Charlie
Five minutes to four o clock my cell phone rings. "Hello?"
"Put your papers away and get those rubber gloves on, because I'm out. Well, not until you pick me up. I'll be waiting for you in my room," Juliet chimes. She sounds like she's back to her old self again and I can't be any happier.
Goodbyes are exchanged and I do what I was told. I gather all the scrambled papers on my desk into a neat pile and head out.
"Leaving already?" Morgan asks me when I come into view. "I love all these different scarves you're always wearing, by the way," she adds as she leans over the front desk.
I adjust the pink plaid scarf tighter around my neck. It's becoming a habit to wear a scarf when leaving the house now. "I love to accessorize. I have to go pick Juliet up at the hospital and then I turn housemaid. Oh how I wish I could stay here for a few more hours and be done for the night. I'll see you tomorrow...right?"
"Yup. I'll be leaving early, though, to get things packed, if that's okay."
"Do what you got to do. Make sure to lock up before you leave and have fun on your trip." I look back one last time before I get too far away and I swear I can see her with her cell phone already up to her ear. I begin to wonder if that's what she does after I leave early or when I'm not present, sit there and talk on the phone. I shrug it off as her calling James to tell him everything is set for her absence at work.
When I reach Juliet's hospital room door, I see her changed out of her gown and fully clothed in yoga pants and a tank top. Seeing her arm in its cast makes dread form in the pit of my stomach yet again. She's an innocent bystander in this chaos and yet she's the only one who looks like she has been fighting in this fight...well, as of yet. My turn is soon to come, unfortunately.
The nurse helps her to her feet and accompanies us to the front of the hospital. She waits with her while I bring the car up. At a slow and steady pace, she makes her way to the passenger seat.
As soon as we leave the hospital behind, I can't stop myself from joking. "So...you're incredibly lucky that it's summer or you would have a major problem finding clothes."
"Very funny, Charlie, very funny. Soon I'll be the one laughing when I'm sitting on my couch with my feet up watching you clean my house." Her phony laugh causes me to laugh in response.
Juliet examines her cast the whole way to her house. She sings along to the radio until she takes in a sharp breath. I nearly swerve off the road from panic. Juliet clenches the dashboard with her good arm in fear. "Jesus, woman, stay on the road," she yells at me.
"Me...you. You scared the crap out me. What the hell's wrong?" My heart slowly thumps against my chest.
"I just thought of something. I should go over to Chadwick's and have him draw a really awesome picture on my cast."
Chadwick is a friend of Harlow's boyfriend. He's a tattoo artist who happened to give Juliet her first and only tattoo, because she's a crybaby.
"That's all...that's what was so important that happened to scare the crap out of me?" I bicker.
"Uh...yeah."
We erupt in laughter and after a few minutes we arrive at her house with sore cheeks and tender bellies from laughing so hard. I notice the brand new door that Janessa replaced. After a few minutes waiting for Juliet to dig her keys out, I finally get to see the inside. Dropping our purses off in the entryway, I begin to look at the tasks I have ahead of me.
Janessa didn't do much. The floor is littered with wooden scraps and after walking into the kitchen, I see the blood. Juliet made it sound as if it was just a few droplets, but this is anything but. A brown puddle covers a large portion of the kitchen floor.
With a huff, I head to the bathroom to change into something more comfortable. Thank God I decided to throw a pair of shorts into my purse before leaving for work this morning. Without further delay, I get supplies ready and begin to clean. My scarf continually floats over the dried blood, almost touching the dirtiness since I'm forced to scrub the floor on my hands and knees. I risk the questions as I take the scarf off. The puncture marks are nearly healed, just two little scabs that can brushed off as body acne or something.
After an hour or so of the tedious scrubbing and sweeping, I take a break. The task is taking longer than I expected and as nightfall begins to get closer, I can't help to think what Maxwell is doing. Part of me wants him to show up, but another part of me thinks it's best if he doesn't.
By making something to eat for Juliet and myself, I add cook to the ever-growing list of job titles I've been forced to become tonight. We eat chatting about how her students are going to react to seeing her broken arm when she returns to work.
"I would love to sit and relax with you, but I have dishes to do if I want to get home before midnight," I sadly admit.
Juliet might have a broken arm, but her legs work just fine. She jumps up from her seat. "What? I got to go to the bathroom. Go on, I don't need your help in there," she jokes.
"You wouldn't have something to pass the time, like some music on your phone or something." I holler as I snoop around the shelves of her entertainment center. That's when I find an old school, homemade CD labeled 'Love Mix'.
I wait until she comes out of the bathroom. I flaunt my find in face as she rounds the corner. "Where did you get this? Or should I say who gave it to you?" I ask, trying to keep the laughter out of my voice.
