Chapter Seven: Feelings?
Charlie sat in her room listening to Good Charlotte on her CD player. She was the only one home in her house, and she was doing what she always did when she was home alone sit in her room and listen to music. Charlie found it to be the only time that she could listen to music without being disturbed by anyone else in her house. When she use to live in Philadelphia, she spent almost all her time in her room listening to her music, it was the only thing her mother didn't criticize her on, besides the fact that her mother didn't like the music she listened to, her mother didn't really care.
Charlie closed her eyes, in an attempt to let herself really get into the music, but suddenly she heard her phone ring. Charlie sighed an annoyed sigh, and got up from her bed. Charlie walked over to her stereo and turned the music down, so that it was barely audible. Charlie then walked over to her phone which was still ringing and picked up and put it to her ear.
"Hello?" Charlie said with annoyance in her voice.
"Didn't interrupt something?" the voice on the other end said.
"Ray?" Charlie asked sitting down on her bed.
"Yeah it's me; I need your help Charlie." Ray said seriously.
"What is it Ray?"
"I want to ask Lily out." Ray said sounding if he thought it was going to be a surprise.
"So what's new about that?" Charlie said like it was nothing.
"You knew?!" Ray said shocked that Charlie knew about his feelings for Lily.
"I think everybody but Lily knows Ray. So what do you need my help for?"
"I'm not sure how to ask her or when, or to where?"
Charlie thought for a moment and then it hit her. The Winter Formal was coming up and tickets were going on sale; Charlie knew it would be the perfect opportunity for Ray to ask Lily out and to get the two together. All Ray would have to do is ask Lily if she would want to go before the dance, everything else was perfect.
"Alright Ray, I've figured it out; you are going to ask Lily to the Winter Formal sometime in the next two weeks. That's all you have to do, well that and then actually buy the tickets for the dance." Charlie said smiling to her self.
"To the dance, wouldn't it be better if I started out with something small like asking her to the movies or something?"
"Ray, one can not get what one wants if they do not go for it with force and determination."
"You sound like Travis." Ray said over the phone.
"Look Ray the Winter Formal is in six weeks, which gives you enough time to ask Lily, buy the tickets, get a suit, for Lily to get a dress, and to get everything else you're going to need." There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Ray if you want Lily, you have to be willing to take a chance and right now this is your chance to win her."
"Alright I'll ask her in the next two weeks like you said."
"Great Ray, that leaves four weeks for you to get everything else settled." Charlie smiled. "Keep me updated on everything ok."
"OK talk to you later." Ray said and then hung up.
Charlie placed her phone back into the cradle and laid back down on her bed. The only thing she had to figure out was who she wanted to go with to the dance. Charlie thought to herself who she wanted to ask her, the weird thing was that every time she thought about it the first name to pop into her mind was Robbie. Charlie thought about this to herself: Why would I want to go with Robbie? Robbie's just my friend? It's not like I have feelings for him. Do I?
"Travis did you know that Charlie's birthday is next weekend?" Lily said sitting down next to him.
"Yes, I actually did; she's turning sixteen, she's just a couple months younger then you actually. Why?" Travis asked placing his Buddhism book on the table.
"I was thinking that maybe we should throw her a little party, not many people just the four of us, Audrey, and her brother and sister-in-law. I don't think it should be a big thing we could have it at her house. What do you think?"
"That could be difficult." Travis said with a sigh.
"Why?" Lily asked finding it odd that Travis would say that.
"Well, Charlie hasn't really had any good birthdays in the last couple years. Her dad got sick on her birthday, and every birthday after that has just been a reminder of her dad getting sick and dying." Travis looked over at Lily, seeing that he had somewhat discouraged her. "But it could be different; maybe if we had a party for her it would get her mind off her dad."
"So you'll help me?" Lily said smiling.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You're in charge of music; I was thinking that since you've known Charlie the longest you could but together a list of her favorite songs that we could play at the party."
"I could do that. What about everyone else?" Travis asked
"Well, Audrey said she would help me pick out decorations, I'm going to have Ray be in charge of food, since I think that's the only thing he can handle, and I was going to ask Robbie if he could take care of Charlie. Oh, and Jenna said she would make the cake."
"That sounds perfect." Travis said with a nod.
"Great, so I've gotta go cause Audrey and I are going to go start on the decorations. You'll get started on the music, right Travis?" Lily said standing up.
"Yeah, I will." Travis said and the Lily walked out of Mickey's.
