Carmichael, who winks at me and walks on.
They forgot to take away my iPod so I slip the earplugs into my ears with the words, “I can be a freak, every day of every week,” in Estelle’s smooth voice blaring at full volume as I slowly walk towards the backpacks. I pick up the dung beetle pack and nearly stumble because it’s way heavier than I thought. but I find my balance. The whole time avoiding lifting my eyes off the ground. Taylor Swift’s singing now and I sing along with her, “I knew you were trouble when you walked in.”
Something hits my midsection, high-up near my breastbone,causing me to drop to the floor. I can’t breathe for several seconds and I feel paralyzed. I can’t understand what just happened until I feel someone yanking out my earphones. I look up and all I see are blue eyes before I pass out.
I can feel fingers fiddling with my shirt buttons and try and push the hand away before trying to sit up.
“Whoah Olivia, just stay there and take it easy. You walked slap-bang into me. Someone’s gone to get you some cold water.” It’s him. The one called Gabriel. The one who helped me when I first got here. My heart is thumping, my mouth all dry as I let my eyes glance at him sideways. I catch a glimpse of his feet encased in well-worn Timberland sandals, my eyes traveling up over lithe, well-toned legs, shorts, up to a t-shirt that is too short, revealing abs that look drawn in.
“Watch where you’re going,” he says, and starts to get up, dusting his knees, before looking straight at me, into me, his eyes the deepest Caribbean blue. “You can’t have that iPod anyway. I should take it away.”
“You walked into me and you’re wearing one.” I can still hear muted sounds of something playing from one of his earplugs. He reaches up to hide his earplug before muttering, “shit,” to himself.
He holds out his arm to help me up off the ground. I don’t want to take his hand, but I do and he pulls me back up on my feet like I’m a feather. He’s still holding my hand as I steady myself.
“Hide that iPod, Olivia, or it will get taken from you.” I swallow hard and stare at him as he walks off towards the main building.
“Hey, I wouldn’t even think about it.”
“Huh?” I turn to see the Hispanic-looking kid, Miguel eyeing me up and down.
“That dude Gabriel is Dr. Carmichael’s son. Apart from the fact he’s also a doctor, ain’t no way some little strung out freak like you is even going to register on his radar.”
I feel tears behind my eyes, as I head towards the breakfast area wondering why everyone is so horrible here.
*
Gabriel Carmichael
Dido perforates my eardrums with ‘Thank You,’ helping to quell the anxiety I always get when I’ve got a new group of kids to look after. Dad says it’s my job to become their surrogate parent, to enforce rules and consequences as well as to teach them to make fires and to assemble their tents. Thing is, I’m only twenty-five myself so they don’t often take direction from me, especially the boys. I hope this lot are different.
“What the …” I’ve hit something. Shit, it’s the Carter kid. Who could miss that hair? I’m glad it’s that crazy color. It’ll make it real easy if she decides to run away. I catch two terrified looking green eyes, but she’s holding her breath. Shit, I must have winded her. She’s passing out.
“Hey, can someone get us some cold water here? We’ve got a fainter.” Her top shirt button’s done right up, no wonder she can’t breathe. I’ll get that undone for a start. She starts blinking as I fan her, pushing my hand away, trying to sit up. She’ll pass out again.
“Whoah Olivia, just stay there and take it easy. You walked slap-bang into me. Someone’s gone to get you some cold water.” I let her look at me without interrupting before catching her gaze, full on. “You can’t have that iPod anyway. I should take it away.”
I can’t do this anymore. I don’t
They forgot to take away my iPod so I slip the earplugs into my ears with the words, “I can be a freak, every day of every week,” in Estelle’s smooth voice blaring at full volume as I slowly walk towards the backpacks. I pick up the dung beetle pack and nearly stumble because it’s way heavier than I thought. but I find my balance. The whole time avoiding lifting my eyes off the ground. Taylor Swift’s singing now and I sing along with her, “I knew you were trouble when you walked in.”
Something hits my midsection, high-up near my breastbone,causing me to drop to the floor. I can’t breathe for several seconds and I feel paralyzed. I can’t understand what just happened until I feel someone yanking out my earphones. I look up and all I see are blue eyes before I pass out.
I can feel fingers fiddling with my shirt buttons and try and push the hand away before trying to sit up.
“Whoah Olivia, just stay there and take it easy. You walked slap-bang into me. Someone’s gone to get you some cold water.” It’s him. The one called Gabriel. The one who helped me when I first got here. My heart is thumping, my mouth all dry as I let my eyes glance at him sideways. I catch a glimpse of his feet encased in well-worn Timberland sandals, my eyes traveling up over lithe, well-toned legs, shorts, up to a t-shirt that is too short, revealing abs that look drawn in.
“Watch where you’re going,” he says, and starts to get up, dusting his knees, before looking straight at me, into me, his eyes the deepest Caribbean blue. “You can’t have that iPod anyway. I should take it away.”
“You walked into me and you’re wearing one.” I can still hear muted sounds of something playing from one of his earplugs. He reaches up to hide his earplug before muttering, “shit,” to himself.
He holds out his arm to help me up off the ground. I don’t want to take his hand, but I do and he pulls me back up on my feet like I’m a feather. He’s still holding my hand as I steady myself.
“Hide that iPod, Olivia, or it will get taken from you.” I swallow hard and stare at him as he walks off towards the main building.
“Hey, I wouldn’t even think about it.”
“Huh?” I turn to see the Hispanic-looking kid, Miguel eyeing me up and down.
“That dude Gabriel is Dr. Carmichael’s son. Apart from the fact he’s also a doctor, ain’t no way some little strung out freak like you is even going to register on his radar.”
I feel tears behind my eyes, as I head towards the breakfast area wondering why everyone is so horrible here.
*
Gabriel Carmichael
Dido perforates my eardrums with ‘Thank You,’ helping to quell the anxiety I always get when I’ve got a new group of kids to look after. Dad says it’s my job to become their surrogate parent, to enforce rules and consequences as well as to teach them to make fires and to assemble their tents. Thing is, I’m only twenty-five myself so they don’t often take direction from me, especially the boys. I hope this lot are different.
“What the …” I’ve hit something. Shit, it’s the Carter kid. Who could miss that hair? I’m glad it’s that crazy color. It’ll make it real easy if she decides to run away. I catch two terrified looking green eyes, but she’s holding her breath. Shit, I must have winded her. She’s passing out.
“Hey, can someone get us some cold water here? We’ve got a fainter.” Her top shirt button’s done right up, no wonder she can’t breathe. I’ll get that undone for a start. She starts blinking as I fan her, pushing my hand away, trying to sit up. She’ll pass out again.
“Whoah Olivia, just stay there and take it easy. You walked slap-bang into me. Someone’s gone to get you some cold water.” I let her look at me without interrupting before catching her gaze, full on. “You can’t have that iPod anyway. I should take it away.”
I can’t do this anymore. I don’t
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