Obsessive Love Disorder [PART 3]

12

December 25, 1996
Billy

"What the hell is this?!"

My gaze shoots up to the hallway, where Charlotte stands and glares directly at me. Her face is bright red, and she grasps a notebook in her right hand. I try to stay as straight-faced as humanly possible, especially because Davey is sitting in front of me on the floor, holding a deck of cards, having been in the middle of shuffling them for a game of Go Fish. Stu looks back and forth between Charlotte and me, his eyes widening in confusion. 

"Answer me."

I slowly raise my hands in defense and get up from the floor, Charlotte watching my every move carefully. "Let's talk outside, okay?"

She doesn't even respond, opting to march directly out the front door and start pacing on the porch. I can see her through the window - her entire body is rigid, and she holds the notebook far away from herself as if it's going to bite her. 

"I'll be right ba-" I start, but catch myself, memories of Randy and Halloween night replaying in my head. "I'll be just a minute."

"We'll start without you," Stu says, grabbing a handful of cards from Davey, who stares out the window at his sister with concern. I ruffle his hair as I walk to the door, opening it with a loud squeak and closing it quietly behind me. When my weight presses against the old wooden porch, Charlotte whips around with fire in her eyes. 

"Is this supposed to be some sort of sick gift?! Another present just for me?!"

"Do you want Davey to hear you?" I ask, gesturing behind me at the cabin. Charlotte opens her mouth to yell again but closes it after a second of thought. Instead, she takes a deep breath and shoves the notebook toward me. 

"You left this in my room this morning," she whispers, avoiding looking at the item in her hand. "It was open."

I nod. "Yes, I did."

"You wanted me to see it," she says. She doesn't phrase it as a question but as a statement. She knows I meant for her to see it. I nod again, confirming her, and she begins to flip through the book. Eventually, she lands on a page near the back - it's covered in pencil markings, all coming together to detail my latest idea. 

Last night, Charlotte told me more about her father. How he blames her for her mother's suicide, how he hits her more than Davey, and how she's been struggling to keep the suicide note a secret from everybody. And last night, something in my mind clicked. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before. I spent the early hours of the morning scribbling away in my notebook, writing up ideas and plans that I wanted to try. 

Charlotte shuts the notebook with a snap and tosses it to me. I catch it suddenly and watch as she retreats into the cabin, a fake smile on her face as she greets Stu and Davey and joins their game of cards. 

~~~

After dinner, I sit myself down on the couch with Davey, who is flipping through his new Batman comic and showing me his favorite parts. I nod along but find myself glancing out the window every chance I get.

Charlotte has been out there for a few hours now, completely alone and staring into the distance. She hasn't moved an inch except for when she fidgets with her hair or her hands. 

"Billy? Did you hear me?"

I snap back to Davey, who's staring at me quizzically. I sheepishly grin at him and scooch closer to him on the couch, peering over his shoulder. "Sorry, kid, I was just checking on her."

"Is she okay?"

I shrug. "She's... not happy with me right now."

"Again?" He asks, smiling teasingly. "What'd you do this time?"