Travis smiled to himself, he felt as if this party was going to be good for Charlie. She would have something else to think about on her birthday, rather then jus thinking about her dad dying. On her birthday Charlie, would more than likely actually smile, something Travis had never seen Charlie do on her birthday, in all the time that he had had know Charlie.
Charlie walked into her brother's auto shop, she loved to watch Billy, Mike, and the others work on the cars. Charlie found it to be somewhat relaxing, watching others hard at work doing something they liked to do and not something they had to do just to pay the bills. Charlie sometimes wondered what she would end up doing for a living, was she going to be doing something she loved or something just to pay the bills. Charlie smiled she knew it didn't matter now, she was young and had her whole life ahead of her, and to Charlie that's all that matters.
"Hey kiddo what are you doing here?" Charlie looked up and saw Mike standing next to her. Mike was covered in oil from almost head to toe. His sandy blonde hair had patches of oil, the same as his face.
"Just came to hang out. Is Billy around by any chance?" Charlie asked and stood up from where she sat.
"Yeah, his in the office on the phone;" Mike said and then paused "his on the phone with your ma, Charlie."
The smile that had once been on her face was now gone; Charlie knew that Mike knew about everything that had happened between her mom and herself. It not that Charlie minded, its just she hated when other people mentioned it and tried to get her to talk to her mother. Charlie knew that Mike was only trying to be helpful and nice to her, but it still didn't help; Charlie and her mother had never had a good relationship and probably would never.
"Well, I'm going to go in there; I need to talk to him about something." Charlie said looking into the office and watching as Billy hung up the phone and leaned back in the chair.
Charlie walked towards the office, slowly; she knew that her mother had called Billy for only one reason; and that reason was her. In the last couple months, Charlie's mother had been trying to get in touch with her; just to make sure she was being a 'good girl'. Charlie entered the office and saw her brother in his usually look. His dark chocolate hair was messy as usual, his work clothing; a pair of old blue jeans, and a white t-shirt, was covered in grease, oil, and transition fluid. Most people would say that Billy and Charlie looked a like, except for the fact Billy was a boy and that he was about ten years older than Charlie.
"Hey Billy." Charlie said as she walked over to the chair on the other side of the desk and sat down across from him.
"Hey, Charlie; what brings you here?" Billy said leaning forward on to his elbows.
"Nothing just thought I'd visit my older brother." Charlie said with a smile waiting for Billy to bring up what her mother, had more than likely said on the phone to him.
"I'm guessing you know that was mom on the phone." Charlie nodded in answer to Billy's statement. "She's being trying to get in contact with you, sis. She really wants to talk to you."
"She had her time to talk to me Billy, but she didn't, instead she sent me to live with you and Jenna."
"She knows that Charlie, and she thinks that its time for you to go back to Philly, she really misses you."
"I don't want to go back Billy. I'm happy living her in Roscoe with you and Jenna. I have friends here that I never had back in Philly. I really like it here and I don't want to leave, I want to stay here, with you, Jenna, and my friends. So please Billy don't try to convince me that it would be good for me to go back to Philadelphia and live with mom, when we both know that what's going to happen. We'll start fighting again; it'll be the same thing all over again."
Billy nodded he knew how his felt, and he knew that she wouldn't want to go home. He couldn't blame Charlie, it seemed like for the first time in her life, she had found a real home, where she had people to care for her; and Billy wasn't going to be the one to take that away from his sister.
"Rick sends his love by the way, he says that he misses you a lot, and hopes everything is going ok for you."
"I miss him too." Charlie said leaning back in her chair. "Hey Billy, do you think I could help out here for a little?"
"Of course Charlie." Billy said standing up. "I have to finish teaching you how to replace break cables on a car."
Charlie smiled and stood up, this was her life now, and she loved it. Nothing could change that not even her mother; nothing would ever change it, no matter what happens.
"Alright, so what do we need exactly?" Audrey said as she and Lily walked through the party store.
"Well, streamers, table cloths, Jenna said we could just use the cups and plates from the house, and I think we should get one of those birthday crowns something that Charlie will find funny." Lily said as she looked through the table cloths.
"Ok, so what color scheme are we going for?" Audrey asked
"Color scheme?"
"You didn't pick any colors that you wan things to be."
"No, I didn't even think of it?'
"Ok, so what are Charlie's favorite colors and what kind of things does she like?"
"I know her favorite colors are red, black, and purple. And she likes music and her favorite animals are penguins." Lily answered
"Hmm, this is might be difficult." Audrey said as she walked around the story looking at the different decorations. "So, Travis tells me that he knew Charlie from Hong Kong, that they are pretty good friends."
"Audrey are you trying to ask me if they had some kind of relationship or something?" Lily said with a laugh.
