Stranger Nights

Chapter 10

Freddy blamed Henry.

Freddy blamed Henry because he was now being forced to drink tea with Mrs. Baker.

Freddy wanted to make dropping Henry's new church clothes quick and easy, he had too. He had laid the clothes on Henry's bed and just as he was about to leave Linda Baker walked in the house.

After quickly explaining that he was a friend of Henry's to avoid any misunderstandings, Mrs. Baker sat him down and started to brew some tea before he had anytime to say no thanks.

"I'm so glad Henry's made a new friend!" Mrs. Baker said excitedly. Her excitement reminded Freddy of Henry's own excitement. This thought just made him more nervous. Linda handed him a cup of tea in a cracked white cup.

"Have you met Charlotte?" she asked him sitting down in the chair in front of him. Freddy nodded. Linda smiled while taking a sip of her tea and then promptly sat it down on the coffee table in between them.

"Henry's been friends with her for so long. Long before I came into his life." Linda said. Freddy's eye's widened.

"Oh, so you're not-"

"His real mother?" Linda finished for him, "No. Most people make that mistake when they first meet us."

"Well you do share the same smile." Freddy commented smiling sheepishly.

"Do we? That's the first time I've heard that." Linda laughed.

'They share the same laugh too.' Freddy thought to himself looking down at the cold tea.

"Anyway, I love Charlotte like a daughter, but I don't think it's good for a boy his age to only ever talk to three people." Linda said before adding, "His father and I of course."

Freddy nodded pretending to understand.

"I'm sorry what did you say your name was again? I have such a bad memory." Linda asked.

"Oh...um...Freddy Elliot." Freddy answered.

"Oh! So you're Minister Elliots boy! That must be such an honor!" Linda beamed at him.

'I guess they are different.' Freddy thought, squeezing his tea cup and nodding at Linda.

"How come you're never at church?" she asked. He shrugged.

"It's not my kind of thing I guess." He answered quietly.

"Oh." was all she could get out. There was an obvious look of disappointment on her face and Freddy couldn't stand to look at it.

No matter how good of a mother Linda Baker was that didn't hide the fact that she was a devoted Christian. And if she found out who Henry truly was, then there is a very good chance she'll be less of a good mother.

Freddy slowly took a sip of his coffee, but almost spit out when Linda suddenly said,

"So is Henry interested in any girls?"

Charlotte Baker was curled in a ball on her bed. She was staring at the blank wall. She was too tired to do anything else. She barely even thought.

"Charlotte?" a voice called from her living room. She didn't bother replying since the voice was already in her bedroom.

"Hey, Charlotte." Henry said.

"I don't feel like talking right now, Henry." she said weakly. She felt him staring at her back, but didn't turn around.

"You don't have to talk then." Henry smiled. He sat down on the floor and leaned on her bed frame.

"The garden ball is coming up," he told her, "I know you hate that stuff, but Ginger Peterson, you know the other gay person, says that some people are going to take it over. She said, and I quote, "It's going to go from classy to trashy real fast."

"Freddy says he'll go. He says it's just to babysit us, but that's lie because he's obviously starting to like us as friends. He even came over to my house you know. We talked....well I talked he mainly just listened and looked nervous. He even came with me to George's place, where we met Ginger, and helped me get new church clothes. We...

Henry stopped and went silent for a moment before continuing.

"Well, we started to walk back to my house and I realized I needed to tell you we'll be going to a dance the day after tomorrow. So I told him to drop off my church clothes," Henry chuckled, "My mom probably forced him to have tea with her."

Henry laughed to himself for a moment before getting up.

"Hey, I know you don't like these kind of things, especially when they involve people, but it's important for young kids to get out there......at least that's how my mom puts it. Hey, and who knows, maybe you'll meet a guy. Well, I'll leave you alone, I've got to go save Freddy from my mother. Bye."

Henry turned and started to walk out the door, but stopped when a voice muttered.

"Henry..."

"Yeah?" Henry asked turning his head to her.

"Thanks." Charlotte said softly.

Henry smiled down at his feet and left.

Charlotte is an incredibly difficult character to write. She has depression. Depression is hard to put down on paper if you have not personally been through that. I'm sorry if I have failed in accurately writing about it.

Charlotte is a perfect cinnamon roll too precious for this world, too pure.