I actually see her blush and instantly her feet plant themselves on the floor as she straightens her body out. She stares at me, sitting stick straight. "A boy," she slowly replies.
"No shit, a boy, it's labeled 'Love Mix'. What's the boy's name and since when do people still do this?" I shake the CD in the air.
"It's sweet. He's sweet," she admits.
"And who is he exactly?"
"Nathan." She rushes at me trying to snatch the CD out of my curious hands, but I'm too fast.
"Juliet, how could you? You lectured me about having a secret boyfriend and I find out you have one of your own." I feel offended.
"He's not my boyfriend." She tries to sound serious and disgusted by my assumption, but I can see through her act.
"I've heard that before. In fact, I've said those exact words. Don't you lie to me, girly, I can see it plastered all over your face. Have you even listened to this thing? So you have a CD player somewhere or did you play it on your laptop?"
"Yes and I love every song on it." She looks at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with me. However, I don't know who's more embarrassed...me or her.
"Well, load it up. I want to hear it." I holler as I grab her laptop.
We stare at each other waiting for it to load. It doesn't take long for the start of a familiar song to blare through the tiny speakers. A laugh rumbles in my chest. This is going to be good, I say to myself. The much loved songs turn cheesy once I think about the meaning behind them that this Nathan is sending.
I retreat to the kitchen singing along to further embarrass her, but to my surprise she embarrasses herself just enough. I catch glimpses of her dancing in the living room, singing along to every single word while I scrub dishes.
As the sun gradually gets closer to setting, I know I should feel scared or nervous about being alone, well, without Maxwell, but I can't help but to sing along and dance to the carefree songs. It's doing its job by keeping my mind off the impending doom that continues to linger above my head. And it's also doing its job of making Juliet feel better as well. Bravo Nathan...whoever you are.
Out of the blue, the doorbell chimes, almost causing me to drop one of the plates I'm placing in the dish rack. Juliet runs to the door as if she knows exactly who resides behind it. Preparing myself for the worst, I grab a dirty knife. Did I really expect the night to go well?
I had been so caught up in the music that I didn't even notice the slowly setting sun. My heart beats heavily against my chest, but when I hear a familiar voice fill the living room, I quickly place the knife down before his heavy footsteps get any closer to the kitchen.
"There you are Cinderella." He jokes either ignorant or oblivious to the tension that was left between us the last time we were together.
With my back still turned to him, I reply, "Dave. What on earth are you doing here?" I try to sound as happy and surprised as possible when truthfully I want to fill the room with my sarcasm of how this whole night is unwanted, including his presence.
"Juliet didn't tell you?" Dave questions me.
"Tell me what?" Now I'm beginning to become more nervous.
"That she invited Nathan and I over." His smile is cocky and sly.
"You know Nathan?"
"Yeah, he's one of my good friends. So...she did tell you about us coming then?"
"No, I had no idea that you or this Nathan were going to show up. The only reason the name Nathan sounds familiar is because I found his love mix and I confronted Juliet about it...she unwillingly informed me. She didn't have a choice in the matter, just like I don't have a choice in the matter now."
"You should be happy, you have a helper now." He picks up a towel and begins to dry the clean dishes. "You know, I helped him pick out some of these songs."
"They sound like the cheesy song you like." I joke.
Just then Juliet rushes in with whom other than Nathan.
"Charlie, this is Nathan. The lovely man who's responsible for our entertainment tonight," Juliet informs me. She looks at him with sheer awe and I slightly feel jealous.
"Nice to meet you, Nathan," I say in the kindest manner.
I look over his tall frame and shaggy light brown hair. He's not quite heavy set, but he's not a small guy either.
"I've heard about you from Dave," Nathan tells me.
Oh dear Lord, I can only imagine what Dave has divulged about me to one of his friends. "Only good things, I hope," I say before glaring at Dave.
"Of course. We'll, umm, leave you two alone." He turns to Juliet. "Care to dance?" he asks. With Juliet nodding in utter excitement, he leads her into the living room. The scrape of her coffee table against the wooden floor lets me know they're making a mini dance floor.
"Why don't you go and dance, Dave? I can finish the dishes." I keep my back to him as I speak, occasionally looking at the window. Just as if I timed it perfectly, I see a blur of something rush past the small window. I would've missed it if I wasn't so intent on keeping my back to Dave. The shadow made the tree line smear together as whatever it was went by incredibly fast.
"Don't be silly, we should all be having fun. Come dance with us, Charlie," he pleads.
"You know what, I think I need some air. I'll be right back." I leave Dave behind with his confusion as I exit the back door.
