South-Side Renascent || c.g.

Flashbacks (1)

Cailee

"Hurry your ass up, Carson!" I yelled at the bathroom door.

"Alright, alright!" She'd been in the damn bathroom for 30 minutes and my pregnant bladder was full yet again. I stood outside the door for another minute, tapping my foot.

"Fuck this..." I mumbled and ran to the downstairs bathroom. Once I was finished in there, Carson came running down the stairs in her work uniform.

"Sorry, cuz," She kissed my cheek, "I'll see you later."

I smiled and rolled my eyes as she left. Even though she literally took forever in the bathroom, and ate all of my fruit snacks in the few days she'd been there, I still loved her to death.

As she left for her shift, Carl got home from work.

"Hey, baby," He kissed my cheek and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, uh, nothing. Just something on your cheek."

"Carson just kissed it before she left. Probably just lip gloss," I giggled. He sent me a slight smile and wiped his lips off with the back of his hand.

"Gonna go shower, baby," he said, walking up the stairs. I simply nodded and went to find my hidden fruit snacks.

Carl

It was getting harder to forget about that night. Especially since Carson was living with us. I'd literally started going into work at the opposite time that she worked, just to avoid her. Not to mention the taste of her lip gloss triggered my first actual memory of three nights prior...

Flashback

I pulled back from her kiss, "W-what was that for?"

She shrugged, "You just looked sad."

"I have- I have a girlfriend... Your cousin."

"The one that kicked you out for caring?"

Anger bubbled up inside of me again. I remembered why I was even at my old house in the first place.

"C'mon," Carson climbed into the van and reached for my hand. I grabbed it, climbing in and shutting the door behind me.

End of Flashback

I shrugged the memory off for the time being and hopped in the shower. Once I was done, I got dressed and went downstairs. Cailee was stuffing fruit snacks into her mouth on the couch. My phone started to ring in my pocket. It was Debbie.

"What's up?" I spoke into the phone.

"Hey, can you watch Franny for like 20 minutes?" Debbie spoke rather quickly.

"Uh, yeah sure."

"You're a lifesaver. Can you come over here? I don't have time to bring her by."

"Yeah, I'm on my way," We said our 'byes' and hung up.

"What's going on?" Cailee asked with a mouthful of food.

"Debbie asked me to go babysit for like half an hour at the house."

"You want me to come?"

"No, it's okay. Relax and enjoy yourself. I'll be back soon," I kissed the opposite cheek that time.

_

"There's your mommy," I pointed at Debbie while holding Franny. We'd played with toys while watching cartoons the entire time I was babysitting her. Debbie squealed and picked the toddler up.

"You have fun with your Uncle Carl?" Debbie asked, Franny nodding and smiling in response. Adorable. "Thanks, Carl. Had to pay the gas bill before it got shut off again."

"Can I spot you guys some money?"

"I got it covered, you just worry about Cailee and my niece. Ah! Niece," Debbie smiled at the end. I smiled and nodded. "I can't wait until I can call her by her name and not 'niece.' You two need to get on that."

"We haven't even thought of names with everything going on," I sat at the kitchen counter.

"Well, she can't not be named."

"I know, I know," My phone vibrated in my pocket so I took it out to check it. It was a text message from Carson. What did she want? I sent a quick reply, getting another one back right after.

"You ok?" Debbie asked me, getting something out to cook for Franny. "Look like you've seen a ghost."

I hadn't seen a ghost, but Carson would've become a ghost if Debbie read what I had.

"I gotta go. See you both," I said as I rushed out the back door. Another message came up on my phone. I scrunched my eyebrows and sent another reply. I couldn't believe she was saying what she was. After another message, I decided enough was enough.

I hopped on the L and made my way to Canjun, just where I knew she was. When I got there I made my way to the bar. Carson was sitting in the same seat as before, not to my surprise.

"Carson," I called out strongly.

She turned around and I could tell she was out of it. Her eyes were hooded and bloodshot. She slid off of the barstool and walked up, trying to wrap her arms around me. I grabbed her hands, moving them from around my neck.

"You need to stop," I spoke loudly over the music.

"What? I can't hear you," she giggled.

I rolled my eyes, "Is there somewhere we can actually talk then?" She nodded and guided me to a restroom. The muffled music was bearable. "You can't text me shit like this, Carson. I know you're drunk, but whatever happened between us wasn't supposed to happen."

She shot me a fake confused look, "You mean almost fucking me in your van?"

_