You’d be surprised, but Cara isn’t too big on flying and CJ knew that. Ever since they were kids and would travel with their parents Cara was very particular on how she would fly. She needed an aisle seat and usually needed her father to sit next to her and hold her hand during takeoff, but of…
Carter Juniors heart broke into a million pieces. He hates it whenever Cara cries. “There’s no need to be scared. Dad loves us, he always has” Carter Junior wrapped his arms around Cara and over her shoulder he looked at their dad, the man who broke our family. Carter Junior couldn’t place the way Carter looked at them. The look in his eyes, the expression of his face, Carter Junior had never seen this before. It was almost like he didn’t recognize them. It’s been a long while since he had seen them together. A few tears rolled down Carter’s cheeks. Holding each others hand very thight, Carter Junior and Cara walked up to their dad. He spread his arms and hugged them. Cara in his left arm and Carter Junior in his right arm, like old times.
Everything seemed perfect again. She felt herself unraveling in ways she never thought she would do again. Until, Carter told her and CJ that he had business plans and could only spend an hour with them. Cara’s face turned into pure sorrow and disappointment. She knew however, that CJ expected this. CJ was about 6 years older than Cara and knew their father better. She saw CJ get madder than ever, she ran up to him in nervousness and excitement and pulled him into the bathroom and begged Carter, “Please, Please don’t hurt him. I know he’s not the perfect father, but we can’t start a WWIII especially when we aren’t on speaking terms with Mom.”
“I can’t let him get away with this Cara!” Carter Junior shouted as they ran into the bathroom. “We flew all the way to Japan to spent time with him, we’re not even two minutes out of the plane and he already disappoints us. I can’t let him do this to us, not anymore” Carter Junior turned his face away because he didn’t want Cara to see that he was crying. “I know that if we lose contact with him, we won’t have parents that we speak to anymore but I can’t live like this anymore” Carter Junior kicked against the door. “Why can’t we have normal parents?” Cara walked over to Carter Junior and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you” Carter Junior whispered in Cara’s ear. “You’re the only family I’ve got left” Carter Junior wiped his tears away. “I’m going to call Sage to tell her that we landed. Will you wait for me?” Cara nodded. Carter Junior really ment it what he said. That he wants normal parents. With that thought he picked up his phone and dialed Sage’s number. His face lighted up when she answered the phone.
Cara ran out of the bathroom overwhelmed and sad feeling ever so alone. As her dad was walking out of the door with his briefcase and all, she began to do something that she thought would work brilliantly. She threw a tantrum and cried because it always seemed to work when she was little. Tears flowing from her red hot face while gasping for air. She screamed, “Dad! Dad! You can’t go!” Carter knelt down beside her on the wooden floor and said, “Sweetie, I have a very important business meeting that I have to attend. I promise I’ll make it up to you when I get back. We can go explore Tokyo. You’ll love it the shopping is great and it’s like one big New York City.” She continued to cry losing her breathe and almost as if when she was younger she would scream and cry until she passed right out, but she wouldn’t let that happen. She cried, “But dad, you have no idea what’s been going on! Please daddy reschedule. I’ll do anything!” Carter looked at Cara’s dough eyes and he knew that he didn’t want to see his daughter hurting but this was a very big opportunity for him. He said calmly, “Listen sweetie, I really can’t risk this and I promise it shouldn’t be more than an hour or two. Why don’t you and your brother go and take the limo and get some food or whatever you two want to do. Karaoke is really big here if you would want to go singing. I remember how much you loved to sing when you were little.” Cara helplessly cried, “But I’m not little anymore and I want to spend time with you. CJ and I can hang out whenever and wherever but more importantly we came here for you.” Carter looked disappointed, “Cara you are supposed to be a young lady and you are acting like nothing more than a little five year old or maybe even younger. Do you think this is acceptable?” Cara had a gut feeling that nothing could possibly change and she had to accept defeat. She screamed at him, “I am not a little kid anymore!” Those were the only words that she could say. He stood up and started heading to the door with his briefcase in hand and said, “It sure looks like it to me. I’ll be back in a hour or two. Love you.” That was all he said before shutting the door and all Cara could do was look up at the door and cry, but not just a whimpering cry but loud sobs.
CJ ran out of the bathroom door and wrapped his arms for the thousandth time today around Cara. He had followed the conversation between Carter and Cara and it made him sick. “I’ll be right back” CJ said when Cara had stopped crying. CJ opened the door and crossed the street without looking first. People opened their car windows and started shouting but CJ didn’t pay attention. “Are you serious?!” CJ slammed the limo door in front of his father. “Get out of my way Carter Junior, I’m in a rush” CJ got really angry. “We were not even one hour in Japan and you’ve already disappointed both of us. You’re not getting away with this so easily! Gosh, I wish I had a normal family.” CJ shouted. “You’re not talking to me this way. Because of me, you live in a huge house and because of me, Cara can buy all the clothes and shoes she wants” “Did I ever ask for that? I’d rather live in a box underneath a bridge with no money but with a normal family who love each other” “You are insane CJ. Now move it and let me get into my limo” CJ shook his head. “I can’t believe this. I’m so done with you, I don’t know what Cara wants but I’m taking the next flight home. I never want to speak to you again unless you will change which I won’t think is going to happen. Bye dad” CJ turned around and crossed the street now carefully. “I don’t expect you to choose Cara” she stood in front of the door and she saw all that had happened. CJ turned around one last time, but his dad had already leave. To a stupid meeting that was apparently more important than his kids. He doesn’t even deserve them.
