Email Me (Chunk 12)

Carrie paced nervously near the front entrance.  She was biting her nails subconsciously.  She checked her watch.1

'He's not late.  If he got here now, he'd be ten minutes early!'  She thought, barely helping her to calm down.2

Carrie had been ready half an hour early.  She was wearing the outfit that she and Cherrie had decided on for her and her hair was straightened.  She decided that make-up should be at a minimum and so all that was on her face was a light foundation, some sheer eye shadow and mascara.  She was wearing no jewelry.  Except for the watch.3

"Kyle will get here when he gets here!  Why don't you go read or something?"  Ann asked from the kitchen, but Carrie wasn't listening.  "Carrie?  CARRIE?!"4

"Huh?  What?"5

"Nevermind...  Dinner's gonna be ready later than we thought.6

Around six-thirty, a car door slammed and Carried ripped open the front door to reveal a slightly dressed up Kyle marching toward the house.7

"Kyle's here!"  Carrie squealed.  Kyle looked up and pushed a smile through a slightly troubled expression.8

Soon, Kyle and Carrie were sitting down to a late steak dinner with her family.9

"So, Kyle!"  Carrie's step-father, Robert, said enthusiastically, “What’s going on in your life right now?”10

Kyle swallowed his food halfway through his chewing.  “Um…”11

Carrie frowned.  What was going on in Kyle’s life lately?  They hadn’t really talked much about anything since he’d tried to commit suicide.12

“Have you found somewhere to stay…now that you’re not in…your father’s care?”  Ann asked cautiously.13

It seemed this was the question Kyle had been dreading.  He grimaced.  He didn’t bother hiding his discomfort.  He might as well be honest.14

“They found my mother, she’s living in Arizona.  She doesn’t want me.  I’m probably going to end up in one of those homes for ‘troubled and abandoned’ kids.”15

Everyone around the table was silent.  Robert made an attempt to cut through the tension by clearing his throat, but it turned into a weak cough.  Carrie stared at Kyle in horror.16

“Sorry.”  Kyle’s deep voice finally sounded out, “I just found out.  Still a little angry.”17

“Yes, well!  I’, sure we all understand that!”  Carrie’s mother said hopefully, taking a large bite of baked potato.18

“Carrie, please stop staring at me.”  Kyle said barely glancing at her.  She quickly focused her eyes on her plate and resumed slicing her meat.19

*****20

“Oh, Carrie!  Stop worrying!”  Cherrie said.21

“I can’t.  It was a complete disast—”22

“All first meetings with parents are!  It’s, like, the second rule of dating!”23

“What’s the first rule?”24

“Men are scum.”25

Carrie laughed loudly.  Cherrie was always so good at cheering her up.  “Anyway…why’d you call?”26

“Can’t I just call one of my best friends for a nice little chat?  Does there always have to be a reason?”27

“No, but—”28

“Actually, I called because otherwise you wouldn’t know to open the door.”29

“Um…okay.”  Carrie said confusedly as she trotted to the front door and pulled it open.  “Cherrie!!”30

“Hi.”31

“What are you DOING here?!”32

“Visiting you!”  Cherrie stood about two inches above Carrie—who was quite tall herself.  She had fair skin and a collection of faded freckles covering her face and arms.  Her loosely curled red hair fell about her face and shoulders in an attractive way.33

“Oh, wow!  This is such a great surprise!  Come in!”34

The girls managed to talk for a great deal of time—one or two hours—though they talked on the phone so often.35

“Hey!  You know what?”  Carrie said excitedly.36

“What?”  Her friend said with over exaggerated enthusiasm.37

“Cherrie!”38

“What?  I said what!  Tell me.  I’ll be serious.”39

“Kyle and I are going to meet up at the mall around two thirty.  You should come and I could introduce you!”40

“Okay.  That sounds awesome, but it’s two fifteen right now.”41

“What?  Oh crap!  I—we—gotta get ready!”42

Carrie quickly slipped into proper clothing—she had been in her flannel pajama bottoms and a spaghetti strap sleep shirt—while Cherrie put her sneakers on.43

Once they were ready to go—Carrie in jean capri pants and an orange hoodie—they left a note for Carrie’s parents and ran for the bus.44

The girls, who were running non-stop—except for when they were on the bus, managed to be only five minutes late.  Kyle, however, was less punctual that this.45

“I wonder where he is…  We said to meet by Taco Bell in the food court!”46

“Maybe he found out I was coming and decided not to come.”47

“Don’t be silly.  He couldn’t have known!”48

“Thanks!”  The girls laughed.49

After about five minutes, Kyle casually sauntered his was through the food court entrance.50

“There he is!”  Carrie pointed.51

“Wow!  You were right.  He IS gorgeous!”52

“Would I lie?”53

“Hey,” Kyle said as he approached.54

“Hi, Kyle!  This is my friend Cherrie.  She moved away last year, that’s why you’ve never met her.”  Carrie said to Kyle then turned to Cherrie, “And this is my boyfriend, Kyle.  You know all about him!”55

The newly acquainted Cherrie and Kyle shook hands. 56