Beautiful People | wlw

Four: Baby

For a moment Vera wanted to sink straight through the floor. Carmen fucking Juarez stared at her vacantly, and Vera felt ridiculous for thinking this had ever been a good idea. She never should have got on that plane. She never should have responded to Carmen's DM. What had made her believe she could do this?

But then she saw the twitch at the corner of Carmen's perfectly kissable lips, the twinkle in her warm eyes. A hesitant grin curved her lips in return.

"You're fucking with me," she said with more confidence than she felt.

Carmen burst out in a cascade of cackling giggles. Vera was almost surprised she didn't clap her hands together with glee. "Oh my God, you should've seen your face."

Vera couldn't help chuckling too, even though she wouldn't have found that very funny even back in junior high when pranks were the ultimate form of humour. "Bitch," she said, because being the focus of Carmen's attention made her feel like she'd finished a whole bottle of wine by herself and her brain wasn't quite connecting to her mouth to string together words.

Carmen looked absolutely delighted. "Oh my God, Vera. I'm so glad you're here!" Bouncing across the wide, sunny kitchen, she swept Vera up into a hug as though they were long-lost friends rather than total strangers. Surprised, Vera reflexively squeezed her back. Fine strands of her wavy hair fell across Vera's face. It smelled faintly of citrus. She was embarrassingly aware that Carmen wasn't wearing a bra.

"Why'd you come early?" Before Vera could correct her--Sharise's assistant was the one who arranged everything and who had clearly failed to communicate--Carmen added, "It doesn't matter. Love the haircut. Super cute."

Vera was surprised she didn't have a heart attack right there. She still didn't understand how Carmen even knew who she was, let alone comprehend the fact that she was standing in her kitchen being hugged by her. Fourteen-year-old Vera would have screamed for a year if she knew this would ever happen. If this was a dream, she would be happy to never wake up.

"You're actually so adorable," Carmen said, pulling back to grin down at her. She set her palm on the top of Vera's head as though to measure her, then ruffled her hair. "You're so tiny. I totally didn't realize from your videos. You're like a little porcelain doll I could put up on my shelf and keep forever."

"Ew. That might be the creepiest way anyone's ever made fun of my height," Vera said. She found she was grinning, too, even though normally she hated short jokes.

Carmen laughed again, sweet golden laughter like a creek bubbling over smooth stones, and Vera thought that making Carmen fucking Juarez laugh was probably the most amazing thing she had ever done in her life.

"You're the cutest," Carmen said. "And younger than I thought. Seriously. Like I would believe you if you said you were seventeen."

"I'm only six months younger than you," Vera said, then regretted it when she realized knowing Carmen's birthday was basically the epitome of embarrassing fangirling.

"Oh my God, you're a baby," Carmen said, eyes sparkling. "Sharise, she's a baby."

"That would make you a baby, too," Sharise said.

Caught in the spell of Carmen's disarming familiarity, Vera hadn't realized Sharise had followed Carmen back into the kitchen. Seeing her leaning against the far counter, watching them with an unsettling expression on her face, popped the shining bubble of inexplicable intimacy. She straightened her shoulders.

"If I'm a baby, does that make you my grandma?" Carmen asked, prancing across the kitchen to the fridge. "Hey," she said to Sharise as she palmed a bottle of water. "Did you know Vera said I could wear a paper bag and it would be fashion?"