*Jesse's Point Of View*
While Charlie was putting Cam down in his crib, I listened as Ryan muttered,
"What the hell's shoved up her ass?" I wanted to yell at him and say that he didn't get it, that she was fighting something so much bigger than she let on.....I just didn't know what it was yet, though I was planning to find out.
"Ryan cut her some slack okay? She had a rough day at school." He rolled his eyes.
"So what? We all have rough days. Doesn't mean she can't just suck it up." I sighed. Charlie wasn't the kind of person to normally show a reaction to a situation openly. I knew that what had happened today with Logan had shook her, but that couldn't be the only thing.
"Sometimes things aren't that black and white, kid." The doorbell rang and I heard Charlie yell,
"I got it!" I heard the knob creak and then shut. Ryan started on his homework, sulking and Jason followed him, wanting to be like his older brother.
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I heard the front door open again and was expecting Charlie to come straight to the kitchen. I yelled,
"Who was it?" There was a moment of shuffling before she answered.
"No one! I'll be right down!" Then I heard footsteps going up the stairs, and this time it sounded like there was more than just two feet.
"Hey guys, I'll be right back." Jason looked up at me curiously.
"Where?"
"Bathroom." My answer was purposefully vague and as I climbed the stairs I tried to avoid the creaking steps. Hearing Charlie's quiet voice I followed it, and found myself outside of a white door that was three quarters of the way closed. Inside I saw Charlie, and a woman who was covered by a sheet, seemingly unhealthy. Charlie was stroking the woman's brown hair away from her face and I could see the stress lines on her forehead, which shouldn't have been there because of how young she was. The woman, who bared a slight resemblance to Charlie, asked for her to tell a story. I could see sorrow in my friend's eyes as she complied.
"There was a beautiful woman, with blonde hair and blue eyes called Cinderella." The woman clapped her hands and I could see her brown irises shifting in and out of focus, letting me know she was drunk.
"I love this one!" Charlie shushed her.
"Let me tell the story."
"Sorry." Beginning again, Charlie brushed another hair away from the woman's forehead.
"Cinderella's mother had died when she was born and her father had raised her all alone, until he decided to remarry. The woman he remarried had two daughters and the three were evil." The woman interrupted her again, and I almost wanted to tell her to shut up- she was interfering with Charlie's calming voice.
"How bad?"
"Really really bad." She sucked in a breath and grasped onto Charlie's hand. Obviously she was under the influence because no one in their right minds at that age would be scared.
"That's not good."
"No, it's not. Cinderella became their servant, and her father didn't know because he had to go away a lot." The woman started crying and I was confused as hell.
"Like me?" I saw Charlie's own eyes fill to the brim with tears, but not tip over. She had rarely spoken about her mom, saying she worked long hours and wasn't really available. So, I could basically assume that the drunk woman Charlie was comforting was her own mother, and she seemed to take it in stride, as if it was normal for her to come home drunk.
"Yes ma. Like you." Her mother nodded and her eyes began to close gently, as Charlie finished her story.
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I tiptoed out of the hallway and into the bathroom, where I gripped the sink.
Good God Charlie, how much are you going through?