"Well, kind of. I don't even know why I'm asking its just a couple of times I've seen them together and they seem really close." Audrey paused. "Go ahead call me a jealous girlfriend; I know I'm being one."
"You don't have to worry Audrey, I know for a fact that Travis only has eyes for you. Charlie and Travis are just good friends, like I am with Travis nothing to worry about." Lily said and then picked up a roll of streamers. "Ok, now let's try and get some decorations, because this might be somewhat difficult to find something with penguins, and music on it."
"Come on, I know the perfect place." Audrey said with a smile as she pulled Lily out of the store into the mall.
Alright I what to get Charlie, what to get her; Robbie said to himself as he walked around Mickey's looking at the music that Charlie might like. He felt as if he had to find the perfect present for her, as a way to make up for his hostility towards her when he first met Charlie. Robbie had narrowed it down to two ideas for Charlie's present; a CD or some piece of jewelry.
"Hey Robbie!" Robbie jumped somewhat by the voice pulling him out of his thought. He turned around and saw that Ray was standing behind him, with a goofy grin on his face.
"Hey Ray." Robbie said with a sigh.
"So whatcha doing?" Ray said
"Looking for a gift for Charlie's birthday, why do you ask?" Robbie said as he went back to looking though the CDs.
"Just wondering, I already got Charlie a gift, and I must say that it is pretty good, plus I threw in something that I think she will find funny."
"It wouldn't by any chance be that orange and yellow my little pony that you've been trying to get rid of for last six months would it?"
"Yes, and Charlie is the perfect person to give it to, she is the only one out of all you that understands my hysterical and unique humor." Ray said
"Right, so what else did you get her?" Robbie asked hoping that maybe it would help him with his gift for Charlie.
""I got her the Good Charlotte DVD, I know it's kind of like of course she wants that, but I know she doesn't have it and she would really like it."
Robbie nodded in agreement, even with knowing what Ray was getting Charlie, he still had no idea what to get her. Robbie didn't understood why it seemed so hard for him to pick out a gift for Charlie; it wasn't like she was his girlfriend or something. Robbie stopped himself, why did he even think that; did he have some kind of feelings for Charlie. No, he couldn't; Robbie thought to himself, Charlie is just his friend. He didn't have feelings for Charlie; did he?
Charlie sat in her room listening to Good Charlotte on her CD player. She was the only one home in her house, and she was doing what she always did when she was home alone sit in her room and listen to music. Charlie found it to be the only time that she could listen to music without being disturbed by anyone else in her house. When she use to live in Philadelphia, she spent almost all her time in her room listening to her music, it was the only thing her mother didn't criticize her on, besides the fact that her mother didn't like the music she listened to, her mother didn't really care.
Charlie closed her eyes, in an attempt to let herself really get into the music, but suddenly she heard her phone ring. Charlie sighed an annoyed sigh, and got up from her bed. Charlie walked over to her stereo and turned the music down, so that it was barely audible. Charlie then walked over to her phone which was still ringing and picked up and put it to her ear.
"Hello?" Charlie said with annoyance in her voice.
"Didn't interrupt something?" the voice on the other end said.
"Ray?" Charlie asked sitting down on her bed.
"Yeah it's me; I need your help Charlie." Ray said seriously.
"What is it Ray?"
"I want to ask Lily out." Ray said sounding if he thought it was going to be a surprise.
"So what's new about that?" Charlie said like it was nothing.
"You knew?!" Ray said shocked that Charlie knew about his feelings for Lily.
"I think everybody but Lily knows Ray. So what do you need my help for?"
"I'm not sure how to ask her or when, or to where?"
Charlie thought for a moment and then it hit her. The Winter Formal was coming up and tickets were going on sale; Charlie knew it would be the perfect opportunity for Ray to ask Lily out and to get the two together. All Ray would have to do is ask Lily if she would want to go before the dance, everything else was perfect.
"Alright Ray, I've figured it out; you are going to ask Lily to the Winter Formal sometime in the next two weeks. That's all you have to do, well that and then actually buy the tickets for the dance." Charlie said smiling to her self.
"To the dance, wouldn't it be better if I started out with something small like asking her to the movies or something?"
"Ray, one can not get what one wants if they do not go for it with force and determination."
"You sound like Travis." Ray said over the phone.
"Look Ray the Winter Formal is in six weeks, which gives you enough time to ask Lily, buy the tickets, get a suit, for Lily to get a dress, and to get everything else you're going to need." There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Ray if you want Lily, you have to be willing to take a chance and right now this is your chance to win her."
