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Young, Smart & Cute

Young, Smart, & Cute

Monday continued

I burst through my own front door. Caroline looked up from watching her recordings of Tom and Jerry. Tom was busy escaping Spike, the dog, and I could relate to him as I was skipping class to escape Jesse and Calvin and all other unwanted yet still remaining staring eyes. And Caroline was staring like Jerry.

Only little did I know she was going to help me, while Jerry watched triumphantly.

"Eat whatever you want, tell mom I'm busy with homework, and tell Calvin not to go anywhere near my room," I told her, racing into my room.

I slammed the door behind me, panting, and sunk to the ground next to my door. I didn't lock. I'd never expected Caroline to come over to me because last time someone did that for me was in seventh grade. You guessed it - Jesse.

But, Caroline did knock on my door and when she opened it, I wished I had locked it. She stepped in. She instantly assumed the ole criss-cross-applesauce sitting posture and stared up at me quizzically.

"Ray? What's wrong? Calvin gets all jumpy too sometimes," she murmured sweetly, and I couldn't help letting a small smile slip.

"Have you ever done something you really regret?" I asked.

"Regret? Is that like feeling bad? Calvin used to say it a lot when he would talk to Mom and Dad. I think he said something about regretting being their son or something," Caroline stated.

"Caroline, you should really go watch Tom and Jerry," I told her. I wanted to be alone to smash something in my room. Anything. But this little girl was holding me back from doing so.

"I'm Carrie," Caroline said in a very serious and matter-of-fact tone.

"Carrie, go watch Tom and Jerry." I tried my best to sound soothingly, but it came out like some kind of dying animal and Carrie gave me a funny look.

"Are you going to cry? Sometimes when I cry, I just talk to Calvin and then everything is good," Carrie told me and I smiled a little again.

"Yeah? That's good, but go watch Tom and Jerry," I urged, but this damn little kid was so fucking stubborn.

Carrie didn't move-well, except her lips. "Do you need a tissue? I can give you a hug. I like it when Calvin hugs me. Sometimes he gives me a lollipop too, like at the doctors. I used to go there a lot and get shots a lot and I would cry then but Calvin was there and I was okay. I cry when I fall and hurt my knees and hands because sometimes my skin comes off and I start to bleed, but then Calvin gives me a Band Aid and tells me I still look as pretty as Natalie Potman."

"You mean Portman?" I asked her, actually suddenly feeling slightly better. It was odd, in a new way, for me. I didn't understand it fully, but I knew I did feel better a little thanks to smart little Carrie.

"What?" Carrie asked. "Who?"

I stifled a chuckle as I thought, It must be nice being young, cute, and smart without really meaning too be like that.

~

I opened the door. Calvin was on my porch, but these days it wasn't a surprise. however, today it was awkward. He knew more about Jesse than I wanted him or anyone else in the effin world to know.

"Calvin!" Carrie shrieked in delight and she leaped into her older brother's arms.

Calvin caught her, of course, and she wrapped her skinny arms around her which had more meat on them since the first time I saw her. Remembering, just thinking about it for a second, of what Carrie used to look like was enough to even make it hard for me to choke back the tears.

"Hey, Rachel-Ray, I have an idea for tomorrow," Calvin said, referring to our prank tomorrow, which I thought we already had planned. According to Calvin, I was wrong.

"Kitchen," I replied with a glance at the clock in my small living room. "Mom should be home soon."


* Comment! I'm curious about what you think about Carrie! *