I stand in the middle of Juliet's backyard, searching every hiding spot I think of without physically going to inspect it. In barely audible whispers I mutter for whoever's out here to show their face. I assume it's Maxwell...I hope it's Maxwell. I didn't really think about what I would do if it happens to not be Maxwell. "Maxwell Barnett, you show your face right now," I whisper into the dark. I wait. No response. "Maxwell, this is not funny."
"I don't find it very funny either," Maxwell says as he emerges from a shadow.
A breath I didn't realize I had been hold comes rushing out. "What are you doing here?" I walk out further into the yard to meet him halfway.
"What's he doing here? I thought you were cleaning her house, not having a party."
"A party? Four people is not a party. And if you'd been here earlier, you would've seen me playing Cinderella." Using Dave's little nickname makes me feel uneasy. "I've been sweeping, down on my hands and knees scrubbing the fucking floor, and now I'm getting wrinkly fingers from doing the dishes. I thought we were past this." What the hell is going on? He's still jealous of Dave? "And didn't you insist in getting Dave involved in babysitting me?"
"But you refused the offer so imagine my surprise when I see him here."
"Shut up. Do I have to spell it out for you?"
The creak of the back door freezes every muscle in my body. I'm terrified that I'm going to have to explain why Maxwell is in Juliet's backyard, but in the blink of my eyes he's gone.
"Are you talking to yourself?" Dave asks as he stands in the open doorway, allowing the light from inside the house to spill out into the backyard. His shadow blocks the light from blinding me.
"No...maybe...why do you care?" I say, spinning around to face him. Good one, Charlie, continue to act crazy, why don't you.
"I heard you talking about spelling something out?" he argues as he approaches me.
Damn it. "You caught me, I was talking to myself...there, are you happy now? Time to go back inside." I push him back toward the house.
All I want is to close the door and get this night over with, but Dave stops in the threshold. He stares down at me as if he wants to say something, but no words exit his mouth. A familiar song blares from the living room, forcing me to pay extra hard attention to anything he would say because it's incredibly hard to hear over the loud music. To make the night worse, Dave spontaneously starts singing along, emphasizing the words. Everything in me is fighting the smile that grows wider without me wanting to.
He's such a moron...a slightly funny, cute moron.
His hand sticks out, offering to take mine. There's no way to escape this, so I take his hand, which he doesn't let go until we reach the 'dance floor'. I barely have time to look back into the darkened yard, trying to spot Maxwell. Silently, I pray he'll leave and wait for me to arrive home.
Nathan and Juliet dance quite provocatively in the middle of the cleared out living room. Once Juliet notices our arrival, she breaks away from Nathan and drags me over to join them. Grudgingly, I dance to several songs. Dave's grinding body is always nearby, taunting me, but for Juliet's sake I act as happy and nice as possible.
I clap my hands together to get everyone's attention. "Listen up, it's been fun, but I have to go." I give Juliet a hug and wave goodbye to Nathan and Dave before I rush out of her house to my car. I don't feel the slightest twinge of regret because I know Nathan will be keeping her company through the night.
"Charlie, wait up," Dave says, running after me.
So close, I say to myself...so close. My head hits the top of the open car door as I give up altogether. Before I know it, Dave is beside me. "Yes, Dave?" I grumble.
"I need to try something, I need to know."
My head snaps up to look at him. "Need to know what exactly?"
He gently moves a stray strand of hair out of my face; his hand lightly caresses my cheek. A knot forms in my stomach as I back away from his lingering hand. The feel of bile rises in my throat and no matter how far I try to back away I can't. My head and back push up against the car, trapping me in place.
Without answering me and taking me completely off guard, he grabs ahold of my shoulders and plants a rough kiss on my lips. I feel his tongue lick at my lips that are pursed together, denying him. It seems like forever, but in all reality it's just a few seconds before my body reacts to his uncalled for behavior. My palms shove him away, creating a small gap between us.
"What the fuck, Dave?" I holler at him.
"I just thought..."
"Thought what? Obviously, my refusal of anything between us on that cheap shot of a date we had didn't sink into your head," I shout at him.
"I just thought that I still have a chance, that deep down, hiding in there somewhere...you would choose me over Maxwell," he says his name as if it's venom in his mouth, "I'm not giving up Charlie. I'll be work harder next time, try harder next time."
"There will be no next time."
"Never say never." He says as he takes a couple steps backwards. "Have a good night Charlie." He turns away to head back inside.
The whole way home, I debate how I'm going to tell Maxwell what happened because he no doubt witnessed it. Lost in anger, I drive to my house instead of Maxwell's suite. As I pull into the driveway, expecting the place to be pitch black I'm thrown off as a single light is on. Maybe Maxwell figured I would come home instead of going to his place. It seems like something I would request.
