MARY JANE ━ ashtray ✓

𝗑𝗂𝗂． 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝗄𝗂𝗌𝗌

Carmen looked out the window while the rain poured down just a few feet away from her, she watched as rue sat on the couch with gia, they were watching millionaire match-maker while the younger girl went on about a man who made dinner. Her leg shook in place, looking at the door as her mother and father walked back in "this neighborhood is so quaint" Jessica smiled, Derek by her side.

"Yea, nothing happens in this part of town" Carmen responded to her mother, she had snuck back in early in the morning which surprised Leslie because the Filipino girl wasn't home the night before, Jessica walked closer to her daughter "I bet you'd know, your auntie tells me you're never home these days" she was sarcastic, hinting at something.

"Just hanging out with friends, so why's he here?" Carmen deflected, studying her father who looked to be sober-his hair was freshly cut, neat, and laying to the side, probably gel swooping it down. Derek wore a jacket paired with a plain T-shirt and khakis he looked as if he was sober, yes, but this had happened many times before and something always happened "I just wanted to see how you've been doing after all this time, you've grown so much" he pretended as if he didn't do what he did for all of her life.

"I asked my mother" Carmen uttered.

Leslie took this as a sign to leave the family of three alone, she looked at her children before they left the living room and headed to the back, "Uhm, we think it's the right time for you to come home, you've been here for almost a month and I miss you, we miss you" Jessica spoke for the two "did you miss me when you packed my bags and sent me here?" Carmen asked, focusing on the counter.

"I was worried about your safety, I didn't know what else to do carmen you have to understand that" the older woman tried to reason, she looked back at Derek mid-sentence "you could've talked to me about it, that's your job, you were supposed to at least try and be a mother" she responded, anger in her voice.

"Don't disrespect-" Derek began.

"You have no opinion on this subject, my moms the dumb one, not me you're gonna get high the second something bad happens, beat her head in and leave" Carmen now had tears in her eyes, swelling up "but, I can't just leave, I can't just run-away from all your problems I was the shoulder my mother cried on and I was the one she expressed her feelings to it was me, Derek, the six-year-old!" she ranted.

That was something Carmen had on her chest since she could think for herself, it was built up anger just sitting instead of her waiting to be released "I'm sober now carmen, it took me a while to get clean this time and I'm gonna try and keep it that way, just give me a chance."

"A chance? I gave you a chance nearly two years ago when you claimed to be sober then gave my mother a black eye because she couldn't afford to pay the bills!" Carmen argued with the two, she could see rues head peek from her room every now and then "I'm so sorry that we haven't allowed you to be a child all these years but baby, I promise you that's gonna change when we go home-" Jessica stated calmly.

"It's too late for that, I'm going to bed."

- - - -

Carmen climbed through the boys opened window, balancing herself on the thin window-sill as her foot hit the ground, knocking over the mini trash-bin-she had snuck out of the smaller house to come here, the brunette liked to be around Ashtray, Fez, and Faye even though it was mainly the younger boy she talked to most of the time. His bathroom door was opened and he turned around to the sound "oh gross dude, have you ever heard of closing the door?" she fake barfed.

"Have you ever heard of using the front door? this is my room why would I shut the door?" Ash responded soon after slamming it shut "because I'm here every day, use your brain" she responded, looking at the security setup that pointed directly out front.