"Alright I'll ask her in the next two weeks like you said."
"Great Ray, that leaves four weeks for you to get everything else settled." Charlie smiled. "Keep me updated on everything ok."
"OK talk to you later." Ray said and then hung up.
Charlie placed her phone back into the cradle and laid back down on her bed. The only thing she had to figure out was who she wanted to go with to the dance. Charlie thought to herself who she wanted to ask her, the weird thing was that every time she thought about it the first name to pop into her mind was Robbie. Charlie thought about this to herself: Why would I want to go with Robbie? Robbie's just my friend? It's not like I have feelings for him. Do I?
"Travis did you know that Charlie's birthday is next weekend?" Lily said sitting down next to him.
"Yes, I actually did; she's turning sixteen, she's just a couple months younger then you actually. Why?" Travis asked placing his Buddhism book on the table.
"I was thinking that maybe we should throw her a little party, not many people just the four of us, Audrey, and her brother and sister-in-law. I don't think it should be a big thing we could have it at her house. What do you think?"
"That could be difficult." Travis said with a sigh.
"Why?" Lily asked finding it odd that Travis would say that.
"Well, Charlie hasn't really had any good birthdays in the last couple years. Her dad got sick on her birthday, and every birthday after that has just been a reminder of her dad getting sick and dying." Travis looked over at Lily, seeing that he had somewhat discouraged her. "But it could be different; maybe if we had a party for her it would get her mind off her dad."
"So you'll help me?" Lily said smiling.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You're in charge of music; I was thinking that since you've known Charlie the longest you could but together a list of her favorite songs that we could play at the party."
"I could do that. What about everyone else?" Travis asked
"Well, Audrey said she would help me pick out decorations, I'm going to have Ray be in charge of food, since I think that's the only thing he can handle, and I was going to ask Robbie if he could take care of Charlie. Oh, and Jenna said she would make the cake."
"That sounds perfect." Travis said with a nod.
"Great, so I've gotta go cause Audrey and I are going to go start on the decorations. You'll get started on the music, right Travis?" Lily said standing up.
"Yeah, I will." Travis said and the Lily walked out of Mickey's.
Travis smiled to himself, he felt as if this party was going to be good for Charlie. She would have something else to think about on her birthday, rather then jus thinking about her dad dying. On her birthday Charlie, would more than likely actually smile, something Travis had never seen Charlie do on her birthday, in all the time that he had had know Charlie.
Charlie walked into her brother's auto shop, she loved to watch Billy, Mike, and the others work on the cars. Charlie found it to be somewhat relaxing, watching others hard at work doing something they liked to do and not something they had to do just to pay the bills. Charlie sometimes wondered what she would end up doing for a living, was she going to be doing something she loved or something just to pay the bills. Charlie smiled she knew it didn't matter now, she was young and had her whole life ahead of her, and to Charlie that's all that matters.
"Hey kiddo what are you doing here?" Charlie looked up and saw Mike standing next to her. Mike was covered in oil from almost head to toe. His sandy blonde hair had patches of oil, the same as his face.
"Just came to hang out. Is Billy around by any chance?" Charlie asked and stood up from where she sat.
"Yeah, his in the office on the phone;" Mike said and then paused "his on the phone with your ma, Charlie."
The smile that had once been on her face was now gone; Charlie knew that Mike knew about everything that had happened between her mom and herself. It not that Charlie minded, its just she hated when other people mentioned it and tried to get her to talk to her mother. Charlie knew that Mike was only trying to be helpful and nice to her, but it still didn't help; Charlie and her mother had never had a good relationship and probably would never.
"Well, I'm going to go in there; I need to talk to him about something." Charlie said looking into the office and watching as Billy hung up the phone and leaned back in the chair.
Charlie walked towards the office, slowly; she knew that her mother had called Billy for only one reason; and that reason was her. In the last couple months, Charlie's mother had been trying to get in touch with her; just to make sure she was being a 'good girl'. Charlie entered the office and saw her brother in his usually look. His dark chocolate hair was messy as usual, his work clothing; a pair of old blue jeans, and a white t-shirt, was covered in grease, oil, and transition fluid. Most people would say that Billy and Charlie looked a like, except for the fact Billy was a boy and that he was about ten years older than Charlie.
"Hey Billy." Charlie said as she walked over to the chair on the other side of the desk and sat down across from him.
"Hey, Charlie; what brings you here?" Billy said leaning forward on to his elbows.
"Nothing just thought I'd visit my older brother." Charlie said with a smile waiting for Billy to bring up what her mother, had more than likely said on the phone to him.
