from me as we walk up the front steps to his house.

When we walk in, he sets by the couch beside the front door. The house is already filled with several people. I first notice a tall thin brunette woman with large brown doe eyes. Her hair is right below her shoulders and resembles dark chocolate in color. She approaches us with a wide cheeky smile. Her teeth are perfect like Carl's.

"Hey, Carl, who's your friend?" She asks looking at the both of us. I reach out my hand to her.

"Cassie Johnson, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms." She shakes my hand.

"Fiona. Nice to meet you. Come on, we're about to eat." She walks into the kitchen.

Debby is already at the table. Her fiery red locks are in a messy bun on top of her head as she struggles to feed the infant with matching hair beside her. There's a little boy running around who I assume to be Liam from the way Carl talked about him. He seems to have recovered well. There are only two other people who I don't recognize. There's a fair skinned girl with long black hair and dark makeup. She's thin like Fiona, but somehow not in the same way. She's sitting on the lap of a boy with short, messy, curly, dirty blond hair. He has kind blue eyes and a bright smile. Carl takes Fiona to the side to talk about something.

Carl introduces me to Debby and the other two who turn out to be Lip and Mandy. I had heard things about Mandy, awful things. Awful things like what she did to that poor girl. I try to be friendly towards her, but she isn't very talkative. She gives me short replies and stares a hole straight through me.

After dinner, I pull out my Calculus homework and start working on it. Lip looks over my shoulder as he stands behind me. He stands there a few minutes before he realizes that I don't have a single clue as to what I'm doing.

"Do you need help? I can teach you how to do this if you want." I look over at Mandy who's giving me the death glare. And sheepishly shake my head.

"No, it-it's fine. I can figure it out." I say as I prop my head up on my hand and try to work it out on my own. He sits down on the one side of me leaving Mandy on the other.

"No, seriously I know an easy way to do it, let me show you."