Cara stood in the doorway stunned looking out as her brother stormed off inside and watching her father leave. Her makeup all rundown her face and her eyes so puffy from crying, but CJ was right. It was ultimately her decision. She ran after CJ as he pushed his way through and was in an awful mood. She sat beside him on the couch in the main room. She saw the disappointment spread across CJ’s face and she noticed that he sat very frustrated and upset. She knew that when they were little their mother would rub CJ’s back and reassure him, which always calmed him down. She needed consoling of her own, but her brother was her main priority because CJ had self-destructive behavior tendencies like their father. She rubbed his back and said, “CJ, I know how upset you are and I’m just as upset. But you have to remember we came here for a reason. I know you don’t want to stay and I don’t know what I want to do at this moment in time as well. I think we should stay together, what are we proving to him if we run out on him. I think it’s a huge mistake. I think we must stay, we have to. I know we don’t have anything to prove to him, but I have something to prove to myself. I know you don’t want to stay, but please C. stay here with me. I’ll do anything you want in return, I promise you.” She saw CJ calm down a bit more. This was a very overwhelming trip for them and it has only just begun. Cara saw him still upset so she knew how to get him more relaxed and lightened up. She kicked off her stilettos and began jumping on the couch. “Come on C.! Come on! You know you want to stay!” He wasn’t buying it. Cara jumped on his lap and sat there still and then decided to annoy him into staying. She messed up his hair and started playing with his hands and kept repeating “Come on C.! Come on! Stay! Stay here with me! Just a week longer! You know you want to!” Carter seemed uninterested but starting to cave in. Cara got off his lap and started pulling his arm. She began to say, “Come on! Turn that frown upside down! Let’s go get drunk!”
“Shhhh CJ, quiet, we don’t want to wake daddy don’t we?” Cara giggled as Carter Junior opened the door. With his first footstep, CJ already tripped over his feet. Cara giggled again. “You’re so silly!” she laughed. She tried to step over CJ with her expensive Louboutins that she bought with CJ’s credit card, but just like her brother, she fell on the floor. “What the hell is going on?!” their father came out of his bedroom wearing only a t-shirt and boxers. “Having fun” CJ gave his father a fake smile. “Now, if you don’t mind, we’re going to bed” CJ tried to get up, but it failed. “Let me help” Carter offered CJ a hand. “No thank you dad” CJ grabbed the coutch and got up. “C’mon Cara” CJ offered Cara a hand and she took it. CJ dropped himself on his bed and within a minute he was already asleep.
The next morning Cara woke up still in her clothes from last night feeling completely hungover. She never got this drunk since she was sixteen or so. She felt like she couldn’t even move and her head was throbbing. She ran to the bathroom because she knew she was going to puke and as she was running towards the bathroom her dad came by and said, “Cara, why am I not surprised? You still don’t know how to handle your liquor and you overdid it last night.” Cara sat by the toilet vomiting whatever was left in her petite body. As she finished up she washed her face and brushed her teeth before joining her father for breakfast. Carter looked at Cara, “See Cara, you haven’t changed one bit. You’re still that little girl that I remember just taller and a bit older looking.” Cara was so mad because she felt that he didn’t know her at all. She has accomplished so much at such a young age, but of course her father doesn’t care enough about that. She stuttered, “But daddy, I am changed. I am worldwide model, with no help from you or mommy. I’ve been doing runway shows and photo shoots. I am graduating with straight A’s and probably going to attend Columbia. I’m not little anymore and I’m not going into anymore details with you because that’s highly inappropriate.” Cara felt her eyes beginning to swell with tears again and she didn’t want a repeat of yesterday, so she pushed in her chair, grabbed a piece of toast and a cup of coffee and headed towards CJ’s room.
CJ woke up because his little sister lifted up the sheets and got into his bed. “Cara, what are you doing?” Cara looked very sad. “Can we just not talk please?” Cara closed her eyes. CJ pressed his lips on her hair. “I really need a shower and a bottle of water. I promise I’ll be back in 10” CJ sneeked into the livingroom where his father was enjoying his breakfast. “What is wrong with you? You’ve made Cara upset… again” Carter sighed. “You should talk to her” Carter rolled his eyes and walked to CJ’s bedroom. CJ walked into the bathroom and hoped his father didn’t make the mess bigger.
Cara didn't mean to wake her brother up. She just wanted to escape out of the uncomfortable and awkward situation. Carter slowly crept behind Cara and into the room where CJ was residing. She turned around almost in shock to find him there as to where he said, "Princess apparently your behavior is concerning your brother." Cara fell onto CJ's bed, hugging a pillow very close to her. She had so much on her mind that she had to say, but couldn't manage to say it in fear of her father's reaction. She said, "Daddy ever since I got here you've been nothing but mean to me. I know you don't mean to be a shitty father, but you are. CJ used to look up to you and I admired you, but we don't anymore. Over all of these years all you caused is heartache and despair. I was expecting more from you." Carter began to raise his voice to Cara, "Listen sweetie, I am the adult and you are the child you have no right to talk to me like this especially with your fowl language. This is simply not acceptable and I won't stand for it. Would you like to be grounded while I take your brother out to see all the great endless opportunities that Tokyo has to offer?" Cara shook her head no and said innocently and afraid, "Daddy, I didn't mean to." She paused, "Everyone is trash talking you on the UES and saying things that may or may not be true. I've been defending you and it's been effecting me so negatively." Just as Carter was about to respond to Cara's remarks, CJ returns to the room in nothing but his towel covering his lower half.
