I decided to try a chapter in Carlos' POV. It takes place during the same time as the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter and told me their comments on Carlos being permanent or not. To everyone who wondered what his role will be, there's a hint in this chapter. This story takes place during Tori and Jade's senior year. Trina has taken a year off before college.
I watch as the girls leave for school. Trina collects her stuff and heads out, saying she's grabbing some stuff for around the house. I can tell she's still shaken up from earlier this morning, but some scars don't heal. I still remember when we were younger. When Trina was only 10, and I was 14, we were close, basically best friends. That changed, without me knowing then, when she started watching musicals and stuff. She got into a mindset that she was a star in the making, and had to prep herself for stardom. Looking back, I regret telling her so many of my secrets. She started hanging out with the 'popular' kids and started telling them my secrets, hoping they would let her join their group.
She must not have thought I would find out.
Flashback
She came home one day, surprised to see me sitting on the couch. Aunt Holly was standing in the kitchen, looking at her. She stepped into the living room, Uncle David following her, setting her bag on the floor, stopping when she gets close to the couch.
"What's wrong guys?" She asks in confusement at my unexpected arrival.
"What have you been telling your 'friends' at school?" Aunt Holly asks her eldest daughter, using air quotes around friends.
"N-nothing. Why?" Trina asks, looking around now, not looking at me or Aunt Holly.
"Because the older brother of one of those girls you hang out with beat up Carlos during lunch, making fun of him for something. No one told me what it was, but Carlos told me on the way here that the only person when knew it, was you." Aunt Holly asks, sending a disappointed look to Trina.
"I didn't mean to!" Trina yells suddenly, catching all of us off guard. "It slipped! We were talking and I mentioned it. How was I supposed to know they would tell?"
"You told people a secret of your cousins. Is being popular really more important to you than family?" Aunt Holly asks.
"I'm sorry, Carlos. Please forgive me!" She yells, walking towards me. I don't look at her, or even acknowledge her. I simply get up, grab my stuff, and walk over to Uncle David, asking him if he can take me home.
I follow him to his car after that, not looking at anything put the path in front of me.
Flashback End
I became a little darker that day. Over the years, I kept slipping into a dark place, not trusting anyone else. I thought I got rid of the resentment I had towards Trina, but her singing reminded me of her becoming a diva, and I couldn't help it. I do regret it, but I don't know what to do about it. It's how I became closer to Tori. I knew she wouldn't do something like that, and she always seemed so innocent to me.
I push the thoughts out of my head, grabbing my car keys and heading out to take care of the shopping I promised Tori. I step out to my black Mitsubishi Eclipse. There's nothing special about it, just a solid black with factory installed rims.
I unlock the door and step in, turning the car on as I close the door. 'What You Want' by Evanescence blares from the speakers. I turn it down, starting to sing along to Amy Lee's haunting voice. Yeah, I sing sometimes. Not well, but it's fun.
The drive to the store is decent, taking me almost 15 minutes to get there. As I pull into a parking space, I turn the car off, cutting off the chorus of 'My Heart Is Broken'. I step in, heading to the candy section. I never heard of using candy to bet with, but oh well. I grab four bags of M&M's, two plain and two peanut. I grab some coffee for Jade. Tori informed me how much she loves it, and we're running low.
I grab some soda as well. I grab a 2 liter of Mountain Dew, a 2 liter of Pepsi, and a 2 liter of Coke. I also grab pink lemonade. Tori likes it, and we're out.
I head to the checkout counter, grabbing myself a pack of Big Red gum while I wait. I pay the cashier and head back to my car, placing everything in the trunk.
The drive back is quicker than the drive up, considering there's less traffic. As I pull into the driveway, I notice Trina's car in the spot it was in before, taking the spot beside it. Grabbing the stuff from the trunk, I head in, seeing her talking on her phone. I give her a quick wave as I pass, receiving a hesitant wave back.
A few hours later, I make myself a sandwich for lunch. I pull my laptop out, checking my messages to see if anyone needs me in any way, but there are none, so I look up some fellow photographers, chatting with them for a bit to catch up.
Trina comes downstairs to grab lunch as I'm chatting. I notice she avoids my gaze, and feel bad about it.
"Trina, I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier." I say as she takes a seat at the kitchen table. "It's just that I still remember when we were younger, and you betraying me for popularity hurt." I say truthfully.
"I really am sorry I said that." She says after a few minutes of silence. "Do you hate me?" She asks, looking down again.
"Not anymore. I did. But I got over it." I watch as she lifts her head, walking over to the couch. "I want to talk to you about something." I add in as she sits.
