Part IV
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"Aren't we gonnah talk about last night?" I feel Shane's voice against my throat.
"No" I pull away and bump into Jenny.
"Carmen" she throws me a look and I roll my eyes.
"Sorry, your Highness" I mutter back.
We're standing outside a class, waiting for our teacher to arrive.
"You're still tutoring me for Spanish, right?" I hear Shane ask behind me. She sounds a bit pissed off but I really don't care anymore. I'm so confused. One minute, we're drinking buddies, next minute we're fighting, then we're friends again and now... We're... I've lost track. Maybe we were never friends. Maybe we never would be.
"Sure, I'll meet you lunch" I don't turn.
"In you go" a voice interrupts. Seconds later, heels on the ground are heard and my head snaps up to see a woman in her late thirties, walking towards us with a smile on her face.
I follow Jenny into the class and her and her swanky friends go off to a corner in the back. Me, Shane, Alice and Dana go to the back and take seats. The rest of the class file in and the teacher sits at her desk.
"My name is Miss Torry and I'll be substituting for Mrs Clarkson, she's took her maternity leave" the teacher says, looking around the classroom.
"Now, remember where you sit" Miss Torry adds "They'll be your assigned seats for the next 7 months".
I suddenly regret taking a seat right next to Shane. 7 months for 7 days a week there's no place to avoid her. Great. She's looking at me and I glance at her quickly.
Shane grins that signature sexy smirk and I feel myself freeze. Oh no, if I fall for her and she breaks my heart, I'm going to scream. I turn away and refuse to let myself be pulled in.
A dark haired girl in front of me turns and smiles. She's tanned, like me and obviously a Latina too and I feel a wave of familiarity wash over me. "Hi" she grins "I'm Eva, but you can call me Papi".
"Carmen" I lift my eyebrows up.
"I haven't seen you around here, Carmen" her voice rolls off her tongue "Are you new?" her fingers trace circles over my vandalised desk.
"What gave me away?" I smirk.
"Because I don't remember sleeping with you" Papi replies, giving me a wink. "Just imagine...".
"Keep imagining" I reply quickly. Shane's eyes have been on me the whole time and I can practically feel the anger radiating from her.
"Usted me recuerda de alguien usé saben..." Papi began "Diga mí, Carmen de tranvía, usted es alegre?".
My head snaps up as her Spanish words sink into my mind. Who the hell is she?
"Y por qué querría usted saber esto? Quiénes demonios son usted de todos modos?" I snap back "Haga usted se opone, su ego bloquea mi educación de la cual muero sólo para ponerme al corriente" I fake a smile.
I see a look pass through Shane's face that I've never seen before... Jealously?
"Sure sure Carmen" Papi tells me, she winks at me again and spins back around.
"What the fuck was that?" Shane asks me, keeping her voice low as Miss Torry is reciting class rules.
"Nothing" I shake my head "Forget it".
I hear Alice and Dana muttering whispers and I sigh. Maybe I'm just paranoid but did I just hear my name?
"Okay, for this week's assignment" Miss Torry announces, standing up "I'll be pairing you up together for two weeks... Your assignment will be to summarise what are the important things in life...".
"Sex" Papi laughs loudly.
"Thank you Miss...?" Miss Torry rolls her eyes.
"Torres" Papi smirks "Eva Torres".
"Right Miss Torres" Miss Torry steps forwards "When you want to talk, you raise your hand and when you talk, please refrain yourself from mentioning anything offensive".
Papi snorts.
"The person you are sitting next to will be your partner" Miss Torry adds.
Shit. I glance at Shane, whose eyes are planted firmly on her desk. I can't see them clearly because of her bangs but she doesn't look happy.
It's a torturing 37 minutes until the bell went and we could leave. Alice told me how a normal school day is at this place: 10am is 1st period, 10.45am is break which is 15 minutes, 11am is 2nd period, 12pm is 3rd period, 1pm is lunch, 2pm is the final class and we finish at 3pm. It's actually a lot easier than at my other schools.
I spring up and out the door, wanting to get as far away from Shane as possible.
"Yo, girl!" a voice cries to me and I turn and see Papi sprinting up to me.
"What?" I frown. My gaze goes over the room and Shane, Alice, Dana and even Jenny are standing, watching me.
"You wanna go talk outside?" Papi asks me, bringing my gaze back to her.
"Not really" I fold my arms.
Papi smirks "You really take offense easily, huh?".
"Not really" I repeat.
"I wanna ask you a favour" Papi announces.
"Go on" my eyes follow hers to Miss Causley's office door.
"I broke into Miss Causley's office the other day to get my phone back" Papi explains, her voice low "And, I naturally got curious and started rummaging through her drawers...".
I roll my eyes and let her continue.
"She's got files" Papi continues "Detailed files".
"So?" I shrug "It's a boarding school, what do you think?".
"No" Papi shakes her head "In her bottom drawer, there are several detailed files, on you, me and a couple other girls".
I frown "What kind of detailed files?".
