FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 15

Humans could be so odd, and seeing Charla's room made Alex really realize that.

"So..." Charla's voice came as she hung her backpack on the end bed post as she removed her headphones and Ipod and placed them on her bedside table. "Before we start this, do you want something to drink?"

Was she trying to buy time or was just being considerate.

"What?"

"Do you want anything to drink?" Charla asked again. "Coffee or maybe tea?"

"No I'm fine." Alex said with a shake of her head and then Charla sat down on the edge of her bed and extended her arm to tell Alex to sit on the loveseat. Alex did without a word.

Then came a moment of silence, one that lasted for a minute and after that small moment of silence was when Charla spoke.

"How's your family?"

That startled Alex slightly, and confused her. "Huh?"

"You're family," Charla repeated. "How is your family doing?"

"Oh uh... good, they're good. The restaurant has been busy lately and that makes my Dad happy, though my brother seems annoyed by it."

"Why?"

"Because he's not able to see this friend of his more often, or at least recently, he comes home late at night or the next morning sometimes."

Charla seemed to glance off as if thinking before saying. "Maybe he has a lover?"

Alex shrugged. "Well if he does I don't get why he won't invite the girl over." Charla was silent, almost as if she was silently saying: "Maybe there's a reason for that." Alex lounged on the loveseat. "Well whatever the reason for it, my brother always sticks me with some morning shifts when he's too tired."

"So that's why you haven't been to some of the morning classes then it makes sense. Jacob told me that sometimes happen, though he also said your Dad keeps shooing you away to go to class on time."

She stuck her tongue out at that. "Damn it Jacob and I bet he said it so matter of fact like too. I wondering why you never asked, guess now I know the reason."

Charla merely shrugged.

Then they fell into silence again, this time it almost seemed to go on forever, Alex's eyes wandered around Charla's room, noting a number of things like the different kinds of books that she seemed to own in different languages and the collection of music she seemed to own too, a number of records of classical music mixed with rock and blues and such. She looked back to Charla, who seemed to be keeping her gaze off to the side, where her desk was located, Alex followed Charla's line of sight and saw a photo of Charla and a handsome blond man, he smiled warmly as he wrapped his arms almost protectively over Charla's shoulders as Charla seemed to be giving a faint smile of her own with the background of what looked to be a castle in the background.

Must be her father... Alex thought but she became still when she looked back to Charla only to see that the girl was now looking directly at her in silence.

It nearly scared her, how Charla could just silently stare at a person with a blank expression and yet her eyes showing all of her emotions.

"Just say it," her green hazel eyes seemed to say. "Say it and be done with it."

Alex sat up straight in her seat and let out a slow breath. "Okay, I'm just going to be straight with you alright? There's not really an easy way to say it so, I'll start with this." Alex eyed her with a steady unwavering look. "What happened to you after your accident?"