1There cara was standing packing her bag as I opened the door to her room. She gasped... maybe I should have knocked.
Her pants and sleeves were rolled up to reveal green and bruises on her arms and legs. She dropped something in her bag turned around and let her rolled up sleeves and pants fall to cover the marks. Panic rose in her eyes as I began to talk but she seemed jittery and said she was headed off to bed, we exchange goodnights and many thoughts floated through my head: I was going to the Olympics tomorrow, how I had an incredible season with winning everyone of my competitions I entered and to chock at the Olympics I would shoot myself. As much as I said the Olympics were just like any other competitions I had a feeling it was going to be way different.
On top of these thoughts I was so confused about cara, everyone in my family had noticed marks, cuts and bruises on her but I however hadn't until tonight. I didn't get any sleep which was going to completely ruin my sleeping patterns and so around 5 I decided why not start the morning early.
Cara
the last thing shaun said before we parted last night was 'Cara were sitting near each other on the plane ride so we can talk' or along the lines of that, what the hell did that mean? That night I manage to get about 3 hours in of rest, between the thoughts of shaun knowing about
1 abusive family & 2 way to relieve stress.
I woke up in a cold sweat from a obviously bad dream ,the only thing I remember before I woke up was someone screaming.
But I was suddenly aware that I didn't wake up from a dream but from shaun screaming across the hall in the bathroom. My heart and vain's pumped blood 3 times the normal speed from what he was saying. I merrily thought that because shaun got scared easily that there was a spider in the shower or he stubbed his toe
Nope; he was yelling
"OH MY GOD THERE'S BLOOD IN THE SHOWER... IT's EVERYWHERE!"
HOLY FUCK
I could have sworn I cleaned it all up. Hearing the family run up stairs and talking loudly about what was going on I decided the best solution was to not even go out there just incase shaun had any suspicion.
I left my sanctuary when I heard Kari yell we were leaving in twenty
the limo ride was laid-back with no talk of what happened this morning.
Our bags were packed on the plane and the flight was boarding little did I know that plane had passengers from the US Snowboard and Ski team!
So there I stood looking at the plane from the boarding tunnel like a complete idiot, just staring at all the passengers.
Snowboarders were in back then the ski team up-front along with extra seats for parents or family.
I saw shaun walk on the plane saying his hello's and I felt someone pick me up with an arm across the stomach and swing me over his shoulder.
"AHH Jess put me down!" laughing at how I was greeting everyone with my backside.
I peaked my head up to see kari nearly dying and the rodge and cathy sitting down and talking with some family.
"What if I don't want to"
"You better because I can kick!" as I raised my foot to start kicking frantically I was dropped in a seat next to shaun who looked amused by my entrance.
"TADAH!"
"What an entrance"shaun replied a smiling.
"Well I had to! You were just gawking at the inside of the plane!" Jesse said sitting 2 rows up. My face was blushing .
"Anyways did you know the ski team is up front; so I think I'll just go up there" Pointing my finger up at the section curtain, not expecting an answer I stepped over shaun and before I went out the section exit I kissed Shaun's cheek.
"And you did know they were gonna be on the plane." walking the 2 rows up and shoved Jesse's head to the side to see shaun nodding and all his friends eyeing him for an answer.
Shaun
"Uh what!"
I somehow managed cara to sit where not even the parents were able to sit on the plane; what can I say I am magical
Mason sat in front of me and was sprawled over the three seats, Jesse and Danny were sharing a row.
Across the aisle was Elena and Kelly and behind was Gretchen and Hannah and kari was in front of Elena
"Dude the girl just kissed your cheek... ahem who is she?" Mason who seemed incredibly uncomfortable leaned over the seat.
"Is she your girrrlfriend?"
"No, Hannah she is not my girlfriend." hannah and Kelly loved to bust my chops on who I was dating 'cause out of my good friends I was the only one without a girl.
"EW Shaun your dating cousin Cara now!" of course kari knew I wasn't but never missed a chance to poke fun at me."Man that's just wrong shaun." gretchen yelled. I covered my face with my hand to prevent any more jokes.
"Wait a second guys 'member shaun said like a few weeks ago he was bringing his cousin to Torino.. That's has to be her."
Thank god this plane had one sane person on it!
sigh
"at least someone listens to what I say" raising my hands in the air right as cara came back into the section.
I allowed kari to explain the whole cousin situation all though most of 'em were told long ago about my cara.
