Searchin' for a sound we hadn't heard before

 Carmen wasn't sure how she felt about the move to Tristan. She didn't really know anyone. Funny, it felt kind of like going to Camp. 

Of course, she had her foster family to help unload her boxes. For the first time, she didn't know she had this much stuff. She'd hardly brought anything when she first moved in with Tristan's parents. Honestly, they'd bought her many things and she felt as if she needed to repay them, but she didn't know how. 

At least, Trish had found her a summer job at the group home. It was an eight-hour daily schedule from Monday through Friday. It paid well. 

She was certain she'd hate it, but it worked out better than expected. However, it took work to keep people to help out with those with special needs. But she enjoyed it. Her day was always full of happy surprises. 

Sammie and Gabe came with food and she brought a little goodie bag of sweet things for Carmen.

"You're making this feel like Christmas," Carmen smiled.

"Well, if you need anything, you know where we are," Sammie hugged her as they all gathered around for a supper of Sloppy Joes and homemade cold salads.

Carmen smiled but as she thought about it, her smile waned. They knew her ex, Rico. Carmen hadn't spoken to Rico since Graduation. Even then, she knew he was sad as he did his best to smile. He'd given her a hug, wishing her the best.

Carmen wanted to ask about him, but she didn't. She remembered, Trish had said, "Just rip it off like a bandaid and go on with things."

Maybe that had been too harsh. But she knew she was settling into a new chapter, and Carmen wanted to make the best of it. Still, she hoped Rico was doing OK.

Justin felt late for the party. There were only the remains of what was left from the gathering still on the table. 

"Help yourself," Tristan said he must be famished. He was tidying up in the kitchen but left to check the laundry.

Justin nodded. Sometimes, it all felt like a blur without Vada in his life. He was excited to see her, but it stressed him too because he always felt she was angry about something.

He knew he never liked to think it might be, but evidently it was true. He'd never been good enough. Or was it she saw someone else very differently than he actually was. These sorts of thoughts kept him awake at night. Honestly, he didn't find much joy in anything anymore. Yet he trudged on. He kept going back to the same old job at the hospital. Then he'd get a call from Eric to come out with them to some odd location at night for a photo shot.

He wished it would stop, but he needed the money. 

Justin grabbed a paper plate and made himself a beefy sandwich from the meat still warming in the crock pot and grabbed some deviled eggs too. He finished off the potato salad and coleslaw with delight.

"There's some Texas sheet cake, too."

Dale looked over her shoulder as she was loading up the dishwasher.

"What's that?" Justin krinkled his nose at the notion, but was happy to find out it was chocolate cake.

Of course, he devoured the drippy sandwich in a second or two and wanted another, but practically ate the eggs in a swallow. He scrapped up the salads practically mixing them together and pushed it into his mouth in a gulp. When he looked up he saw her looking at him.

Justin's cheeks were full of food. He thought he might choke.

"You eat kind of funny," she said with a smile.

Justin didn't think it funny. He'd been starving all day.

"You.. you're the new roommate?" He was straight-lipped. Wasn't she too young to be here?

She went to cut squares of cake. She gave him a bigger chunk than her own. She even poured him a glass of milk after Dale wandered off to see what Tristan was doing.

"First time," she said she was Carmen.

"Me too." He guessed that was true. He didn't think living with Ari and Jade all those weeks counted.

Carmen sat down across from him. 

"I heard there are fewer people here, now."

"Oh." He couldn't imagine having such a crowded apartment with three couples. Justin found it hard to look Carmen in the eye. Lord knows, what she might know of him or think of him. 

That was when she told him about her job at the group home and how much it paid. 'They're looking for help."

"Huh." Justin wasn't sure to smile or not. The schedule sounded great, and he wouldn't have to go on the midnight photo shoots that were so exhausting, and he wouldn't be on his feet all the time. It also helped that Carmen would be there. After all, he thought he heard her say how she liked his accent.