The Longest Day
California
Day three of Carmen's holiday and it had become less of the family holiday that Al and Lydia had wanted. Carmen and her step-siblings had spent their time exploring the town, whilst Lydia and Al had explored the hotel facilities. Finally regrouping, they planned a day of fun at a water park. Analysing herself in the mirror, Carmen felt at ease with her appearance. After spending a year around mature adults who didn't care if you were the size of an elephant, she'd grown accustomed to viewing her butt with admiration. Over the last year any remaining puppy fat fell off to give her a "human" body. Though it would never be the stick that most supermodels have, it was good enough for her.
Bethesda
"Carmen is totally missing out!" Bridget announced, whilst filling her face with pizza and fries.
"Are you kidding? She's in Hollywood!" Len grinned. Tibby rolled her eyes and began to speak.
"That place is for…"
"People like you?" Bee muttered.
"I was about to say, it's for Barbie doll clones and mass produced movies. I do not make the crap you find out there."
Lena and Bridget rolled their eyes as Tibby went into a lecture about movies.
"How about you fill your hole with pizza and watch this movie, instead of tearing it to shreds before it's even begun?" Bee suggested, pushing a slice of pizza at Tibby's face. She ducked, causing it to go all over the top of her head.
"Oh, you are so dead!" she screamed, picking up a handful of fries and mashing them into Bridget's mouth.
"Yum!" Bee grinned, pulling the fries into her mouth with her tongue.
"You guys are disgusting." Lena laughed.
"Oh we are, are we?" Tibby asked, glancing at Bridget. A nod from Bee and they both picked up a bowl full of popcorn and tipped it over Lena's head.
California
Paul dived into one of the pools at the park, his silence as always speaking more than his words. He'd barely said two words to Carmen since she'd arrived. Krista squealed as water splashed her and Carmen from all angles, Carmen laughed, quickly joined by Krista. Al and Lydia sat down, handing Carmen a cherry popsicle.
"Thanks." She smiled, wrapping her lips around the melting popsicle. She glanced behind them as a uniformed police officer joined them.
"Excuse me, are you Carmen Lowell?" he asked, standing directly in front of her.
"Err, yes." She whispered a cold draught between them.
"Is everything okay officer?" Al asked, placing an arm around his daughter's shoulder.
"And you are?"
"Al Lowell, I'm Carmen's father." He announced, holding a hand out for him to shake.
"Right. Mr Lowell, Miss Lowell, if you'd like to sit down, I need to talk to you both."
Bethesda
"Tibby!" her mom's voice shouted up the stairs, quickly followed by her footsteps. She pushed the door open, her face reddening.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Tibby asked, standing up, pizza still in her hair. She placed a hand on her mother's shoulder.
"Oh Tibby." She muttered, looking past her daughter at Lena and Bridget. "Lena, Bridget." She whispered.
"Mom, what's going on? Why are you crying?"
"C…I…I'm sorry." She sobbed, giving in to the overwhelming amount of tears. Tibby took her mother into her arms and held her. She glanced at Lenny and Bee, who were looking at her puzzled, she shrugged, worriedly.
California
The police station was small and stuffy. Al stroked his daughter's hand, a thick silence stifling the air.
"There is a flight in an hour." an officer at the desk announced, a sympathetic smile spread across his face. Carmen nodded her cheeks still red from a dried string of tears.
"Would you like me to come to New York with you?" Al asked, making Carmen shift about in her seat, her hand unlatching from his grasp.
"I'm old enough to cope." She muttered, but the words didn't seem come for her mouth.
Al nodded and stroked his daughter's hair from her face; he was worried about her, naturally. But if she didn't want his help, then he would have to deal with that.
New York
"Ryan!" Carmen shouted, pulling her twenty month old brother into her arms.
"car." He sighed, letting his head rest on her shoulder, his fingers twisting through her wavy hair.
"Is he okay?" she asked the doctor in front of them.
"He seems to be fine. He has fractured his wrist, so he will need regular check ups at your local hospital. They will remove the cast in a few weeks time. It's best that you keep an eye on him, he may show signs of shock in the coming hours."
Carmen nodded her head, but couldn't remember what he'd told her a moment later.
"Your step father will be transferred to Bethesda Memorial in the next week or so. In the meantime, you are free to take your brother home."
Carmen nodded again, words lost in the silence. Ryan cried out for his "Momma", causing Carmen to bite down on her lip. It was all she could do not to cry.
AN: Please R&R, thank you for taking the time to read. I hope it's going to get a little more interesting now.
