nervous // h.q

04

Mark picked Carmen up in a small back ford car, she remembered his license plate EVI-1250. Mark was telling her a story about his freshman year, when he was dating Carrie. Carmen's chest hurt, she started singing a song she heard in adventure time.

"Empathy, empathy put yourself in the place of me." She sang.

Mark laughed and squeezed her shoulder, she winced at his strong grasp. Mark searched for something in his back pocket, he pulled out a partially smashed box of cigarettes. He put one in between his teeth and looked at Carmen.

"Can you get my lighter?" He asked "It is in the glove compartment, under the photos and drawings."

She popped it open and searched for the lighter, crumpled drawings and worn soft photos spilled out.

"Sorry." She said quietly.

He didn't even flinch. She found the lighter and handed it to him, the clear fluid inside shaking as the car bumped along the road, She quickly stuffed the photos back in the compartment but her eye caught the art near her feet. The pictures were mostly scenery, forests and parks. But some of them were faces, girls mostly.

"These are really nice." She said " Way better than mine."

"Well, you must be pretty good to be accepted into art school." He said coughing then wiping his mouth. "I also have more experience, this is my third year and this is your first."

"All true, but your'e amazing."

He smiled and ruffled her hair. "Thanks."

She smoothed her hair down and went back to examining the drawings. She scanned the faces of the females, she recognized some. All the faces were different, some round with small eyes, some with nicely structured faces with big eyes. Some with long hair, short, medium length. She eyed some more and spotted someone familiar.

 Carmen.