( chapter thirteen  ! )
𝟢𝟣𝟥． 𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗒 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗌𝖾'𝗌

Carmen stood in front of the mirror fixing her earrings as she began to get ready for the Lark after Dark event that Will and his wife were holding.

  "Hey," A voice called.

  She turned around even though she knew who it was, "What do you want Jackie?"

Her sister took a sharp breath in as she began to form the right words, "I'm sorry, Carm. I'm sorry that I acted so stupid."

Carmen's demeanour changed as she realised how harsh she had been towards her sister. After all — she had been going through the same situation as Carmen.

  "It's not your fault." She spoke abruptly as she continued to glance in the mirror adjusting her earrings.

A silence had over come the two, usually it was never awkward between them. After all — they are sisters. So why did this moment feel so weird?

  Once the girl in the mirror clipped the back of her earring in, she swiftly turned around and faced her sister.

  "I don't want to fight."

  Jackie nodded her head when her sister spoke as a sign of her listening. Carmen quickly coughed some words up after a moment.

  "I don't know whatever this thing is," She frown her eyes brows, "But — I do know that I want it to end."

  Carmen finished talking and sat beside her sister who had a pleasant expression on her face, "I'm sorry, as I said before — I acted so stupid."

  Her sister rolled her eyes at Jackie's whiny reply.

  "Jackie. You weren't in the wrong here, it's been a very tough day. I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

   Carmen smiled softly as her voice began to fade, she never usually acted like this. So... generous?"

  "We're leaving in five minutes." Katherine smiled as she peered her head past the door, reminding Carmen.

  Jackie had been punished and had to stay home with Cole after his parents found out about them skipping school and drinking.

  "Never fight again?" Jackie held out her pinky waiting for her sister. "Never." Carmen beamed latching her pinky onto her sisters - declaring it a pinky promise.

.•° ✿ °•.

  The drive to the event was quiet. It was a silent ride with the music slightly turned up. Plus, it didn't take them long to arrive at the restaurant.

  "Ma'am." Isaac gestured to Carmen in a royal voice as he jumped out of the car before she did and stood next to door.

  "Why thank you, sir." She replied going along with the joke and curtsies as she arrived.

"Stop it." Alex hit Isaac shoulder as Alex walked past him.

  "Yeah, you heard him." She pouts at Isaac as she shuts the door. "Oh shut up." He rolls his eyes at her and shakes his head.

.•° ✿ °•.

The event had been doing great for its first hour, a ton of people had managed to stop by. Some of the Walter boys took a shift in.

Helping out their older brother by catering and waitering.

  Carmen had been seated next to Parker and Isaac, Parker was okay to be around — you just have to be careful about what you do.

  But on the other hand, Isaac wouldn't stop whispering with Lee. "Just say it!" Lee nudged his brother over and over again.

  And Isaac continued to say the same thing, "Dude, no." He elbowed him back.

Carmen had her judgy face on as she glanced back and forth over at the two brothers and everyone would looked over at her could tell she was getting annoyed.

  Before she could raise her voice at them, Isaac turned to her quickly. He hesitated. She could tell something was different as he formed his words.

  What was he going to say?

  "You look really pretty tonight." Isaac spoke instantly without thinking.

  Carmen knew he'd been waiting to say something along the lines of that because he managed to keep eye contact for more than ten seconds.

  She smiled softly as he gave him a compliment. When the words came out of his mouth she had felt a flutter in her heart.

  And she knew something in her was changing when he spoke like that.

  She felt her blush come on once again as she replied with, "Thanks."

  To which he nods his head and turns back to his brother — and continues to elbow each other with Lee mocking him.

Carmen shakes her head with small grin as she pulls her eyes away from Isaac. How could a stupid boy make her feel so happy?

"What was that?" Parker groaned at the older girl with a disgusted look on her face.

"Huh?" Carmen asked suddenly startled by her reaction, her brows furrowed.

"Do you call that flirting? Because that was just embarrassing." The little girl scrunched up her face, grossed out.

But as everyone warned her — she had to be careful or it was that whatever was going on between those two was embarrassing.

Maybe they should talk about what they are? Wait- what are they?