"I'm guessing you know that was mom on the phone." Charlie nodded in answer to Billy's statement. "She's being trying to get in contact with you, sis. She really wants to talk to you."
"She had her time to talk to me Billy, but she didn't, instead she sent me to live with you and Jenna."
"She knows that Charlie, and she thinks that its time for you to go back to Philly, she really misses you."
"I don't want to go back Billy. I'm happy living her in Roscoe with you and Jenna. I have friends here that I never had back in Philly. I really like it here and I don't want to leave, I want to stay here, with you, Jenna, and my friends. So please Billy don't try to convince me that it would be good for me to go back to Philadelphia and live with mom, when we both know that what's going to happen. We'll start fighting again; it'll be the same thing all over again."
Billy nodded he knew how his felt, and he knew that she wouldn't want to go home. He couldn't blame Charlie, it seemed like for the first time in her life, she had found a real home, where she had people to care for her; and Billy wasn't going to be the one to take that away from his sister.
"Rick sends his love by the way, he says that he misses you a lot, and hopes everything is going ok for you."
"I miss him too." Charlie said leaning back in her chair. "Hey Billy, do you think I could help out here for a little?"
"Of course Charlie." Billy said standing up. "I have to finish teaching you how to replace break cables on a car."
Charlie smiled and stood up, this was her life now, and she loved it. Nothing could change that not even her mother; nothing would ever change it, no matter what happens.
"Alright, so what do we need exactly?" Audrey said as she and Lily walked through the party store.
"Well, streamers, table cloths, Jenna said we could just use the cups and plates from the house, and I think we should get one of those birthday crowns something that Charlie will find funny." Lily said as she looked through the table cloths.
"Ok, so what color scheme are we going for?" Audrey asked
"Color scheme?"
"You didn't pick any colors that you wan things to be."
"No, I didn't even think of it?'
"Ok, so what are Charlie's favorite colors and what kind of things does she like?"
"I know her favorite colors are red, black, and purple. And she likes music and her favorite animals are penguins." Lily answered
"Hmm, this is might be difficult." Audrey said as she walked around the story looking at the different decorations. "So, Travis tells me that he knew Charlie from Hong Kong, that they are pretty good friends."
"Audrey are you trying to ask me if they had some kind of relationship or something?" Lily said with a laugh.
"Well, kind of. I don't even know why I'm asking its just a couple of times I've seen them together and they seem really close." Audrey paused. "Go ahead call me a jealous girlfriend; I know I'm being one."
"You don't have to worry Audrey, I know for a fact that Travis only has eyes for you. Charlie and Travis are just good friends, like I am with Travis nothing to worry about." Lily said and then picked up a roll of streamers. "Ok, now let's try and get some decorations, because this might be somewhat difficult to find something with penguins, and music on it."
"Come on, I know the perfect place." Audrey said with a smile as she pulled Lily out of the store into the mall.
Alright I what to get Charlie, what to get her; Robbie said to himself as he walked around Mickey's looking at the music that Charlie might like. He felt as if he had to find the perfect present for her, as a way to make up for his hostility towards her when he first met Charlie. Robbie had narrowed it down to two ideas for Charlie's present; a CD or some piece of jewelry.
"Hey Robbie!" Robbie jumped somewhat by the voice pulling him out of his thought. He turned around and saw that Ray was standing behind him, with a goofy grin on his face.
"Hey Ray." Robbie said with a sigh.
"So whatcha doing?" Ray said
"Looking for a gift for Charlie's birthday, why do you ask?" Robbie said as he went back to looking though the CDs.
"Just wondering, I already got Charlie a gift, and I must say that it is pretty good, plus I threw in something that I think she will find funny."
"It wouldn't by any chance be that orange and yellow my little pony that you've been trying to get rid of for last six months would it?"
"Yes, and Charlie is the perfect person to give it to, she is the only one out of all you that understands my hysterical and unique humor." Ray said
"Right, so what else did you get her?" Robbie asked hoping that maybe it would help him with his gift for Charlie.
""I got her the Good Charlotte DVD, I know it's kind of like of course she wants that, but I know she doesn't have it and she would really like it."
Robbie nodded in agreement, even with knowing what Ray was getting Charlie, he still had no idea what to get her. Robbie didn't understood why it seemed so hard for him to pick out a gift for Charlie; it wasn't like she was his girlfriend or something. Robbie stopped himself, why did he even think that; did he have some kind of feelings for Charlie. No, he couldn't; Robbie thought to himself, Charlie is just his friend. He didn't have feelings for Charlie; did he?