Monster of a Quest

Chapter 15 Cody

 I look at Charlotte as she looks at the map in deep thought. You could see her gears working trying to figure something out. "How do you know where the King stays to rest and get his so-called free time, and what time he actually gets to have it" Sam asked Charlotte, for a moment everything was silent and it was like Charlotte did not hear him, but then she looked up at him while regret spread across her face. "Look, I was a suck up and I did a lot of things I am not happy about. I mean, I even dated this dick head at one point, and I let him break my heart, and let's just say after that stupid thing that I thought I wanted. I just got worse and I am sorry, really. I feel so bad about what I did to all of you." They all looked at me, then back at Charlotte, but Charlotte just looked at Dabria. I looked at Dabria she was looking straight at Charlotte then after a while she looked around at all of us, she stopped and looked at me for a bit I looked back not moving, how could I hate her so much and somehow feel so bad for her, and I don't see anything wrong with her life. I started to get this weird feeling in my gut. It just kept building up and up. I just felt so sorry for what I did to Dabria. I have never felt this feeling for anyone before other than one person, but she was gone. Dabria smiled at me sadly, then looked back at everyone else.

That look, I wanted to get down on my knees and say sorry to her, make her forgive me. I felt like crying. Why did I feel so strong about this, but then I remember that was the look my mom would gave me when her and dad stopped fighting and I came down stairs and asked her if she was okay. But then she said "I'm fine Codybear go back to sleep" but I refused to and sat next her on the bed, and hugged her. She hugged me back then said "now you really must go back to bed buddy, please" but it was too late dad came in and said "What in the hell are you doing out of bed, get your ass back up there." He pushed me off the bed. I landed on the ground on all fours with a loud thud, but I still refused to leave my mother, she didn't deserve to be down here getting yelled at like she does. I stand up and don't leave, then he slaps me straight across the face with the back of his hand. My mom yelped, I could see the tears swarming in her eyes as she whispered "go" softly. I ran out of the room and up the stairs to my room, and slammed my door shut. I remember sitting at the edge of that bed for hours crying wishing I could do something to help my mother.

All the sudden, I hear someone calling my name, I zip back to reality. It was Dabria she had a look of extreme worry on her face , they all did. Her hand was on my shoulder and she was shaking me. "Yeah sorry" I say still thinking about that night. "Ohh my god Cody you gave us all a scare, you were not answering us or moving" says Charlotte, than Charlotte looked at Dabria, she looked like she was going to throw up. "Are you okay" Sam asks in a higher pitched voice than usual. I reached out my hand to comfort her but then pulled it away, The last thing was me comforting her. "Yeah I am fine, I was just really scared that I did something to him for him to freeze up like that. He just really scared me." Dabria says breathing a little bit lighter but still not really coming down. Why is she still acting like she knows I am fine, but then I remembered the things I used to get when my dad was way too close to my mom, she was having a panic attack.

She was pacing back and forth a bit and shaking her hands a bit to cool herself off. I know they probably won't listen to me or want to listen to me but she needs them to back up, and get some space and air. "Guys she needs some space, you should step back" I say then back up from her. "Why should we listen to you, you have been all but nice to her" Sam says. "I know, I know but I am only trying to help right now, you are going to overwhelm her with you all crowding around her." I say, Leo looks at me and nodded in understanding and backs up, they all look at him. "She needs some space so she can breathe, and I hate to admit but right now Cody is right" Says Leo, he knows what is happening, after a bit the other backed up a bit. Charlotte grabs Dabria's water bottle and gives it to her, she drinks a bit of it. "Thank you, I am good now we can keep walking" Dabria says, in what seems to be a way to try to divert our attention from her.

I started to look around, it looks like the sun was about to set. "I think it would be best if we set up camp here. The sun is about to set, and we can not see any attackers in the dark" I say, they all mumble in agreement knowing I am right but don't want me to be. We set up our tents, then Charlotte uses the book the king gave her and found herbs for us to eat. While Sam set up snares so we could hopeful catch something for breakfast, and maybe even a snack for tomorrow. I see Leo starting to walk back from the fire so I walk over to him. "Hey don't tell anyone about what Lilia just went through, let her tell them when she is ready" I say, he looks at me and nods then goes back to what he was doing. I look at Lilia sitting by the fire and looking up at the stars, she looks like she was trying to soak in everyone of them before they disappear again. I walk over to her and sit by her and just look up at the stars. Then finally I have the courage to say what I know I had to, even if I did not want to. "I'm sorry" I say then pause trying to decide how to word this. "Look I know I have been putting a lot on you, and I know you're the real captain and all but sometimes I like to pretend I am the special one once and awhile. I am really grateful that you let me feel that way, so I have decided that I will let you lead and not push you around, but I would like to put my opinion out there once in awhile" I say then look at her she was laughing at me. "I love that you have decided to let me lead in all but that wasn't really your choice" she says, I just sit there with my mouth open for a minute, then she laughs at me again. "You know I don't mind co-captioning with you but we all have to listen to each other and not just ourselves. Remember we are in this together, you're not alone on this one" she says then looks back up at the stars again, and so do I. "You know where I live you can barely see a star in the sky, when you did it was one and only one. I used to beg my mom to take me out somewhere I could see them better but she said if I did not stop asking she would take dinner away from me for a week, but one day we had field trip for school and got to look in this big telescope for hours while the people that worked there told us about the stars and the different planets, I found all of it so fascinating. So everyday after that I dedicated all my extra time to it, and told myself one day I would go somewhere like this and watch them for hours" she says then started to hum something I could not hear, I don't know why she told me this but before I could ask everyone else was starting to sit down. So I decided I would ask another time and just sat there with everyone else and started the stars as they twinkled and glistened.