Carmen wasn’t blind, she could tell that something bad had happened to cause Shane to bail out on her. But all she could think about was the fact that Shane left without her, that Shane did not fight for her…

She slammed her hand angrily on the keyboard. Directing her angry to the lifeless object in front of her. And she could have swore that it spoke to her.

“Woh woh… what’s wrong.”

Realizing that the voice came from behind her, she jerked her head around and saw Roddy standing by the door.

“What are you doing here?” Carmen asked angrily.

“I could ask you the same, my room ya’know?” Roddy raised an eyebrow at her. He strutted lazily to his bed and plonked himself down on it. Cracking the bones on his neck as he spoke. “It’s fine if you use the computer, but it ain’t that cool if you wanna break it. I have homework in there.”

Carmen rolled her eyes and sighed, unable to say a word. Her eyelids drooped down and she wanted to let the tears fall. Roddy sensed the change in mood in his sister, and immediately sat up straighter.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?” Carmen looked up through the lashes at Roddy, and the concern look he had on was going to trigger the waterfall of tears. Quickly, she turned away, refusing to give in to them, refusing to be weak this time.

“Don’t cry, hermana…” Was all the 15-year old boy could say.

“Yeah well. Tell me what happened last night.” Carmen lifted her head to hold back the free falling tears, demanding an answer from the only sibling she could trust at the moment. She didn’t know how accepting the rest of her clan were, and so far, Roddy was the only one who had told her that he was cool with it. ‘Hah. Who would have thought, the only sensible one in the family is the youngest one of the brood.’

Roddy looked at Carmen incredulously, as if Carmen was sending him to his death in a fire pit. He contemplated the question slowly, his eyes trained on the basketball hoop hanging above his doorway, undecided on the course of action. The minutes ticked by, and Carmen waited impatiently for Roddy. At last, Roddy lowered his head towards Carmen.

“I don’t think it’s my place to say it, but I don’t think that it’s fair that you are kept in the dark either.” Roddy said slowly.

“Basically, Papito told Shane that it would be best if she leaves you, and so she did.”