𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍 | 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐑

14: LONG, LOST, DRUG-DEALING BUDDIES

☆彡:･;.*:･。

KYLIE RAN HOME, the sun beginning to peek out from behind the clouds as street lamps flickered off. She ran up the steps, ready to ramble on to V how she was just going to have to miss school for a reason she would have to explain later.

When she sprinted through the door, she was already removing her coat and calling out for the woman, "Veronica!" she yelled, "V! V, I can't go to school, today. I have something to do with this job I got and it— I hav—"

Kylie stopped abruptly at the entrance of the living room, her arms dropping as she looked at the sight in front of her.
V was sitting on the couch with Carl, a deep tear caked into his head with freshly exposed blood surrounding it. Kylie's mouth fell open a little as she stepped inside the living room, her eyes not leaving the gash carved into his head.

So it was Carl.

"Carl," Kylie said in a tone of disbelief, a wave of guilt washing over her as she felt like she had a sense of responsibility for the injury, "your head. ." she sputtered for the words, taking a seat down next to him, "what happened?"

She looked at the wound and then quickly away, the sight of it up close making her queasy, "sorry, I'm gonna be sick. Don't look at me," she faced the wall as V proceeded to clean it up. She wasn't good around blood- large amounts anyway.

"Yeah, you gonna tell us what happened to your head?" Veronica asked him as she continued to stitch up his head. Carl kept a straight face as she tended his injury, showing no signs of explanation.
"No."

"And why not?"

"You'll tell Fiona." He deadpanned, meeting her eyes. He glanced to Kylie, and then back to the parental figure in the room, "she won't, but you will. She can keep a promise," he shaded her, keeping his face still.

"What's wrong with telling her?" V challenged him, cutting the string and making Kylie almost hurl. She absentmindedly placed a hand on Carl's to show she was still there for moral support, but she just couldn't watch.
Carl could have smiled at her reaction, but the boy felt physical, mentally and emotionally drained with all the recent events that had just been thrown at him at once.

Nick.
The house.
His job.

"She freaks out about everything," he answered like it was obvious— and it was, she did freak out over everything, although most of the time she had the right to; it was understandable, and this time seemed like no different. If anything, Fiona should be freaking out over it.

"I promise not to say anything to her," Veronica tried to persuade him, cleaning the rest of the wound up before throwing it all in a dish. Carl still wasn't budging, "why do you wanna know, anyway?" He screwed his face up.

"'Cause you been running around like a black scarface and I care about you, okay?" The woman snapped, catching him off guard, and even Kylie felt herself go soft and fragile.

The guilt began to hit hard.
She put her knuckles to her mouth to hide the shameful frown.

"Just got hit is all." He brushed her off.

"By who?"

"Guy I know." He shrugged.

"Any particular reason?"