Chapter 1 - Carrie

Greetings, readers, writers, authors! Olivia's back (after a long wait) with my first Despicable Me fanfic, also my first multi-chapter work. (My other is a Bambi fic, one that I have been having a long dilemma with in publishing chapters and have not updated in a while. Speaking of which, to those of you who have been expecting my continuing the story I give my sincere apologies.) Well, I'm back now!

Anyway, enjoy, read and review! I haven't been on Fanfiction in a while, so feel free to let me know if I need to change anything. Thanks!

Carrie hauled her bag across the bleak white sand, dragging her feet after her. In the midst of the dunes lay a scrawny white-blond boy of seven, chortling to himself as he dug a sand angel with arms and legs.

Carrie huffed impatiently. "Come on, Carl. You know Granny hates to wait."

The thin bleach-blond kid responded by spraying a handful of sand at Carrie.

"Carl! Stop that!" Carrie spat agitatedly, rubbing flecks of sand out of her eyes. "We have to go home now. Granny won't be happy to know you've been fooling around."

At this Carl scrambled out of the sand, shuffling toward Carrie with clouds of dust billowing around his ankles. "Don't tell Granny!"

Carl looked up at her with pleading eyes. Carrie sighed. What she did to deserve this, she didn't know. To babysit this annoying brat day after day to make somewhat of a living was like jumping into the fires of Hell, but it was the only option she had. Ever since her parents had left the house a few months back, she had to scrounge for hope, do whatever she had to get a job. Of course, what with her unfinished education and her checkered past, no decent workplace would take her up or listen to her stories. So she was stuck with this for many, many years to come.

Carrie took Carl's thin hand, dragging him up toward the beach entrance. "Let's go home. I won't tell her if you don't misbehave. So be good, okay?"

Carl huffed angrily, his blue eyes narrowed as he absently kicked a pebble off into one corner of the sidewalk.

Carrie gripped his hand as they stepped out together onto the wind gray street, tracing the familiar path all the way to home.

. . .

"Thank you, Carrie. I do apologize if he's a bit uncooperative at times."

Carrie stood at the porch of the sky-blue veranda she had seen so many times. Before her stood Carl, holding onto his grandmother's sleeve as she counted Carrie's due.

Carrie laughed politely. "That's all right, Ms. Lane. Thank you very much." Carrie folded the money into her pocket as Carl's grandmother looked on with a weary smile.

"It's you I should thank, sweetheart. Managing Carl on your own, and given the circumstances...'' The small, thin old woman trailed off, shaking her head warily. "You're the bravest girl I know."

Carrie blushed. "Thank you."

The old lady gave her a sad smile. "Remind me to drop some of your grandmother's pills off tonight, alright? It's the least I can do."

Carrie shook the kindly old lady's hand. "It really isn't, Ms. Lane. Thank you so much."

The words were molded into her lips, crafted into her tongue like machinery. She wished she could be able to mean it, to be consoled by the well-meaning family. But the truth was the wounds that had been given to her could never be healed by a few words. That no amount of empathy or pity could change the truth.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Lane! Thanks for everything! Carrie waved with false cheerfulness.

"Good evening, child."

With that, Carrie slung her bag over her shoulder and proceeded onward over-enthusiastic vigour, leaving the frail old lady and the scrawny blond boy gazing after her wonderingly.

And that's that! I know, I know, Gru and the gang didn't show up yet. But don't worry, they will later...just a few chapters later. And yes, I know you might be thinking, what's Carrie got to do with Despicable Me? Well, that's for you to find out.

Tell me how I did in the first chapter, thanks for reading, leave a review! Until later!