Red (sequel to TYG)

Chapter 23

Anna's pov:

It's almost torture, having to wait for two whole days until I see Carl. According to Charlie, what happened was that Tucker came across Rick in the woods. It was agreed upon that if Carl wanted to see me, or anyone else from the group for that matter, we would meet them at the park in the nearest town. I'm not sure what it's called or exactly where it is, but Charlie is taking me so I don't have to worry about that.

Now that the time is almost here, I don't know why, but I'm a pile of nerves.

I'm quiet almost the whole drive there, in fact, the only time Charlie and I talk is when he points it out to me.

"Baby cakes, I thought you would be more excited than this." He said, not tearing his eyes off the road.

I twist my fingers around in my hands. I'm tempted to bite my nails but I have just enough sanity left not too.

"I am excited. Just tired. I didn't fall asleep until late last night."

"Could of fooled me." He laughs. "You were out like a light."

"I woke up from a bad dream and had a hard time falling to sleep again." I explain. It's not a lie, I had a nightmare last night.

He doesn't argue with me but I don't think he's convinced.

__

"They're not coming, Babe." Charlie says. He lets out a breath of cigarette smoke and blows it at the cool night sky. It forms a puffy white cloud.

I stop my pacing to glare at him.

"Aren't you just optimistic today." I say sarcastically.

"Baby cakes, we've been here for six hours." Charlie says. He sits up on the park bench he was laying on and stamps the remainders of his cigarette into the ground. "Tucker told them to come in the afternoon."

"Maybe they misunderstood him." I reason.

I don't want to accept just yet that Carl doesn't want to see me anymore.

Charlie shakes his head at me. I cross my arms over my chest and turn around to face the deserted playground behind me.

"We should go. It's getting late."

I stand pouting for another minute. I know that they're not coming and my heart breaks a little bit more.

"Rick said that Carl might not want to come. He told Tucker that he probably wouldn't want to see you after what you said." Charlie adds.

Without a word I unfold my arms and walk to the small red truck we drove here in. I slam the door shut, not feeling the least bit satisfied by the crashing sound that it provides me with.

It's only a moment before Charlie climbs into the driver's seat. I prop my elbow up on the window ledge and rest my cheek on my hand, refusing to look at Charlie.

"Do you want to go somewhere? I know the perfect place when you need to get your mind off of something." He asks me.

"If you want to." I shrug. I'm trying to sound uncaring and nonchalant to disguise the hurt I'm actually feeling on the inside. I don't think I've got him fooled.

He starts up the truck and begins to back out of the small park.

We drive for a long time, at least two hours. The ride is silent, not a word spoken between the two of us the entire time. Staring out the window and the silence has made the wall I built up around myself completely disintegrate. Now instead of my attitude being grouchy I'm about two seconds away from crying.