Ambivalence

Chapter | Sixteen

The air was tense, Charlie's hospital room had never been as full as it was now. April and Bella were standing on one side of Charlie's bed and Paul was on the other side. Emmy and her boyfriend were standing towards the end of her bed, they were passing by when Charlie asked them to stop by when everyone else was going to. Jeff was by the back of the room, sitting on the couch that James was sleeping on earlier, Jordan was beside him, they were talking about their new basketball strategies that they hoped to use. Michael was standing beside Paul, more towards the foot of her bed, he was laughing at the jokes that April was making. Camden wasn't anywhere in the room, have left with James a little while back.

Charlie was having the time of her life sitting in the hospital bed, she was no longer in any horrible pain, her cuts were healing nicely and her bruises were starting to fade. She had been in the hospital for a week and a half already, but she didn't mind it. She spent New Years in the hospital but she spent it with James, since he offered to stay with her while Charlie forced everyone else to go out and have fun.

Everyone was waiting on James to show up, it was taking forever but they all had nothing else to do so they were waiting patiently.

"how are you feeling?" Paul asks. He had been worrying about her since he found out the day after it happened. Camden called everyone the following day to let them know what was going on, and as to why Charlie wasn't answering her phone.

"It hurts less than before, and I'm on the good drugs, so.." she paused before sending him a large smile, "pretty good." They laughed together.

"You really had us worried.." April spoke, gripping onto Charlie's hand tighter. "I just can't imagine if you weren't-" she paused, getting choked up with the idea of a life without Charlie.

"I know." Charlie replies as she grabs April's hand and holds it tightly in her own, "no tears. Remember?"

"Yeah.." April sniffles.

Emmy speaks up from her spot in the room, making everyone's head turn towards her, "Where's James?"

"He's on his way, he'll be here soon." Charlie replies, sounding slightly tired. She was starting to feel the new round of pain pills they were giving her.

"Soooo..." Paul begins, "What did you want to talk to us about anyways?" He asks confused.

"James knows more than me, let's just wait for him." Charlie spoke up, quietly.

"Is it about...?" Ethan spoke up from the back of the room, Emmy had walked away from him and towards Charlie's bed, and so Ethan sat beside the boys. He was leaning against the couch, standing there with him body language calm, but still stiff waiting for Charlie to confirm what he had been thinking.

Charlie doesn't reply as everyone turns their heads towards her, her looking Ethan directly in the eyes, staring him down as he does the same to her. Charlie doesnt say a word, looking at the wall where the clock was, checking the time once again, the ninth time in the past half hour. 

"Finally," Jeff sighed, rubbing his hands on his thigh.

"What the hell are you guys on about?" Bella asked, her words coming out slow, as she was looking from Charlie to him, "where's Camden?"

But her question went unanswered as Charlie and Jeff looked at one another. 

"Yeah, I would really like to know, so you guys wouldn't talk like we aren't here." April spoke up, making Charlie look at her as she was worried to tell her something. 

"You know, it took him long enough to grow a pair to finally tell everyone," Jordan spoke up, slapping his hand on his knee. "Pay up Ethan"

"Oh Man, you couldn't wait until the summer?" Ethan wined as he slipped Jordan a two twenties. 

"Charlie?"

Paul spoke up, looking at her expectantly. But Charlie didn't respond. 

"Just, give it a minute Paul..." Michael spoke up, making everyone, including Charlie look at him confused. 

"Michael?" Paul

James clears his throat, everyone turns around to see him, only to see Camden standing beside him with dark bags under his eyes.

"Okay guys, we need to talk." James