Wishing Pearl (45 page)

“You’re still at it, huh?” Carmen sank to the floor and picked up the instructions. “Want some help?”

“I think I’m almost done. Finally. How was the shopping?”

“I found this neat market—they have lots of fun cooking stuff. I’m going to make a surprise dinner tonight.”

“Okay, but remember, God’s sure been faithful to us, but we don’t have extra money for you to buy all kinds of exotic foods to play chef with.”

Carmen took a deep breath. The God stuff again. “I know, Mom. Just trying to do something nice.”
Change the subject
. “But hey. Since the bunk beds aren’t finished, how about we just separate them and put one on each side of the room? Or better yet, put Kimberley’s in the living room.”

The hammer clanged as Mom dropped it on the drill. “We’ve been over this. We have no choice, Carmen. You’ve got to share a room with Kimberley, and trying to squeeze two separate beds in here is silly. It would take up way too much room. That’s all there is to it.” She sat back on her heels. “You know, it’s not like I’m thrilled to share with Harper. At my age, I didn’t expect to be roommates with a ten-year-old.”

“But …” Oh, what was the point in arguing? She had to stop thinking about her big bedroom at home … er … at Dad’s. That wasn’t her life anymore—at least it stood waiting for her to visit two weekends a month. Carmen looked around the tiny space and up at the water spots on the ceiling—one of them reminded her of an elephant with its trunk raised. This was her new home—whether she liked it or not. “Why can’t I at least go to my old school? I mean, I could take the bus. Nate and I Googled it.”

Mom pressed her fingers into her temples until her knuckles turned white. “You Googled
what
exactly?” She uttered each word with what seemed a huge effort.

Oh no. Mom appeared done in. Why hadn’t Carmen waited to bring this up after dinner? Too late though. “Um, the bus schedule. All I’d have to do is catch the one-sixty-five a block away at State Street. Then hop on the number seven subway at Times Square. A quick ride to Grand Central, and then I’d get on the Metro-North’s Hudson Line to Ossining, and then I’m basically there.”

“Right. And what time is that first bus at State Street—4:00 a.m.?” Mom shook her head. “You’re talking to a native New Yorker. I know full well that what you just described is at least two hours’ traveling time each way.”

Two and a half, actually. But telling Mom that wouldn’t help Carmen’s cause. “I don’t mind that. Really. I can do homework, read, or even nap.”

“No way, Carmen. It’s just not safe to have you traipsing all over two states twice a day.”

It had to be safer than going to school in Hackensack. Not that Mom would appreciate that comment.

“And walking around outside this apartment while it’s still dark? I don’t think so. Plus, what about your sisters—how are they supposed to get to school? But I have an idea. If you and Nate want to be together so much, why doesn’t he do the daily bus pilgrimage and transfer to college in New Jersey to be with you? That would be the chivalrous thing to do, rather than expecting you to do it.”

“Right, like his parents are going to let Nate McConnell, heir to the throne of their political empire, slum it in Hackensack, New Jersey.” Carmen wrinkled her nose and gazed out the tiny window at the billboards and barred store windows below. He wouldn’t do it anyway. No way. “Just forget about it. Besides, it’s a lot harder to transfer colleges than high schools, and I’d have already started the year in Briarcliff a month ago.”

Mom ignored her. She grunted and leaned back at her hips, rotating her upper body. “I’m getting too old for this,” she muttered.

“You’re thirty-five. That’s not old.” They’d certainly had that discussion before. Mom was still young and pretty. She could lose a few pounds, sure, but who couldn’t, really? Maybe if she did, maybe if she bought some new clothes and got a trendy haircut, then maybe Dad would want her back and they could all go home.

And makeup. Hopefully Mom’s new Mary Kay venture would add a little color to her own face. Maybe they’d teach her to get rid of those dark circles and bags under her eyes. She’d never be as young and, um, perky as Tiffany … but she could be a better version of herself.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” A tiny blur of flowing black hair bounded across the room and rolled onto the bottom bunk. Harper rested her elbows on the bare mattress and propped her chin in her hands.

“Get off my bed.” Carmen swatted her little sister down and fitted the bottom sheet onto the bed.

“Um. You might want to know, Kim says she gets the bottom bunk.” Harper shrugged. “Just giving you a fair warning.”

“Hah. I don’t think so. Kimberley’s in for a rude awakening if she thinks I’m climbing to the top bunk every day. That ain’t happening.”

“Well, I’m going to leave you two to battle that one.” Mom rose from the floor, her knee popping on the way up.
Yeah. Not going to be a battle
.

“I have a facial party tonight. So you’ll be in charge of course.” She nodded at Carmen.

Thanks for asking
. Not like she had a life anyway. “Okay. But for now, Harper, you’re going to have to go. I’ve, um, got to change clothes.”

“Okeydoke.” Harper scurried out of the room behind their mother, pulling the door shut behind her.

Finally. Carmen ran to her dresser and rummaged through the drawers; then she turned to the closet and dug through the three unpacked boxes. Not there. She pulled her purple nylon duffel bag from under her bed and plowed through the contents. Not there either. Where were they? She’d missed two of her birth control pills already in the hustle of the move, and now they were nowhere to be found. In an entire year of taking them, these were the first she’d missed. If she could find them, she’d just double up for two days—that should do it.

Carmen rubbed her chin and turned in a circle, looking at everything in her room. Had she said something to Nate about where she put them? But she couldn’t ask him—then he’d know she’d missed some, and they were supposed to get together after tennis practice tomorrow. He had a special evening all planned while his parents were away, and then he planned to stay over with her at Dad’s. Carmen sure didn’t want to mess that up. Where were those pills?
Think. Think…
.

Nicole O’Dell and her husband, Wil, have six children ranging from nineteen down to the most recent additions: triplets, born in August 2008. Nicole writes fiction and nonfiction focused on helping teens make good choices and bridging the gap in parent/teen communication. Nicole is also the host of Teen Talk Radio at
www.choicesradio.com
, where she talks with teens and special guests about the real issues young people face today, and she loves getting out among teens and parents when speaking at youth groups and conferences. Over the years, Nicole has worked as a youth director, a Bible study leader for women and teens, and a counselor at a crisis pregnancy center. Her writing also includes devotionals and Bible studies for women of all ages. Visit
www.nicoleodell.com
to follow Nicole’s blog and participate in the active Choices! Community.