"Blood-type, height, weight, foster-history" Papi looks at me "There's a couple other girls in the year above us in the files".
"You didn't read my file, did you?" I wince.
Papi looks away.
"What?" I cry "That's my personal file and you can't just—" I growl and storm towards the stairs, and shit, Shane and her friends.
"Carmen!" Papi grabs my wrist and backs me into a chair "This is serious, I mean it, something is not right with her...".
"What?" I gasp.
"Don't you wanna know why Causley's got detailed files on you?" Papi continues "Everybody in this school has a file but our files are kept in a locked bottom drawer with several others, only way more detailed, I'm talking favourite things, dislikes, first loves, foster-homes, back-ground details on the foster-carers... Does that sound normal to you?".
"I don't know..." I search her for a joke or laugh. But it doesn't come. She looks deadly serious.
"I'm gonnah raid her office again tonight" Papi grins "You in?".
"No" I shake my head "You want me to get kicked out from the first place I've had in ages? No way".
"Fine, I'll do it myself" Papi folded her arms "I'm not gonnah beg you Carmen, I'll let you know what I find if you want...".
I paused. Why would Causley have files on all of us? Detailed files? Maybe Papi was winding me up, maybe she was being serious...
The bell went and I jumped a little. Papi gave me one final look.
"I didn't read your file" Papi tells me before she walked back to the class-room. I paused for a minute and followed after her. I see Shane, Alice and Dana go into the class-room again.
"What did Papi want?" Alice asks me, frowning.
I force a smile "Nothing" my eyes glance to Shane and I know she doesn't believe me. Well tough... Should I go after Papi and tell her I wanna know everything that's in that file about me...
Do I even wanna know everything about my parents and family that I didn't have a chance to know growing up?
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It's already lunch and I wander around like a person who's lost their memory. Forgotten who they were, used to be, used to love... That's what happens when you get shipped from foster-home to foster-home... You begin to forget. Forget who you are.
Forget that underneath, you used to be that little girl, with all those hopes and dreams. And regrets.
"Carmen" I hear Shane's voice and I automatically walk over to the table where Shane, Alice and Dana are sitting.
"Hey" I smile.
"Spanish, remember?" Shane pulls out her book.
"Right!" god, I had totally forgot. I glance over and catch Papi staring at me. She's sitting with her friends, this look shadowed across her face.
"I'll be back in a minute, Shane" I don't look at her and walk straight over to Papi. She looks up. Her friends give me this look but I look at Papi questioningly and silently she gets up and we walk a few feet away.
"Okay" I tell her "I want that file".
"Meet me outside her office at 1.30am" Papi says finally "And wear black. Lots and lots of black".
"What are we, Papi's Angels?" I deadpan.
"Not yet" Papi winks at me and walks back to her table. This better not be a joke or I will kill her.
"What was that about?" Alice asks as I sit back down next to Shane.
"Nothing" I shrug, turning to Shane "Right, Spanish".
-
It's 1.24am and I get up quietly from my bed. The lights are out and I hear Alice snoring softly. Lovely. I'm wearing black jeans and a black tank-top. Hopefully no-one will see me.
I slip into my converses and tip-toe my way to the dorm-door. I'm too stupid to notice Shane staring at me. I guess I'll have to work on my escaping skills.
The door opens and I run out, praying to god that I don't get caught.
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Papi's already down there when I reach Causley's office. She gives me a short smile and reveals a pick-lock key. She twigs it into the door and it latches open. We slip inside and she closes the door behind her.
"Freaky" I mutter, turning on the lights.
"That drawer" Papi leans down to a drawer in the cabinet and fiddles with the lock on that as well. It slides open and Papi reaches inside. She pulls out a bulky file and hands it to me. I walk back to the chair and sit down, staring at it.
Papi remains on the floor, opening a file to read it. I think it's hers. I'm too shocked to realise what's going on. I open the file and stare. There's so many pepers crammed into a file folder.
I squint to read the files in the dark and catch a few words. Papi was right. This file is too detailed, too personal not to be something. It's too much of a coincidence not to mean something. Something I don't understand.
Shit. Footsteps are heard and the door swings open. Crap.
-
"Are you sure nobody's there?" I whispered to Papi. She appeared from the door-way and shrugged.
"Door opened by itself" Papi shrugged.
"What about the footsteps?" I frown.
Papi shrugged again "Maybe you projected".
I shook my head, still holding my file "That door did not open by itself".
"Calm down, Nancy Drew" Papi flashes me a smirk. She's walking towards me now and successfully traps me between her body and the chair that I'm sitting on.
"Papi" I try to shove her away but she stays firm "I'm really not interested".
"I knew it" she laughs bitterly "It's about Shane, isn't it?".
"What?" I gasp "Me and Shane are just—".
"Just friends?" she cuts me off "Please, the only people Shane are friends with, is Alice and Dana..." she leans in "Shane screws girls, not commits herself to relationships or starts braiding friendship bracelets...".
