'Cause I'd Find You In Any World (Nick and Charlie - Alternate Universe)

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty.

Nick:
Oh my god. Did I really just approach Charlie's Mum like I'm going to bitch her out or something? You know what? I should bitch her out. How dare she treat Charlie like this. Sandra taps her foot and takes me out of my thought.

"I'm very busy Nick," she says.
"Busy doing what? Hurting your son? Betraying your entire family?"

Oh shit. I cannot believe I let those words come out of my mouth.

"Excuse me?" She says.
"No, there is no excuse for you. I've known your family for a couple of months now and I've been so patient with Charlie when it came to coming out to you guys but I really thought everything was going to be okay. You have an amazing son. He welcomed me into this town when I really thought I was going to hate it. He brought me into his world and gave me new friends that I can depend on. He is so smart, but not in a condescending type of way; I could listen to him tell me random facts about things all day. He is unbelievably funny, I mean, you don't expect someone who is so smart to also be that funny. He is an amazingly loyal brother and friend. Yet, somehow all you see when you look at him is who he wants to be with."

She goes to speak but now that the words started to escape my mouth, I can't stop.

"If the only thing that is "wrong" with your son is that he loves another boy, are you really going to throw away your relationship with him, your other son and your husband over it? I know I may be out of line but I have come to know your two sons really well over the last two months and I know how important you and your husband are to them; how important family is to them. To see that stripped away from them, because you're too selfish and concerned about how it'll look for you, is really disappointing. I usually am right when I have opinions of people but you fooled me. Here I was thinking you love your son and your family so much that nothing they could say or do would ever stop you from loving them, but I was so wrong."

Before she can even speak, I walk away. Wow, I cannot believe I just did that. I continue to walk to Charlie's, replaying that conversation, well confrontation over and over again. I knock on Charlie's door and James answers.

"Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"

I walk inside and make sure no one else is around.

"You're acting weird," James says. "What's up?"
"I may have just seen your Mum and I may have told her off, respectfully of course."
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
"SHUT UP!"
"Dude relax, no one cares," James says. "Whatever you said, she probably deserved it. Well, honestly, she probably deserved worse but you're too nice for that."
"But it wasn't my place."
"What did you tell her?"

I see Charlie walk in.

"Tell who?"

I sigh.

"I saw your Mum when I went to pick up the chips."

Charlie:
Well, the word Mum wasn't triggering for a couple of hours, that's a start, right? Because now I feel my heartbeat in my ears.

"You talked to her?" I ask apprehensively. "What did you say?"

Nick places the chips on the table.

"I basically told her that I usually am right about people and that I really thought she was the type of Mother who would love her kids no matter what they said or did but I was really wrong and that she was selfish. Oh, and that it's sad that she's willing to throw her whole family away based off of who her son likes... yup, stuff like that. Do you hate me?"

I walk over to him and pull him into a hug.

"I do not hate you, thank you for standing up for me, no one's ever done that for me before."

James walks over and rolls his eyes.

"Not to ruin this little lovefest, but I like to think I've definitely stood up for you, Mia too, Dad too, I mean, even Jane and Rich ---"

I roll my eyes and laugh.

"Okay, I've had a lot of people stand up for me recently, I'm sorry James. But still, thank you," I say as I look at  Nick.
"I'd like to think you'd do the same for me," Nick says with a smile.
"In a heartbeat," I say.

Dad comes walking downstairs and looks at me and James.

"So your Mum just called me...."