My mother came in yelling about how the work was not done yet, how things where going to change around here, how my brother and I had better get our shit together or else, I could swear that Carmen heard her because she looked up at my window and our eyes met.  The car drove off and she lit a cigarette and waved at me. I waved back; my brother walked in calmed mom down and wanted to know what I was waving at. Mom cursed us both on the way out.

“Don’t let mom bug you. She just hates and wishes we where never born…probably to get back at dad. Whatcha got?”

“That girl across the street.”

“Nice…..very nice….she waved at you?”

“Yeah…..I think she’s in a gang…..”

“All red?”

“Yeah.”

“Probably a Blood…..or the girl of a Blood……lets not do that again ok?”

“It’s not my fault.”

“Shaney….its never your fault…..the girl’s love us McCutcheon’s…..they loved Nate…they loved dad…they love me….they love you…..just be careful…we just got here….”

 Nathan….little Nate, though older than Shay…..a brother I never knew.

“Sure Shay……”

“Now stop making eyes at my future wife and help me get this shit into the garage before mom gets the belt….”

“Not your wife…..no way I saw her first….”

“You always see them first…now move it….”

Shay took one more look at Carmen and bit his hand. He was in love and so was I. I see her in the halls, laughing talking with her friends. On her earrings I get close enough one day to see that the earrings read Carmen. So I knew her name. I wander the halls looking for fun. Finding none I hang out in the gym during cheerleader practice. Apparently I was not the only one who had that idea as the gym was packed. Seeing them, the cheerleaders lined up doing their thing I could see why.

I played this game with her in my mind. Stare. Stare till she looked, till she noticed, till she got some kind of sense of my presence, till she looked away. At first she does not notice, she is in her own yellow and blue world, pom, pom’s, go team go, and then the crowd kinda breaks and she is staring at me. “Good to see you” those dark eyes seemed to say….”lunch later?”….I laughed to myself and left.  My brother was paging me.