"You wanna keep your tongue?" I growl, standing up. She taller than me but I don't care.
"Come on, Carmen" Papi grips my hips and pushes me into the wall "You wanna get back at Shane? I'm here for you...".
"Get back at Shane for what?" I frown "We're not together, we're just friends... Something I'm glad to say that you and I will never be...".
Papi smirks, leans in, her hot breath on my ear "...Well, if you ever change your mind... You know where I am..." she releases me and I grab my file and run out, tears close to my eyes.
God knows why there are tears in my eyes... Papi wasn't anything to cry over but her words about Shane hurt me, I guess. It's stupid, I know but... I guess a part of me wanted to get to know Shane.
I shut the door with a slam when I get to the door. Jenny jerked awake, and stumbled over to me, worry crossing her face.
"Carmen?" she yawned "What's—What's wrong?".
I sucked in a breath and I can't believe it but, I actually fell into Jenny's arms, crying. She winced and hugged me back, frowning. "Carmen... What happened?" she glanced at the file in my hand "What's that?".
Tears strolled down my face and I pulled back, shaking my head "Nothing... School stuff...I'm fine... Just, had a nightmare, that's all...".
She smiled at me softly and I had to refrain from slapping myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming or having a nightmare. Jenny was actually being nice. Nice.
Jenny stroked my tears away and laughed softly "You tell anybody I hugged you and I'll kill you".
"Cross my heart" I smiled back.
"Night" she whispered, before going back to her bed.
Again, as I walked towards my bed, I was too stupid to notice Shane, eyes half-open staring at me like she'd been stabbed. Maybe Papi was right. Shane was just a player. Like she was.
Maybe I'd never know now. I shoved the file under my mattress and closed my eyes, replaying the events of the day over and over in my head. It's no surprise that I didn't fall asleep until 5 hours later.
-
The moment I stepped out of that shower to the moment I walked down the stairs, I knew something was wrong. I had no idea what was going on until I stopped next to Jenny, Dana and Alice on the stairs.
"What's going on?" I frowned at the crowd of girls, looking at something with awe and a bit of jealously.
Alice gave me a sad look, Dana gave me an even sadder look and Jenny was glaring at the crowd. She gave me a soft pity smile and sighed, shaking her head.
I peered in and froze. Shane had some girl pressed against the wall. I winced as Shane started groping the girl and sucking on her neck and it got so intimate that I turned away and crossed my arms.
Jenny inched closer and my jaw straightened. Everything Jenny and Papi had said about Shane had been right. She was a player; sleeping with whoever she wanted.
Tears slipped into my eyes and I blinked them back.
"Carmen" Jenny whispered.
"What?" I smiled bitterly "I'm okay, nothing's wrong..." I paused "Tell the teacher I'm in my bed... Ill, yeah?" I stormed back upstairs without waiting for an answer.
-
God knows why I did it. Maybe I wanted to hurt Shane. Hurt myself for falling for her. I found out Papi's dorm from one of the girls and I just ran there, knocking impatiently.
I didn't even know if she'd be in but when she answered the door, looking like she'd just woken up, I made my mind up there and then. Screw Shane. I didn't need her. I didn't need anyone.
I stormed in and glanced at her room-mates.
"Carmen?" Papi frowned. She looked at her friends and shrugged "Wanna give us a minute?".
They gave me frowns but went anyway and I lunged for Papi the moment she had closed the door.
"Carmen" she smiled, pulling me off of her "What—".
I pulled away and started stripping "Come on Papi... You know you wanna take me..." I unbuttoned my jeans "So just do it...".
Papi seemed different. Like she was thinking. Like a war was going on inside of her, trying to decide what to do. I didn't give her a chance to decide no and I grabbed her, clawing at her clothes.
She kissed me like it burned. I'll admit, for a moment, I felt like I was just kissing Papi because I felt something for her but then... Shane's kissing-incident popped into my head and I felt angry.
I was only doing this because she had hurt me. Papi probably knew that and I let her take me. Let her. Let her take my body and kiss me and make me moan until it hurt my throat. I knew I would regret this but right now, I couldn't care less.
Hey, thanks for the feed-back, great reviews!! I totally don't know where I'm going with the file-thing but I needed something to get Carmen and Papi together...
Don't worry, Sharmen forever!
Reviews are inspiration x
Translations:
Papi:
"Usted me recuerda de alguien usé saben... Diga mí, Carmen de tranvía, usted es alegre?" -
"You remind me of someone I used to know... Tell me, Carmen, you are gay?".
Carmen:
"Y por qué querría usted saber esto? Quiénes demonios son usted de todos modos?... Haga usted se opone, su ego bloquea mi educación de la cual muero sólo para ponerme al corriente" -
"Why do you want to you? Who the hell do you think you are?... You're getting in the way of my education... Which I'm only dying to catch up on".
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A/N: I went onto a Spanish Translator and got the words I wanted but then I googled it back from Spanish to English to make sure but it came up sort of different, so can anyone suggest a reliable Translator?
x