What Happened to Charli

Two

     I laid in bed and let my brain get the best of me. There was no way she was dead, it would be impossible for her to kill herself. Right? She was happy most of the time when I saw her, she was always smiling and volunteering to help freshman orientation. She even volunteered at the animal shelter where she got her pet bunny, Magneto. He died a few months ago. Did the heartbreak of losing a pet get to her? 

     I never owned a pet so I wouldn't know what she went through. 

     I closed my eyes and flopped on my side trying to get comfortable, my weighted blanket pulled up to my chin and tucked under my feet. 

     I tried to block her out but my brain kept pulling images, I can't believe how closely I paid attention to her. The way her long hair would curl in the summer heat, when she cut her hair it seemed to be stick straight unless she altered it. Her almond shaped green eyes always looking into your soul when talking, she was always kind. Always put other people first.

     Is that why she did it?

     Or did she?

     "But who would want to kill her?" I whispered. I opened my eyes and let them get readjusted to the darkness of my small square room. It was boring in here, plain white walls, a twin bed, a glass L shaped desk that held my laptop, ipad, and XBox. I had a bookshelf built into my walls that held most of my comics and some school books and extra controllers for if I ever had anyone over. 

     I sighed. I never did.

     Except Charli. A few times. I closed my eyes and let my brain remember those moments. 

     It was my Eighth birthday and we had a pool party, our pool is now gone. Too expensive to maintain and nobody wanted to clean it. Back then my house was the place to be, I was never alone. She came in, her long thick brown hair stuck to her back, her one piece white bathing suit clung to her body, a pink towel wrapped around her waist. We sat at the kitchen table sipping juice, someone burped and we laughed so hard juice squirted from her nose, she yelped in pain but kept laughing. 

     I sighed and tossed back onto my other side, my head finding the cool part of the pillow. I was Thirteen when she came knocking on my door, my parents weren't home yet and it was pouring out, a tornado siren was going off. 

     "Charli?"

     "Can I come in? My parents aren't home and I'm scared." She looked scared, her eyes big and full of fear, her little body shaking from the cold. I moved to the side and let her in, closing the door behind her.

     "Um, I was in the bathroom. We don't have a basement." She nodded and we went into the hallway bathroom, we sat in the tub, the faucet digging into my back, my heart pounding.

     She looked around curiously. "Where are your parents?"

     "Work."

     "What do they do again?"

     "My mom is a nurse and my dad works at that car shop down the street from school."

     "Oh yeah, that's right."

     "What about your parents?"

     "What about them?"

     "What do they do?"

     "Oh," She looked around again, avoiding me. Was I being too intense? "My mom is a dental hygienist and my dad work at some scrap metal place. I don't know what he does." I nodded. The sirens stopped, I check my phone with the tornado alert still on going.