Carmen sat near the window as the van made its way down the desolate highway. Staring out into the sun scorched mountain desert, she hid behind sunglasses and earbuds through most of the drive. She didn't really know these people and didn't really care to.

The last two days had been one giant cluster fuck, which resulted in her unwilling attendance. It seriously had only been 19 hours since her release form South Beach Recovery.

The moment her sister Terra had picked her up from the rehab center, she immediately proceeded to badger her about coming on this road trip, to Utah of all places. Terra had dressed it up, and played it up into being nothing more than wanting her sister's company. The pitch about wanting Carmen to take her rock climbing had been especially convincing.

Carmen knew it sure as shit wasn't about rock climbing, but she could have either agreed to come along or be forced to and she still had her pride, so she reluctantly said yes. And now here she was, sat in a van watching college bums getting drunk off beer, while her sister Terra watched her like a hawk.

Not that the beer was all that tempting, as alcohol wasn't exactly her vice of choice and in all honesty she hadn't really committed to staying sober.

It wasn't like she had found her way to sobriety from a moment of clarity or some new found self determination; it was a court order that really did it. It wasn't her choice and frankly she would have preferred jail time over the past month of preachy bullshit. But after that assault charge was dropped, (if you can call trying to get a piggyback ride from your arresting officer an assault) the judge decided to order her to complete a 30 day drug rehabilitation program.

The most tempting thing about the alcohol was drinking enough of it to make these people bearable. After nearly 9 hours of sharing the cramped sickly hot space, Carmen found herself self glaring a smoldering hole into the back of her sister's boyfriend's head. She had always hated that little weasel, not that she had any grounds to, there was just something about him. But then again there was just something about everybody to Carmen. To be fair she pretty much couldn't stand most people when she wasn't coked up or at least a bit buzzed. And as the hours went by and as the heat rose, her agitation grew.

From behind dark glasses, her eyes secretly scanned over each of their faces, as she began unfairly judging them.

Christ Regina was a damn basket case and Devon all but fucking nurtured her timid nature by checking on her every five minutes and running to her 'rescue' if a bird so much as flew by her, like he was coaching her to be that way. It was fucking sick.

Carmen watched as the girl sat stiffly next to awkwardly attentive Samir. Poor guy had it bad. The med student either ignored how uncomfortable his subtle advances made her, or he was oblivious to it. Carmen guessed the latter as she had always thought doctors were socially retarded, all that education and no common sense.

Then she looked over at Tom, who quickly looked away, pretending he was really looking out the window.

30 days without using cocaine, Carmen's rail thin body had filled out nicely and he'd been staring at her tits and thighs pretty much the whole way.

She had to admit that the guy had a body, even though he was a real suburban, popped polo shirt wearing douche bag, and not her type in the least. But she'd gone without more than just drugs this past month, so it's not like that would stop her from fucking his highlight having brains out, if he hit on her. At least after he'd finished his forth beer he began to make her laugh occasionally, on the inside of course. She was too stubborn to let Terra even think that she might be having any sort of fun or getting along with anyone.

—~~~

The rented van pulled into an old dust covered last-stop gas station and everyone piled out. Carmen began wondering off has she lit up a cigarette when Terra caught her by the elbow.

"Hey where are you going?"

"I have to pee. Is that ok with you?" Carmen said flatly with a cigarette bouncing between her lips.

"Yeah fine just don't take too long. I'm going inside do you want a water or something?"

"Sure." Carmen waved her off as she continued to head around the side of building where the bathrooms were.

She pushed open the women's door but hesitated to enter, when she saw Regina at the sink splashing her face with water. When Regina looked up, she couldn't have very well turned right back around and run off, so she gave the girl a small nod and walked in.

"Ok?" Carmen asked as she set her bag down on the sink in front of her.

"Um… yeah, fine. It's just hot, ya know." Regina answered as she patted her face with a paper towel.

"Mmm."Carmen hummed in agreement as she raked her fingers through her long dark hair and put it up in sloppy bun.

She lazily dug out her cigarettes from her bag then pulled out a short straw she kept hidden in the pack. Tucking it behind her ear she then casually fished out a silver case. Regina's eyes widened when she saw it was filled with a white substance. Catching the girl's reaction in the mirror as she looked up, Carmen smiled. This girl needed to live a little.

"I can share." Carmen said, as she raised an arched brow.

"I shouldn't. Devon doesn't even like me to drink." Regina shook her head.

"He's not your keeper. Besides I won't tell if you don't." Carmen enticed and began cutting two lines in the case. Taking the straw from her ear she did the first one then held it out for the other girl.

A small curious smile showed on Regina's face as she took a step forward. But before Regina could even start to reach for it, the door burst open.

Carmen was expecting to see Terra but it was god damn Devon.

"Regina!" Devon crossed the room in three long strides and grabbed his sister's arm then led her to the door. "Go wait in the car." He ordered, nudging her out. Regina looked back apologetically over her shoulder before disappearing from Carmen's view. Then Devon was right in her face. "This," He started as he grabbed the open case from Carmen's hand. "is bad for you."

"Hey!" Carmen protested as the scrawny man chucked her stuff into the gas station toilet.

"Now let's go. We're behind schedule." He went to take her by arm but she immediately pulled away, grabbed her bag and walked passed him.

"Fucking weirdo." She mumbled as she shoved the door open and stormed off.

