Read Online Happy That It's Not True by Carlos Alemán - Free Book Online

them.
                  “See—like those losers.  It’s ninety five degrees outside and those guys are dressed for Antarctica, because they want to be cool.  They’re gonna die of heat stroke—they’ll definitely lose their hearing,” Alex derided.
                  “You sound like an old man,” Cara said.
                  As the car sped up and the gawking ceased, Alex noticed that Cara’s eyes weren’t as bright as usual, darting between the road and some point either in the past or future, her soul torn between the two. 
                  “You look tired, everything all right?”
                  “Yeah—I’m okay.”
                  Cara’s languor fell on Alex, piercing a mysterious place in his soul.  In her profile, he could see something of his eyes and it reminded him of the things they had in common.  The passing highway lights increased sobriety, each flash declaring that there is a dull pain to living, some boats are moored and never leave the harbor.
                  Alex closed his window so he could speak softly.  “What do you think is gonna happen with Mom and Luciano?”
                  “I don’t know—why do people fall in love with people who have serious problems?”
                  “Well, uh—women like masculine men.  They don’t like girly men, so they’re attracted to masculine qualities.  I think sometimes they confuse scary men with masculinity.  That’s why those guys in that car looked so scary, so they can pick up more chicks.”
                  “Come on Alex—I don’t think that’s true.”
                  “Okay—then I have a second theory.  Actually it’s been proven scientifically—I think.  The skin produces chemicals—scents that trigger attraction.  If two people have the right body chemistry, then a guy won’t be able to stop sniffing a woman’s hair and women will actually enjoy wearing a guy’s shirt to bed and stuff like that.”
                  “So it’s all just luck—you have to hope that you have the right scent?”
                  “Pretty much.”
                  “I think you’re full of it.”
                  “Hey—there’s always a little bit of truth to everything.”
                  “I think if something is meant to be—it’s meant to be.”
                  “You’re such an artist—hey, I’ve got another theory.  This one explains everything.  Top down processing.”
                  “Top down?”
                  “Yeah, our minds imagine everything.  Once we think we see the big picture, our minds are tricked into thinking that everything supports what we believe.  So maybe people fall in love and they become deluded.  We create our own realities.  But how much of what is real is really real?”
                  “I worry about you sometimes, Fathead.”
                  “Hey, are we going to the Cosplay festival?”
                  “Maybe, but I’m not getting dressed up this year.”
                  “Why not?”
                  “I’m too old to be an anime character.”
                  “We were so awesome together last year.  Sure you don’t want to?  You can be Chihiro.  I’ll be No-Face.  And when I see greedy people, I’ll become a gluttonous monster, eating everything and everyone.”

Chapter Seven
     
                   The difficulty of taming nerves on a first day of work was exacerbated by the morning’s calamity, which had left Cara only half a person as she walked into the glass and steel building with large screens tuned to financial cable stations.  Where was the drawing book?  How could her mother do such a thing to maim her heart?