When Carlos wasn't looking, Rue tried to sneak a few dollars, but he flipped right around and smiled at her.
"Stealing again?" He asked, raising his eyebrows again.
"What? No!!" She stuttered. She hadn't stolen anything from the store... Yet...
"Yeah you were!!" Called Galik from behind. "I saw you!!"
"Oh, put a can in it!" Rue yelled back. Carlos smiled, but looked confused.
"So... Were you?" He asked.
"Can we get out of here? Then I'll tell you," Rue offered, not wanting to be overheard by certain, *cough* Galik, people.
"Umm, sure. I'll just tell Journey I'm on break. It'll be fine," Carlos promised.
——
Rue sat on the grass in a nearby park, the wind hitting her face and blowing her knotted hair behind her. Carlos admired her copper hair, and the smile on her face. But he didn't like it when she turned to him and frowned.
"I lied."
"What?" Carlos asked, confused.
"I am a liar, and a criminal," Rue admitted.
"And a thief," Carlos added.
Rue didn't smile, but repeated, "And a thief. It's all because... Because..." She felt like a little kid. "I'm homeless. Well, I have a home, it's just not a home-home. Like an apartment... Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, it does. So, you live on the streets? Cool!" Carlos tried to make the situation better.
"Not cool! And there's more! I lost my mom. I just... I just get so ANGERY!! Like, who am I? Then, I get fired from all of my jobs... And Sidney... And..." Rue panted and started crying, again. "Sidney..."
"Who's Sidney?" Carlos asked.
"Sidney's my... sister," Rue lied.
"Really? Why do I feel like you're lying?" Carlos smiled.
"Fine. Don't tell anyone but, she was my foster kid... Well, adopted kid. When I ran away, she came with me. She, um, got into my suitcase," Rue gulped, "And she was taken away from me, by an officer."
"At least she gets a good, normal life now."
"You don't understand!! I LOVED HER!!!! I am normal! We were normal!! I was her mother, her only hope, her friend! I was the one who fed her, bathed her, sang to her at night!! I WAS HER MOTHER SHE NEVER HAD!! And I let her slip through my fingers. I," Rue sobbed, "didn't give her what she needed."
Carlos looked down at the ground and picked at the grass. "Yeah, you got some pretty bad karma, there."
"Car- wha?" Rue questioned, never hearing of the word.
"Karma."
"What does that mean?"
"Never mind."
"Carlos?" Rue asked.
"Huh?"
"Do you forgive people? And keep secrets?"
YOU ARE READING
Unlikely Love
RomanceRue Candice lost her mother at the age of three. Her father died in a car crash the day she was born. She has been living in the streets since she lost her mom. When she tries to steal Carlos Maloo's food, and gets caught, she was loved for the firs...