"What's up?" She says hesitantly.
"Why did you tell them?" I ask. I've been wondering about that since it happened.
"I don't know. They were saying something about you and how they wish you weren't so calm all the time, and it slipped." She looks at me with pain in her eyes as she continues. "I regretted that the moment it happened. More so when I found out what happened to you. I haven't talked to them since that happened."
"It's okay, Cousin." I say, pulling my now crying cousin into a hug. "I forgive you, Starburst." I say, using the nickname I gave her when we were kids. "Promise me you won't do it again though." I say in a serious tone.
"Don't worry, I won't. I promise." She says, wiping away some tears.
"Good. Now, I think you should get some singing lessons." I see her face contort in confusion and pain, and I continue before she can say anything. "You have talent, but you over do it. Take some lessons to learn how to sing without making yourself heard. Does that make sense?"
"Not really." She says, wiping away the rest of her tears.
"Okay. Let me put it this way. When you sing, you do it as loud as you can, right?" I watch as she slightly shakes her head. "Next time, try to sing casually. Do you get it?"
"I guess. Kinda. Where would I get the lessons from? The good teachers teach at Hollywood Arts."
"Ask one of your friends." I say with a shrug.
"I don't talk to them that much anymore. Besides, most of them are actors or writers, not singers." She says with a shrug of her own.
"Okay, well isn't Tori's friend André a singer?" When she shakes her head yes, I continue. "Ask him. Ask Tori too. They might help."
We sit in a comfortable silence after she agrees to at least ask. She heads up to her room after a while, giving me a quick hug as she does. I hope I didn't forgive her too soon.
Around 2:30, I get a phone call, the chorus of 'Remember The Name' by Fort Minor playing as my ringtone.
"Hello?" I ask as I put my phone to my ear.
"Is this Carlos Vega?" A feminine voice answers.
"Yes. How may I help you?"
"My name is Helen. I'm the principal of Hollywood Arts." Helen says casually.
"Yes?" I asks, curious about why she's calling me.
"We're looking for a new photography teacher. The old one retired and we were hoping you could help?" She says the last part like a question, but there's an undertone of urgency, like it's more of an expectation that I say yes.
"How may I ask did you know to call me?" I ask as I look towards te stairs where Trina disappeared to earlier.
"You cousin, Tori. She overheard some of the teacher's talking about needing a replacement teacher in the photo lab, and she gave me your number."
"Oh, uh. Is it okay if I think about it over night?" I ask as I see Trina coming back downstairs.
"Sure. Let me know soon. If so, you'll start monday of next week."
"Ok, thank you. Either I'll call or I'll ask Tori to let you know when she gets in tomorrow."
"Okay. Bye. Hope to find out soon." She doesn't give time to answer, she just hangs up.
"That was weird." I say to myself, not realizing Trina coming by me.
"What's weird?" She asks as she takes a seat on the couch, a glass of pink lemonade in hand.
"The principal at Hollywood Arts just called me. Apparently they need a new photography teacher, and Tori gave Helen my number."
"Huh. That is weird. You gonna do it."
"Don't know yet. You think I should take it?"
"Go for it. What about the tours and everything you help with though?" She asks as an afterthought.
"I don't know. I got a message earlier telling me that I won't be needed for a while. Most bands hire their own personal photographer, so I guess that's taken care of." I say nonchalantly shrugging my shoulders at the end.
"Well, I think you should. I'm sure dad would let you just stay here with us." Trina says. I shrug my shoulders as Tori and Jade enter the house.
"Hey guys." Tori says with a smile, while Jade gives a small wave to Trina and me.
"Little Star?" I ask as the set their stuff down. "Why did some woman named Helen just call me?"
Next chapter will resume from Jade's POV, picking up shortly before they get home. I wanted to show a bit of the past between Carlos and Trina. I went with betrayal because it's something I can relate to. Also, if anyone was wondering. Carlos is based off of Carlos Olivera from Resident Evil. My character is younger than the Carlos in the games and movies, being only 23 in here. But facially, my Carlos looks like a younger version of him. His hair is the same as Oded Fehr's from the RE movies. The car that Tori saw from a few chapters ago, which is the same from the one she say in 'New Beginning' is the one I mentioned as Carlos'.
Thank you for reading, and for all of your reviews. Chapters will be on Tuesdays and Fridays. If I can't update on either day, I'll update as soon as I can. And I apologize for being a day late. I meant to update yesterday, but I was in a hurry yesterday and forgot.
Chapter 8 is almost finished, and should be posted tomorrow.
On a side note, who has seen the new Victoria Justice movie 'Fun Size'?
