Katy Perry! Adopt ME?

Chapter 15: Scarlet

"Okay, just be quiet," I say to Charlie, who just squeezed in the cupboard with me. "We don't want them hearing us."

He nods his head, looking a little nervous. "What's up?" I ask him. Charlie replies, "Um... what do you mean?" I respond, "You look nervous. Is anything wrong?"

He shakes his head. He still has that worried look on his face. "It's just-" he sighs. "I've been wanting to tell you this for a while now," he whispers. I ask, "What?" Tell me!" He breathes in a huge breath."Well, I- I think I like you, Scarlet."

I'm shocked. I thought Charlie was just a friend. I look over at his face, and his cheeks are going wild. They are bright red, and he looks like he's about to scream with nervousness. 

It's all making sense now. The way he yelled at us from around the corner, realised it was me and immediately apologised. The way he always loves it when I choose him to be my partner. The way he smiles more at me than anyone else.

"Charlie-" A great sigh escapes me as I try to speak. "I think thats good. I mean, I'm not sure, but I think I like it." He blushes, relieved, but also still really nervous and stiff. I continue, "I think I might like you too, but I don't really want to, you know, go out or anything just yet. But I don't want this to be the end of these feelings. Alright?"

Charlie nods. He's not as stiff anymore, and seems to understand that I'm not ready yet. "Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted."

We both breathe a sigh of relief, and give each other a nice little smile. Then Georgia opens the door, and sees us staring into each other's eyes. 

"Whoa, maybe I should leave now. I never found you guys, alright?" She looks a little embarrassed. I laugh. "It's alright Georgia. I'll tell you everything later." Charlie looks at me nervously. I say to him, "It's alright Charlie. It's Georgia."

He nods his head. Georgia is such a nice girl. You can tell her anything, and she will never tell a soul. She's sort of the go-to person if you're having any issues.

The game continues for another hour, until too many people drop out. Then mum comes and gets me. "We have to go now, Scar," she says. "Say goodbye to your friends." I turn to face everyone. "See you later Amelia. Bye Ava. And..." I pause when I get to Charlie. I hope this awkwardness between us doesn't last forever. 

"Uh, bye Charlie," I spit out. He waves goodbye to me, and off I go with mum, back home.

***

"Mum," I whisper. "Do you- well, do you think we'll ever find Melanie?" I'm holding back tears. It's an hour since we got home, and the only two things that I've been thinking about are Charlie and Mel. 

Katy sighs. "I really don't know sweetie. I hope we will. But I can't exactly promise it." She puts her warm fingers on my arm. "I know it's been really tough for you. But you've handled it really well, and I'm really proud of you for doing that."

I shed a few tears. "Thanks, mum," I whisper. She gives me a nice hug. "I'm upset and I only ever met her a few times. I can't even imagine how you would be feeling, knowing her for your whole life."

"I just wish she was still here!" I cry. I wipe the tears away with the back of my hand. Mum holds me tight. "No matter where she is, she will be thinking of you just like you are thinking of her. You are such a great friend Scarlet, and such a great daughter. You're the perfect girl. Melanie might be on the streets, or she might have been taken in by a loving family, we don't know. She might even be in another country by now! But no matter where she is in the world, she will always be in your heart. And as long as you know that, she'll always be alive and healthy, with you, deep down in that beautiful heart of yours."

I smile up at my mum. She always knows exactly what to say. Exactly what will make me feel better. Even though I've only had her as a mum for a couple of months, she's definitely the best mum I ever could have gotten. 

"Thank you, mum," I whisper into her ear. She smiles down at me and gives me another big squeeze. She kisses me on my forehead. 

Butters sees that we are both upset and jumps up onto the couch with us. He gives both of us a lick on the face and cuddles into my arms, with his head on mum's lap. Every now and then he opens his eyes and looks up to make sure that we are okay. For the next hour, I just sit there, next to mum, patting Butters and thinking. Their is only the tiniest bit of communication between mum and I. We are both deep in thought.

What mum said may have sounded cheesy, but it was completely true. Her words rush through my mind over and over again, like a broken record. They wind through my brain, until they are almost impossible to forget.

"I think you should probably go to sleep," says mum after the long silence. I nod my head. 

"Goodnight," she says when I am lying in bed. She pulls the blanket and duvet over my body and kisses me on the cheek. "I hope you're feeling better," she says. I nod my head.

"Thanks mum," I respond. 

"For what?" she asks, a little confused.

I answer, "For everything."

There we go. There's not to much left in the book! Not many chapters left!!! Thank you guys for reading this book. Even though I've been slack some of you are still reading the book! It means a whole lot to me! Thanks guys :) You people are the best:)