The Orphanage (Candle Cove )

Chapter 7: I'm Ok

Charlotte sat on her bed playing with her doll as the other children played outside. Percy was outside playing with a stick and some ants wondering if Charlotte was awake. Percy saw her come outside and he blushed as he saw her smile and wave at him. He waved back. He had been meaning to tell her how he felt. He picked a flower and was finally gaining the courage to talk to her about it.

He stopped when a boy came up to her asking if she wanted to go play. She smiled and her eyes lit up. She was gonna go play but he ran up to her and pulled her away by the arm.

"Ow Percy! Let go of me! You're hurting my arm!" She kept hitting his hand but he wouldn't let go and just as they were finally behind the orphanage he looked at her trying to hide the tears in his eyes, so he quickly wiped them away.

"I wait for you .... All morning ... And you go play with some other kid?! Am I boring to you?! Huh?! Do you like him?!"

Charlotte crossed her arms and looked at him. "First of all stop yelling at me! Second... What is your problem, Percy?!"

She paused and looked at him. Observing his behavior then she realized why he was acting the way he was. " GOOD GOLLY WITH CHEESE ON ICE YOU'RE JEALOUS!" Percy turned pink when she said that. "I'm not jealous! Its just very rude that I wait for you and you go play with someone else... That's not...." He sighs. " Charlotte... Can I ask you something? Please?"

Charlotte nods. "If I could do anything in this world.... Give you anything... Would you... Marry me? Right now?" Percy asked with a blush blooming on his cheeks.

"Percy... Sit down. " She said sitting on the soft lush green grass. Her skirt fell perfectly around her. She looked up at him and pats the ground beside her and he sat down. After a few seconds, he puts his head in her lap. Feeling the soft, cool, pillow like fabric against his warm cheek.

"You didn't sleep well huh?" He shook his head as he nuzzled into her skirt. His eyes had a slight tinted shadow beneath them. Percy closed his eyes and let her pet his head, feeling her fingers gently comb through his hair made him smile a bit.

"Percy, you're aware that we're both too young to get married... Plus I'm pretty sure no adult would see it fit. However... There is nothing that you could give me or do anything that would make me marry you and here's why... If I was to marry you, could you give me the one thing every fairytale princess wants?" Percy didn't understand the question but he knew his answer was a no, and so he shook his head. "Secondly, why are you so possessive when I go play with other kids? You're even worse when I go play with boys..."

He yawned softly. "Because... I love you Charlotte... No matter what you say... I will love you forever. I don't want anyone to ever hurt you." He finally dozed off and softly snored. Charlotte only smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Oh Percy... You're too sweet for this world." She smiled and closed her eyes as the both slept peacefully in the tall grass behind the building.

Charlotte walked outside. She didn't mind the windy day, and she didn't mind the sound of the squeaking from the dusty old windmill, what she did mind was the trail of blood on the cobblestone path at the front of the orphanage. She saw Percy laying in the grass not moving at all. Charlotte tilted her head. She thought he might've fallen asleep. Only she was dead wrong. "Hey, Percy, wanna go play on the swing set?" No response. "Hey, wake up silly-" She got on her knees and turned his body to face her, only to be greeted by his bruised and bloodied face. She screamed at the top of her lungs and she screamed for help and the mistress came running outside. "What's with all the screaming Charlotte- OH MY GOODNESS!"

The mistress had one of the older boys at the orphanage carry Percy back inside to have him cleaned up and find out if he was injured anywhere else. The mistress asked Charlotte if she knew what happened. Charlotte had only found him, but she knew exactly who had done it. "It was Michael. He's been bullying Percy all week-long miss." That's when she knew exactly how to get Michael into deeper trouble. She started to form tears and she pretended to cry and said, "And then he told me if I told anyone, he would throw me out the top window!" She fake sobs, but the mistress found her cries real. She looked at her and rubbed her back. "Don't worry, I'll deal with Michael. " She said.