By the time I woke up again, the morning sunshine was peaking over the treeline and through my open window. It didn't take long for me to realize that every joint and bone in my body ached to simply move.
That night... was the worst.
A lack of sleep.
The hard wood floor digging into my skinny side.
A zipper that kept jabbing into my cheek no matter how I adjusted my winter coat.
It was a rough night to say the least. Not to mention the random girl who broke into my room and practically kicked me out of my own bed.
I laid on my back, staring up at the corner of the bed, the sheets hanging lazily over the side. And, what horrified me most was the very thought of standing up and seeing her fast asleep in my bed, wraped in my blanket, and dreaming on my pillow.
This can't be happenin to me. What on earth did I do to deserve this?
"Okay..." I whispered, so soft I don't even think a bloodhound could hear me.
An unsteady breath escaped my lungs as I grabbed the edge of the stiff cushion and pulling myself up, slowly, and surly... only to see...
She was gone.
Thank the Lord...
All that was left was an indention in the sheets and a deep set hole in the pillow where she once laid.
To say I was relieved would be an understatement.
But there was far more things to stress over in that moment.
Like seeing her again...
How in the world was I supposed talk to her again.
To confront her.
To discuss the very real reality of what she did that night.
She must have lost her mind...
Knock!
A gentle tap echoed from my doorway.
My head quickly shot towards the sudden sound, my heart skipping a beat.
I half expected to see Charlotte standing in the doorway, a glass of milk in her hand and a content smile on her lips.
Honestly, that might have relieved me somewhat. Knowing it was all just a stupid game to watch me squirm.
"Ay, why's you sleepin bag on the floor?" My father said, a toothbrush lazily hanging out of his mouth.
I followed his curious gaze onto the peculiar sight that was the state of my room. That strange look on his face was not unwarranted. I mean, I had a wrinkled up bed sheet, a wide open closet, a sleeping bag thrown across the floor, a coat randomly bundled up, and an open window.
"Uh... I..."
Think Tuck, come on! You can't tell the new girl stole you's bed! Don't even know how he'd respond to somthin like that...
"I... uh... saw a s-spider in my bed." My palms began to sweat as I forced myself to maintane eye contact with the confused man.
He tilted his head to the side, his shaggy bangs falling lazily along with it.
"Since when ya scared of spiders?"
I looked over at the rustled sheets and dented in pillow.
"It was a scary one..."
Thankfully, my father just brushed all of the odd behavior off as me just being a strange kid.
So, off to school I went.
Each footstep felt as if I was approaching the electric chair. I just knew that at any second, Charlotte would burst around the corner and make fun of me.
She would say something like,
"You really let me sleep in your bed like that! I was just messing with you! So gullible, Sir Tucker!"
Or something along those lines.
All too proud and cocky. Making light of my struggles to be a decent human being.
My doom approached when I rounded the corner onto the dirt road leading to school. There she was, bouncing back and forth between her toes and her ankles, her dress dancing around her with every step.
"Here we go..." I whispered, my hands tightening around my backpack straps.
I guess she must have heard my footsteps as she quickly twisted around on one foot towards me.
The moment I saw her face...
A bright smile...
And a burning furnace.
"Tucker, there you are. Good morning to you."
No teasing yet?
"Y-Yeah... mornin."
She twirled graciously on her ankles and began walking beside me.
I heard her take a deep breath, her words eager to come out and into the world.
Here it comes...
"Did you study for the math test today? I heard from Bethany that it's going to be a very difficult one."
I shot her a side eye.
Huh?
She just stared straight ahead, a content smile across her face like there was no ill in the word at all.
"Charlotte? Why are you-"
"I heard lunch today will be Pizza! That's crazy exciting, right?" She said, the bottom of her eyelids twitching every so slightly.
She was terrified... hiding it behind the fakest smile I had ever seen.
Ah... I see now... She is just as scared as me.
"Y-Yeah, the schools pizza tastes like cardboard though."
She nudged me with her shoulder as we continued to walk. I could feel the imense weight on her back ease up, a grateful, yet nervous slouch in her posture.
"Is it really that bad?" She asked, her words trailing of into a relaxed sigh.
I nodded along, finally taking my eyes off of her for the first time.
"Damp bread, sauce that tastes like ketchup, and burnt cheese." I responded.
She chuckled, looking up to the lazy clouds above us.
She looked... happy.
I'm just a soft hearted fool afterall...