Falling

Chapter Nine

I wake up to barking and face licking. I slowly open my eyes as my eyes are afraid of the sunlight that was coming into the bedroom. The bedroom. Nate's bedroom. I realize that's where I am and the memories of last night flood back to me like a slap in the face. I sit up in the bed and rub my face in my hands. God, my head stung. My face was sticky from crying and I smelled like booze.

I tried to piece together the events from last night but Angel wasn't allowing me to concentrate. She kept barking and she hopped on top of me, which usually I wound't have mind, but being in the awful state I was, I shoved the beautiful dog off of me. I turn to where Nate was suppose to be sleeping. He wasn't there. Of course he wasn't there. I felt the horrid urge to puke again so I went to the bathroom. I felt like I was walking in slow motion. I threw up more contents into the toilet. I felt a little better after I did that but not much. I look at myself in the mirror. I looked disgusting. My hair was ratted, everywhere. My makeup was smeared all over my face and I had bags under my eyes. I tried to clean myself up a little. I wet my hair down and ran my finger through it. I also try and wash the smeared makeup off.

After, I went back to Nate's room and grabbed my boots that were placed neatly by his bed. I walked quietly to the front door but my sneakiness was ruined by Angel's barking. I tried to settle her down before it caused to much of a ruckus.

"Did my grandson bring you home last night?" Someone behind me said. I slowly turn around. I scratch the back of my head with embarrassment.

"I uh-" I didn't know what to say.

"Did he?" The women pressed. Her tone wasn't angry, it was more annoyed, than anything else. She had ashy grey hair and was small. She was somewhere in her mid-sixties, by the looks of it. She was holding a basket of laundry.

I didn't know what to say. My head was still pounding so I rubbed it at it's temples. I sigh and shake my head, not being able to look the women in the eyes. Her eyes were the same green as Nate's.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" The women interrupts me with a heavy frail breath.

"You Look like you need coffee." She tells me. "And breakfast. Do you like bacon?" I'm surprised by this. Was she offering to give me breakfast? I was going to deny the offer but bacon sounded so good and I could not go home with a hangover.

"Um sure," I answer hesitantly.

"Then come on, girl." She ordered me like she was ordering a dog. I followed her up the stairs. "You don't have to look so 'caught in the act' it's not like it's the first time it's happened." She tells me as we walk up the stairs to the kitchen. I didn't know that, that's how I looked.

"I uh-"

"You can sit at the counter." She really didn't like to let me speak. "I'm Nate's grandma, but you can call me Marla."

She pours me a cup of coffee. "Thank you," I say quietly. She looks at me, looking impatient.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"Charlie," I reply, sipping the coffee.

"Hmm, Charlie." She ponders my name for a second. "Is that short for something?"

"Uh yeah, Charlotte."

"Well why don't you go by that instead? It's so much more..." She scans me for a moment before returning to her cooking. "Lady like." Her voice isn't like most grandmother's voices. Most grandmothers had sweet light rasps. Marla's is much more strong and willful.

She waits for me to respond. "Well?"

"I uh-" I hear foot steps treading towards the kitchen, both Marla and I look to see who it is. It was an older man. He had white hair and an old fashioned mustache. The man stops when he sees me. He was in working overalls and carrying a tin pale.