Ratbags and Scallywags [bxb]

Chapter 9

"She's an employee," Mum replied. "I've known her for a good few years already. This just gave us a reason to chat more. Alright, she'll be round with Charlie at half three. I'll be home not long before then. Rest up for a bit more, sweetie. See you in a bit."

"Yeah," I said. "Will do."

The line cut. I held the phone in my hand, staring at it while my mind started reeling. Charlie Rascal was coming here... to my house. Why did this affect me in any way? Being visited by an idiot wasn't a big deal at all. I'd just have to text Ikeisha and Trey to come over so that I didn't feel too weird. But when I thought about it, I realized that Charlie would wind up feeling weird instead. And he'd be in somebody else's house, making it way worse.

That seemed selfish, so I decided against it. I'd endure this alone.

The place still smelled like various cleaning products so I was sure that Charlie and Mrs. Rascal would notice the moment they walked in. I hoped the smell wasn't too overwhelming; I might have gotten carried away this morning. My room was tidy and wiped down, too. Grandad's books were neatly stacked on my shelf. There was no dust except for what floated in the air, illuminated by the sunlight filtering through the window.

Both my window and curtains were open, but the sheer ones fluttered against the gentle but steadily increasing wind.

Mum mentioned the possibility of a second storm tonight, so I had my eye out for clouds and rain. I'd bring in the washing at the first signs for sure. From now on, I was going to be the kind of kid who did housework like everybody else. I'd make sure that Charlie and everybody else knew that I was no different and that they had no reason to treat me any differently either.

I gave outside a last glimpse, deciding it looked clear enough that the rain wouldn't be here in a hurry. With a couple of hours to kill, I switched on my PlayStation and passed the time with some games.

-

The doorbell rang.

I'd almost missed it over the sound of the PlayStation, if not for its franticly repetitive buzzing. I looked at the time, seeing it was barely after three PM. Who was supposed to be here already? And what the hell was so urgent? I paused the game and lazily stretched my back before making my way downstairs.

The bell kept buzzing until I opened it, where I found Charlie Rascal staring at me. An awkward and confusing silence ensued between us as I watched his face grow visibly red. It was like watching the sun scorching his skin in real-time, only there was no visible sun outside anymore. Only rain.

... Only rain. "Crap! Just sit on the couch for a sec or something," I said, turning back inside. "I'll be right back."

I barely caught a glimpse of him as he stepped inside. Only at that moment did I realize that he was drenched from top to bottom. I paused and looked out the window, seeing the crowded washing on the line, blowing frantically in the wind. The weather had picked up exponentially over the last hour and a bit.

It's not like I could leave him standing here wet and cold. He was shivering; his normally rich complexion had already paled considerably.

"Um, never mind," I said, going to the hot water cupboard instead. Charlie gave me a peculiar look; like he was embarrassed about imposing. As if he was capable of being shy for even a minute. This clown didn't have a shy bone in his body, so I wasn't exactly in the hurry to fall for it.

I pulled out one of our softest towels and spread it across his shoulders. His eyes were on mine. I could feel them burning into me, but I averted my gaze.

"Why are you so soaked?" I asked, stepping back once I was done.

His gaze was gentle, but also positive and confident. The richness of his dark brown eyes felt so solid and resolute that even with all of their underlying complexities, they remained steadfast. Determined. Or maybe I was reading into it too much. Sometimes, I really couldn't tell why I was always so affected by him.