I just hope everyone wasn't to harsh
Cara
I could not be any happier I had a nice long conversation with half the ski team; and it just so happens cathy was going back to get me because they wanted to talk to me.
You could say I was a tad bit hyper!
"So I do believe I haven't been officially introduced to your friends shaun" sitting in my seat.
" GOD SHAUN! you have such a rude ass. You must be- Cara was it; Gretchen Bleiler. I've heard a lot about you!" Turning a row back to see none other than Gretchen Bleiler. She seemed sweet along with the rest of the people surrounding Shaun.,That was my biggest fear if Shaun's friends and teammates would like me or completely ignore me since I really wasn't in a rejection mood.
So cara do you snowboard, cause shaun says you ski pretty damn well?" Danny yelled. Shaun had sunken deeper in his seat since dan had just let out that he had bragged about me.
"Well I am nothing to brag about Danny but I snowboard when I get the chance; training's intense for skiing so on my off days you could say I go"
"in that case you and me on the Italian slopes ... Date?" Danny had turned around winked.
"Just give it up, you'd almost be pulling a Kutcher and besides she is not interested in you... she is interested in me"
Hmm mason and danny fighting over me I could deal with this!
"Who said I wasn't interested?" eyeing shaun who had given me a look of 'you don't want to do that'.
"Touche mase"
"So which on?"Mason asked pleading with his eye to pick him
"Neither, I have a boyfriend" I laughed and soon everyone else had to it was simply fun to mess with guy's heads.
"Car, can we talk back there." Shaun had stood up and was directing me towards the very back compartment of the plane.
"What's wrong?" shaun seemed stressed but he was going into the Olympics.
"Is everything good with you? You seemed to be hiding something from me." Shaun had put his fingers to his chin. Not noticing I had pulled on my arm sleeves even harder that I had earlier today.
"No I am fine!" my voice snapped at shaun.
"Oh okay well since I know your being honest."
After that last comment I really felt like a jackass. I kept talking to myself saying let him walk out... let him walk... don't stop him... you don't want to tell him. And at the same time I didn't want this to be weighing down my heart anymore.
Shaun
O00 shaun aren't you good you gave cara the famous 'as long as your honest' sentence.
As much as I wanted to help her I wanted to hear it come out of her mouth.
"That's the thing shaun I am not being honest." her eyes started to fight the urge to cry but resisted.
"There is something wrong." Cara rolled her arm sleeves up to show cuts across her wrists and on her thigh, some newer than other. I took a step nest to cara who had started to cry and gave a her a huge hug and rocked her back n forth in my arms.
"Why would you do that to yourself? Who have you told about this?"
Her face lifted " Stress, I lost all my friends from skiing and problems kept piling and piling up." her eyes darted to the floor "and I haven't told anyone besides you."
My mouth dropped to the floor she seemed so helpless.
" Cara, promise me you will never touch the blade again because first of all your not good at hiding the evidence." I knew it had been caused by cara the mornings shower incident. My arms somewhere in my speech had latched on to her shoulder blades. Cara's face was a mixture between scared and sad.
"Your disappointed in me aren't you?" her back was turned to me; most of the time my concern was mistaken for disappointment.
'No No No I am fucking concerned that one day if this gets any worse I might get a phone call saying your fucking DEAD! Ok. I want to help just promise ok!"
I had grown attached to cara within the weeks we had spent together and I knew one day I would practical be calling her a sister.
"Come here I promise I promise you it will never happen again!" I was again giving her a hug; for a while cara collected her self, wiped away the tears and she said that if I told my mom and dad that they couldn't tell her parents. I don't know why she never said? I respected her decision and while the whole plane was sleeping I was up telling the family why cara had been so distant.
"You mean she take a box cutter and slits her wrists open?" the rodge seemed pretty disturbed by what I was saying.
"Yes dad for the hundredth time that's what cara does!" When a serious topic came up with jesse he got very upset if it was over talked about and any minute jesse would explode if the rodge didn't drop it.
" Now shaun how does this relieve stress?" my mom was bitting her lower lip in thought and I gave out a huge sigh.
"I don't know but from what I saw it was bad."
"Has she done it recently?"
"Yeah Kar she did it -"
"Last night." Cara had walked in bundled up and everyone tried to put on happy face answering Kari's question.
Cara
I answered all the whites question and listened to there concerned. I got a hug from everyone and they didn't seem like a hug more of to say 'we love you, don't do it any more'
the reason why I'm talking about this so much is because it's a huge turning point in the bond between Shaun and cara!