Birdie

12. The Sponge

If there was one thing that Carmen learned about her father, it was that he was oblivious. Violently so. She wasn't sure if he did this on purpose or not.

They were on the phone, had been for about twenty minutes, the majority of the call consisting of Carmen yelling over his father as he defended her mother.

He had no idea about the car.

"She's your wife, shouldn't you know when she's lying or hiding something? Don't you know how to get it out of her? You know how wild she is! If you can't keep her under wraps, at least do so with your son! He stole my car!"

"Carmen, you know how she is, and you're right, she is my wife, I should be able to believe her if she says she didn't know what happened, and I did. I'm sorry sweetheart."

Carmen let out a loud sigh, "I'm calling the police, and if they can't find the God damned car, then I expect your wife to. She swore she'd make sure my things were okay."

"Do what you have to do, baby girl," He finally sighed, "Look, I've got to head back to work, tect or email me and tell me how it goes, alright?"

"Okay Daddy. I love you."

"Love you too, baby girl."

Now that that was out of the way, she called the police department.

She gave them her plate number, the make, model and color of the vehicle, and was told that they would check to see if it had been towed or impounded before starting the actual search. Then, they'd call Carmen.

The female officer on the phone with her said that most cars were found within a few days, and to make sure she called her insurance as well.

After doing all that, she had about two and a half hours to spare

Carmen didn't know what to expect, but she dressed in a royal blue dress with black heels, and prepared herself to tell what had really happened to first the woman over the drug program, and then the Board of Nursing Member, as well as her boss. If they decided to alert the authorities about what had happened, then that was on Ira. The statute of limitations for drug possession in their state was two years. He had nine months before he was on the home stretch and Carmen had decided she wasn't doing anything else to help him.

She was the one having to go to drug deterrent programs, and had never even touched an illegal substance before.

She was the one who spent a year and some change in jail for his ungrateful, manipulated ass.

She was the one who felt betrayed and played because she had slipped into a trap her brother knew she wouldn't drag him down into.

Fuck.

When she climbed into the truck, she noticed Chance's lunchbox. It was light blue with built-in insulation for cold and hot food, and it held his lunch. She'd made it for him last night. Carmen picked up her phone, and texted him.

You forgot your lunch, Chance

He responded within the minute, Fuck. R u mad at me baby girl?

Carmen jerked her head back after reading the message, and typed out a response, No, why would I be after all you've done for me?

I'm NOT going to hold that over ur head. You just didn't used my full middle name. U sure u aren't mad?