Alone but United

Chapter 3

Carter sits under the fabric tent that covers the outdoor tables of the café. Waiting, she ordered some water and began to think of how she’ll talk to Karmen. Should she present herself as cutesy and naive, or intelligent and wise. What would the family he comes from gravitate towards?

A white limo pulls up and Karmen walks out. Coming into the café and to the table, Carter greets him with a warm smile,“Beautiful weather we’re having. Do you think it’ll rain? I didn’t really dress-up for the occasion.” Carter went on to smile and shrug to show off her dress, which was a baby blue, with a white bow on the sleeves.

Karmen smiled back at her,“Well, I brought an umbrella, just in case.”

They both ordered a coffee and discussed the pros of dark and creamy coffee. Then once their drinks arrived Karmen took a break from talking to sip his coffee. After one sip it became one big gulp. When he removed the cup from his lips a dark mustache appeared above his lips. Carter tried to resist from laughing, but Karmen looked confused at her. She tried again to calm herself down but understood that it was a bit too late for recovering from that.

Carter finally let out a little giggle and pointed at the space below her nose, signalling him that there was some coffee still on his face. He just looked confused at her. Carter grabbed the napkin she had placed on her lap and got up from her seat. She gently grabbed his face and wiped the coffee from his face.

"There you go, all better."

Carter could felt his face become a bit hot. Removing her hand she then smiled once more.

Karmen took a hand to his mouth, looking away from her, a little pink came over his cheeks,"Thank you."

Carter placed her hand now on his forehead,"Are you feeling ok, you seem a bit hot?"

He moved her hand and looked into her eyes,"I feel wonderful,"then returned the smile with his own.

Carter squinted her eyes at him, his hands seemed to become warm too,"Promise?"

"I promise Carter."

Carter returned back to her seat and they started to discuss a bit about school. Carter went onto more complex questions, "What do you hope to do in the future." Carter felt a little stupid for asking this question for he is a Kat and most likely he would take a position that was somewhere close to his parents.

Karman seemed to become like stone when asked this question,"I don't know…"

Carter was quite shocked by this response. He's the son of the two wealthiest and most powerful Kats on the Caito and he doesn't know.

"What do you mean you don't know? You only have 2 to no siblings, and you have to inherit some sort of spotting from your parents."

Karman became red, and seemed to turn his head even more so away from Carter,"I just don't know my placement yet."

Carter's breath came to a halt, now recalling what she had said. Moving on from that incident, they got their check and started the walk towards Tristah's house.

On the way to their destination they needed to walk by houses that were cuddled around a basketball court. Seeing this place, she remembered that her brother and his Ratt buddies hung around there.

Carter heard the thumping of a basketball and followed suit was her heart pounding harder at each THUMP. When passing the court, they continued walking and holding up a decent conversation, but Carter still wasn't relaxed. Worried about her brother being stupid and bugging her now.

Once Tristah's house was in sight Carter calmed her heart beat more and became more involved in Karman's conversation with her.

Kicking a pebble aside,"How do you feel about Ratts?"

Carter wasn't, this time, off put by this question. It was a valid question for her behavior that he must have noticed earlier.

"Well since my mother is a Ratt after all, I don't have anything particularly against them. That they have their part to play, and higher Exceptis and Kats must do theirs."

Karman seemed to be unsatisfied with the answer that Carter had supplied him with. Trying again Carter tried to put it in different terms,"I don't have anything against Ratts, I would just rather see themselves pushing themselves towards something that is just right for them. Like Roi, my seatmate. He's a smart enough guy, and if he devotes himself to something to help the city and learn what he can, instead of skipping class would get more respect from me. He could be a military officer or contrition worker, and use that body he was gifted with to help hold the Kats and future generations up to their full potential."

Karmen looked at Carter concerningly,"What about his amazing talents, Where will that go to help society?"

"You mean his ability to draw lines on a piece of paper?"

"He's able to create feelings that can't be explained in one word on a single sheet."

"It is an interesting hobby, but what will drawing do to push society higher?"

Karmen dropped silent. A swirl of opinions and ideas in his cage of a mind. Carter could tell that Karmen was still not impressed or satisfied with her answer, and she knew she wouldn’t hear the last of it.

Once at the gate of Tristah's house, she said goodbye to Karmen and said if they were to do this again they should go to the mall. Karman gives a smile in response and walks into the distance.

Carter enters the house with a Serf there to take her coat, and Tristah there to jump on top of her as a jaguar would sneak upon its prey. But instead of claws Tristah snatched Carter up with a thousand and one questions about Karmen McClain.