—~~~

After losing an hour by getting lost and having a run in with a small town deputy, the group finally made it to Devon's mother's house. The place was pretty run down but Carmen was glad to be out of that stinking van. Devon had been glaring at her through the rear-view ever since the gas station but at least he hadn't made a grand announcement to Terra about the whole thing yet. But she figured it was because the how the creepo even caught her in the first place.

Inside the shit box they divvied out the three bedrooms. Dev and Terra took the ironically dubbed "master bedroom" and after a bit of an objection from big brother, Carmen ended up sharing a room with Regina, leaving Tom and Samir taking turns on the couch.

In the small back room, Carmen threw her duffle bag onto the bed and began to unpack her clothes which mostly consisted of white tank tops and jeans. She pulled out her bag of her makeup and toiletries then turned to head to the bathroom but found that Terra was standing in the bedroom doorway. Terra looked at her sister with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

"So I talked to Devon." Terra started.

Knowing what was coming Carmen immediately deflected her sister's comment. "Yeah and did he tell you how he busted into the lady's bathroom? I could have been peeing." Carmen theatrically nodded, her facetious grin giving away how unseriously she was about to take the coming discussion.

"Oh I think we both know that's not what you went in there for. He said he saw you use and try to get Regina to –

"He's full of shit!" Carmen interrupted, letting the lie burst from her mouth like it was second nature.

"Please, it was pretty obvious. Your pupils were the size of dinner plates and the way you were with that cop? We're all damn lucky that Regina knew the guy."

"Oh c'mon it was your friend's shit he found, I just knocked the guys' hat off. You saw what he did to Tom's balls. I mean I don't really like the guy but Jesus, he just fucking grabbed 'em." Not attempting to hide her laughter in the least, her face nearly split in half with a toothy grin.

Terra took a deep breath and placed her hands over her sister's shoulders."You think this is funny? I mean Christ Carmen, it's been less than two days! You couldn't at least try to show a little self control?"

"Oh my god." Carmen threw up her arms and knocked her sister's hands away. "What is the big deal? I'm not hurting anybody."

"Not hurting anybody? Are you kidding me? You are so selfish Carmen, so selfish."

Selfish the word, especially coming from her sister, always struck a nerve with Carmen. A nerve she tried to deaden with drugs. Anger over taking her earlier playful attitude, Carmen suddenly blew up in Terra's face.

"I'm selfish? What about you! When mom got sick what did you do? You just ran right off to college! I had plans too but ya know what I stayed. I had to watch her get worse all by myself, while you were off winning homecoming queen and partying with frat boy douche bags! " Carmen scoffed.

"Of course, bring up mom, always was your old standby. That was five years ago, you can't seriously blame me for your life, not when you're the one who fucked it up. Me leaving to better mine had nothing to do with it." Terra said as she folded her arms over her chest.

"You would think that. I don't blame you! I'm just saying that I have done way more for our family than you ever have, so don't call me selfish." Carmen's green eyes darkened as her body continued to fill with anger.

"Done more? Like when you practically gave dad a heart attack by getting arrested?" Terra threw back at her as she raised her brow in disbelief.

Carmen opened her mouth to retort but words failed her, mostly because deep down she knew she was just being a bitch, but was still too angry to let it come to full fruition.

Terra rolled her eyes and shook her head. "When you're trying to play the martyr, Carmen, next time you should try nailing yourself to a fucking cross, because you're not that good at it." By the look on Terra's face she seemed to regret the comment immediately after she said it.

Carmen narrowed her eyes but words were useless to her and to keep herself from punching her own sister in the face she left the room.

"I'm gonna go smoke." Carmen deliberately shoved her shoulder into Terra as she walked by.

Carmen threw open the front door and nearly hit Regina who was standing on the porch, with her bag clutched in her hand. The girl quickly recoiled and backed away from the door. Carman cocked a brow at the girl and stepped onto the porch, without an apology. The last thing this girl needed was more coddling.

"Sounded like a bad fight." Regina said finally recovering from her scare.

"You heard that?" Carmen crinkled her nose, in annoyance.

"Oh well the window was open, I didn't mean to." She looked down.

"It's alright, don't worry about it." Carmen waved her off.

"Do you two always fight like that?"Regina timidly asked.

"Not like that, no. But I guess we just haven't ever been in the same room long enough for it to have happened yet." Carmen fiddled with her lighter opening and closing it.

"She's probably just worried about you, Devon's the same way."

"He yells at you?" Carmen asked her brows knitting together suspiciously.

"Well… sometimes." Regina uncomfortably started, digging her hand in the back of her hair. "But it's just hard for him, having to take care of me." The girl let her arm fall to her side as she awkwardly stood there, looking like she wanted to leave.

"You shouldn't let him ya know." Carmen said as if giving warning.

"He takes care of me." Regina muttered softly before abruptly retreating back into the house, leaving Carmen with a strange look on her face.

As if this desert night air couldn't have been creepier, Carmen thought to herself as she lit up a cigarette, quickly disregarding the basket case's odd behavior.

Looking out into the darkness, Carmen leaned against the porch rail and surveyed her surroundings. The bowl shaped landscape let sound carry for miles. In the distance she could hear the neighbor's dog barking and the more far off mournful howl of coyotes.

—~~~

Chapter inspired by

REHAB- Rattle my cage

Author's note:

So I know she might not be the most likeable person, but I hope you will still be entertained by reading about her. I just thought it'd be interesting for a character like this to meet Mac. (Next chapter hopefully)

I'm new to this so I'm open to any suggestions or questions you might have. Thanks for reading.