My shaking fingers squeeze the keys, causing indentations to form on the pads of my fingers as I make my way to the front door. Unlocking it as quietly as possible, I tiptoe inside.
The complete silence within the house makes my head spin from all the blood rushing to the top of my skull. "Maxwell?" I yell out into what seems like an empty house. No answer. I walk to the living room where the light was coming from. I expect to see Maxwell sitting on the couch, cast in the lamplight with that familiar brooding look on his face, but it's empty.
Maybe I left the light on by accident? Maybe Maxwell came back and turned it on? Maybe I messed things up so much he's over it...over me? Or maybe he's not here because I'm not suppose to be here.
I retreat back to my purse, but steps away from it I hear something fall in the kitchen. "Maxwell...this is not funny, so come out right now." I stand frozen in the middle of the entryway.
Stuck in place, a painful chill runs down my back as an apple rolls out of the pitch black kitchen. A large bite taken out of it.
I bolt for the door. The fresh air calms me to a point, until I see the illuminated yard go dark. The light in the living room was just switched off. I rush to my car looking for an escape, but I left my keys inside like an idiot. I slam my fists against the wheel.
I debate about running down the sidewalk until my lungs give out, but since when am I weak. My purse is right inside, within reach of the open doorway. I'll just go in and grab it. My muscles spasm making each step, every reach painful, torturing me for my stupidity.
To my surprise I grasp the edge of my purse and slide it off the table. As it slides completely off a small click sounds against the floor as if I dropped something. I bend down, blindly scanning the floor. I freeze as my fingers brush against paper, rectangular, heavy stock paper...liken an envelope.
Someone is in my house alright and it isn't Maxwell. I snap up to my feet to quickly to dash out of the house, but the whisper of my name stops me. My mind screams for me to run and like every other time, fear stiffens my joints.
The kitchen light flicks on and I come face to face with the intruder. A tall, slender figure all dressed in black with a ski mask on covering all their features stands in the archway The glint of my kitchen knife in their hand keeps my full attention. The sound of clicking against my tiled floor as they approach informs me that my mystery guest is a woman. Not the green eyed stranger.
I swivel on my heels hoping to bring the fight outside. Maybe if my neighbors hear they'll call the police. But as I whip around I hear her heels clack faster and before I make it out of the doorway she grabs a clump of my hair yanking me back inside. I regret not getting that pepper spray, although I wouldn't be able to reach it anyways, deeming it completely useless.
"Awe, no Maxwell, what a shame." She leans over me, grabbing ahold of my scarf. Her pulling on the fabric causes it to tighten around my neck as well as lift my head off the ground. She lets go abruptly, which makes the back of my head smack against the floor. Her taunts become more violent as her heeled foot strikes me in the side.
The air that refused to leave my lungs earlier comes rushing out. Rolling over onto my stomach in pain, I try to crawl away. I finally make it to the console table in the entryway to help me stand on my feet. Her laugh mocks me from behind. With a bowl that I put miscellaneous items in tightly in my grip, I wait.
She seems cocky and I'll use it to my favor. The sound of her very high heels gets louder as she comes closer. Giving her no warning, I swing around with the bowl in hand.
Her anticipation of my move ruins the outcome. She grasps my wrist that holds the bowl in her free hand as I grip her wrist that holds the knife. I refuse to be beaten by a girl, by a human girl nonetheless. I kick her knee forcefully, resulting in her losing her grip for a second from her own pain, which gives me the leverage to twist the knife out of her hand. I don't come away undamaged, though. She fights me tooth and nail, resulting in the blade pointing toward me as I twist out of her grip. In slow motion I watch the knife slice my upper arm, which starts to bleed immediately.
Ignoring the pain and the trail of blood that eventually drips to the floor, I wave the weapon in her direction, taking swings at her body that still hovers within reach. I demand answers in a firm voice. "Who are you? Who's the man with the green eyes?" I know this woman is his little human helper.
"Don't worry so much, Charlie. You'll find out sooner or later who I am, who he is. I'm not supposed to kill you...just play around with you. Your death will be brought on by another, he'll be waiting. See you soon." Just like that, she leaves. The front door hangs open for the cool night air to fill the house as she retreats. The breeze feels good against my shaking body. Sweat clogs my pores while my heart tries to slow down.
Where the hell is Maxwell? As fast as my wobbly legs will go, I fetch a towel from the kitchen to try to stop the bleeding. I look at the gash only once and I know I'm going to need stitches. I should go to the ER, look for Maxwell, but all I do is drop down into the growing puddle of my own blood woozy from blood loss.